How SRSD Meets the Standard of High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM)

In our first blog, we broke down what High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) are and why they matter to teachers in the United States and Canada. We explained how HQIM sets a quality bar for curriculum and helps schools avoid piecing together instructional materials that may not align with standards or support all students.

But many teachers asked us a follow-up question:

Is SRSD HQIM?

Since SRSD (Self-Regulated Strategy Development) is not a core curriculum, it won’t appear on an HQIM adoption list. But here’s the critical part: SRSD meets the same level of rigor as HQIM and, more importantly, brings HQIM to life in classrooms.

This blog explores how SRSD aligns with HQIM expectations, how it strengthens provincial and state curriculum systems, and why it should be considered one of the strongest examples of Curriculum-Based Professional Learning (CBPL).

What Is Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD)?

At its core, SRSD is an evidence-based instructional framework designed to help students become effective, independent writers. It was created by researchers Karen Harris and Steve Graham and has been tested for more than 40 years across grade levels, student populations, and instructional settings.

SRSD guides teachers through six clear stages of instruction:

1. Develop background knowledge: Students build an understanding of the genre and the strategies they will use.
2. Discuss it: Teachers and students discuss why the strategy matters and when to use it.
3. Model it: Teachers demonstrate with think-alouds so students can “see” the invisible steps of planning, drafting, and revising.
4. Memorize it: Students internalize the strategy and key prompts.
5. Support it: Students practice with scaffolds, feedback, and teacher guidance.
6. Independent performance: Students apply strategies on their own with increasing independence.

This process helps students master genre-specific strategies such as TREE (Topic sentence, Reasons, Explanations, Ending) for opinion/argument writing and TIDE (Topic, Important information, Details, Ending) for informative writing.

SRSD is more than a writing method. It’s about teaching students how to regulate their learning, set goals, monitor progress, and reflect on outcomes. Think of it as a self-regulation plus strategy instruction model.

The What Works Clearinghouse recognizes SRSD as an evidence-based practice with positive effects on writing quality, especially for students with disabilities. Meta-analyses by Graham & Perin (2007), Harris & Graham (2009), and Graham et al. (2012) show moderate to large effect sizes, making SRSD one of the most effective writing interventions studied in education.

Why HQIM Alone Isn’t Enough

High-quality instructional materials (HQIM) are essential. They give schools content that is aligned, coherent, and equitable. Adopting strong materials is the first step toward consistent, standards-based instruction.

But here’s the catch: materials alone don’t change outcomes.

The Research Is Clear

Large-scale studies confirm this. A Harvard Center for Education Policy Research review concluded that “current levels of curriculum usage and professional development, textbook choice alone does not seem to improve student achievement” (CEPR, Harvard). In other words, swapping one set of materials for another doesn’t automatically lead to better results if nothing else changes.

The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) put it more bluntly:

“High-quality curriculum without teacher supports is not going to have a positive impact. Availability isn’t usage, and usage ‘in some fashion’ isn’t going to move the needle on student outcomes.” (NIET)

Similarly, a research synthesis on instructional materials found that their potential is often “underutilized” in classrooms unless paired with role-specific professional learning and coaching directly tied to the curriculum (Instructional Materials Research Synthesis).

Why Teachers Matter Most

The difference is clear: teachers are the deciding factor. Even the best curriculum can fall flat in practice without strong instructional routines. Teachers need opportunities to learn how to bring materials to life, to adapt lessons for their students, and to receive feedback and coaching along the way.

That’s why states like Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Tennessee, leaders in the HQIM movement, don’t stop at curriculum adoption. They pair HQIM with professional learning that is directly tied to those materials. Teachers don’t just get the “what”; they get the “how.”

The SRSD Advantage

This is precisely the gap SRSD fills. SRSD is not a replacement for HQIM. Instead, it provides the instructional routines and strategies that make materials effective. When teachers use SRSD, they:

• Model writing strategies explicitly.
• Guide students through planning, drafting, and revising.
• Teach self-regulation so students stay motivated and persistent.

The result? Students engage deeply with the curriculum rather than skimming its surface. Teachers don’t just deliver materials; they empower writers.

SRSD as Curriculum-Based Professional Learning (CBPL)

One of the most critical insights from HQIM research is this:

A strong curriculum is necessary, but not sufficient.

Teachers need professional learning that demonstrates how to implement those materials with fidelity. That’s what educators now call Curriculum-Based Professional Learning (CBPL).

CBPL is not a generic workshop. It is:

• Curriculum-tied: Focused on the actual instructional materials teachers will use.
• Job-embedded: Happening in classrooms, during planning, and in coaching cycles.
• Sustained: Ongoing, not a one-and-done session.
• Collaborative: Teachers working together, sharing strategies, and reflecting.

The Kentucky Department of Education defines it this way:

“Curriculum-based professional learning (CBPL) supports educators as they implement the local curriculum using high-quality instructional resources (HQIRs)… and focuses on how to teach a specific content area or grade level using the instructional resource(s) teachers will then use with their students.” (KDE CBPL Guidance)

Ohio’s Department of Education adds that CBPL is essential to move from adopting high-quality materials to real student learning (Ohio CBPL Guidance).

