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The Texas Education Agency hosted an online webinar to present information & cover questions on the new IMRA process under HB 1605.

 

This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer.

 

Opening Comments

  • Amie Phillips, TEA – Informal Office Hours, but have a few slides to ground discussion on IMRA; incl. subjects included, IMRA phases, key dates, differences between previous process
  • In process of hiring for vacant IMRA Specialist position
  • Accepting submissions for English & Spanish LA and Reading K-5, English & Spanish Phi
  • Intended for use by all students as primary instructional materials, not a call for RTI, Tier 2, etc.
  • Review will cover alignment with TEKS and ELPS, alignment with quality rubric review, presence of required content & absence of prohibited content (new process based on quality rubric), and accuracy of content
  • Key Dates
    • 3/4/2024 – RFIM response due
    • 3/8/2024 – selection notices
    • 3/25/2024 – preliminary correlations
    • 4/9/2024 – SBOE meets and could select additional IM
    • 5/6/2024 – final correlations, component list, product access due
    • 5/17/2024 – in person standards alignment review
    • 6/10/2024 – quality review begins
    • 6/25/2024 – 1st public hearing and IMRA update with SBOE
    • 9/10/2024 – 2nd public hearing and IMRA update with SBOE
    • 11/19/2024 – Final SBOE vote
  • If you don’t apply for IMRA, you could still be selected to go through IMRA cycle as SBOE can elect via majority vote
  • Q – Criteria for which programs get reviewed from programs submitted on Monday?
    • Phillips, TEA – First thing looked at is if over 200 are submitted, first make sure products fit within the call, then look at factors like market share
    • Have more factors discussed, priorities are part of approved IMRA process
  • Q – You say you don’t need full components until May, but it asks for URL?
    • TEA – Not required, but if you have it, it will help make determination if it is full subject material
  • Q – Possible to change before full submission in May?
    • TEA – Yes
  • Q – Do you have a spreadsheet template for us to use for correlations?
    • TEA – There is a template, not quite ready, upon selection will provide necessary materials
    • Citations will be in the dashboard on the week of the 11th
  • Q – When is parent portal required to be made available?
    • TEA – Need to verify before allowing addition into EMAT, but not part of review phase
  • Q – What happens if you’re not selected?
    • TEA – You would be given another opportunity the following IMRA cycle
  • Q – Partial subject phonics?
    • TEA – Only involves a subset of TEKS for English & Spanish LA and reading
  • Q – Educational software eligible?
    • TEA – As long as it covers 100% it is eligible for submission
  • Q – Due date for bid document?
    • TEA – Response to call for IM is Monday, March 4
  • Phillips, TEA – If you do submit a response to RFIM there is no withdraw date, you are in the process at that point
  • If you aren’t able to make all pieces digitally available, like RLA materials, then they must be provided to reviewers in print
  • Expecting 100% TEKS and ELPS coverage
  • Re-reviews are not going to be an option, if you disagree with percentage for example you can’t request additional review, but can request show cause hearing
  • Quality reports will be received in batches; new content portion saw feedback so it will be held back until the end, can supply new content for three indicators to improve quality scores
  • SBOE will produce approved list, rejected list, and can also choose not to take action; recourse is to participate in the next IMRA cycle
  • Reviews will be conducted every year for all subjects with IMRA quality rubric
  • Q – Making changes after March 4 submissions?
    • TEA – Only thing asked for on March 4 is for you to tell us you want to participate and for what program
    • Product needs to be finalized by May 6th
  • Q – Templates for quality rubric and component list?
    • TEA – Component list will be available sometime next month
    • No template for quality rubric at this point; know a lot have questions & so do we, trying to stand up process as we execute it
  • Q – Specific format for parent portal?
    • TEA – Presenting the rules for the parent portal to the SBOE, not finalized
    • Essentially need to be compatible with district LMS, can require some sort of verification
  • Q – If the correlation docs aren’t ready, can you talk about level of correlation you want?
    • TEA – Have a new system to do correlations, looking for you to provide correlations for one expectation; want to see method for citing content & hoping for specifics
