The CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE Review Process

The CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE review process begins when a publisher submits core curricular materials to Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE. To qualify for review, materials must fulfill the following criteria:

• Serve as a Comprehensive Core Curriculum. The submission must be of a full core instructional program rather than a supplemental resource or targeted intervention program.

• Represent an Established Discipline. The materials must belong to a content area or discipline with a sufficiently robust curriculum marketplace.

• Meet the CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE Review Threshold. The materials must achieve a rating of Meets Expectations for foundational alignment to college, career, and civic-readiness standards through a transparent, independent, educator-led gateway evaluation prior to CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE review.

  • Note: A published CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE report for the most recent prior edition of the same product may be used to satisfy this requirement.

For content areas where CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE review is not available or coverage is limited, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE may instead develop Curriculum Guides. Rather than providing a CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE rating of a comprehensive core curriculum, Curriculum Guides provide information about available core and supplemental instructional materials and the extent to which they support implementation of the academic standards defined by the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks.

Through the procurement process, publishers provide information and access needed to support the CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE review, including:

• Standards Alignment. Correlations to Massachusetts content standards and World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA English Language Development Standards.

• Program Design. Information about the program's design, structure, and instructional features.

• Student Supports. Information about resources and supports for English learners and students with disabilities.

• Diverse Representation. Information about representation of diverse identities, backgrounds, and perspectives within the materials.

• Product and Implementation Information. Product specifications, professional learning opportunities, and implementation requirements.

• Massachusetts District Use. Identification of districts across the Commonwealth that have procured or implemented the product.

• Review Access. Temporary credentials that provide reviewers with full access to the comprehensive core curriculum.

Participation in CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE requires no financial commitment. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE conducts reviews at no cost to publishers and receives no financial benefit from publisher participation.

CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE reviews are conducted by Massachusetts educators with expertise and experience relevant to the content area and grade levels under review. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE selects panelists based on their knowledge and experience in the following areas:

• Subject-Matter Expertise. Knowledge of the discipline and its corresponding academic standards, including World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA English Language Development Standards.

• Instructional Expertise. Knowledge and experience with effective instructional practices.

• Curriculum Literacy. Experience analyzing, adapting, implementing, or evaluating instructional materials.

• Commitment to Equity. Knowledge and experience supporting equitable, inclusive teaching and learning.

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE intentionally assembles panels to reflect diverse professional backgrounds, roles, regional perspectives, and lived experiences. Through the CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE Institute, selected panelists engage in collaborative professional learning focused on Massachusetts expectations for teaching and learning, curriculum literacy, the CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE rubric, evidence-based evaluation practices, and the review and consensus deliberation process.

Panelists draw on multiple sources of evidence to develop a comprehensive understanding of curriculum quality. No single source determines a rating. Review evidence includes:

• Gateway Evaluation Results. Findings from an approved, transparent, independent, educator-led evaluation that establish that the materials meet the CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE review threshold for foundational alignment to national or Massachusetts-specific college, career, and civic-readiness standards.

• Core Curriculum Materials. Direct examination of the comprehensive core instructional materials submitted for review.

• Publisher-Provided Information. Standards correlations and information about program design, student supports, diverse representation, professional learning, product specifications, and implementation.

• Massachusetts Educator Feedback. Input from Massachusetts educators with experience implementing the materials in local classrooms, when available.

Panelists apply professional judgment to interpret evidence through the lens of the CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE rubric. Final ratings reflect the quality, consistency, and significance of the documented evidence rather than personal preferences or isolated examples.

Panelists work collaboratively throughout the review process to calibrate interpretations and reach consensus grounded in the rubric and the collective body of evidence. The review unfolds across three primary phases:

• CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE Institute. Through collaborative professional learning, panelists build a shared foundation in Massachusetts expectations for teaching and learning, curriculum literacy, the CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE rubric, and evidence-based evaluation practices, while preparing to apply the review and consensus deliberation process consistently.

• Independent Review. Panelists individually examine the materials and document evidence and ratings, anchoring their findings in the CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE rubric criteria. Reviewers consider evidence of quality across the two CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE review domains—Standards Alignment and Classroom Application—and the Cross-Cutting Massachusetts Priorities embedded throughout the rubric:
  • Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning
  • Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Practices
  • Integrated Disciplinary Literacy

• Consensus Development. The panel meets to consider the collective body of evidence, discuss perspectives and interpretations, and synthesize findings into shared, evidence-based judgments.

The final CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE report is produced through a rigorous, collaborative quality assurance process involving the report writer, the review panel, and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE. The development process follows three distinct stages:

• Drafting. A dedicated report writer synthesizes the panel's collected evidence, discussion notes, and consensus findings to develop an initial draft report.

• Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE Review. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE's CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE Facilitator-Partner and Department staff review the draft for clarity, consistency, and completeness across all evaluation criteria.

• Panel Verification. Panelists review and approve the draft to verify that the report accurately and faithfully reflects their collective conclusions.

Final published reports provide districts and schools with transparent, actionable information about a curriculum's strengths, areas for growth, implementation considerations, and alignment to Massachusetts academic standards and teaching and learning priorities.

Prior to public release, publishers receive a 45-day embargoed review period. The publisher review is intended to ensure factual accuracy, not to reconsider panel judgments or ratings. During this period, publishers may:

1. Identify Factual Errors or Omissions. Publishers may notify Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE of factual errors or missing information in the embargoed report. If a publisher identifies significant factual concerns, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE may reconvene the review panel to evaluate the information and determine whether revisions to the report are warranted.

2. Submit an Official Publisher Response. Publishers may submit a formal written response to accompany the final published report, providing additional context, clarification, or the publisher's perspective on the CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE review findings.

Following the conclusion of the embargo period and the integration of any approved factual corrections, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE publishes final CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE reports.

Published reports provide educators and districts with transparent, evidence-based information to inform and strengthen local curriculum evaluation and selection processes. Through both its published reports and collaborative professional learning for educator reviewers, CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers CURATE strengthens curriculum literacy and supports informed, high-quality instructional decision-making across the Commonwealth.