Strong Foundations Supports

To continue to accelerate student learning in Texas, TEA is launching the Strong Foundations Implementation Supports grant for local education agencies (LEAs) implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM). For the 2023–24 school year, LEAs can choose to apply to the following options as a part of the Learning Acceleration Support Opportunities (LASO) Grant: 

• CRIMSI provides professional learning directly to teachers, coaches, and leaders through asynchronous modules and live virtual communities of practice
• CRIMSI Local Implementation is a “training of trainers” model that provides professional learning directly to coaches and leaders to redeliver to teachers locally
• ESC Strong Foundations Implementation Support provides professional learning directly to teachers, coaches, and leaders through asynchronous modules and live virtual or in-person job-embedded supports delivered by Education Service Centers

All options include pre-implementation planning supports, ongoing progress monitoring supports, and additional communities of practice for senior district leaders. For a more in-depth comparison of the options, please visit our Strong Foundations FAQs.

High-Quality Instructional Materials 

HQIM are among the most impactful elements of a student’s education. HQIM allow students to engage more deeply and meaningfully with the Texas educational standards and supports teachers in ensuring all students have access to high-quality and rigorous grade-level content. 

Strong Foundations Implementation Supports are specifically for LEAs implementing approved core HQIM in K–5 RLA (in both Spanish and English) and K–5 Math.

K–5 RLA Elementary Literacy Program

The K-5 OER RLA COVID Emergency Release V3 is currently called the Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program and built on the Science of Reading and is fully aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS). K–5 RLA Elementary Literacy Program knowledge domains provide a coherent knowledge sequence across science, social studies, and literature that builds within each grade and across grade levels. K-2 (Phonics) units provide explicit, systematic practice with literacy foundational skills.  Habilidades y Destrezas is designed to support biliteracy in English and Spanish and includes both the K-5 knowledge domains (Conocimiento) with a mix of transadapted, translated, and authentic texts, as well as K-2 Spanish phonics units (Habilidades y Destrezas). 

K–5 Math

The K-5 Math COVID Emergency Release Edition V2 is currently called Eureka Math TEKS Edition and is fully aligned with the TEKS and provides rigorous learning through a balance of conceptual understanding, procedural skills, and fluency, and its application provides a coherent learning progression from concrete to representational to abstract to help students deepen their understanding of mathematical concepts. Key concepts then connect within and across grade levels to build an enduring understanding of math.

Learn more about these HQIM by visiting TEA Available Instructional Materials.

High-Quality Professional Learning

Strong Foundations Implementation Supports provides high-quality professional learning (HQPL) that builds knowledge and skills in high-quality instruction through the instructional materials, includes collaborative learning with other educators implementing the HQIM, and provides learning that is immediately applicable to upcoming instruction. 

HQPL includes asynchronous learning modules with additional supports to extend and apply learning, such as communities of practice or job-embedded supports. It also includes implementation protocols that provide a systematic approach to instructional planning, delivery, evaluation, and reflection:

• Unit/Module Internalization: Step-by-step process for understanding each module prior to teaching, including what students will be learning, how students will be assessed, and the high-level arc of learning. 
• Lesson Internalization: Step-by-step process for understanding each lesson prior to teaching, including what students will be learning, how students will be assessed, and how teachers can support all learners in meeting the rigor of the instructional materials.
• Lesson Rehearsal: Facilitated process for practicing a key learning moment in an upcoming lesson by rehearsing that part of the lesson to ensure the “first teach” is the best. 
• Student Work Analysis: Step-by-step process for analyzing student work by understanding student tasks and exemplar responses, identifying trends in actual student work, and identifying targeted action steps to support students in upcoming lessons.

HQPL also provides learning for instructional coaches and leaders on conducting observation and feedback cycles using HQIM-specific observation tools, as well as learning for administrators on topics such as ensuring district- and campus-level systems support implementation, leading change management, and monitoring implementation progress.