The authors use data from six years of the American Instructional Resources Survey, from 2019 to 2024, to track instructional material use among kindergarten through grade 12 English language arts, mathematics, and science teachers. The authors track (1) the rate at which teachers in these subjects reported using new instructional materials, (2) how many materials teachers reported using, and (3) how teachers reported modifying those materials.

Teachers’ Use of Instructional Materials from 2019–2024

Trends from the American Instructional Resources Survey

Sy Doan, Ashley Woo, Anna Shapiro, Laura Bellows, Emma B. Kassan

ResearchPublished Jul 15, 2025

In this report, the authors use data from six years of the American Instructional Resources Survey, from 2019 to 2024, to track instructional material use among kindergarten through grade 12 (K–12) English language arts, mathematics, and science teachers. The authors track (1) the rate at which teachers in these subjects reported using new instructional materials, (2) how many materials teachers reported using, and (3) how teachers reported modifying those materials. The authors also link teachers’ perceptions of school leaders and professional learning, among other elements of instructional systems, with teachers’ use of instructional materials.

The authors provide researchers, policymakers at state departments of education, and school and district leaders with insight into the state of instructional material use among K–12 teachers and offer suggestions for future improvements to instructional materials use.

Key Takeaways

  • Between 40 percent and 50 percent of teachers reported using a new instructional material in any given school year.
  • Elementary and middle school teachers were more likely than high school teachers to report using new instructional materials.
  • Teachers of classes with more students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch were more likely to use at least one new instructional material.
  • On average, between the 2018–2019 and 2023–2024 school years, teachers reported using one additional instructional material.
  • Teachers using a new instructional material reported spending an additional 30 minutes on instructional planning weekly when compared with peers who were not using new materials.
  • Most teachers mix and match multiple materials to teach their classes.
  • On average, teachers reported regularly using two curriculum materials and five supplemental materials.
  • Nearly one-half of teachers reported using a curriculum material that they created themselves.
  • Nearly all teachers reported modifying their curriculum materials. High school teachers were more likely than elementary and middle school teachers to modify their materials.
  • School and district policies and supports for curriculum use were positively associated with being a by-the-book user of a curriculum material.
  • Teachers were less likely to substantially modify their materials or create their own materials if school and district policies and principal supports were in place.
  • Teachers who perceive required or recommended materials as too challenging for their students were less likely to be by-the-book teachers. Instead, they were more likely to report using a single curriculum material and substantially modifying it.

Recommendations

  • When new instructional materials are introduced to teachers, education leaders at the state and district levels must ensure that the materials are coherent with professional learning, assessment, and other elements of teachers’ instructional systems.
  • Principals set the tone for teachers’ instructional material use and are a critical part of the implementation process. Education leaders at the state and district levels should offer principals opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the materials that are adopted.

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Doan, Sy, Ashley Woo, Anna Shapiro, Laura Bellows, and Emma B. Kassan, Teachers’ Use of Instructional Materials from 2019–2024: Trends from the American Instructional Resources Survey. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2025. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA134-30.html.
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This research was sponsored by the Gates Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, and Walton Family Foundation and conducted within RAND Education and Labor.

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