Educators have more options than ever from which to find instructional resources  designed to meet their local priorities and student needs; however, in such a crowded  marketplace, finding high-quality instructional resources (HQIRs) that are aligned to the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) and meet specific school and district needs can be challenging. 

State law assigns districts the authority to develop the local curriculum based on language found in Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 160.345. Upon the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 1 (2022), the authority to determine instructional materials was transferred from the school-based decision making (SBDM) council to the local superintendent. Specifically, per KRS 160.345(2)(g), “the local superintendent shall determine which curriculum, textbooks, instructional materials, and student support services shall be provided in the school after consulting with the local board of education, the school principal, and the school council and after a reasonable review and response period for stakeholders in accordance with local board of education policy.”   

Per the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Model Curriculum Framework and the  instructional resources Consumer Guides, EdReports.org is a recommended starting point for district and school review teams to research available evidence-based materials. EdReports provides free reviews of K-12 instructional resources and offers comprehensive information about indicators of quality, including standards alignment and usability, from a  number of publishers. Superintendents and district review teams can be assured that the green-rated resources identified by EdReports have at least 80% alignment to the Kentucky Academic Standards. 

Using the green-rated resources from EdReports and feedback from the Quality Curriculum Taskforce, KDE developed a list of approved Tier 1 core comprehensive high-quality instructional resources for English/language arts and mathematics. A core comprehensive instructional resource is one that serves as the primary means of instruction in a content area for a grade level or course. 

Each approved list is provided below and includes all resources that meet the required criteria. The lists will be updated as green-rated resources are added to EdReports.org. Historically approved resources will not be removed, but rather, the KDE will add newly reviewed resources that meet the criteria and earn a green rating. Local HQIR coordinators will be notified when resources are added to the lists, and communications will be shared via KDE media outlets.  

While all vendors on the approved list meet the KDE standards for high-quality instructional resources, districts and schools should carefully review materials to determine which HQIR best meets the local instructional vision and the needs of the teachers and students in the district. 

If a district is interested in adopting a resource that does not appear on KDE’s approved list and is unrated by EdReports or is not currently green-rated, the district has a greater burden to curate:

(1) substantial  evidence of both KAS alignment (using the Instructional Resource Alignment Rubrics, as  applicable, or a vendor crosswalk to the KAS) and 

(2) the research-basis demonstrating external validity and reliability. 

The resource selection and accompanying evidence basis will need to be shared as an off-list notification, per KRS 156.445, to kdetextbooks@education.ky.gov. The district also must monitor implementation results of the off-list resource to determine its impact on student learning at the local level. Please note: This notification is required for off-list Tier 1 core comprehensive resources only, not supplemental resources.

Historically resources were adopted in cycles established by the State Textbook Commission. However, the State Textbook Commission (STC) has not met since 2015 due to insufficient funding. KRS 156.400(3) establishes, “The chief state school officer may delay the purchase of books due to insufficient funds…”. Moreover, state-level vendor contracts and adoption cycles for materials are not currently applicable as superintendents now have the authority to develop curriculum and select all instructional resources across districts per KRS 160.345. Therefore, districts should consider resource adoptions based on statutory requirements, academic standards review cycles, local needs assessments, student data, and local contractual timelines.