HQIM is a designation for curriculum that has been vetted for quality by Texas teachers and the SBOE. This means the curriculum  provides teachers high-quality lesson and materials covering all the knowledge and skills that a student in Texas needs for a particular grade-level and subject. As a part of the vetting process, the SBOE will make sure that the curriculum includes evidence-based best practices, like the Science of Reading, and can be modified for all types of learners.

A recent survey by TEA found that under 20% of elementary reading lessons in Texas are on grade level. As a result, students may be getting A’s and B’s on their coursework while not learning to grade-level standards, leaving them ill-prepared for the next grade and eventually college and the workforce.

Providing high-quality instructional materials to teachers can also help address a leading cause of teacher burnout. Texas teachers consistently report spending an additional 7-10 hours a week developing their curriculum – often turning to Google and Pinterest for material – while having only 3 hours and 45 minutes per week on average to plan. This is simply unsustainable.

Texas students and teachers deserve high-quality instructional materials so they can achieve their full potential.

The Texas Legislature took a significant step towards helping students excel during the 88th Regular Session with the passage of House Bill 1605 which provides financial support for districts who choose to adopt rigorous on-grade level high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), a recommendation of the Governor’s Teacher Vacancy Task Force.

HB 1605 gives teachers and students better educational resources aligned with state standards, so students are truly learning at their proper grade level and teachers are relieved of the extra burden of curriculum development which contributes to teacher burnout. By providing well-structured curricular resources, teachers can focus on what they do best: teaching in the classroom.

School districts also stand to benefit. Districts remain free to continue with their current materials, but now have the option to adopt free, state-owned materials (Open Education Resources also known OER) or select from a range of newly approved high-quality materials produced by curriculum companies. HB 1605 provides districts with an additional $40 per student each year that can be used to purchase HQIM approved by the SBOE, plus an extra $20 per student per year for printing costs.

Keeping parents in the know. Parents will have access to an online parent portal where they can see all the instructional materials their child is using for districts adopting HQIM. This keeps parents more involved in and aware of their child’s education.

House Bill 1605 creates an approval process for curriculum review and adoption by the SBOE. The IMRA process is the primary lever in HB 1605 for ensuring that teachers have access to high-quality instructional materials. This annual review will result in an SBOE-approved list of high-quality instructional materials with additional funding attached. The SBOE must approve this new process, the rubrics used, and the final list of materials, with input from Texas teachers in evaluating the curriculum.

How long until these materials are in classrooms?

Legislators this year provided over $500 million to school districts to purchase high-quality materials that have been approved by the SBOE. The SBOE will spend the next six months working with the TEA to finalize the review process. After this, teachers in classrooms across the state will review materials and work with the SBOE to decide which materials meet quality standards. Once this has been completed (around mid-2025), public schools can use their funding to purchase materials for the 2025-2026 school year.

What about Open Education Resources?

Open Education Resources are curricular materials provided by TEA to Texas schools free of charge. HB 1605 requires TEA to provide OER for core subjects in key grades, including reading and math for Pre-K to 8th grade. This OER will go through the IMRA process and be required to meet the high bar of high-quality instructional materials standards.