SRSD is one of the strongest examples of CBPL because it:

• Provides evidence-based strategies that slot directly into curriculum units.
• Gives teachers clear, replicable routines that coaches and leaders can observe and support.
• It has an extensive research base  shows positive effects for all students, including multilingual learners and students with disabilities.
• Encourages collaboration and reflection, as teachers plan, model, and refine strategies together.

Rivet Education’s Professional Learning Partner Guide (PLPG) is the best-known national directory for CBPL providers. SRSD fits squarely within the vision of what Rivet calls for: high-quality professional learning that helps teachers implement HQIM with fidelity.

How SRSD Meets HQIM Criteria in the Classroom

In our first blog on HQIM, I explained how reviews from EdReports and state panels like Massachusetts CURATE evaluate curriculum for alignment, usability, assessment, and equity.

This blog is different: instead of reviewing HQIM criteria, we’ll show you how SRSD brings those criteria to life in instruction.

• Alignment & Coherence: HQIM asks whether materials align with standards and build logically across grades. SRSD provides strategies (like TREE and TIDE) that map directly onto writing standards and create vertical coherence across grade levels. Students use the same strategy language year after year, building fluency.
• Usability & Teacher Supports: HQIM reviewers look for lesson-level clarity. SRSD gives teachers a six-stage “instructional spine” that is observable, repeatable, and coachable. This usability ensures teachers know what to teach and how to prepare it.
• Assessment & Monitoring: HQIM emphasizes formative assessment. SRSD embeds assessment into instruction through goal-setting, self-monitoring, rubrics, and reflection. Teachers see learning as it happens.
• Equity & Access: HQIM requires inclusivity for multilingual learners and students with disabilities. SRSD research shows it works especially well for these students by making invisible thought processes visible through modeling and scaffolding.

In other words, if you read an HQIM rubric as a checklist for classroom practice, SRSD checks every box.

How SRSD Strengthens Provincial Curriculum Systems in Canada

Canada doesn’t have a national HQIM process. Each province maintains its own list of authorized or recommended instructional materials. In our first blog, I detailed how those systems work.

The key point is simple here: SRSD strengthens provincial curriculum systems by ensuring that approved materials lead to real learning gains.

• Ontario (Trillium List): SRSD routines integrate with Trillium-approved textbooks, giving teachers the instructional strategies to make those texts effective.
• Alberta (Authorized Learning Resources): The ALR database provides approved programs. SRSD ensures teachers implement those programs consistently and effectively.
• British Columbia (Focused Education Resources): Focused ED emphasizes inclusivity and cultural responsiveness. SRSD supports this by promoting student voice, self-regulation, and metacognitive reflection.
• Saskatchewan: Ministry-recommended resources set the “what.” SRSD provides the “how.”
• Nova Scotia (NSSBB Authorized Resources): SRSD is the instructional engine behind provincially approved content.
• Québec (BAMD List): While SRSD is not an official didactic material on the BAMD list, it aligns with its emphasis on effectiveness, inclusion, and teacher support.

Across provinces, the story is the same: curriculum lists determine what resources are available. SRSD ensures students benefit from them.

The Classroom Test: Is SRSD HQIM?

Strictly speaking, SRSD is not HQIM because it isn’t a full curriculum. But the answer is clear if you apply HQIM’s standards for daily instruction. SRSD is a “yes” to all of these:

• Is SRSD aligned to standards and curriculum?
• Does it provide usable teacher supports?
• Does it embed assessment and reflection?
• Does it support equity for diverse learners?
• Does research back it?

By every meaningful measure, SRSD meets HQIM’s expectations and adds the essential element of teaching that HQIM frameworks often leave out.

The Big Picture

HQIM matters because it ensures schools adopt aligned, high-quality instructional materials. But implementation matters just as much. Without strong strategies, students may never experience the full benefit of those materials.

SRSD fills that gap. It is an evidence-based instructional framework that provides students with strategies, routines, and self-regulation practices to thrive. It ensures that the curriculum isn’t just delivered, it’s learned.

So while you won’t see SRSD on an official HQIM adoption list, it passes the classroom test with flying colors. Teachers and leaders who pair HQIM with SRSD get the best of both worlds:

• High-quality materials that set the foundation.
• Evidence-based instruction that makes those materials work for all students.

The conclusion is simple: SRSD is not HQIM on paper, but it embodies everything HQIM is designed to achieve in practice.

Sources for Further Reading

• EdReports HQIM Reviews
• Massachusetts CURATE
• Rivet Education: CBPL Framework
• Alberta Authorized Learning Resources
• Focused Education Resources (BC)
• Graham, S., & Perin, D. (2007). Writing Next. Carnegie Corporation.
• Harris, K. R., & Graham, S. (2009). Self-Regulated Strategy Development in Writing: An Overview.
• Graham, S., McKeown, D., Kiuhara, S., & Harris, K. (2012). Meta-analysis of writing instruction for students in elementary grades.

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