HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List Products

The HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List (RWL) approves supplemental instructional products that may be used to waive the 4-to-1 student-to-tutor ratio for eligible students as determined by HB 1416. While school systems may use a variety of instructional tools to support accelerated instruction, only products included on the RWL are eligible for the ratio waiver.  

• Products were evaluated based on evidence of efficacy, rigor of supporting research, opportunities for student independence, alignment with accelerated instruction requirements, and alignment with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).   
• School systems are responsible for selecting, contracting, and funding any product they choose to implement.   
• TEA did not conduct a suitability review of products on the HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List. Vendors are required to meet SBOE suitability requirements to remain eligible.   
• School systems are responsible for ensuring that all instructional materials meet local suitability standards and applicable state requirements including:  
  • Compliance with Texas Education Code §31.1011. (a)(1)(B) where "in the provision of instructional materials, protects students from obscene or harmful content as necessary for compliance with:  
    • (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."
• All products approved for inclusion on the HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List must also be reviewed and approved through the State Board of Education’s (SBOE) Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) process when the applicable subject area or   
  course is called for review. Supplemental math instructional materials were approved through IMRA in November 2025. Supplemental reading language arts (RLA) instructional materials are scheduled for review in summer 2026. IMRA funding for supplemental math materials will be available to school districts beginning in the 2026-27 school year.  

The review process for the HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List was conducted in winter 2025 and included a third-party evaluation of the rigor of research studies submitted by supplemental online curriculum vendors. Based on the results of that evaluation, no new products were approved for inclusion on the 2026-27 HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List. 

2026-27 Ratio Waiver List

The HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List for the 2026-27 school year:

Additional Notes on the HB1416 Ratio Waiver List

• IMRA Alignment:
  • Math products that were not submitted for review as part of the IMRA Cycle 2025 were removed from the RWL. School systems seeking to use a product on the RWL to waive accelerated instruction ratio requirements must select a product included on the 2026-27 list.
     
  • Reading products that were not submitted for review as part of the IMRA Cycle 2026 were removed from the RWL. School systems seeking to use a product on the RWL to waive accelerated instruction ratio requirements must select a product included on the 2026-27 list.
     
• Minimum Usage Requirements: To qualify for use of a product on the RWL without applying the statutory 4-to-1 student-to-tutor ratio, applicable students must meet the minimum usage requirements established for the approved product. If a school system does not meet these minimum usage requirements, the school system must revert to the 4-to-1 student-to-tutor ratio for supplemental instruction in accordance with 19 TAC §104.1001.
   
• PEIMS Requirements: School systems must report accelerated instruction as part of the PEIMS summer submission. Beginning with the 2025-26 submission, a new data element will indicate whether a student used an RWL product for more than 50% of the required supplemental instructional hours. Please see Section G: PEIMS Summer Submission in the HB 1416 FAQ for additional information.
   
• TIA-designated Teachers: LEAs may satisfy the requirements of HB 1416 by placing eligible students with TIA-designated teachers in the applicable subject area. LEAs should consider providing both supplemental instruction and TIA teacher placement for an additional impact on student outcomes. Please see the Accelerated Instruction webpage for more information. 

Support Resources

The following supports are available for LEA personnel supporting HB 1416 implementation:

• Webinar: 2026-27 HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List and Accelerated Instruction Updates: Wednesday, April 22, 10 A.M. CST- Overview of approved RWL products and accelerated instruction updates, including new PEIMS data element. Interested attendees may register for the webinar.
• Direct Support: School system personnel may reach out to Texas Tutoring   
  Supports Help Desk with questions.

2026-2027 HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List Product Review

HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List  

House Bill 1416, 88(R) requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to approve automated, computerized, or other augmented method products for delivering accelerated instruction. Products approved through this process may be used to waive the statutory 4:1 student-to-tutor ratio if there is evidence that the product is more effective than individual or group instruction. These approved products also eliminate the requirement for a live, in-person, or virtual tutor.

School systems may continue using any curricular tools they prefer to support accelerated instruction. However, only products included on the HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List qualify for a waiver of the 4:1 student-to-teacher ratio.

Eligibility Criteria, Vendor Requirements, & Evaluation Rubric  

Vendor Requirements: All approved vendors must comply with the 2026-27 HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List Vendor Requirements including technical support, data sharing, and compliance with state suitability laws and the approved SBOE suitability rubric. Non-compliance may result in removal from the list. 

Evaluation Criteria:  

Products eligible for approval on this list do not require live in-person or online educators to deliver primary mode of instruction.  

Qualified products will be evaluated based on evidence provided which include, but are not limited to, the following components: 

• TEKS alignment per applicable subject/grade level for all learners 
• Formative and summative assessments and progress monitoring tools/reports 
• Recommended research-based usage metrics for the product 
• Rigorous research studies evaluating product efficacy 
• Evidence that indicates the product is more effective than individual or group instruction as required by statute 
• Evidence must reflect that high fidelity usage of the product yields higher student outcomes than students who did not use the product 

Process to Apply 

TEA will recommend products based on their ability to provide evidence of the previously stated components, verification of these components, and review of the outcomes study. Final inclusion on the HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List is at the discretion of the Commissioner of Education.  

 Vendor Resources 

• HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List Vendor Requirements 
• HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List Application Preview  
• HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List Rubric Definitions and Product Efficacy Variables