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Virginia Literacy Act Approved Elementary Core Programs

The Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 2022, and expanded in 2023, focuses on improving literacy outcomes for all students in the Commonwealth. The VLA requires that “each local school board shall provide a program of literacy instruction that is aligned with science-based reading research and provides evidenced-based literacy instruction to students in kindergarten through grade eight.” To support school divisions to comply with this requirement, the VLA requires the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to recommend instructional programs - including core, supplemental, and intervention materials - for approval by the Virginia Board of Education (VBOE).

The first review cycle in 2022-2023 evaluated K-3 core instructional programs for alignment with evidence- based literacy instruction, science-based reading research (SBRR), and the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL). The second review cycle in 2022-2023 evaluated additional K-3 instructional programs and expanded the review to include 4-5 instructional programs for alignment with evidence-based literacy instruction, science-based reading research (SBRR), and the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL).

Elementary Core Instructional Program Guide approved by the Virginia Board of Education 2023

The Approved Core Instructional Program Guide (PDF) provides an overview of the approved core instructional programs. To compile this guide, VDOE partnered with Virginia Literacy Partnerships (VLP) at the University of Virginia School of Education to facilitate reviews of core instructional programs. The Core Instructional Review Process is unique to Virginia and consists of two phases, each with discrete rubrics for each grade band. Rubrics were produced by VLP and reviewed by national experts, Virginia higher education partners and Virginia educators, and posted online. Reviews were conducted by outstanding Virginia educators including administrators, reading specialists, and teachers from all eight regions. This review process was also designed to align with Virginia’s textbook adoption process. The list is the final result of a rigorous, multi-month, process to identify best-in-class K-5 core instructional programs.

VDOE, in partnership with Virginia Literacy Partnerships (VLP), will conduct additional review cycle(s) to evaluate supplemental (K-8), and intervention programs (K-8), beginning in Summer 2023, to support full implementation of the VLA by the 2024-2025 school year.

Virginia educator reviewers conducted a detailed alignment to evidence-based literacy instructional practices for teaching essential early literacy skills, by grade level, as required by the VLA. The following table includes the approved core programs and a link to the comprehensive rubric results for each program.

Approved Elementary Core Instructional Programs

Provider	Product Title	Publishing Date	Approved June 2023	Approved December 2023
Amplify Education	CKLA	2022	K-3	4-5
Benchmark Education Company	Benchmark Advance	2022	K-3	4-5
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company	Into Reading	2020	K-3	4-5
Imagine Learning LLC	Imagine Learning EL Education, 2nd edition	2019	K-3	4-5
McGraw Hill LLC	Open Court Reading, 2nd edition	2023	K-3	4-5
McGraw Hill LLC	Wonders, 1st edition	2023	K-2	4-5
Open Up Resources	Bookworms K-5 Reading & Writing, 1st edition	2022	K-3	4-5
Open Up Resources	EL Education Language Arts Curriculum, 1st edition	2017	K-2
Savvas Learning Co	myView Literacy	2020		K-5
Zaner-Bloser	Superkids Reading Program	2020		K-2

Please refer to Curriculum Review Process for the Virginia Literacy Act for more information on the process.

Secondary Textbooks approved by the Virginia Board of Education 2024

This process is separate from the legislation set forth in the Virginia Literacy Act, which requires local school boards to adopt core curriculum from the Board approved list for Grades K-5.

Approved Secondary Textbooks

Provider	Product Title	Publishing Date	Reading Approved December 2024	Writing Approved December 2024
Amplify Education, Inc	Amplify ELA	2019	Grade 6 Reading, Grade 8 Reading	Grade 6 Writing, Grade 7 Writing, Grade 8 Writing
Houghton-Mifflin-Harcourt	Into Literature	2023	Grade 6 Reading, Grade 7 Reading, Grade 8 Reading, Grade 9 Reading, Grade 10 Reading, Grade 11 Reading, Grade 12 Reading	Grade 6 Writing, Grade 7 Writing, Grade 8 Writing, Grade 9 Writing, Grade 10 Writing, Grade 11 Writing, Grade 12 Writing
McGraw Hill School Education, LLC *McGraw Hill will continue to provide printing and shipping of materials, digital subscriptions, and tailored training to meet every Virginia McGraw Hill StudySync customer’s needs for the duration of the state approved list and district contracts.	Study Sync	2021	Grade 6 Reading, Grade 7 Reading, Grade 8 Reading, Grade 9 Reading, Grade 10 Reading, Grade 11 Reading, Grade 12 Reading	Grade 6 Writing, Grade 7 Writing, Grade 8 Writing, Grade 9 Writing, Grade 10 Writing, Grade 11 Writing, Grade 12 Writing
Perfection Learning	Connections: Literature	2021	Grade 6 Reading, Grade 7 Reading, Grade 8 Reading
Savvas Learning	myPerspectives ELA	2025	Grade 6 Reading, Grade 7 Reading, Grade 8 Reading, Grade 9 Reading, Grade 10 Reading, Grade 11 Reading, Grade 12 Reading	Grade 6 Writing, Grade 7 Writing, Grade 8 Writing, Grade 9 Writing, Grade 10 Writing, Grade 11 Writing, Grade 12 Writing
Perfection Learning	Connections: Writing & Language Handbook	2021		Grade 6 Writing, Grade 7 Writing, Grade 8 Writing, Grade 9 Writing, Grade 10 Writing, Grade 11 Writing, Grade 12 Writing

Please refer to English HQIM & Textbook Review Process for more information on the process.