For the first time this school year, Texas school districts will have the opportunity to evaluate Open Education Instructional Resources (OER) developed by the Texas Education Agency. HB 1605 authorized TEA to develop OER resources that will be reviewed and approved by the State Board of Education in addition to instructional resources submitted by commercial publishers. HB 1605 establishes an additional funding allotment for SBOE approved instructional materials, including OER. Some districts, like Dallas ISD, have already used high-quality instructional materials available on the TEA website. Dallas ISD is in Year 2 of implementing the standardized core curriculum provided by the Texas Education Agency for reading and math. Aaron Daffern, Director of Mathematics, shared his perspective on how the K-8 mathematics curriculum was implemented last year and what he expects this year.
Overall, Mr. Daffern said the first year of use for Eureka Math TEKS Edition and Carnegie Learning Texas Math Solution went well, with increased consistency of instruction among the campuses being a positive outcome, especially in a district with an overall mobility rate of 20%. Intensive professional development took place before teachers started using the curriculum, followed by embedded coaching throughout the year. Reflecting on the experience, Mr. Daffern felt that the training level-set a foundation for knowledge of the resources and expectations for implementation.
In its first year, the district was committed to consistent use of high-quality instructional materials to support fidelity of instruction. Â The use of other supplemental resources was reduced, and additional support was given to students based on need, including Tier 3 intervention resources where appropriate. Formative assessments were adapted from the Eureka and Carnegie resources and used along with some district-developed formative assessments.
This year, the District will continue to support students’ needs and will allocate an additional 30 minutes per day for teachers to provide differentiation and learning acceleration, in addition to Tier 1 instruction. Continuing professional development will be provided at the campus level by the district mathematics team.  At the middle school level, student learning is powered by both a traditional textbook component (i.e., Learning Together) and a technology component (i.e., Learning Individually). Technology access thus plays a pivotal role in this hybrid teaching approach. Additionally, Dallas ISD middle school students have access to an advanced math pathway, in accordance with Senate Bill 2124. Students leveraging this acceleration pathway learn three years of content (i.e., grades 6 – 8) in two years’ time, thus readying them for Algebra I in 8th grade.
“Our academic goal for K-8 mathematics this year is to educate ALL students for success by ensuring all students have rigorous, supportive, and engaging learning experiences,” said Mr. Daffern. To accomplish this goal, the district plans to strengthen curriculum resources and supports for teachers to maximize Tier 1 instruction and to build the content knowledge of teachers across the grade levels.
Regarding the State Board of Education review of K-12 mathematics instructional materials, including the new K-8 OER mathematics and Algebra programs from TEA, for the time being, Mr. Daffern said that Dallas ISD will stay the course with the instructional materials implemented last year and that the district believes that continuity for teachers and students is valuable.
For the 2025-26 school year, all Texas districts will have the opportunity to consider the use of SBOE approved instructional resources for K-12 mathematics and K-8 literacy, including commercially developed materials and TEA developed OER. Preliminary results of the SBOE review process will be discussed at the September 10—13 meeting, with a final list of instructional materials expected to be approved at the November SBOE meeting. More information about the 2024 Instructional Materials Review and Adoption process may be found at this link: House Bill 1605 and IMRA | Texas Education Agency