  • Q – Rubric for ELA and phonics?
    • We are using full rubric, hoping to have info released by next week so you can see indicators for phonics
  • Q – Documents mentioned threshold on what would be approved but it wasn’t defined; minimum threshold for approval
    • TEA – Quality score threshold will be determined by SBOE; TEA will recommend to SBOE what we believe should be on approved list & SBOE can take it or leave it; they will set their own threshold
    • TEKS & ELPS has to be 100%
  • Q – When will publishers receive the report form the SBOE?
    • TEA – SBOE voting in November, strongly encourage full engagement from publishers at any SBOE meeting where this is a topic
  • Q – When will next IMRA cycle occur?
    • TEA – Will be conducting these annually
    • Timeline this year is less than ideal, compressed; trying to move quickly so ISDs can get the additionally funding from the program
    • Will continue to add more subjects as more rubrics are developed
  • Q – Can you submit English only for phonics?
    • TEA – Yes, but have heard that some ISDs won’t consider materials unless they are in both English and Spanish
  • Q – TEKS coverage?
    • TEA – Need to have full TEKS coverage by the time you submit product access on May 6
  • Q – Can you submit for certain grades only?
    • TEA – Yes, but have heard some ISDs won’t consider
  • Q – Should supplemental providers apply?
    • TEA – If product is intended to be used as primary resource for the subjects, then yes
  • Q – Will programs not approved be on list with that designation?
    • TEA – There will be approved list, rejected list, and can be left off lists (no action)
    • ISDs can use their regular allotment to purchase from rejected list unless there is something in suitability review where materials violate TX law
  • Q – Exceptions to smartsheet?
    • TEA – No exceptions to terms listed on smartsheet
  • Q – Publishers complete rubric?
    • TEA – No, should familiarize yourself with the rubric
  • Q – Parent portal access?
    • TEA – Parent portals do need access to all Ims that end up on approved list, there are some exceptions for answer keys, etc.
  • Q – Bid platform?
    • TEA – Official bids are on the current state ordering system, EMAT system; will share info on how to access when we get closer to that point in the process
  • Q – Shipping materials?
    • TEA – Will provide this info as time approaches, asking that they be shipped in May, right before May 17th review
    • Typically we will select a hotel for the meeting and have you ship to that hotel
  • Q – Specific rubric indicator?
    • TEA – Have planed some additional sessions to deep dive into rubrics, asking to hold this
    • If you need an answer earlier to decide if you will submit, then asks for PMs
  • Q – Are you accepting AP course submissions?
    • TEA – Not part of call, but if they cover 100% of standards then you’re welcome to submit
  • Q – Time period to respond for standards review?
    • TEA – Expecting reviews to begin May 17-20, as teams review grade level we will release reports & you will have period to respond to those reports
    • Within 24 hours of receipt you have to tell us what you want to do, within 48 hours you have to provide new content if that is what you selected
  • Q – So we should prepare to respond in May, early June?
    • TEA – Yes, expecting reviews in May, on June 10 will shift gears and look at quality
  • Q – Is approved list only for ISDs to purchase with 1605 funding?
    • TEA – Anything approved by SBOE will be eligible for additional $40
  • Q – How strict are WCAG standards?
    • TEA – We are expecting full compliance
  • Q – Question on re-review
    • TEA – Not able to ask for re-review by separate review team
  • Q – Spanish math?
    • TEA – Not sure on K-5 Spanish math
  • Q – ISDs can use other materials? Mix of materials?
    • TEA – Each ISD decides what materials they use, but must be able to certify that they have materials covering TEKS every year
  • Q – Question on contract terms
    • TEA – There will be 8 year contracts, publishers with existing contracts for the same subject area, if you submit same product the original contract will be terminated and you will get a new contract
    • If you don’t submit, contract will wear out its initial term, likely will not offer 4 year renewal
  • Q – Can we provide rubrics with narrative and citations to help reviewers?
    • TEA – Nature of quality reviews are more holistic, expecting reviewers to dive deep
    • Will require component list which will ask you to identify aspects specifically
  • Q – So component list will have place for notes?
    • TEA – Yes
  • Q – Rules for making changes still be in effect for this review?
