Learning Objectives

• Identify the mission and vision of EdReports.
• Understand the impact quality learning materials have on student achievement.

EdReports' Mission and Vision

EdReports is a nonprofit reviewer of instructional materials. This resource provides thorough reports on the overall effectiveness of educational content using rubrics designed and reviewed by education professionals. You can access these reports available at no cost at www.edreports.org.

The EdReports Mission is, "EdReports.org is an independent nonprofit designed to improve K-12 education. EdReports.org increases the capacity of teachers, administrators, and leaders to seek, identify, and demand the highest quality instructional materials. Drawing upon expert educators, our reviews of instructional materials and support of smart adoption processes equip teachers with excellent materials nationwide."

Their vision is, "All students and teachers will have access to the highest quality instructional materials that will help improve student learning outcomes."

EdReports is supported by a variety of funders, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Walton Family Foundation. You can view the list of funders at www.edreports.org/about. From the homepage, click the About Us option in the menu at the top of the screen.

The release of rigorous college and career ready standards call for instructional approaches and materials to support them. Many instructional materials in today's market claim to be standards-aligned, but in truth lack any verification from a reliable source. EdReports seeks to improve learning by providing comprehensive information on a variety of English Language Arts, Math, and Science materials to help schools and districts make the best decisions when adopting or selecting resources. The reviews are done by educators for educators. 

Get an overview of EdReports by watching this video.

Why Quality Materials Matter

The EdReports' infographic Why Materials Matter can be downloaded. The content below is a summary of some of the information included in the document. You can find additional information by clicking Impact on the menu of the website and choosing Why Materials Matter. 

Research shows that having the right materials and student engagement with a teacher are the biggest influences on student learning.

• Instructional materials not only affect student learning, but also the the choices and behaviors teachers take while teaching (Chingos and Whitehurst, 2012).
• A top-ranked math program used in 4th and 5th grade increased students achievement gains by more that 3 percentiles (Kane, Owens, Marinell, Thal, and Staiger, 2016).
• Student learning outcomes are improved significantly when high-quality instructional materials are implemented (Jackson and Makarin. 2016-2017).

Access to quality materials is an ongoing issue in today's educational sphere.

• Teachers know that quality instructional materials are essential for student success, but only 18% believe that the district-available materials are aligned to standards (Zubrzycki, 2016).
• Teachers spend 7-12 hours a week searching online for instructional materials, many unvetted (Goldberg, 2016). 
• Schools with a higher proportion of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch have higher rates of teachers searching online for instructional materials (Opfer, Kaufman, and Thompson, 2016). 

Student learning is impacted by the lack of quality instructional materials. This impact does not end once students graduate (TNTP, 2018).

• Students living in poverty and of color have less access to quality instructional materials. 
• 40% of college students are enrolled in remedial classes.
• When students behind grade-level are given grade-appropriate assignments along with stronger instruction, deeper engagement, and higher expectations, they narrow the gap in achievement.  

Giving Educators Voice and Choice

The work done at EdReports is educator-led. Trained educators develop the rubrics and evidence guides, serve as material reviewers, and sit on the Board of Directors. Research shows that educators know the value of high-quality materials for student success, yet are not directly connected to their school or district's adoption process. Read more about how to give educator's a voice when choosing instructional materials in the two EdReports articles below.

• How to Use Teacher Voice to Elevate Student Needs
• My Teachers and Students Deserve Better Instructional Materials

Reflecting on Your Learning 

1. List the materials your school or district has provided. List the materials educators have found online. How are these materials used in daily instruction? What are favorable results in student achievement when using the various types of materials?
2. Estimate the number of hours educators in your school or district spend searching for instructional materials. What is the go-to online resource? Are the materials high-quality? Why or why not?
3. Based on the Why Materials Matter diagram pictured above and the research summarized, write a short statement that summarizes how materials affect student learning. 
4. Read the EdReports Resource 3 Ways Educators Can Effectively Advocate for Aligned, Coherent Curricula. Use the PDF to work with colleagues to build a strong voice for educators in your schools or district.