Instructional materials adoption

research spotlight

By Angela Asch

New CSBA resources to support governance teams, staff and students

ith the release of test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), given every two years, and the annual California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), it is clear that students in California are not progressing as quickly as they should be.

Alarmingly, more than 63 percent of all students did not meet the math standard. In the 2023–24 school year, 59 percent of students in fourth grade did not meet or nearly meet the math standard on the CAASPP test. Even more worrisome, 68 percent of students in eighth grade did not or just nearly met the math standard on the 2023–2024 CAASPP test.

NAEP assesses students across the country in mathematics, reading and science, among other subjects. The results highlight how students are progressing over time. The 2024 NAEP included results for fourth- and eighth-grade students in math and reading. In 2024, California students in fourth grade scored 233 points on math versus 230 in 2022 — a modest increase. In comparison, the national average fourth-grade math score was 237 in 2024. Eighth-grade students in California scored one point lower in 2024 than 2022, 269 versus 270 respectively. The national average eighth-grade math score was 272 in 2024. Overall, since 2015, California students in fourth and eighth grades have made glacial progress on math assessments, an alarming indicator that now is the time to act aggressively on changing these outcomes.

The role of instructional materials

Governance teams play an important role in ensuring their schools have access to high-quality instructional materials and the professional learning educators need to use them effectively. It can be tempting in times of economic downturns to cut or reduce professional development, but improving instruction and increasing the pace of students’ progress cannot happen without quality professional training. As shown by these recent results, it is more critical than ever to double down on high-quality professional development to support educators, staff and students.

a woman smiling while writing on a small board in her hand with a blurred background of a classroom setting

It can be tempting in times of economic downturns to cut or reduce professional development, but improving instruction and increasing the pace of students’ progress cannot happen without quality professional training.

CSBA’s Research and Education Policy Development Department has created a suite of resources on instructional materials adoption for governance teams to assist local educational agency leaders in making informed decisions about this critical investment. These resources address the role of trustees in providing guidance and funding or professional development for educators and staff, as well as the policies and procedures related to the adoption process of instructional materials.

The publications and videos created by CSBA include information about the legal requirements enacted by Assembly Bill 1078 (2023) regarding inclusive learning materials. They also provide a comprehensive overview of the adoption process at the state and local level and a short overview of California’s new math framework. While most of the resources focus on the implementation of the updated math framework, the guidance within them can be applied to all instructional materials adoption processes and procedures.

The 2023 California Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools was designed to develop the complex skills students need to succeed in their education and beyond, including deep mastery of challenging content, critical thinking, problem solving, effective communication and collaboration, and self-direction. The framework provides guidance for math learning for all students at all levels of math — including calculus — and ensures students have a wide variety of options including pursuing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in college and as a career.

While the state has still not released a list of adopted K-8 math curricula, governance teams should become familiar with the new framework now. Find more information about the framework and how governance teams can support their LEAs with its implementation is in the CSBA brief “High-Quality Professional Development to Support Instructional Materials Adoption Aligned with the New Math Framework.”

What’s new?

The suite of new resources available to support governance teams houses a fact sheet and several briefs, including a research brief co-authored by CSBA and the Learning Policy Institute (LPI). In addition, a series of recorded webinars covers what governance teams need to know about the adoption process with tips and best practices from board members that have experience overseeing the adoption process. A topical webpage with additional information rounds out the resources.

CSBA secured esteemed experts to assist in the development of its fact sheet and research briefs. Guest authors include Linda Darling-Hammond, LPI, State Board of Education president and the Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education Emeritus at Stanford University, whose research and policy work has focused on education equity, school reform and educator quality; Larkin Willis, LPI researcher and policy associate, whose work focuses on developing equity-centered educational leadership; and Julie Maxwell-Jolly, former CSBA senior director of policy and programs and experienced education research and policy consultant promoting education equity, with a particular focus on multiple language learners.

Several recorded webinars are featured in an instructional materials adoption playlist on CSBA’s YouTube channel. In these webinars, experts cover the what, why and how of quality professional development for educators, the planning and implementation of the instructional materials adoption process and best practices.

Find all of these resources for instructional materials adoption resources at csba.pub/instructional-materials.

The suite of resources on instructional materials adoption was made possible by the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Angela Asch, MA, is a principal research manager in the CSBA Research and Education Policy Development Department. Questions? Contact research@csba.org.

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