March 5, 2024 - Instructional Materials Updates

[Action Required] EMAT Closing Soon for School Year 2024–25 
The instructional materials ordering system known as EMAT will close at 12:00 p.m. CDT on March 29, 2024. Local educational agencies (LEAs) should place orders for instructional materials before March 29, 2024. EMAT is scheduled to reopen for ordering materials for the 2024−25 school year on May 15, 2024.
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Please note: any requests in In Progress status should either be submitted or canceled by March 25, 2024. Please use your LEA’s “Allotment Disbursement” link to identify any in-Progress requests.

[Action Required] Submission of Certification of Provision of Instructional Materials
In accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC) §31.1011 LEAs are required to certify annually to the State Board of Education (SBOE) and the commissioner that students have access to instructional materials covering all Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for all required subjects, except physical education.

Additionally, LEAs are required to certify that they protect against access to obscene or harmful content in compliance with the requirements for certification under (i) the Children's Internet Protection Act (Pub. L. No. 106-554); (ii) Section 28.0022; (iii) Section 43.22, Penal Code; and (iv) any other law or regulation that protects students from obscene or harmful content. The TEKS Certification 2024–25 Survey includes a section for LEAs to certify they meet this requirement.

Like last year’s process, the agency will utilize the following tools:
Certification 2024–25 Form:
Printable, hard copy of the survey to be completed offline and presented to the board of trustees or governing body for ratification and signatures.

Certification 2024–25 Survey:
Web-based application where LEAs will submit their responses, collected on the TEKS Certification 2024–25 Form, and where LEAs will upload the signature page of the Form.

Required Action

  • This year’s Certification Process requires:
  • The completion of the Certification 2024–25 Form;
  • Ratification by the LEA’s board of trustees or governing body in an open, public-noticed meeting; and
  • Submission of the Certification 2024–25 Survey and upload of the ratified Certification 2024–25 Form.


TEA recommends that LEAs complete these steps no later than May 1, 2024. The Certification 2024–25 Form can be accessed on the Instructional Materials webpage. Completion of the Certification Process is required to regain access to allotment funds when EMAT reopens in May of 2024.

Certification 2024–25 Survey submissions received after May 15, 2024, will typically be processed within five business days, and access to EMAT will follow.

Instructions to Complete the Certification of Provision of Instructional Materials Process for 2024–25:

  1. Review the Certification 2024–25 Form: Print the fillable Certification 2024–25 Form found on the Instructional Materials website.
  2. Gather information: The form may require consultation with content area leads or other LEA staff.
  3. Complete Certification 2024–25 Form: Complete the TEKS Certification 2024–25 Form by hand or digitally.
  4. Obtain needed signatures: Ratify the Certification 2024–25 Form by the LEA’s board of trustees or governing body in an upcoming, open board meeting.
  5. Submit Certification 2024–25 Survey: Complete the online Certification 2024–25 Survey by answering the questions. Inside the survey, you will upload the signed Certification 2024–25 Form from Step 4. The survey will be open for submissions beginning Monday, March 18, 2024, and will be located on the Instructional Materials website.


Additional Supports

  • TEA will host a webinar to review the Certification of Provision of Instructional Materials Process for 2024–25 on Monday, March 18, at 2:00 p.m. CDT. Registration is required.
  • TEA will host office hours on Monday, March 25, at 11:00 a.m. CDT and Thursday, March 28, at 11:00 a.m. CDT. Registration is required.
  • All instructional materials listed on the survey can be found on the Instructional Materials website.
  • To facilitate completion of this year’s submission, LEAs may request a copy of their previous year’s submission by submitting a Help Desk Ticket.
  • For questions about the TEKS Certification 2024–25 form, survey, or process, please submit a Help Desk ticket.


Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM)
LEAs can order accessible formats of adopted instructional materials and TEA Available Instructional Materials for students with print disabilities through EMAT at any time after it opens in May. The Certification of Provision of Instructional Materials does not need to be submitted in order to place AIM requisitions and the cost of state-adopted AIM does not come out of an LEA’s allotment funds.

LEAs that choose to purchase non-adopted instructional materials should remember that, should braille, large-print, or audio versions be required by a student’s individualized education or 504 plan, the LEA is required to provide those using allotment or local funds.

Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) Reviewers
We are now accepting applications for the upcoming IMRA review. Anyone with relevant content expertise for K–5 English and Spanish language arts and reading, K–3 English and Spanish phonics, or K–12 mathematics is encouraged to apply. This work includes a competitive stipend and reimbursement for any travel expenses.  Learn more about IMRA, the review cycle, and the available roles through an information session. (Note: You can read more about the opportunity in the 02/15/2024 To the Administrator Addressed correspondence.) Fill out a registration form to join a meeting on one of these dates:

  • March 6  
  • March 20
  • April 3
  • April 17
  • May 1


Proclamation 2024 Update
The State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted instructional materials for Proclamation 2024 at the November meeting. The following reports are available in the Proclamation 2024 section of the Proclamations webpage:

  • Proclamation 2024 List of Materials Adopted by SBOE
  • Proclamation 2024 TEKS Not Addressed
  • Proclamation 2024 Comprehensive Report of Editorial Changes (Publishers A–L)
  • Proclamation 2024 Comprehensive Report of Editorial Changes (Publishers M–T)
  • Proclamation 2024 Report of New Content (Comprehensive)
  • Proclamation 2024 Final Report of Required Corrections


The changes or corrections on the last four reports must be made by the publishers in the final versions of instructional materials provided to schools as a condition of adoption by the SBOE. 

Texas Resource Review Science Reports
The science quality reviews conducted through the Texas Resource Review (TRR) are complete and the final reports are available on the TRR website. Quality reviews began in April 2023 with over 200 Texas science educators from across the state serving as reviewers. The final reports include:  
Science Grades K–8
Biology
Chemistry
Physics 

Visit the Texas Resource Review webpage or submit an Instructional Materials Help Desk ticket with any questions related to the TRR.  

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To the Administrator Addressed Update - February 29, 2024

Certification of Provision of Instructional Materials
Division - District Operations, Technology, and Sustainability Supports

To the Administrator Addressed Update - 09/21/2023


House Bill (HB) 1605 Webinar Series and Proclamation 2024 Update

This correspondence provides local educational agencies (LEAs) with a high-level overview of important updates regarding House Bill (HB) 1605. During the 88th Texas Legislature (Regular Session), HB 1605 was passed, establishing an expanded process for the State Board of Education (SBOE) to approve high-quality instructional materials, adding more funding to the Instructional Materials and Technology Allotment (IMTA), prohibiting three-cueing in early literacy instruction, protecting teacher planning time, and expanding parent access to instructional materials being used in classrooms.  


While the Texas Education Agency (TEA) works to update all impacted technical assistance resources and web pages, be aware that the bill was signed into law on June 13, 2023, and portions of the law apply beginning with the 2023–2024 school year. The SBOE’s proposed timeline for its required changes will be communicated as that timeline is determined and communicated to TEA.  

SBOE Actions 
There are three (3) categories of responsibility that the SBOE is charged with implementing in the bill: 

 1.  To approve an overall instructional materials review process, to be known as the Instructional Materials Review and  Approval (IMRA). Criteria will include:

  • Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) coverage
  • Quality 
  • Suitable for grade and subject  
  • Free from factual error  
  • No harmful content and other statutory compliance 
  • Publisher parent portal compliance

​2.  To create a new vocabulary and literary works list addendum for the Reading Language Arts (RLA) TEKS. 

3.  To establish requirements for parent transparency, including a process for local reviews of instructional materials, and a requirement for publishers of newly reviewed and approved instructional materials to make their materials available to parents through an internet portal. 

Proclamation 2024 
As part of HB 1605, Proclamation 2024 was preserved and will continue as planned. Proclamation 2024 includes a call for materials in science (grades K–12), technology applications (grades K–8), personal financial literacy and economics, and several career and technical education (CTE) courses. The SBOE is scheduled to adopt materials for Proclamation 2024 in November 2023. The adopted materials will go into classrooms in the 2024–2025 school year.  

The SBOE does not plan to review materials associated with courses from Proclamation 2024 in the next year using the new IMRA process established by HB 1605. For this reason, LEAs should proceed with plans to adopt materials for use in the 2024–2025 school year. For clarity, this means that science materials adopted by the SBOE during the Proclamation 2024 process (which will likely occur in November 2023) will be the only science materials adopted by the state in the next 24 months. No subsequent approval under the new HB 1605 IMRA process is planned for the near future. 

HB 1605 Webinar Series 
New funding for SBOE-approved instructional materials under HB 1605 will be accessible after the SBOE completes its initial round of reviews under the new IMRA process. Independent of the new funding, there are some statutory changes in HB 1605 that take effect now that LEAs must follow. TEA is hosting a series of webinars to address components of the bill that are most relevant to LEAs. 

Series topics are prioritized by the effective date of sections of the bill and their impact on LEAs. Below is a list of upcoming webinars and registration links:   

Topic: House Bill 1605 Overview for Local Educational Agencies
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m.  
Description: An overview of the major components of HB 1605 and projected timeline of implementation milestones.  
Registration: Virtual Webinar Registration Link 

Topic: Planning and Non-Instructional Duties of Teachers 
Date: Friday, September 29, 2023 
Time: 11:00 a.m.  
Description: An overview of the statutory protections of planning time for classroom teachers in HB 1605 and guidance on the supplemental duty agreement with a teacher. [Texas Education Code, §11.164 and §21.4045] 
Registration: Virtual Webinar Registration Link 

