Review and Selection

Review and selection ensure instructional materials are rigorously evaluated against defined criteria so that final decisions are coherent, high quality, and responsive to district priorities.

Review & Selection

1. Prepare

Set the foundation before reviewing materials

Setting a Vision

Planning for Selection

2. Adopt

Select and Acquire Materials

Review and Selection

Approval and Purchase

3. Implement

Put materials into classroom use

Initial Implementation

Ongoing Implementation

When evaluation feels complex, these tools and resources help your team stay aligned, apply criteria consistently, and keep the process moving.

Begin with the resources that will help your district move the process forward.

Evaluate Materials Depth

Once you identify your options, this step helps your team take a closer look at how well each set of materials aligns with your district’s vision, priorities, and instructional goals.

This step of the process matters because it:

Focuses time on the most viable options
Applies detailed, district-specific criteria
Supports informed, evidence-based decisions

Resource Library

Resources for this Step

Access practical tools, templates, and examples designed to support the work you’re already doing.

Planning for Selection

Review and Selection

Designing and Using Evaluation Tools for Instructional Materials

A practical guide to help districts design, refine, and use instructional materials evaluation tools that reflect state expectations, local priorities, and evidence-based decision-making.

Planning for Selection

Review and Selection

K-12 Mathematics HQIM Evaluation Tool Question Bank

A question bank to help districts build or refine K-12 mathematics HQIM evaluation tools using focused, evidence-based questions aligned to local priorities.

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Keep the process moving and on track

Run a clear, coordinated process where everyone knows what to do, when to do it, and how decisions will be made.

This step of the process matters because it:

Keeps your team aligned and moving toward decisions
Builds confidence and transparency through a clear, defensible process
Helps you stay on track, even if challenges arise

Resource Library

Resources for this Step

Access practical tools, templates, and examples designed to support the work you’re already doing.

Planning for Selection

Review and Selection

Designing Adoption Review Committees as Professional Learning Experiences

Design adoption review committees to both select materials and build shared understanding of high-quality instruction.

Review and Selection

Publisher Request Timeline Guidance

Use this guidance to set clear publisher timelines and expectations that support a fair, organized instructional materials review.

Review and Selection

Initial Adoption Review Committee Facilitation Guide

A practical guide to help district facilitators launch a compliant, consistent, and evidence-based instructional materials review process.

Review and Selection

Instructional Materials Recommendation Meeting Facilitation Guide

A facilitation guide to help district leaders guide a transparent, evidence-based recommendation meeting for instructional materials adoption.

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FAQ

Common Challenges

No, Florida statute does not identify a minimum number of committee members to make a recommendation. Districts should review local policy to determine whether additional district requirements apply.

Statute does require that at least one parent of a public school student who has access to the materials is included on the committee. The process can move forward as long as remaining members are able to complete evaluations and provide evidence-based recommendations.

For future adoptions, districts may consider starting with additional members to account for attrition and identifying alternates if needed. Clearly defining participation expectations and confirming commitment upfront can help maintain a consistent and effective review process.

Clear expectations and structure support fairness and comparability across publishers, but the process can move forward if all materials were evaluated using the same criteria and decisions were based on the materials themselves.

For future adoptions, districts should provide standardized guidance for presentations including format, time limits and required content, and ensure consistency across all publishers.

Clear rationale and documentation are important to support transparency and defend decision-making. If evaluations were completed using the district’s tool and evidence was considered, the district can typically move forward.

However, if the lack of documentation makes it difficult to explain or justify the recommendation, the district may consider reconvening to gather this information and clearly document the rationale.

For future adoptions, ensure final recommendations are supported by clear, written rationale tied to evaluation criteria and documented evidence. Districts may also consider providing a structured template to support committees in documenting and justifying their recommendations. This helps strengthen clarity, consistency, and transparency in the final recommendation.

Yes, this may be an issue depending on the purpose of the meetings.

State statute requires that any meetings convened for the purpose of ranking, eliminating, or selecting instructional materials for recommendation to the district school board must be publicly noticed and open to the public. If meetings included these actions and were not properly noticed and open, the district may be out of compliance with statute.

In these cases, decisions made during those meetings could be subject to objection or challenge.

The district should review which meetings involved decision-making actions and determine whether proper notice and public access were provided. Based on that review, the district may need to consider corrective actions to ensure compliance and protect the integrity of the process.

For future adoptions, establish a clear and consistent public notice process with defined timelines, responsible parties, and documentation. Building this into the adoption timeline helps ensure compliance and supports transparency throughout the process.