HQIM Newsletter
High Quality Instructional Materials | 4th Quarter Edition
HQIM Newsletter for 2023-24
Please sign-up for our HQIM Listserv to receive the 2023-24 Region 10 HQIM Newsletter and TEA Updates.
Region 10 HQIM Team Contacts
Region 10 HQIM Professional Learning
HQIM Literacy Conference on May 3, 2024! Save the Date!
HQIM: Implementing the RBIS to Accelerate Math Instruction
Want to learn the most effective strategies to address unfinished learning? Look no further; let’s explore the RBIS! Participants will discover how Math Research Based Instructional Strategies (RBIS): the balance of conceptual and procedural, depth & coherence of key concepts and productive struggle can create meaningful connections that accelerate instruction.
We have multiple opportunities for district/campus leaders and teachers to attend:
- March 20 - Session #2653937
- April 11 - Session #2653944
- May 28 - Session #2653957
- June 18 - Session #2654126
- July 16 - Session #2654127
HQIM: Implementing the RBIS to Accelerate RLA Instruction
Want to learn the most effective strategies in literacy instruction? Look no further; let’s explore the RBIS! Participants will discover how RLA Research Based Instructional Strategies (RBIS): foundational skills, text complexity, knowledge coherence and text-based responses can create meaningful connections that accelerate instruction.
We have multiple opportunities for district/campus leaders and teachers to attend:
- March 25 - Session #2656510
- April 29 - Session #2656511
- May 20 - Session #2656512
- June 24 - Session #2656513
- July 16 - Session #2656514
R10 staff will contact you for further details.
Check out St. Anthony Academy!
St. Anthony Academy is a one campus charter in Region 10. It was evident from the beginning of their implementation of Amplify and Eureka that the St. Anthony leadership team was committed to personally involving themselves in every step of the process.
The leadership team understood that the implementation of new instructional materials is not solely the responsibility of the teachers; all coaches and leaders must also be heavily involved in this process. Leaders were willing to be vulnerable with their teachers and learn together. St. Anthony leaders prioritized time for PLCs and developed new PLC process that placed internalization of lessons at the center. Teacher commitment was evident from the rich conversations occurring in PLCs and the teacher resources that are now covered in notes.
It is because of their collective commitment that St. Anthony is seeing such progress with HQIM implementation as reflected by 100% of teachers demonstrating evidence of internalization, purposeful planning, and daily implementation of high quality instructional materials.
Check-out the reflections of district leaders below!
What did you do to ensure 100% implementation?
- We worked really hard to create a safe environment where it was okay to not be perfect on day one, but rather be willing. We started by acknowledging that this would not be easy, but together we could make this change for the better of the school. We all attended PD together and asked the tough questions. As leaders, we admitted what we didn't know, but would figure out. Day one came and the teachers were ready to give it try.
How did you motivate teachers/students in this process?
- We motivated by shouting out great things we saw in classrooms. We also worked really hard to acknowledge things we saw that were improving. We visited the classrooms just to see the implementation and not to evaluate. Then leadership came back to our meetings to figure out how we could better support.
What teacher(s) you would like to highlight?
- I really want to shout out our veteran teachers. They have taken this change in stride and worked hard to make sure instruction has been top notch from day one. They also have been instrumental in providing feedback about the lesson implementation by sharing what's working and what's not.
What lesson did you learn in this journey that had a significant impact on your students?
- The biggest learning moment came very early in the PLC process. It was evident that we were going to have to change the process. Previously, we could hold the PLC meetings and didn't have much to prepare before hand. Because of the need to internalize, we had to do a lot of pre-planning (reading, note taking, etc.) in order to have quality PLCs. Our time in PLCs needed to be more fruitful.
Have your teachers embraced this materials as their own?
- You should see their TE's! They have notes all over them! They have taken the material and really stretched it for the students by adding antidotes and additional application. It is really neat to see the same lesson across the grade level taught in the different voices of the different teachers.
Innovator Districts
We are often asked about districts that are effectively implementing Eureka and Amplify effectively.
Check out the Texas Innovator Districts! You can see small profiles on the page or click to see a full PDF with information about the districts. If you are interested in seeing it first hand, you can request a visit using the interactive calendar.
Click on picture below to access web and schedule your visit.
LASO Cycle II
LASO Grant Application closed December 7! Award announcements is expected on 2/8/24.
The eGrants Window to complete budget is February 9, 2024-March 18, 2024. The Notice of Grant Award (NOGA) Window is February 8, 2024- April 9, 2024. Programming begins September 2024. For more information, please go to the LASO Cycle II Web.
Please reach out to judith.coffman@region10.org if you need support or need an Approved Provider for the LASO Cycle II Strong Foundations grants.
TCLAS Decision 2 Updates
TEA send a TCLAS Decision 2 Updates email on February 2, 2024.
Below are some upcoming due dates with grant requirements that you will want to keep in mind.
- TCLAS D2 Teacher, Coach, and Leader Surveys are due by February 23, 2024.
- Last Amendment due date is March 4, 2024.
- If funded by TCLAS-GR
- All expenditure must have occurred within this window - 09/01/2021-05/31/2024.
- Final Expenditure Report must be in TEAL by September 3, 2024.
- If funded by TCLAS-ESSER III
- All expenditure must have occurred within this window - 03/01/2021-08/31/2024.
