When do districts and community schools need to implement high-quality instructional materials aligned with the science of reading to meet the new state law requirements?
Under
ORC 3313.6028(C), beginning not later than the 2024-2025 school year, each district, community school, and STEM school must use core curriculum and instructional materials in English language arts and reading intervention programs from the lists established by the Department. Districts, community schools, and STEM schools may begin using or implementing materials from the lists at any time during the 2024-2025 school year.
Back to Top
What types of materials will districts need to select and implement to meet the requirements under state law?
Districts and schools are required to use high-quality core curriculum and instructional materials and evidence-based reading intervention programs from the Department’s approved list, beginning not later than the 2024-2025 school year.
The Department has published an approved list of core curriculum and instructional materials in English language arts and evidence-based reading intervention programs.
Programs and materials included on the approved list include core curriculum and instructional materials in English language arts for prekindergarten-grade 5, as well as evidence-based reading intervention programs for prekindergarten-grade 12. Curriculum and instructional materials for kindergarten-grade 5 may be core comprehensive English language arts materials, core English language arts materials with no foundational skills, and foundational skills only materials. Districts and schools may use a combination of materials on the approved list to provide educators with a set of materials that meets local needs. In grades K-2 specifically, districts, community schools, and STEM schools may choose to use core comprehensive English language arts instructional materials or pair foundational skills materials with core comprehensive instructional materials or core no foundational skills instructional materials.
Back to Top
Can districts and schools supplement their high-quality core curriculum and instructional materials?
Districts and schools are required to use high-quality core curriculum and instructional materials from the Department’s approved list, beginning not later than the 2024-2025 school year. Districts and schools are encouraged to audit the curricular materials in use as part of the selection process for core curriculum and instructional materials to determine how grade-level content and skills are currently being addressed and if there is coherence among the materials being used. Starting with a high-quality core program should reduce the need to introduce multiple supplements or perhaps “patch together” a set of materials that are not coherent and aligned.
Once a core program(s) is in place and the majority of instructional needs are met, districts and schools may identify a targeted need to supplement a specific area. The Department is developing guidance for districts and schools on the use of single-literacy component instructional materials that are designed to be used in conjunction with high-quality core curriculum and instructional materials, based on data and student skill needs, aligned with the science of reading and effective strategies for literacy instruction.
Back to Top
High-quality instructional materials must be aligned to the science of reading. What is the science of reading? How can I find more information about the science of reading?
Under ORC 3313.6028(A)(1), the science of reading is an interdisciplinary body of scientific evidence that:
-
Informs how students learn to read and write proficiently;
-
Explains why some students have difficulty with reading and writing;
-
Indicates that all students benefit from explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and writing to become effective readers;
-
Does not rely on any model of teaching students to read based on meaning, structure and syntax, and visual cues, including a three-cueing approach.
More information on the science of reading is available in the Department’s Science of Reading toolkit.
Back to Top
What is three-cueing?
Under ORC 3313.6028(A)(2), a “three-cueing approach” means any model of teaching students to read based on meaning, structure and syntax, and visual cues.
Back to Top
Is three-cueing prohibited under the law?
Districts and community schools may not use any core curriculum, instructional materials or intervention programs in grades prekindergarten to five relying on any model of teaching students to read based on meaning, structure and syntax, and visual cues, including a three-cueing approach, unless a waiver has been granted.
Back to Top
How does the three-cueing ban waiver work?
Under ORC 3313.6028(D), districts and schools may apply for a waiver on an individual student basis to use curriculum, instructional materials or an intervention program in grades prekindergarten to five that uses the three-cueing approach to teach students to read. The Department will ultimately determine if the waiver will be granted. In determining whether to approve a waiver, the Department must consider the performance of the student's district or school on the Ohio School Report Cards, including the district or school’s performance on the Early Literacy component of the Ohio School Report Cards.
If a student has an individualized education program (IEP) that explicitly indicates the three-cuing approach is appropriate for the student’s learning needs, a waiver is not required to be submitted for the student per ORC 3313.6028(D)(2).
Students with Reading Intervention and Monitoring Plans (RIMPs) are not eligible for waivers per ORC 3313.6028(D)(1).
The Department is now accepting Three Cueing Ban waiver applications from Monday, August 25, 2025 through Thursday, September 25, 2025. Waiver applications may only be submitted by a superintendent or a superintendent’s designee. Three Cueing Ban Waiver Applications can be accessed within your OH ID accounts. Select the "Data Collection" tile and follow the instructions provided in this document.
