The Kentucky Department of Education defines High Quality Instruction Resources (HQIRs) as materials that are:

  • Aligned with the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS)
  • Research-based and/or externally validated
  • Comprehensive to include engaging texts, tasks, and assessments
  • Based on fostering vibrant student learning experiences
  • Culturally relevant, free from bias
  • Accessible for all students

Why are these needed in teaching?

  • Increase teacher’s content knowledge
  • Provide guidance to inform strong instruction
  • Support implementation of grade-level appropriate assignments
  • Enable teachers to adjust lessons to meet the diverse needs of students

HQIR Competencies

Competency 1: Aspiring educators understand how HQIR contributes to better learning outcomes for all students and can discern HQIR from non-HQIR.

  • Aspiring educators can identify the key components of HQIR, as defined by Kentucky.
  • Aspiring educators can precisely describe the components of instructional resources that make them of quality.
  • Aspiring educators can use reputable tools to determine if instructional resources are of quality.

How are these seen in coursework and clinical experiences?

Indicator 1 coursework and clinical experiences

Competency 2: Aspiring educators can effectively plan for instruction utilizing HQIR by:

  • Identifying the learning goals of units and their connection to state standards;
  • Understanding the arc of learning across the year and how lessons within units and unit sequences build upon one another to build knowledge;
  • Understanding how to use assessment data to plan for the learning needs of each student;
  • Internalizing the content by reading the texts, completing the questions/problems students will complete, and identifying and addressing gaps in one’s own understanding of the content;
  • Anticipating student misunderstandings and preparing for how to address them; and
  • Identifying how to use the scaffolds provided within the curriculum to support diverse learners, including English language learners, students with exceptionalities, and students who are below grade level.

How are these seen in coursework and clinical experiences?

Indicator 2 coursework and clinical experiences

Competency 3: Aspiring educators can effectively deliver instruction utilizing HQIR, by:

  • Delivering the curriculum as designed; making only micro-adjustments in response to students’ learning needs;
  • Utilizing formative assessments during lessons to address misconceptions;
  • Eliciting and interpreting student thinking during lessons to deepen learning;
  • Identifying essential instructional activities, tasks, or questions in a lesson and bringing them to a conclusion wherever possible; where not possible, identifying what’s left to be done and making a plan for accomplishing it (i.e., through homework or in class the next day); and
  • Providing framing that makes clear the value of the material to students’ lives and inviting students’ perspectives.

How are these seen in coursework and clinical experiences?

Indicator 3 coursework and clinical experiences

Helpful Resources

Published On: November 26, 2025
Last Updated: August 7, 2026
Last Updated: August 7, 2026