We are proud to announce, Big Ideas Learning is the ONLY math textbook publisher to receive an evaluation of “Exemplifies Quality” for K-12, in the initial review from the Oklahoma State Textbook Committee.
Big Ideas Learning submitted Oklahoma Math, a fully custom kindergarten through Algebra 2 solution, in July. After conducting a thorough review of each publishers’ materials, the Oklahoma State Textbook Committee held their voting meeting on Instructional Materials for math on November 17, 2023. To better understand how the committee reached their decisions, Big Ideas Learning put together an overview of Oklahoma’s State textbook selection process.
Oklahoma State Textbook Committee Educational Materials Selection
The purpose of the Oklahoma state review of instructional materials is to ensure the math curriculum and textbooks offered for Oklahoma students are high quality and in alignment with the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Mathematics (OAS-M).
The review committee carefully examines each title submitted to offer teachers and districts an initial list of materials for future selection. The new state-approved textbook list includes evaluation rubrics completed by content area experts in the state. Districts can use these rubrics alongside their own data and local-level priorities to identify the instructional materials appropriate for their district.
The Oklahoma State Department of Education, in coordination with the State Textbook Committee, assembled a review team composed of 42 total reviewers across seven grade-level teams which included Early Childhood (12), Math PK-2, Math 3-5, Math 6-8, Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2, Calculus, and Statistics. Twenty-nine districts across the state of Oklahoma were represented.
Oklahoma State Textbook Committee Evaluation Rubric
Submitted materials were evaluated using a rubric adopted in consultation with the State Department of Education. The rubric contains a three-tiered rating system:
- Exemplifies Quality
- Approaching Quality
- Not Representing Quality
Rubrics are unique by the content or grade band, either K-5 or 6-12, being evaluated and are used multiple times per grade/product for a consistent and fair evaluation. The committee, having verified that the review process has been conducted in a scrupulous and fair manner, shall adopt a final rating for each textbook prior to including it on the required textbook list.
The evaluation rubric is designed to assist reviewers in determining a threshold for quality for each gateway. Each publisher’s programs are reviewed against the three rubric gateways which are:
- Alignment to Oklahoma Academic Standards (OAS-M)
- Supports for the teacher
- Resources, accommodations, and support for all learners
Per each vendor, the committee may vote upon rubric results for each program and/or grade-level and should consider materials according to the criteria defined by Oklahoma Administrative Rule 720:10-5-3. If instructional materials do not meet the thresholds for a gateway, reviewers are prompted not to move forward with reviewing the next gateway.
The 2023 adoption cycle includes 3 rubrics. Each rubric follows the same structure:
- Gateway- Districts can begin the process by examining each gateway rating to establish an overview of the program.
- Criterion- District leaders can then review each criterion to learn more in-depth about the features of the materials.
- Indicators- The indicator level offers the greatest amount of detail surrounding specific content and characteristics of the materials.
By examining the state-approved materials using this model, district leaders can begin to evaluate the materials that are the best fit for their needs.
Oklahoma Math
Oklahoma Math, from Big Ideas Learning, scored in the top percentile for each grade-level per individual gateway of the rubric achieving the highest rating score of “Exemplifies Quality” for all 12 titles submitted for review. Oklahoma Math is a fully custom kindergarten through Algebra 2 solution that is 100% aligned to the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Mathematics (OAS-M).
At Big Ideas Learning, we believe in the highest-impact teaching strategies to empower teachers to accelerate learning for ALL students. With a strong emphasis on conceptual understanding, engaging content, rigor, and teaching support, Oklahoma Math is intentionally designed to provide educators with the tools needed to make effective instructional decisions.
Request a sample of Oklahoma Math.