Back to Top
How will the Department establish the approved list of high-quality instructional materials for English language arts?
The Department has developed a process for establishing approved lists of high-quality core curriculum and reading interventions that align with the science of reading. This process included establishing criteria and procedures for considering both the quality and alignment of core curriculum instructional materials and reading intervention programs with Ohio’s Learning Standards, best practices and research in effective literacy instruction and alignment with state law. For core curriculum and instructional materials the Department utilized the
Curriculum Consumer Report (prekindergarten) and
EdReports (K-5) reviews as an initial gateway measure for establishing an approved list of high-quality instructional materials in English language arts. Criteria have been identified for determining materials eligible for review. Additional information regarding the steps in the approval process are available on the Department’s
website.
Back to Top
When will the Department’s approved lists for high-quality instructional materials be released?
The Department published approved lists of high-quality
core curriculum and instructional materials and evidence-based
reading intervention programs. The Department anticipates its next full review cycle to begin in fall 2026. For revised editions of previously approved materials in core curriculum and instructional materials, review cycles will open on October 1, 2025 and January 1, 2026.
Back to Top
When will districts and community schools have access to the funding in the biennium budget to subsidize the cost of high-quality instructional materials in English language arts?
Information about the distribution of available funding in the biennium budget to subsidize the cost of purchasing high-quality instructional materials can be found
here.
Back to Top
Is a district or community school that purchased approved materials prior to the establishment of the approved list eligible for funding to offset the cost?
Districts and schools that purchased approved materials last school year could leverage the funds to support that expense, as the use of the funds was retroactive to July 1, 2024. Furthermore, districts and schools that already have approved K-5 materials can use their received funds to purchase approved prekindergarten materials, additional approved core materials for students in grades K-5, and/or approved reading intervention programs.
Back to Top
What if a district, community school, or STEM school has purchased materials recently and has a multi-year contract with a vendor?
Since the approved lists have been made available by the Department, some districts, community schools, and STEM schools may discover they have existing contracts with nonapproved core curriculum, instructional materials and/or reading intervention programs. It is recommended that districts and schools consult their legal counsel to determine their next steps with those existing contracts. Districts and schools are encouraged to verify that previously purchased materials are on the Department’s approved list.
Back to Top
How will districts and schools regularly report the materials in use?
Under
ORC 3301.0714(B)(4), beginning in the 2023-2024 school year and each year thereafter, districts and schools will be required to annually report in the Education Management Information System (EMIS) the core curriculum and instructional materials being used for English language arts in each of grades prekindergarten to five and the evidence-based reading intervention programs being used in each of grades prekindergarten to twelve.
Back to Top
How can I learn more about high-quality instructional materials?
High-quality instructional materials are critical for instructional equity and ensure each student acquires the knowledge and skills to be successful through a standards-aligned instructional foundation. High-quality instructional materials act as a common language and platform for engaging all partners in students’ educational experiences by incorporating student and educator supports. For more information on high-quality instructional materials, visit Ohio Materials Matter.
The Department’s webpage contains resources to support the selection and deselection of high-quality instructional materials in English language arts and additional resources will be available later this fall.
Back to Top
Why are some core curriculum and instructional materials only approved for a single grade level?
In some cases during the 2023-2024 review cycle, applicants submitted their materials for review in a single grade level as opposed to an entire grade band. Some core curriculum and instructional materials on the Department’s approved list are only designed to provide instructional programming for a single grade level. A vendor may have submitted an application and provided documentation of a comprehensive quality review at only the specific grade level the program targets. Starting with the 2024-2025 review cycle, the Department will only be reviewing materials for entire grade bands.
Back to Top
Can a school/district that has been certified in a structured literacy approach use their own materials or must they use materials and programs from the Department’s approved lists?
Districts and schools must use materials from the Department’s approved list of
high-quality core curriculum and instructional materials in English language arts in prekindergarten-grade 5, as well as programs from the Department’s approved list of
evidence-based reading intervention programs. If certified in and using a structured literacy approach, we recommend choosing a base program or material that is already on one of the Department’s approved lists, with which to use your approach to apply learning strategies, differentiate, and intensify intervention to support students.
Back to Top
When will the next request for applications for core curriculum and instructional materials be available to vendors?
The Department anticipates the next application cycle for core curriculum and instructional materials in English language arts and evidence-based reading intervention programs to open in early fall 2026. If interested in receiving updates regarding high-quality instructional materials in English language arts, including the approved list of materials, please
sign up for English Language Arts updates.
Back to Top