Selecting High-Quality Instructional Materials

In Catholic schools,  our schools operate independently of one another.  However, no matter where your school is located or what population of students you serve, the presence of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) is essential to effective student learning.  It is the hope that the creation of a resource that supports administrators in the process of selecting HQIM will provide much-appreciated guidance for choosing what is best for the school’s students and teachers.  Moreover, because our schools are uniquely Catholic, this resource can help to provide support  in the ways in which to look at materials through a Catholic lens.  Before engaging in this process, it is important to ensure that a new curriculum is truly needed at your school site. Sometimes teachers simply need additional support with current instructional materials that are available to them. However, if you have determined that your instructional materials are outdated, or that they are not serving your school effectively, then we recommend you follow the process outlined in this document. 

The research is increasingly clear that quality curriculum matters to student achievement. Curriculum is what is taught, and what we teach to our students most definitely informs their learning.  Teachers rely on instructional materials to support teaching and learning in their classrooms. The quality of these instructional materials matter. High-quality instructional materials (HQIM) are designed to engage students in a deeper level of learning, create a focused direction, and help teachers make connections across grade levels. They provide students with a fully-sequenced, coherent learning experience. When effectively implemented, they allow students at all levels to engage deeply with important questions, to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves because they foster a curriculum that is specific, cumulative, well-rounded, preparatory and rigorous. Moreover, HQIM foster a deep understanding of the content by building upon what the students have already learned. 

Teachers should have access to materials that are easy to utilize and enjoyable to teach because the content inspires them.  High-quality instructional materials provide teachers with powerful tools and data that enable them to understand their students more deeply, give more precise feedback, and effectively meet the needs of all learners.  It also frees up teachers’ time from spending countless hours pulling content from online and printed sources so they can focus on effectively meeting the needs of their students.

Prior to the selection of high-quality instructional materials, it is necessary to prepare by establishing a process and developing a lens that will aid the chosen committee. In our Catholic elementary schools, the chosen committee typically will vary based on size of the faculty. In some schools, the entire faculty will be involved. In other schools, grade-level representatives should be chosen. For schools with larger numbers of faculty or for high schools, this document provides more guidance on who can be considered for a committee.  

This process should provide facilitation during both the selection and implementation steps. During the process, there are many components that should be considered as a whole faculty. Allotting a portion of a faculty meeting to engage in an honest discussion is highly recommended. This template can be used to facilitate the note-taking process during the meeting.  

Note: The process included below may not be a linear one for your school; you may need to constantly refer back to your budget as you encounter different resources. 

Note: For Social Studies materials, it is important to be cognizant that the materials are recommended for public schools and may not be fully aligned to the teachings of the Catholic Church. For any materials adapted, a careful review of the content by the teacher prior to instruction is imperative.