MOWR Curriculum Guidance for LEAs and Vendors
It is the responsibility of schools to select curriculum and instructional materials that they feel best meet the needs of their student population.
However, A.R.S. 15-704 requires all public schools that serve any K-3 students to adopt a core instructional curriculum that meets the following select criteria:
- Aligned to standards
- Address the essential components of reading
- ESSA is evidence-based at one of the top three tiers
MOWR Curriculum Guidance for LEAs
Core Curriculum Criteria
It is the responsibility of schools to select curriculum and instructional materials that they feel best meet the needs of their student population.
However, A.R.S. 15-704 requires all public schools that serve any K-3 students to adopt a core instructional curriculum that meets the following select criteria:
- Aligned to standards
- Address the essential components of reading
- ESSA is evidence-based at one of the top three tiers
*The latest revision date can be found on the document.
Vendors used across the state submitted information (in the table below), which may or may not meet the legislative criteria and listed requirements.
- Programs in green meet all criteria.
- Programs in yellow meet some criteria and may be under current additional review.
- Note that there are new programs currently performing an efficacy study.
- Programs in red or programs that are not on the vetted list do not currently meet legislation and should not be adopted for core use with K-3 students in Arizona. If an LEA is using a reading curriculum that is not on the vetted list provided by the Arizona Department of Education, the review will require additional steps and could result in a delay. LEAs will be required to provide the review committee a detailed report of their curriculum adoption process including actionable steps with a reasonable timeline. The review may result in a conditional approval or could result in a loss of future MOWR funds.
It is the responsibility of each school’s leadership and literacy team to ensure the curriculum in use continues to meet the highest standards. It is the goal of the Arizona Department of Education and the Move On When Reading team to assist LEAs in the decision-making process for all curricular materials.
Understanding ESSA evidence provisions and MOWR legislation is an important step in the decision-making process. ADE requires that all programs qualify for one of the top three ESSA tiers of evidence and show a statistically significant positive effect on a relevant outcome. It is also important to consider the local context, especially the grade levels and demographics for which the studies’ student population was conducted, in determining if a program is the right fit for any LEA or school. Below are some resources that may help LEAs in the decision-making process. For more information on ESSA, open the blue ESSA tab below on this webpage.
Completing the Literacy Plan Core Reading Program:
As always, it is up to the schools to determine if the curriculum used in K-3 classrooms meets legislative requirements. To assist in this process, however, the MOWR team has reached out to vendors directly to request additional information that will be helpful for schools when making this determination. All information provided in the table is directly from the vendors and is reported as is. Programs by vendors currently completing their studies have not been added to the MOWR portal, but may be added at any time once the criteria have been confirmed by the vendor.
When completing this year’s literacy plan, LEA approvers should select “*Core program under review or without established ESSA rating” and type current programs in the notes section at the aggregate district/charter level.
While ADE used the information provided by vendors to determine if they met the criteria, it is the responsibility of districts and charters to gather and review information to inform their decisions about what programs will meet their unique needs.
The information included in the chart has been gathered directly from vendors/publishers of core program materials. The Literacy Team at the Arizona Department of Education provides this information as a resource. Although only one study has been linked in the table, it is recommended that all additional studies available be reviewed, as well. LEAs must choose programs that meet their specific needs and must make certain those programs meet the criteria of the law (ARS 15-704: J1-3).
Intervention Curriculum Criteria
It is the responsibility of schools to select curriculum and instructional materials that they feel best meet the needs of their student population.
However, A.R.S. 15-704 requires all public schools that serve any K-3 students to adopt an intervention instructional curriculum that meets select criteria:
- ESSA is evidence-based at one of the top three tiers
*The latest revision date can be found on the final page of the list
Vendors used across the state submitted information (in the table below), which may or may not meet the legislative criteria and listed requirements.
- Programs in green meet all criteria.
- Programs in yellow meet some criteria and may be under current additional review.
- Note that there are new programs currently performing an efficacy study.
- Programs in red do not currently meet legislation and should not be adopted for use with K-3 students in Arizona.
