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Instructional Materials Terminology

As TEA implements aspects of House Bill (HB) 1605 and supports educators to improve student academic outcomes, instructional materials terminology, and definitions evolve. The following are key terms and definitions to know:  

Instructional Materials

An instructional material is any content that conveys the essential knowledge and skills of a subject through any medium or combination of media. The term includes, but is not limited to: 

  • material used by a teacher, including a lesson plan, answer key, grading rubric, or unit plan; 
  • material used by a principal or campus instructional leader to support instruction; and 
  • material used by a student, including a book, supplementary materials, a combination of a book, workbook, and supplementary materials, computer software, magnetic media, DVD, CD-ROM, computer courseware, on-line services, or an electronic medium, or other means of conveying information to the student or otherwise contributing to the learning process through electronic means, including open education resource instructional material. 

In addition to the general definition of instructional materials, HB 1605 established three categories of instructional materials:

Full-Subject, Tier-One: Instructional material designed to provide a student full coverage of 100% of state standards adopted by the State Board of Education (SBOE) for a certain subject and grade level in the required curriculum under Section 28.002 or for prekindergarten without the need for supplementation, if implemented as designed. This includes providing all the materials required for students to learn and practice, like workbooks, manipulatives, assessments, and embedded language supports as well as all the materials required for teachers to plan and teach, including but not limited to planning guides, pacing calendars, lesson plans, and family letters.  

Partial-Subject, Tier-One: Instructional material designed to provide a student with mastery in a portion of the essential knowledge and skills adopted by the SBOE for a certain subject and grade level in the required curriculum under Section 28.002 or for prekindergarten without the need for supplementation in the essential knowledge and skills covered, if implemented as designed.  

Supplemental: Instructional material designed to assist in the instruction of one or more of the essential knowledge and skills adopted by the SBOE for a subject in the required curriculum under Section 28.002 or for prekindergarten. 

High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) | General Definition

HQIM refers to materials aligned to academic standards, are content-rich with clear learning outcomes, reflect evidence-based practices, and provide a full suite of teacher and student materials.

High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) | Texas Definition 

To be considered HQIM in the state of Texas, the instructional materials must: 

  • Ensure full coverage of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
  • Align to the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) and prekindergarten guidelines. 
  • Provide evidence-based best practices in the relevant content areas of reading language arts (RLA), math, science, and social studies. 
  • Support all learners, including students with disabilities, Emergent Bilinguals (EB), and students identified as gifted and talented.  
  • Meet grade-level suitability requirements. 
  • Be free from factual error. 
  • Enable frequent progress monitoring through embedded and aligned assessments. 
  • Provide teacher and student-facing lesson materials with implementation supports. 
  • Follow Manufacturing Standards and Specifications for Textbooks (MSST) for physical and electronic materials. 
  • Receive approval from the SBOE through the Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) process.

HQIM provides teachers with resources that ensure all students access rigorous, grade-level content. Review all the criteria HQIM must meet in each grade level and content area in the IMRA Quality and Suitability Rubrics.  

SBOE-Approved Instructional Materials 

SBOE-approved instructional materials are any materials that go through the IMRA process and receive approval by the SBOE. In Texas, SBOE-approved instructional materials are considered HQIM and qualify for the SBOE-Approved Instructional Materials Entitlement as outlined in Section 48.307.

Open Education Resources (OER) | General Definition

OER materials reside in the public domain or are released under an intellectual property license allowing free use, reuse, modification, and sharing with others. 

State-Developed OER Instructional Materials | Texas Definition

State-developed OER are any instructional materials created by TEA. State-developed instructional materials are considered open education resources (OER). If approved by the SBOE, state-developed OER materials qualify for the SBOE-Approved Instructional Materials Entitlement (Section 48.307) and the State-Developed OER Instructional Materials Entitlement (Section 48.308).

Locally Adopted Instructional Materials

Instructional materials are a local school system decision; locally adopted instructional materials are the materials that have been chosen and implemented in schools by a local educational agency. Locally adopted instructional materials may or may not be approved by the SBOE or considered HQIM. 

Bluebonnet Learning Instructional Materials

TEA develops Bluebonnet Learning instructional materials, which are considered state-developed OER. This includes materials approved by the SBOE through the IMRA process and pilot materials that will eventually be submitted for review. As state-developed OER, IMRA-approved Bluebonnet Learning instructional materials are eligible for the SBOE-Approved Instructional Materials Entitlement (Section 48.307) and the State-Developed OER Instructional Materials Entitlement (Section 48.308).

Pilot Bluebonnet Learning Instructional Materials 

Pilot instructional materials are Bluebonnet Learning materials that have not yet been submitted to or reviewed in the IMRA process. 

Previously State-Adopted Instructional Materials 

Previously state-adopted instructional materials were reviewed and adopted in the preceding Proclamation process. These materials have not been reviewed in the IMRA process, are not considered HQIM (per the Texas definition), and are not eligible for additional HB 1605 funding entitlements. 

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