All students deserve equitable access to the education necessary to achieve their full potential. To do so, classroom instruction must align to, and support, the learning expectations outlined in Nebraska’s content area standards. A key component of standards-aligned instruction is the instructional materials used to facilitate student learning. The Nebraska Instructional Materials Collaborative (NIMC) highlights high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials and provides resources needed to use them effectively so Nebraska educators are better equipped to support all students.

 

Historically, Nebraska has focused primarily on the development and assessment of content area standards. Knowing the impact instructional materials have on student learning, Nebraska is now placing an additional focus on supporting districts in the selection and implementation of high quality, standards-aligned instructional materials. The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) honors local decision making but also seeks to provide guidance that can help inform curriculum selection processes, curriculum-embedded professional development, and ensure alignment and quality of instructional materials chosen by districts.

 

It is important that NDE provide this leadership and support to ensure that all learners have teachers equipped with high-quality instructional materials aligned to state standards and that teachers receive professional development to effectively implement the materials. Guidance around material selection relies on existing tools, such as EdReports, to signal a baseline for quality and alignment. Additional guidance encourages analysis of curriculum to determine relative fit for a district and signal a need for enhancement or supplementation if the selected curriculum is not fully aligned to Nebraska’s content area standards.

 

Together, we can collaborate across districts, organizations, and agencies to ensure success.

NDE offers guidance and supports opportunities to build resources, protocols, and experiences. ESUs provide expertise to direct agency efforts, and ESU specialists implement materials through an flexible framework with agreed-upon outcomes and essential components.

NDE supports teachers with differentiating high- and low-quality curricular materials by signaling quality materials and offering professional development to better understand the materials through the lens of state standards.

NDE supports teachers in ensuring full alignment of materials through supplementation.

NDE facilitates opportunities for teachers to build content knowledge and content specific pedagogy through professional development grounded in high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials.