Frequently Asked Questions

General

About Open Up Resources

What is Open Up Resources?

Open Up Resources is a nonprofit developing the highest quality curriculum materials available to districts to promote educational equity. We partner with expert authors to develop and publish superb programs, and we support implementations with essential services like high-quality professional learning, digital and print materials, manipulative kits, and integrations with LMS systems. Our mission is to provide students and educators with equal access to rigorous, standards-aligned core materials. Learn more about us here.

Are Open Up Resources’ curricula core programs or supplements?

Both! We offer high-quality core and supplemental programs to meet schools and districts where they are with their needs.

What grades levels and subjects do your curricula cover?

We offer core curricula for K–5 math, middle school math, high school math, and K–8th grade ELA. We offer a supplemental literacy program for grades 2–12.

How does Open Up Resources sustain itself as a nonprofit?

Our goal is to improve teaching and learning, rather than profit; as our founding CEO told The Wall Street Journal, “We would like nothing more than to change the [curriculum] market to focus on learners’ needs rather than shareholder value.”

In order to sustain our operations, including continuous improvement of our curricula, a small portion of the revenue generated from our optional services goes to support our organization.

What are Open Educational Resources (OER)?

Open Education Resources are openly accessible materials that can be downloaded, edited, and shared to better serve all students. OER license types vary: some OER allow download and use, while others also allow adaptation. Regardless of the cost of curriculum, high-quality is our benchmark. We partner with expert authors to write the curriculum and then place the program through our rigorous quality assurance and Beta process to refine it.

To learn more about licensing, click any of the relevant links below:

How can I know that something openly accessible is still high-quality?

Regardless of the cost of curricula, high-quality is our benchmark. We partner with expert authors to write the curriculum and then place the program through our rigorous quality assurance and Beta process to refine it. Read more about our reviews.

I thought OER was supplemental material—is this really a core curriculum?

Yes! We release comprehensive core curricula as OER.

Professional Learning and Implementation Support

How do you support implementation of your curricula?

Our support services fall into four main categories:

Professional Learning: Educators agree that high-quality PL is the most essential ingredient to successful implementations. By adopting open content, districts can channel funds toward supporting teachers in making key shifts in instructional models, which builds capacity and best leverages our strong curricula to improve student outcomes.

Printing: Not all districts are ready for all-digital. We meet districts where they are in the technology adoption process by offering deeply discounted, full-color, quality print editions of our curricula.

Math kits: Our curricula call for some materials that districts must purchase, such as colored tiles for math activities. Open Up Resources provides easy options for purchasing these materials as sets.

Technology: Many districts channel their savings into 1:1 initiatives to enjoy the sustained savings from tech-enabled classrooms; districts with devices for each student can use the digital version of our curricula, avoiding printing costs.

For any questions related to implementation, please contact us.

What are your Professional Learning options?

Open Up Resources offers ongoing professional learning opportunities to support school systems implementing OUR curricula. Our professional learning offerings fall along a continuum of services, meeting teachers where they are in the development of their professional practice and stages of implementation. We believe this scaffolded approach to professional learning establishes and builds on educators’ prior knowledge and builds capacity within buildings and districts. We tailor unique professional learning recommendations based on your district’s schedule, staffing, and delivery needs. Our offerings include onsite, virtual, and hybrid models of delivery. 

Contact us to discuss our professional learning options.

In addition to our structured professional learning offerings, we are excited to offer participation in a free, active professional learning community for each of our curricula. 

Learn more about our community here.

Do districts have to print student or teacher materials?

Not at all! We meet you where you are on the digital continuum:

  • Digital curricula brought to life in the Kiddom platform
  • Paperless edition for 1:1 classrooms
  • Low-cost print and shipping options available for non-digital classrooms
  • Integrated with common Learning Management Systems and Microsoft OneNote

How do I place an order for print materials or professional learning?

Contact us: we’re here to help!

How can I track my shipment?

If you need assistance tracking a shipment for an existing order, please contact us at fulfillment@openup.org.

Do you take credit cards?

Yes, we do! Contact us at billing@openup.org to discuss the details of your order.