KSDE outlines high‑quality instructional materials dashboard and support plan for districts

The Kansas State Department of Education outlined a plan to catalog district adoptions of high‑quality instructional materials (HQIM) and provide targeted implementation supports to reduce teacher workload and improve student outcomes.

KSDE presenter Dr. Renee Nugent said the agency collected instructional‑materials data from districts and found most ELA and math adoptions rate well on third‑party reviews, though a substantial share of locally produced or nonrated materials remain in use. Citing internal analysis, Nugent said an average student spending more time on grade‑appropriate assignments can achieve roughly 7.3 more months of academic progress than peers with lesser access to such assignments.

Nugent walked the board through sample grade‑level tasks that distinguish higher‑quality materials from less rigorous items and urged districts to use vetted reviews such as EdReports as a first step in vetting. She proposed an authenticated KSDE dashboard that would let superintendents, curriculum directors and KSDE staff see district adoptions, filter by subject and grade band, and identify which materials are rated or not. The initial rollout will be limited to authenticated users while KSDE works out data gaps and usability.

Board members pressed for parent access; Nugent said the agency plans broader public access once the tool is validated and kinks are resolved. Staff also discussed potential regional purchasing efficiencies, coaching supports through service centers and phased rollouts to avoid creating new burdens for districts.

KSDE did not request board action on the dashboard during the meeting but will continue data collection and pursue pilot access for district leaders.