MISSION:

The Mission of the State Instructional Materials Review Association (SIMRA) is to support state education agencies in affecting student achievement through thorough review of alignment, accessibility and quality of instructional materials.

SIMRA has based its work on the following Common Criteria for Vetting Quality Instructional Materials:

• Content – Content is structured to ensure that all students meet grade-specific expectations as they develop literacy skills aligned to college and career readiness expectations.
• Equity and Accessibility – Materials are free from bias in their portrayal of ethnic groups, gender, age, disabilities, cultures, religion, etc, and contain accommodations for multiple learning styles, students with exceptionalities, English Language Learners, and cultural differences.
• Assessment – Materials provide tools for a balanced approach to assessment including both formative and summative assessments in multiple formats not only to guide instruction but also to identify student mastery of content.
• Organization and Presentation – Information is organized logically and presented clearly using multiple methods and modes for delivering instruction that motivate and increase literacy as students engage in high interest,authentic activities.
• Instructional Design and Support – Instructional design utilizes research-based instructional strategies, offers suggestions for appropriate scaffolding, emphasizes the importance of vocabulary acquisition, provides opportunities to engage in high interest, age-appropriate activities that mirror real-life situations, and make cross-curricular, global connections.

SIMRA and Digital Content