Quality Curriculum Drives Evidence-Based Teacher Practices

Using high-quality instructional materials in the classroom can make a demonstrable difference in the instruction students receive. For example, a 2018 study illustrated that teachers using quality-aligned materials engaged students in mathematical practices at a significantly higher rate than teachers without access to aligned curriculum. 

As part of EdReports’ 2023 State of the Instructional Materials Market study, our analysis of data from the RAND Corporation’s American Instructional Resources Survey (AIRS) supports similar findings. When teachers use quality materials, students have access to activities that are crucial for deepening understanding and fostering participation.

This means supporting student literacy in ELA; problem solving, explaining logic, and justifying solutions in mathematics; and using phenomena-driven instruction and scientific models in science. Regardless of subject area, the data below illustrates that teachers' practices are directly impacted by the content they use in the classroom. 

The Impact of Quality-Aligned Materials: ELA

Aligned materials in ELA support a wide range of literacy-enhancing activities, from applying academic vocabulary to practicing reading fluency. These high-quality materials facilitate frequent engagement in comprehensive literacy tasks, which support the development of critical reading and analytical skills (Table 1).

• Only one in five teachers using aligned materials report never applying phonics skills in recognizing and decoding words, as compared to one-third who use unaligned materials.
• Over half (52%) of teachers using aligned materials identified units of oral language such as words, syllables, onset/rime, or phonemes in a majority of lessons every week, as compared to one-third (37%) who use unaligned products.
• Nearly half (49%) of teachers using aligned materials covered the same nonfiction text with their whole class in a majority of their weekly lessons, as compared to only one-third of those with unaligned curricula.

Table 1: Regularity of use of high-leverage ELA tasks by curriculum alignment

The Impact of Quality-Aligned Materials: Math

Aligned materials in mathematics encourage a broad spectrum of problem-solving and communication activities, including explaining mathematical thinking and justifying solutions. These practices are essential for helping students develop a deeper conceptual understanding and the ability to communicate mathematical ideas effectively (Table 2).

• Seventy-five percent (75%) of teachers using aligned materials in a majority of their weekly lessons have students explain their mathematical thinking, compared to sixty-seven percent (67%) of those using unaligned curricula.
• Sixty-nine percent (69%) of teachers using aligned materials report that a majority of their lessons every week involve students justifying their solutions to mathematical problems, compared to sixty percent (60%) of those using unaligned materials.

Table 2: Regularity of use of high-leverage math tasks, by curriculum alignment

The Impact of Quality-Aligned Materials: Science

Aligned materials in science boost engagement in a variety of inquiry-based learning tasks, including constructing scientific arguments; using models; and obtaining, evaluating, or communicating information about scientific phenomena. These activities are crucial for developing a comprehensive understanding of scientific methods and encouraging critical thinking (Table 3).

• More than half (55%) of teachers using aligned materials develop or use scientific models in a majority of their weekly lessons, as compared to a third (36%) of those using unaligned products.

• Four in ten (41%) of teachers report having students construct evidence-based scientific arguments when using aligned materials, as compared to three in ten (29%) using unaligned curricula. 

Table 3: Regularity of use of high-leverage science tasks, by curriculum alignment

Delivering on the Potential of Quality Curriculum

To be sure, selecting high-quality curriculum is not a self-contained solution. In order to adopt aligned materials that will be used effectively in the classroom, school systems must conduct a comprehensive, educator-led adoption process. They must also ensure that teachers have the necessary support for implementation and long-term, curriculum-based professional learning in order to make the most out of a quality program.

Adopting quality materials that promote evidence-based teaching practices and equipping educators to use them well are crucial steps to provide every student with engaging, grade-level content that promotes learning and growth.