Since 2015, EdReports has provided transparent, educator-led reviews that districts and states rely on when selecting instructional materials. Today, the landscape has changed.

The instructional materials market is moving at a new pace. Publishers update products continuously, increasingly with AI. Districts must make high-stakes decisions within defined timelines, often selecting combinations of core programs, supplements, and digital tools that need to work together in classrooms.

Independent information does not always keep pace. Leaders need clearer insight into how materials align across products, how usable they are for teachers, and what evidence supports publisher claims.

Our 2026-2029 Strategic Plan responds to this moment. We will protect the independence and rigor that built trust in EdReports while modernizing how the field receives timely, practical information. Our goal is simple: better decisions about materials that lead to stronger classroom experiences for students.

Explore the plan

How We’ll Deliver Timely, Trusted Signals

Across all of our work, our focus is helping decision-makers understand not just whether materials meet expectations, but how they will function within real instructional systems.

1. Core Excellence: Independent Reviews That Anchor Trust

Our flagship, educator-powered reviews remain the foundation of EdReports’ credibility. We will continue to safeguard the transparent, rigorous processes that make EdReports a trusted source for high-stakes curriculum decisions.

This includes:

• Keeping criteria, methods, and evidence guides public
• Reviewing widely used PK-12 core instructional materials
• Clearly communicating when and how tools evolve
• Maintaining educator leadership at every stage of the review process

Independence remains non-negotiable. We do not accept gifts from publishers in exchange for reviews, and funders do not influence what we review or how materials are rated.

2. Infrastructure for Scale: Built to Move at the Speed of the Market

To remain relevant in a rapidly evolving instructional materials landscape, we are strengthening the infrastructure behind our work so signals remain timely, reliable, and accessible.

This includes:

• Responsible use of AI to support evidence review and workflow efficiency
• Secure and reliable data systems
• Accessible, mobile-friendly design
• Making it easier for states and partners to use EdReports information in their own processes

Educators always make the final judgments. Technology helps reviewers reach high-quality evidence more efficiently, without sacrificing trust or transparency.

3. New Signals & Thought Leadership: Clarifying Quality in Practice

As instructional decisions grow more complex, leaders need practical signals that reflect how materials are actually used.

Building on standards alignment, we are expanding the information we share to include:

• Clearer signals about usability and teacher supports
• Guidance on product alignment across core, supplemental, and digital materials
• Accessible information about the strength of research and evidence behind product claims

We will remain active in field conversations, learning alongside educators and leaders and sharing insights that strengthen understanding of effective implementation.

4. Public & Predictable Innovation: Making Our Evolution Clear

As EdReports’ role in the instructional materials ecosystem grows, so does our responsibility to ensure our work evolves in visible and understandable ways.

We are committing to:

• Clear communication about when and how tools and criteria change
• Transparent explanations of updates that affect interpretation or use
• Ongoing research into learning science and market trends
• Regular public updates about what we are testing, learning, and refining

Innovation should be deliberate, visible, and worthy of continued trust.

Safeguards for Trust

Across every part of this plan, our guardrails remain firm:

• Independence: No publisher gifts or payments in exchange for reviews. No funder influence on reviews or ratings.
• Transparency: Public criteria, evidence guides, methods, and limitations.
• Human judgment: AI may assist with efficiencies, but educators ultimately decide.

Why This Matters

For districts and states: Access to timely, credible information that supports high-stakes instructional materials decisions and helps leaders understand how materials work together in practice.

For publishers: Clear expectations about quality and predictable communication about how review tools evolve.

For educators and students: Stronger, more consistent grade-level learning experiences supported by materials that are easier to implement and use effectively.

A Defining Moment

The instructional materials landscape has changed. The decisions made today will shape what students experience in classrooms for years to come.

EdReports is committed to strengthening the clarity, transparency, and timeliness of the information that guides those decisions. Together with educators, leaders, and partners across the field, we will ensure trusted signals continue to evolve so high-quality materials are not only chosen carefully, but used well.

Explore the plan

This strategic plan outlines EdReports’ direction for the next phase of our work. Implementation will evolve as funding and partnerships are secured.