To ensure that every student, every day, is engaged in meaningful, affirming grade-level instruction.
In 2017, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), in collaboration with a cohort of interested states, launched the High-Quality Instructional Materials and Professional Development (IMPD) Network. The IMPD Network is dedicated to ensuring that every student, every day, is engaged in meaningful, affirming grade-level instruction.
To realize this vision, research suggests that high-quality, standards-aligned curricular materials — in the hands of well-supported educators who know how to skillfully use them — are crucial.
Seven years into the initiative, more than 4.8 million students across IMPD network states have access to High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) in English Language Arts (ELA) and more than 5.8 million in math. As an example of the impact of this work, in five of these states—Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Tennessee—more than 80% of students statewide have access to high-quality materials in ELA and math.
Today, the IMPD Network formally collaborates with 15 states to support their districts in selecting high-quality curricula and in providing their educators and aspiring educators with curriculum-based professional learning. CCSSO supports leaders in these states to develop and implement strategic plans that are transforming both policy and practice — all in service of improving teaching and learning.
The IMPD Network was initially inspired by Louisiana’s success. Through a coherent effort to develop criteria and vet materials for quality, incentivize their use, and support their implementation, Louisiana ensured the use of high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials in virtually every classroom statewide. Not only did the state’s teachers have a better understanding of both the standards and the instructional practices necessary to teach them, but also student achievement has been on the rise.
All IMPD Network states are working to achieve the widespread selection and skillful use of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM). Whether a state is an adoption state that centrally approves or recommends curricula or a nonadoption state with little formal influence over the materials that districts select, each of the states in the IMPD Network has found ways to support district decision-making and put stronger materials in the hands of more educators.
Providing educators with high-quality instructional resources is a crucial first step, but that alone is not sufficient to drive significant improvements in teaching and learning. Educators must skillfully use the materials to meet the specific needs of their students. Therefore, IMPD Network states are also focused on ensuring that teachers, leaders and aspiring educators receive deep, ongoing, curriculum-based professional learning – both during their service and in educator preparation programs.
Making Sense of Instructional Coherence at the State Level: This report examines how state education agencies can create the conditions for instructional coherence so that students experience connected, purposeful learning across their core classes, intervention blocks, and tutoring. Drawing on school-level examples and state spotlights, the paper explores three key components of instructional coherence: a shared goal, quality materials, and coordination. It outlines concrete actions that states can take to set a clear vision for students’ daily experience at school, and to align materials, assessments, and guidance to that vision. Explore the report here.
