Eric Hirsch, who played a key role in reshaping how school districts and parents approach curriculum, is set to leave his position as CEO of EdReports next year.

Starting his career in education as a state policy analyst, Hirsch has taken the lead inthe nonprofit— which adopts an independent, Consumer Reports-style method of evaluating educational resources — since it was established in 2014. He had previously spent many years gathering feedback from teachers onworking conditionsto discover more about what motivated them to remain in their professions, and in a comparable manner, sought to enhance the status of educators within an industry that is frequently “opaque,” he mentioned.

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The organization’s initial reportswere not well received and received “hostile letters,” from publishers, Hirsch stated. After more than 1,100 reviews, many states and districts view EdReports as the primary source when selecting new materials.

One of the aspects of leading something as large, influential, and significant as EdReports is that this is an idea that goes beyond me. It’s about the influence we’ve made,” he stated. “I hope the role is just as thrilling for someone else as it has been for me. It’s simply time for me to step aside from that position.

Hirsch, who mentioned he isn’t certain about his future plans, will depart at the conclusion of the academic year as the board initiates a process to find a new leader.

Hirsch’s exit occurs during a period of transformation for the organization. Last year, it updated its evaluation process following input from specialists and teachers. In June, the organization broadened its scope to assess pre-K resources, shaped by a 2024…National Academies reportdemonstrating that educational programs for children aged 3 and 4 frequently “lack adequacy” and fail to offer sufficient assistance to students who are learning multiple languages.

Stateshave also played a more significant part in deciding which resources school districts choose, with manyadvising themTo utilize EdReports reviews as references. However, with the rising focus on the impact of high-quality resources on student achievement, the organization has encountered more scrutiny.

Some claimed the review process was delayed in highlighting thescience of reading. Reviewers gave its highest green ratingto initiatives that continued to prompt students to infer words from images or the surrounding text, while assigning lower, yellow scores to programs that were shown to enhance student performance.

I believe we have met the criteria,” said Courtney Allison, EdReports’ chief academic officer. “Now we are focused on ensuring that we can offer as much information as possible about as many programs as possible.

Other critics claim that EdReports’ evaluation system places too much focus on whether the materials cover theCommon Core standards. Hirsch recognized numerous worries, and theupdated processReleased in November, the initiative placed more emphasis on phonics, reading fluency, and phonemic awareness, while “still taking into account standards when they are beneficial,” said spokeswoman Janna Chan.

Additional organizations, like The Reading League and the Curriculum Insight Project, have also been introduced as alternatives. Hirsch stated he has never seen them as rivals, and Allison mentioned that additional “partners” can offer useful signals to district leaders. The risk, she noted, is that there’s so much “noise” that leaders choosing curriculum “may throw up their hands and say, ‘Never mind, it’s too much.'”

Devon Gadow, a partner at TNTP, a non-profit consulting firm, expressed her appreciation for Hirsch’s belief in EdReports’ mission.

They could have taken 15 different paths, and indeed, other organizations have emerged over the years that are now evaluating resources,” she stated. However, Hirsch’s “unique emphasis” on the link between curriculum and standards “enabled states and educators to push for higher quality materials.

When searching for a new leader, EdReports is seeking an individual who grasps the convergence of artificial intelligence and curriculum, in real-time.assistant for students, but also as a resource for educators on effectively delivering lessons to students who are performing below grade level, Gadow stated. As more schools integrate tutoring and intervention sessions into the daily schedule, she noted that teachers require additional assistance in aligning their main curriculum with supplementary materials.

Emphasizing high-quality materials, Hirsch pointed out increasing research indicating that merely implementing a robust curriculum is not sufficient. Asix-year studyResearch from the Rand Corporation indicated that there is frequently a disconnect between the curriculum, teacher preparation, and evaluation methods. Educators are utilizing more curriculum resources than ever before, but they often simplify the content to match their students’ abilities.wrote David Steiner, executive director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy.

An EdReports surveylast month’s release indicated that the majority of districts do not test materials before implementing them across the entire district and lack a specific method for evaluating the effectiveness of the materials they select.

Why hasn’t there been more progress in student performance?” Hirsch questioned. “We’re beginning to believe the next decade presents some crucial issues that follow from everything we’ve accomplished.

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