On behalf of the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE), the American Institutes for Research (AIR) — a leading behavioral and social science research organization dedicated to improving lives through education, health, and workforce development — invites publishers and content developers to submit comprehensive instructional programs for review and potential recommendation for use in public schools across the state.

This call pertains specifically to Science and Social Studies instructional materials that align with the K-12 Next Generation Science Standards or the K-12 Hawaiʻi Core Standards for Social Studies, supporting high-quality teaching and learning. 

Pursuant to Hawaiʻi’s Board of Education Policy 105-4, this call seeks to help the Department identify and provide a list of recommended instructional materials that meet the needs of all learners and are aligned to Hawaiʻi’s state standards. These recommendations are provided as a resource to support schools and educators across Hawai‘i in selecting high-quality instructional materials for science and social studies. 

Lý lịch

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education is the nation’s only statewide public school district, serving more than 165,000 students, their families, and communities across 298 schools on seven islands. With a spirit of neʻepapa — meaning to come together as one, united in purpose — our public schools are dedicated to fostering graduates who are both globally competitive and locally committed. We strive to inspire learning, innovation, and a collective dedication to Hawaiʻi’s future.

Review Subjects

Khoa học

Items submitted in alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards will be reviewed. Submissions may focus on individual grades, grade bands, or disciplines, including, but not limited to, the required high school biology course.

Khoa học xã hội

Items submitted in alignment with the Hawaiʻi Core Standards for Social Studies (Grades K-5, Grade 6 World History, Grade 7 History of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Grade 7 Pacific Island Studies, Grade 8 United States History, and Grades 9-12 courses of Modern History of Hawaiʻi, Participation in a Democracy, United States History and Government, and World History and Culture) will be reviewed. Submissions may focus on individual grades or grade bands.

Eligible Materials for Review

To qualify for review, publishers must submit materials that align with the following requirements:

1. They are comprehensive instructional programs (supplementary materials will not be reviewed).

• Comprehensive Instructional Programs are instructional learning materials that are designed as a principal learning resource that addresses all or nearly all of the standards for a particular grade or course. These materials include broad, deep discussion of content; remediation and enrichment activities; formative and summative assessments, and teacher resources. 
• Supplementary Instructional Materials are instructional learning materials that may focus on a specific set of standards but are not designed to meet the majority of the standards in a course.  These resources may enrich or extend the content of the comprehensive materials, support intervention, or provide extended opportunities for students to engage in skills practice and are not meant to be used in place of comprehensive instructional materials. 

2. They are complete, final versions of comprehensive instructional programs. Drafts, galley proofs, or sample chapters will not be accepted.
3. They include all versions of the materials that would be provided to educators for use in the classroom. 

Material Submissions

The following materials are requested from publishers during the submission review process:

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• Science Instructional Materials Review Submission Form
• Materials submitted on a restricted online platform (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox, One Drive) including:
  • Standards Alignment Documentation, 
  • Science Criteria Documentation,
  • Full Program Materials for Review, and 
  • Any Instructions for Navigating the Materials.

Khoa học xã hội

• Social Studies Instructional Materials Review Submission Form
• Materials submitted on a restricted online platform (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox, One Drive), including:
  • Standards Alignment Documentation, 
  • Social Studies Criteria Documentation,
  • Full Program Materials for Review, and 
  • Any Instructions for Navigating the Materials.

Please see the Submission Process section of this request for Important Dates and Deadlines.

Electronic Requirements

All materials for review must be submitted electronically. Hard copy versions of materials can be provided in conjunction with electronic copies of resources, as needed, or if electronic copies are unavailable. Preference is for electronic copies of materials. Refer to the Những câu hỏi thường gặp document for details on hard copy submission requirements.

Requirements for submissions of materials are provided below.

1. A tutorial or step-by-step guidance must be provided on how to use and navigate the electronic resource. These instructions should be included along with the submission of materials on a restricted online platform (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive).
2. Access must be provided to the entire material (e.g., website URL, login information) for reviewers through June 2026. Sample/demo materials will not be accepted.

Review Process

Upon submission of science and/or social studies materials, the review process will be conducted by AIR in two phases.

Phase 1: Standards Alignment Review. All submissions will first be evaluated for alignment to the Next Generation Science Standards hoặc Hawaiʻi Core Standards for Social Studies. Assessment of standards alignment will be based on the submitted Standards Alignment Documentation and independent reviews of the content using the Science Evaluation Criteria (Criterion 1.1 and 1.2) or Social Studies Evaluation Criteria (Criterion 1). Brief descriptions of the criteria and indicators are provided below.

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For science materials, reviewers will focus on the following for standards alignment:

1. Three-Dimensional Learning – How the materials are designed for three-dimensional learning (Science and Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts) and assessment (direct, observable evidence).
2. Designed for NGSS – How materials leverage science phenomena and engineering problems in the context of driving learning and student performance (e.g., phenomena and/or problems are connected to grade-level Disciplinary Core Ideas, present to students directly, lessons use key elements of all three dimensions, materials are designed to include both phenomena and problems and are embedded across multiple lessons, and support development of the skills, behaviors, and dispositions that are reminiscent of Hawaiʻi’s unique context).

Khoa học xã hội

For social studies materials, reviewers will focus on the following for standards alignment:

1. Rigor and Depth of Learning – How the materials incorporate a majority of content standards in a way that promotes rigorous engagement and deep understanding of historical, civic, geographic, and economic concepts.
2. Coherent Instructional Pathway – How materials present a clear and logical sequence for educators to address the content and skills outlined in the standards (e.g., unit progression, scaffolding strategies, and integration of inquiry-based learning).

Submissions that do not explicitly address these capacities will be considered incomplete and may not advance to the secondary review phase.

Phase 2: Comprehensive Evaluation. Publishers whose submissions meet the standards alignment component will be notified via the contact email provided in the subject-specific Instructional Materials Review Submission Form. From there, reviewers will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the materials using subject-specific criteria: Science Evaluation Criteria Và Social Studies Evaluation Criteria. The submitted subject-specific Criteria Documentation will be used for reference only to support reviewers in identifying where to start when looking at alignment to the evaluation criteria. All instructional materials will be evaluated using a scaled scoring system that reflects the degree to which each submission aligns with established indicators of high-quality science or social studies instructional materials.

Submission Process

The table below outlines Important Dates and Deadlines for the Submission Process. This process applies to both the submission of science and social studies materials.

Contact Information and Support Resources

Contact the American Institutes for Research at [email protected] for additional questions or technical assistance. See the Những câu hỏi thường gặp Và Publisher Submission Checklist để biết thêm thông tin.