It is the responsibility of each school’s leadership and literacy team to ensure the intervention curriculum in use continues to meet the highest standards. It is the goal of the Arizona Department of Education and the Move On When Reading team to assist LEAs in the decision-making process for all curricular and intervention materials.
Understanding ESSA evidence provisions and MOWR legislation is an important step in the decision-making process. ADE requires that all programs qualify for one of the top three ESSA tiers of evidence and show a statistically significant positive effect on a relevant outcome. It is also important to consider the local context, especially the grade levels and demographics for which the studies’ student population was conducted, in determining if a program is the right fit for any LEA or school. Below are some resources that may help LEAs in the decision-making process. For more information on ESSA, open the blue ESSA tab below on this webpage.
Completing the Literacy Plan Intervention Programs:
As always, it is up to the schools to determine if the curriculum used in K-3 classrooms meets legislative requirements. To assist in this process, however, the MOWR team has reached out to vendors directly to request additional information that will be helpful for schools when making this determination. All information provided in the table is directly from the vendors and is reported as is. Programs by vendors currently completing their studies have not been added to the MOWR portal, but may be added at any time once the criteria have been confirmed by the vendor.
When completing this year’s literacy plan, LEA approvers should select “*Tier 2/3 program under review or without established ESSA rating” and type current programs in the notes section at the aggregate district/charter level.
While ADE used the information provided by vendors to determine if they met the criteria, it is the responsibility of districts and charters to gather and review information to inform their decisions about what programs will meet their unique needs.
The information included in the chart has been gathered directly from vendors/publishers of intervention materials. The Literacy Team at the Arizona Department of Education provides this information as a resource. Although only one study has been linked in the table, it is recommended that all additional studies available be reviewed, as well. LEAs must choose programs that meet their specific needs and must make certain those programs meet the criteria of the law (ARS 15-704: J1-3).
Intensive Intervention & Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) The National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) outlines intensive intervention and the MTSS process in which schools and districts can align their practices for Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 interventions. LEAs can glean information from the research study presented by the NCII and tailor its findings to their practices.
The vetted Supplemental program list is offered as a courtesy. Supplemental programs listed below are not added to the MOWR portal drop down list. These products have been identified by the vendor as designed for "supplemental" use to support any existing vetted curriculum. They are designed to be used in conjunction with a Tier 1 program to enhance areas of core curriculum. These are not marketed as stand-alone programs for targeted Tier 2/3 intervention and other choices may be more impactful.
MOWR Curriculum Submission Guidance for Vendors
- All submissions for curriculum that use balanced literacy strategies will not be reviewed and do not qualify to be added to the vetted list.
- Only submissions for curriculum based on the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy will be accepted and reviewed.
- Submission window for Core, Intervention, and Supplemental curriculum is July 1-November 1.
- All curriculum in YELLOW pending research studies will remain on yellow for 12 months or until the study has been provided, if it is prior to that deadline. Curriculum will be moved to RED if the pending study is not provided within the 12 month time frame or it does not meet the review criteria.
Guidance Document
Resources for Curriculum Decisions
In 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act replaced No Child Left Behind. ESSA empowers states to better identify and support the needs of their schools. Beginning in 2017-2018, the K-3 reading programs used by schools must meet the ESSA criteria for being evidence-based. To receive MOWR and any federal funding (Title 1, etc.), programs must meet one of the top three tiers of evidence (Strong, Moderate, or Promising).
Becoming an ESSA Investigator: A Webinar Series
Welcome/Introduction Video: Welcome to our ESSA Video Series
Video #1: Why ESSA In Arizona
Video #2: Overview of ESSA Evidence Levels | Materials from video: Handout 1 | Handout 2 | Handout 3
Video #3: Evidence-Based Improvement
Video #4: Using Clearinghouses | Links from video: Evidence for ESSA | What Works Clearinghouse | ERIC
Video #5: How to Read a Study | Materials from the video: Handout 1
Video #6: Exploring the Body of Evidence for a Selected Program
Video #7: Comparing Information
Video #8: Vetted Lists
Video #9: Looking Beyond Curriculum | Links from video: WWC Practice Guides | Connecticut Practice Guides