    • TEA – There will be rules for making changes, but still in process & will be more complex as it is covering more; there will be a tipping point where you would need to go through IMRA again after so many changes
  • Q – Expecting rules for technical changes to remain as stringent if not more?
    • TEA – Yes
  • Q – IMRA publisher Office Hours?
    • TEA – Yes, expecting these to be posted after March date
  • Q – Partial subjects for things other than phonics?
    • TEA – Partial subject is explicitly for phonics materials
  • Q – If publisher has high market share but they don’t volunteer, will they still need to respond?
    • TEA – If SBOE places material on review by vote, then publisher is required to participate
    • Since this is our first year, we’re starting small so not exercising options, but one option is to select anything ISDs use allotment to purchase
  • Q – Partial subject phonics programs, whole group small group?
    • Mix of both
  • Q – WCAG compliance?
    • TEA – WCAG compliance pertains to all digital materials regardless of audience
  • Q – Trade books?
    • TEA – Recognize some licensing issues that prevent trade books from being available digitally, no concrete answer, but planning to make available a list of titles and ISBNs to allow public to access materials elsewhere
    • TBD on parent portal requirements
  • Q – New IMRA approved list replace TRR?
    • TEA – Phasing out TRR reports over time as we replace IMRA reviews
  • Q – Can you expand on word search feature requirement?
    • TEA – SBOE clarified that by component, you need to have a means to search for keywords
    • Not the most detailed, but don’t need to search across components, PDF control+F may satisfy
    • It does include video transcripts
  • Q – Machine readable TEKS?
    • TEA – Machine readable TEKS are unique identifiers for each student expectation that publishers use to tag; when that program is loaded into ISDs LMS that ISD could search for materials that cover standard, also speaks to assessment platform, etc.
  • Q – Where can we get more info on this?
  • Q – AP courses?
    • TEA – if AP course materials align to 100% of standards, you can submit, but they haven’t specifically called for AP materials, nor have they in the last 12 or so years
  • Q – Will guidance be provided for format on citations?
    • TEA – Yes, hoping to have dashboard available the week of March 11 and that following week there will be an Office Hours on how to use this
  • Q – Print samples required?
    • TEA – As long as everything in offering is available digitally then no
    • Don’t want people shipping print samples to us or ESCs, no
  • Q – Possible for district to purchase other materials?
    • TEA – Yes, just won’t get $40 allotment
  • Q – Accessibility reports?
    • TEA – Yes, will be required to submit accessibility report based on evaluation conducted by 3rd party
  • Q – Separate account for each submission?
    • TEA – No preference, needs to be accessible by multiple users at the same time
    • Access you provide for public review can differ from what is provided for reviewers if you want to hide answer keys
    • For the review, you need to make sure they have access to every component of your program, 5 people at the same time
  • Q – Can we submit some but not all materials on Monday?
    • TEA – Your decision on what to submit, additional materials could be added by SBOE
    • If you submit a currently adopted program, we’re asking you to submit new correlations & will be put through standards alignment review
    • Will also be adjustments to which ELPS have been deemed applicable
  • Q – Able to submit product access via email to ESCs?
    • TEA – Yes, you can share product access via email for ESCs, they prefer it over USB drives or other media
  • Q – Question on ISBNs
    • TEA – Not bound by ISBNs listed in RFIM
  • Q – Deadline for parent portal access?
    • TEA – No deadline for parent portal access yet, will be sometime either by November vote or shortly after
    • Would expect it to be whenever final corrected versions are due
  • Q – March 2025?
    • TEA – That’s the only thing that makes sense
  • Q – On March 25th just looking for example of citations?
    • TEA – Exactly, looking for example to see you’re following best practices, then can complete correlations through May
  • Q – Proc 2025?
    • TEA – Proc 2025 is not a thing, only time SBOE would do a proc is if they revise TEKS
  • Q – Word search feature a requirement?
    • TEA – Yes, it is expected to yield results from videos; will be included in new Chapter 67
  • Q – Partial subject for phonics applicable to other subjects?
    • TEA – No, only partial subject phonics, no handwriting, spelling, etc.

 

Closing Comments