Learning Objectives

• Identify sources for high-quality instructional materials, including those labeled Open Educational Resources.
• Explore INFOhio's tools for finding and developing high-quality instructional materials.

Ohio Materials Matter Reviews is Ohio's curriculum review database. The Ohio Department of Education, EdReports, and INFOhio collaborated on the project. The database contains reports on English language arts, mathematics, and science curricula from EdReports, a nonprofit that provides reviews of K-12 instructional materials. Learn more about how to use EdReports and its curriculum adoption process in the INFOhio Learning Pathway class, EdReports. 

Ohio Materials Matter Reviews

Find Ohio Materials Matter Reviews on the Educators Resources and Tools available on the INFOhio homepage. Click the Educator button and choose Ohio Materials Matters Reviews from the list of resources and tools.

You will find the same detailed reports available on EdReports, but local curriculum adoption committees may find Ohio Materials Matter Reviews make searching for high-quality instructional materials easier. 

The limiters on the left side will help committees narrow their results to the Alignment, Subject, and Grade Level. Users can also limit by publisher and search by keyword.

Click on the resulting instructional materials, pictured in the screenshot above, to get a pop-up like the one shown below. In this example, you can see EdReports' findings on how the strategy aligns to learning standards.

From here, you can get the full report on EdReports, which provides additional information and details you need to make the best choice for your students. EdReports determines clear criteria and indicators for high-quality instructional materials. A review of Great Minds’ Wit and Wisdom curriculum, shown below, demonstrates the information available for educators to consider when choosing a new curriculum.  

EdReports' reviews provide detailed information on why and how this resource receives its rating. While the screenshot above shows EdReports rated this resource as Exceeds Expectations, the "Indicator 1A" screenshot below, contains more detail. Having specifics on what makes a curriculum strong or weak, such as “real-world topics”, “integrating science and social studies”, and “building towards independent grade-level reading” helps schools and districts base their choices on what students need most.

Returning to the Ohio Materials Matter Reviews site, pictured below, several features, marked by green arrows, will help teams search for high-quality instructional materials. Clicking the document icon in the lower right corner of each resource also will take searchers to the full EdReports review of that resource. Other helpful features in Ohio Materials Matter Reviews are the Notifications button and the Favorites feature. In the upper left corner, click the bell to sign up for notifications when new material reviews are added. Searchers can also "favorite" materials that meet the vision for their schools by clicking the heart in the left lower corner of each review. You can then email those favorite items to your team members. Do so by clicking the heart button to the left of the search bar, located at the top of the page. 

The email will include a link to the resources your team considered best. The email will also provide a link to the full EdReports review for each favorite resource.

Reflecting on Your Learning

1. What subject areas in your building are up for curriculum review or adoption? Use Ohio Materials Matter Reviews to search for curricula that meet the criteria for high-quality. Share the curriculum your district or school uses or is considering adopting in the High-Quality Instructional Materials for Each Child Open Space group. In the Discussions tab, find the Ohio Materials Matter Reviews post and explain why your reaction to the results of the review. Respond to other participants' answers.
2. Use the Favorite feature to save the curricula that fit the needs of your building. Email them to your team or curriculum director.
3. Schedule time to talk about the curricula and how they can help support your school's goals.