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 in the 2024-2025 school year, districts and community schools must use core curriculum in English language arts and reading intervention materials from the lists established by the Department. Districts and community schools may begin using or implementing materials from the lists at any time during the 2024-2025 school year.
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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 process to establish the Department’s approved list of core curriculum and instructional materials in English language arts is underway. The approved list will include prekindergarten materials, in addition to materials for kindergarten-grade 5.
Programs included on the approved list for kindergarten-grade 5 may be core comprehensive English language arts programs, core English language arts programs with no foundational skills, and supplemental foundational skills only programs. Districts and schools may use a combination of programs on the approved list to provide educators with a set of materials that meets local needs. In grades K-2 specifically, districts and community schools may choose to use a core comprehensive English language arts instructional program or pair a supplemental foundational skills program with a core comprehensive instructional program or core no foundational skills program.
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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 in a specific area. The Department will develop guidance for districts and community 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.
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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:
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Informs how students learn to read and write proficiently;
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Explains why some students have difficulty with reading and writing;
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Indicates that all students benefit from explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and writing to become effective readers;
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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.
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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.
More information is available in the Science of Reading Toolkit on the difference between a three-cueing approach to teaching reading and approaches aligned with the science of reading.
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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.
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How does the three-cueing ban waiver work?
Under ORC 3313.6028(D), districts and community 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 community school on the Ohio School Report Cards, including the district or community 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).
More information about the three-cueing ban waiver process is forthcoming.
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How will the Department establish the approved list of high-quality instructional materials for English language arts?
The Department is developing a process for establishing approved lists of high-quality core curriculum and reading interventions that align with the science of reading. This will include establishing criteria and procedures for considering both the quality and alignment of core curriculum and reading intervention materials 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 will utilize the
Curriculum Consumer Report (Prek) 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 for automatic inclusion on Ohio’s approved list, materials eligible for a limited alignment review and materials eligible for a foundational skills review. Additional information regarding the steps in the approval process are available on the Department’s
website.
Information regarding the process for establishing an approved list of reading intervention materials will be available in late 2023.
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When will the Department’s approved lists for high-quality instructional materials be released?
The Department is in the process of establishing the approved list of high-quality core curriculum and reading interventions that align with the science of reading. The Department aims to make the approved lists available in early spring 2024.
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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.
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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 community schools that purchased approved materials this school year can leverage these funds to support that expense, as the use of these funds are retroactive to July 1, 2024. Furthermore, for districts and community 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 materials (Note: approved list for reading intervention materials is forthcoming).
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What if a district or community school has purchased materials recently and has a multi-year contract with a vendor?
Once the approved lists have been made available by the Department, some districts and community 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 community schools are encouraged to verify that previously purchased materials are on the Department’s approved list.
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How will the Department audit curricular materials in use?
The Department released a mandatory curriculum survey on Aug. 28, 2023. The completion date for the survey was Oct. 6, 2023. View a copy of the
survey questions here. Under
ORC 3301.0714(B)(4), beginning in the 2023-2024 school year and each year thereafter, districts and community schools will be required to annually report in the Education Management Information System (EMIS) the English language arts core curriculum and reading intervention materials being used.
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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 community 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 pre-kindergarten to five and the reading intervention programs being used in each of grades pre-kindergarten to twelve. Additional guidance will be available districts and schools in early 2024 around the reporting requirements and how use will be reported within EMIS.
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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.
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Why are some core curriculum and instructional materials only approved for a single grade level?
In some cases, 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.
In other cases, the Department determined that an applicant’s materials were only eligible for limited approval (e.g., approval in one grade but not all for the particular grade band in which approval was sought) based on the evidence submitted in the application and the applicable requirements. Applicants may have submitted evidence of comprehensive quality review by EdReports or another state department of education, through the alternative review pathway.
If submitting evidence under the alternative review pathway, vendors must have provided evidence of a satisfactory comprehensive quality review for the materials for all grade levels within the requested grade band. This documentation must have demonstrated the program’s satisfactory review for comprehensive foundational skills instruction, aligned to state standards for grade-level-appropriate foundational reading skills including phonological awareness, phonics and fluency. For example, if a program’s evidence of a state department of education review indicated the program was satisfactorily reviewed for phonics and fluency in grades K-2 but not phonological awareness, the program would not have been eligible for review in kindergarten and grade 1 where phonological awareness is a grade-appropriate foundational reading skill. However, the program would have been eligible for review, and potential subsequent approval, in grade 2.
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What is the appeals process for vendors whose materials did not meet the criteria under Phase 2 review for inclusion on the approved list?
Vendors whose materials did not meet the criteria under Phase 2 review for inclusion on the approved list can appeal the Department’s decision no later than 10 business days after notification by the Department by submitting an appeal in writing. The Department anticipates completing review of appeals by late March 2024.
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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 to be open in early fall 2024.
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