Clearly defined goals describe what students should know and do by the end of each grade level. These standards help students build the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that prepare them for college, careers and life.

The state sets learning standards in many subjects, from the arts to world languages. Your child’s teacher can help you understand what your child will learn throughout the year. Your school may also host a curriculum night.

For a grade-by-grade look at the state learning standards, visit the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction's (OSPI) website:

Washington State Learning Standards 

Monroe School District Essential Learning Standards

K-5 Reading Standards     K-5 Writing Standards    K-5 Math Standards

In the Monroe School District, courses are developed, evaluated, and adapted on a continuing basis and instructional materials are selected to ensure alignment with state learning standards to enable all students to master foundational skills and knowledge to fully prepare them college, careers and life. Essential content is identified and sequenced to support students’ skill development towards state learning standards and we are consistently working to provide appropriate instructional materials, professional development, and support systems for teachers as they implement courses.

For a sequential look at our district's approved instructional materials aligned to the state standards, view the Monroe School District Instructional Materials organizational chart:

MSD Approved Instructional Materials

Instructional Materials

All materials designed for use by students and their teachers as learning resources to help students to acquire facts, skills, and/or to develop cognitive processes. These instructional materials, used to help students meet state learning standards, may be printed or digital, and may include textbooks, technology-based materials, other educational media, and assessments. They may carry different licensing types from open to all rights reserved. For the purposes of this policy, there are six categories of instructional materials:

Core Instructional Materials

Core Instructional Materials are the primary instructional resources for a given course. They are district-approved and provided to all students to help meet learning standards and provide instruction towards course requirements.

Alternative Core Materials

Alternative Core Materials are the primary instructional materials for a given course that are used with a subset of students. These materials are intended to replace approved core materials and may be used for specialized course offerings or flexible learning environments.

Intervention Materials

Intervention Materials are designed to support strategic or intensive intervention for students who are at risk of not meeting established learning standards. Intervention materials are used with students to accelerate progress toward particular learning goals based on systematic assessment, decision-making, and progress monitoring.

Supplemental Materials

Supplemental Materials are used in conjunction with the core instructional materials of a course. These items extend and support instruction. They include, but are not limited to, books, periodicals, visual aids, video, sound recordings, computer software and other digital content.

Temporary Supplemental Materials

Temporary Supplemental Materials are those items used in conjunction with the core instructional materials of a course that are of interest or value for a short period of time and are chosen within district-established guidelines. They are not intended to supplant the adopted curriculum nor be used on a regular instructional basis. Examples might include timely articles from relevant, reliable sources, websites, or news broadcasts. The use of temporary supplemental materials for time periods of over one year requires consideration of the material as either part of the core instructional material for a course or supplemental material for the course depending on the nature and scope of the material.

Technology Based Resources

Technology Based Resources are items that support instruction or productivity of staff and students. These items require additional vetting for compliance of online student privacy, personally identifiable information and network security.

Instructional Materials Committee

Instructional Materials Committee is the body that makes core instructional materials adoption recommendations to the School Board based on superintendent-established procedures.