- Final Expenditure Report must be in TEAL by December 2, 2024.
EDGAR Requirements for Not Sole Source
Part of the EDGAR requirements when contracting with one of the Approved Provider for the LASO grants is for the LEA to complete a request for Non-Competitive (Not Sole Source) form in the EDGAR Connect WorkApp.
LEAs will need to indicate that this is an approved vendor for this program, and then their request will be reviewed for final approval by TEA. Once approved, the LEA will receive a letter from TEA grants department.
Below is a link to the TEA webpage with more information about prior approval forms.
Prekindergarten Teaching Strategies
As part of contingency planning for the disruptions of COVID, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) acquired temporary, statewide licenses for the Creative Curriculum® for Texas by Teaching Strategies, and it has been freely available for Texas schools as part of the state’s emergency response. Previously, you had received communication that the term of this agreement was ending in December 2023. However, to prevent a lapse of access mid-year, the TEA has moved to extend the access to these resources through August of 2024.
You will continue to have access to The Creative Curriculum Cloud, for Texas, GOLD® the formative and summative assessment tool, and aligned, online professional development and recorded webinars through August 2024.
Current users should not see any interruption to their access during the school year 2023-2024, with access ending in August 2024. If you do have issues or interruptions, check the MyTeachingStrategies ® Support Portal.
Region 10 - Approved Provider for Strong Foundations
Region 10 is an Approved Provider for the Strong Foundations Planning and Implementation Grants. The flyer below provides a summary of the services that R10 provides, and you can also watch the HQIM team video describing our vision and support for districts.
If you have any questions or need support with the Strong Foundations Grants, please reach out to Judith Coffman at judith.coffman@region10.org.
Strong Foundations Planning (SFP) Grant
Strong Foundations Implementation (SFI) Grant
SFI - LASO 1C - Implementation of Eureka and Amplify
This information is for districts who are going through the LASO 1C Implementation Grant with Region 10 in-kind support.
While TEALearn is your main hub for session recordings, materials, and deliverable uploads, the subsequent links listed below are also important. We recommend that you store these links in your browser as you may find them to be helpful as you work through this grant.
If you have any questions, please contact Julie Hills at julie.hills@region10.org or Dr. Anna Marie Warren at annamarie.warren@region10.org.
LASO 1C TEA Deliverable Templates
LASO 1C Region 10 Timeline and Supports
LASO 1C Region 10 Communities of Practice and Office Hours Recordings
Mark Your Calendars!
Strong Foundation Planning CoP Dates
Communities of Practice (CoP) exist to provide a space to learn from one another, collaborate on best practices, share problems of practice and give feedback to TEA on how the work of Strong Foundations Planning is going in the field.
Participation of district representative in the monthly CoP meetings is a requirement of the grant deliverables.
February 9 - 10:00-11:00 a.m.
March 8 - 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Strong Foundation 1C Implementation CoP Dates
Participation of district representative in the monthly Communities of Practice for the Implementation (1C) grant is a requirement of the grant deliverables.
March 6 - 2:00-3:00 p.m.
April 3 - 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Texas K-5 Math
To learn more about Texas K-5 Math, click on the button below.
Fostering Number Sense
In math education, the term “number sense” is thrown around all the time, ad nauseam. We all want our students to have it, as it’s often juxtaposed with rote memorization. But what does number sense really mean? Number sense is making sense of the part-whole relationships between quantities, working flexibly with numbers, using strategies and properties of operations to solve (e.g., the associative property), and understanding that a problem can be approached in multiple ways.
So, how do we teach number sense?
To read the full article, please go to:
Multiple Strategies to Succeed in Math Class
People want to know why students need to do so many extra steps and learn multiple strategies for solving problems. Some suggest that simply learning the standard algorithm for a math problem (2 + 2 = 4, 6 x 8 = 48, etc.) is enough; kids just need to arrive at the correct answer.
Yes, students need to learn the rules and procedures for doing calculations. In some cases, that’s the best tool for the job.
But students also need options — more tools in their toolbox and conceptual understanding that helps them pick the best tool. Just as a carpenter would never show up at a worksite with only a hammer, students need a range of tools and strategies for their classwork.
To read the full article, please go to:
Texas K-5 Literacy
To learn more about Texas K-5 Literacy, click on the button below.
Teaching Reading to Middle and High Schoolers
Larry Ferlazzo takes us through the 6 targeted instructional steps necessary for teaching reading to middle and high schoolers in the The Essentials of Reading: What Teachers Must Know.
The Role of Knowledge in Reading Comprehension
"Chief among the factors influencing reading comprehension is background knowledge. Research clearly shows that how much readers understand about the text’s topic before they read it is a major factor in how much they understand while and after they read it.6 Unfortunately, much of the efforts directed toward improving reading comprehension have neglected building background knowledge."
To read the full article, please go to:
Check out all the resources!
Learning Acceleration Support Opportunities (LASO)
LASO Overview General Webinar (Recording | Slide Deck | FAQ)
Strong Foundations Planning Grant
R10 Product Academy Communication for LEAs
This is for LEAs participating in Strong Foundations Implementation grant with support from Region 10.
How to Enroll in Product Academies
Texas COVID Learning Acceleration Supports (TCLAS)
TCLAS Overview Webinar: Recording | Slides
TCLAS FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)Decision 2: HQIM Core Approved Products Recording | Slides