Past Webinar Series

Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Time: 7–8pm ET / 6–7pm CT / 4–5pm PT
Guests: Tricia Shelton, Chief Learning Officer for NSTA, Minna Turrell, Secondary Science Consultant for St. Clair County RESA, Sam Shaw, Director of Science for EdReports, and Shannon Wachowski, High School Science Specialist for EdReports

Since 2015, EdReports has published more than 900 free reviews of K-12 instructional materials including nearly 70 reviews of K-8 science programs. Most recently, EdReports completed a listening and learning tour to hear directly from the field about what’s needed to conduct rigorous reviews of high school science materials. Findings point toward inequities not only in the selection and use of quality curricula, but also a lack of support for educators to make the instructional shifts necessary. 

During this free webinar, you’ll learn more about key highlights from the tour, why high-quality instructional materials matter for students and teachers, next steps for EdReports’ high school science review tools, and opportunities for professional learning. 

Research shows that high-quality instructional materials can make a difference for students—yet less than 33 percent of materials used in classrooms are aligned to standards. This is a critical issue for schools and districts, particularly ones that serve students with marginalized identities and those impacted by poverty. We believe that the process used to select new materials is as important as the materials themselves. Curriculum can be a key lever for ensuring every student has access to a high-quality education. In this free, four-part webinar series, EdReports will share tools that support key components of an equity-centered instructional materials adoption and feature expert educators who will discuss their experiences adopting new materials.

Webinar 1: Adopting Materials Through an Equity-Focused Lens: Why Materials Matter

Date: April 8
Time: 11:00am PT / 2:00 ET
Guests: Josh Parker (UnboundEd’s recently released Equitable ELA Instruction), Bailey Czupryk (TNTP’s The Opportunity Myth)

"At this place in time with all the challenges in education, curriculum is the lever to make sure we're addressing equity. It's about equitable access to high level learning." – Sonja Santaleses, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools. Disparities based on race and income are not new, and inconsistent access to high-quality content is widespread. In a single school year, the average student spends 581 of 720 hours of their instructional time on assignments that are not aligned to college and career-ready standards. This is particularly significant for students of color and students living in poverty who have less access to high-quality materials than their peers. Join us for this webinar where we’ll dive into recent studies signaling the urgent need to provide every student and teacher with high-quality curricula.

Webinar 2: Adopting Materials Through an Equity-Focused Lens: Designing an Instructional Vision

Date: April 22
Time: 11:00am PT / 2:00 ET
Guests: Dr. Todd Davis (Aldine, TX ISD), Jesse Melgares (New Teacher Center, previously Alliance & KIPP)

How does your vision of instruction drive the why and what of your adoption? An instructional vision helps to communicate the expectations for teaching and learning and creates a foundation for what the district considers effective instruction in a classroom. This vision acts as a guide through your adoption process and serves as a critical lens through which all potential materials are viewed. It will guide all decisions districts, school leaders, and teachers make about classroom experiences—such as instructional material adoptions and teacher professional development. In this webinar, you will hear from a district leader on the process her district took to create an instructional vision, and how this work has impacted their materials adoption process. We will then share a tool to help your district develop its instructional vision. 

Webinar 3: Adopting Materials Through an Equity-Focused Lens: Establishing Adoption Priorities

Date: May 6
Time: 11:00am PT / 2:00 ET
Guests: Paula Dillon (Barrington Public Schools, RI), Francisco Villegas (Partnership for Los Angeles Schools)

What does your data tell you about the students that are being served by your district and those that are not? How can your data help determine the priorities for your adoption? Join this webinar to learn how you can apply your district’s data to establish local priorities and lift up the importance of high-quality standards to guide your investigation and selection of new materials. We’re proud to welcome Paula Dillon from the Barrington Public Schools and Francisco Villegas from the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools to discuss the importance of knowing your students and community and how this knowledge can influence districts to select new materials that better serve students who had previously been marginalized.

Webinar 4: Adopting Materials Through an Equity-Focused Lens: Stakeholder Engagement
Date: May 20
Time: 11:00am PT / 2:00 ET
Guest: Janise Lane & Samantha Ashby (Baltimore City Public Schools) 

Centering the voices of diverse stakeholders in your next materials adoption will build support for and investment in your work. It will also ensure that the perspectives of those most impacted by the selection of new materials—students, teachers, and families—are also informing the process. This webinar brings together educators who have successfully included diverse perspectives, experiences, and ideas in their materials work. We’ll also hear about one district’s work to communicate with stakeholders throughout every step of their adoption process.