Topic: Three-Cueing and Phonics Instructional Materials 
Date: Friday, October 6, 2023 
Time: 11:00 a.m.   
Description: An overview of the prohibition of three-cueing in instructional materials and guidance on how to implement with considerations for House Bill (HB) 3, issued by the 86th Texas Legislature in 2019, which directs all Texas school districts to provide phonics curriculum that uses systematic, direct instruction in kindergarten through third grade to ensure all students obtain necessary early-literacy skills. 
Registration: Virtual Webinar Registration Link 

TEA recognizes that the impacts of HB 1605 may be significant for some LEAs. While those impacts are analyzed, TEA will provide subsequent communications to support LEAs. TEA has existing resources and web pages that focus on instructional materials review and adoption, and these will be updated as much as possible as the SBOE completes rulemaking procedures for the IMRA process. However, updates cannot be completed for some of these resources until the SBOE rulemaking procedures for the IMRA process have ended.  

While the SBOE completes its rulemaking process, it is critical that LEAs comply with HB 1605 requirements and use the webinar series for assistance with implementation.  

For questions, please contact the instructional materials inbox at instructional.materials@tea.texas.gov.

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2023-2024 School YEAR

  TEA EMAIL UPDATES

EMAT ANNOUCEMENTS

Proclamation 2024 Update - 9/20/2023
The State Board of Education (SBOE) issued Proclamation 2024 at its April 2022 meeting to call for science, grades K–12; technology applications, grades K–8; Personal Financial Literacy and Economics; and several CTE courses. The SBOE is scheduled to adopt materials for Proclamation 2024 in November 2023. The adopted materials will go into classrooms in the 2024–25 school year.

The Proclamation 2024 section of the Proclamations webpage has been updated with the reports that were shared with the State Board of Education at the August/September 2023 meeting. The newly posted reports include:

Preliminary Report on Materials Under Consideration for Adoption
State Review Panel-Identified Errors
State Review Panel Feedback
Report of Editorial Changes
Report of Required Corrections
Report of New Content

Some of the reviews were still in progress when the changes were due to TEA. Additional changes will be published in October.

Proclamation 2024 was amended to change the date for publishers to submit the List of Corrections and Editorial Changes from July 31, 2023, to August 16, 2023. This was the only change to the proclamation. The amended proclamation is posted on the Proclamations page of the TEA website.

The public is invited to view samples and provide comments via the Public Comment.

Form or identify errors in the pre-adoption samples using the Public-Reported Factual Errors Submission Form. The public comment period is open through Monday, October 30, 2023. Errors and comments received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 30, 2023, will be presented to the State Board of Education at its November meeting and posted to the TEA website.

To the Administrator Addressed Update - 06/22/2023

pdf COPY -  ​Instructional Materials and Technology Allotment for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025


The 2024‒2025 biennium instructional materials and technology allotment allocations for each district and open-enrollment charter school (local educational agency or LEA) will be available on the instructional materials website and are expected to be populated in EMAT, the state’s online ordering system, by mid-July, 2023.


Per Student Instructional Materials Allotment Amount: $171.84
Per Student Emergent Bilingual Instructional Materials Amount: $15.58


Although the amounts will appear soon in EMAT, the actual funds will not be available until after September 1, 2023. Until that time, LEAs may use unexpended funds (carry-over funds) for allotment expenditures, including newly adopted instructional materials, continuing contracts, technological equipment, and technology services. As stated in Texas Education Code, §31.0215, if carry-over funds are not available, LEAs may order materials through requisitions for up to 80% of their 2024‒2025 allotment funds through the delayed-payment option. Publishers that have agreed to receive delayed payments are identified in EMAT. Please share this information with all those responsible for fiscal accountability in your LEA.

House Bill 1474 (84th Texas Legislature, 2015) changed the allotment from an annual allocation to a biennial allocation and required the Texas Education Agency to make the full amount available to districts at the beginning of each biennium. The amounts in EMAT must serve LEAs for two full school years. LEA personnel responsible for making instructional materials and educational technology purchasing decisions will want to carefully plan the two years of spending to ensure that funds are available when needed. Funds not used during a biennium carry over to the next.  

House Bill 1605 (88th Regular Texas Legislature, 2023) establishes two new Foundation School Program (FSP) entitlements for SBOE-approved instructional materials in addition to this Instructional Materials and Technology Allotment allocation. Those entitlements are not part of this per-student allocation amount and will be provided in addition to these amounts. More details on those entitlements will follow in a future TAA.

Please note the adopted instructional materials for the visually impaired (Braille, large-print, and audio) are the property of the state and are not paid for out of an LEA's allotment. They can be requested through EMAT and must be returned to the redistribution center when they are no longer in use. LEAs that choose to purchase non-adopted instructional materials should remember that should Braille, large-print, or audio versions be required by a student’s individualized education plan or Section 504 plan; the LEA is required to provide those versions using allotment or local funds.

If you have any questions, please contact the Instructional Materials team by submitting an Instructional Materials Help Desk Ticket.