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Instructional Coherence in Action: Insights and Opportunities
Explore insights on instructional coherence and discover how core and supplemental materials are shaping student learning experiences. Observe the trends, challenges, and opportunities to create more aligned and effective instructional systems.
The Center for Education Market Dynamics • March 26, 2025
How Do Curriculum Choices Shape Students’ Instructional Experiences?
Instructional coherence ensures that students experience a connected and intentional learning experience that likely incorporates both core and supplemental materials, in tandem with curriculum-aligned professional learning. Yet, districts face challenges in selecting and integrating instructional resources in a system that is crowded with materials and tools that aren’t designed with coherence in mind.
Understanding how districts navigate these choices is key to improving coherence at scale.
Exploring Curriculum Selection Trends
CEMD analyzed curriculum patterns across districts to uncover trends in instructional materials selection. Our research examined:
- The co-occurrence of core and supplemental materials and the implication it puts on instructional alignment.
- How districts approach the selection of core and supplemental math materials across grade bands.
- Common assumptions about instructional coherence—and what our data reveals about their accuracy.
By shedding light on these dynamics, we help leaders across the education sector reflect on the opportunities they have to improve coherence. For example:
- Prioritizing Intentionally Connected Materials: Selecting core and supplemental resources that are designed—or thoughtfully aligned—to work together across grade levels.
- Aligning Professional Learning With Instructional Materials: Ensuring teacher training and support are grounded in the actual programs and tools used in classrooms.
- Clarifying the Role of Teacher-Selected Supplements: Establishing guidance for how school- or teacher-selected materials can reinforce, rather than compete with, district-adopted core curricula.
By making informed decisions that promote more coherent instructional systems, leaders have the opportunity to shape the conditions that ultimately improve student outcomes.
Supplemental products are a major force shaping instruction and student learning today. As districts work to implement high-quality core math programs, it’s critical to consider how supplemental materials fit into the bigger picture—and their impact on districts’ abilities to implement core curriculum at the Tier 1 level with fidelity.
Series Insights
K–8 Math Materials Spotlight: Understanding the Landscape in Three Charts
Explore key insights into how districts choose and implement K–8 math materials. This resource examines the balance between core curricula and supplemental resources, highlighting challenges in creating a coherent instructional approach.
Core and Supplemental Math Materials: Selection Trends Across K–12
Discover how districts select core and supplemental math materials across K–12. This resource highlights trends in vertical coherence, instructional alignment, and the challenges of maintaining consistency across grade levels.
The Reality of Instructional Coherence: What Data on K-8 Math Choices Tell Us
This resource examines common assumptions about instructional coherence in K–8 math and highlights challenges districts face in aligning core and supplemental materials to support student learning.
Unlocking Instructional Coherence Through Curriculum Insights
Discover how curriculum choices shape instructional coherence and influence student success. Learn how core and supplemental materials can work together to create aligned learning experiences—and how data can drive stronger, more cohesive instructional systems.
The Road to Coherence: Ensuring Alignment Between Core and Supplemental Materials
Many districts rely on both core and supplemental materials, but misalignment can lead to fragmented learning experiences. Explore new data on instructional materials and learn what steps can improve coherence across an instructional system.
Two Markets, One Classroom: How Core and Supplemental Materials Shape Student Learning
Core and supplemental materials follow different selection processes, often leading to misalignment in the classroom. Discover how districts can bridge the gap between these two markets to create a more coherent and effective instructional system.
How are you working to increase instructional coherence?
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