Raising the Standard. Expanding Access. Supporting Volunteer ESL.
The ESL Curriculum Exchange exists to help volunteer ESL teachers and programs find useful, quality materials. Our Curriculum Exchange Rubric gives TESOL Ministry a consistent way to evaluate new curriculum before it is added to the Exchange.
What Is a Rubric?
A rubric is simply a set of standards used to evaluate something consistently.
Think of it as a checklist with clearly defined expectations. Rather than relying on one person’s general impression of a curriculum, the rubric identifies specific areas that matter and describes what meeting the standard looks like.
Not every category applies to every type of curriculum. We evaluate the categories that are relevant to the material being reviewed.
ESL Curriculum Rubric
Rubric Only and Rubric with Examples
About the Rubric
This is a single rubric used to evaluate everything submitted to the ESL Curriculum Exchange — full curricula as well as smaller items like a single worksheet, song, chant, or activity. Not every category will apply to every submission: We evaluate only the categories that are relevant to the material provided, and don’t count a category against a submission if it simply doesn’t apply. For example: A single worksheet on a grammar point should only be evaluated against the categories that are actually relevant to a worksheet (e.g., Lesson: Content, Learner Focused, Teaching Examples) — categories like Assessments, Technology, or Sequence won’t apply, and that’s fine. Most categories simply won’t apply to a small, single-purpose submission.
Some categories act as a pass/fail gate rather than an optional extra. For example, if a submission includes videos, the videos must meet the Technology criteria to be posted. If the videos fall short but the rest of the material is strong and the videos aren’t essential to using it, we may choose to post the curriculum without the videos. If the videos are essential, the full submission is held until they meet the criteria.
Final Review
Final review and acceptance decisions for the ESL Curriculum Exchange and Learn More English are made at the sole discretion of TESOL Ministry. Submissions will be evaluated using this rubric and our professional judgment. All decisions are final. TESOL Ministry reserves the right to request revisions, accept or decline submissions, or remove previously accepted materials at any time if they are later found not to meet TESOL Ministry’s standards or policies.
Acknowledgment:
Special thanks to the ESL educators and ministry professionals whose expertise and feedback helped shape this rubric and strengthen the ESL Curriculum Exchange review process.
Contributors:
Jan Dormer, Ed.D., Bryce Hantla, Ed.D., Cheri Pierson, Ed.D., Rachael Tsaneva, M.A.
Curriculum Review Rubric & Submission Guidelines
The ESL Curriculum Exchange helps teachers and volunteer-led ESL programs identify useful, high-quality curriculum resources. Our review process evaluates submitted materials using a published rubric and a combination of AI-assisted analysis and human review.
Please review the following guidelines before submitting curriculum.
TESOL Ministry may update these guidelines as the ESL Curriculum Exchange and its programs evolve.
FAQ
What is the purpose of the rubric?
The rubric provides a consistent framework for evaluating curriculum quality and identifying strengths and areas for improvement. It helps contributors understand how their materials are assessed and helps the ESL Curriculum Exchange maintain quality standards.
How is curriculum reviewed?
Submissions are evaluated using a combination of AI-assisted analysis and human review. The review considers the submitted material against the criteria in the published rubric. Although we use these methods to support a consistent review process, we cannot guarantee that every error, concern, or weakness will be identified.
What kinds of materials can I submit?
We welcome a wide range of materials that can help volunteer-led English programs teach effectively. Submissions may include complete curricula, individual lessons, stories and reading passages, lesson plan templates, classroom activities, games, worksheets, assessments, teaching guides, and other practical resources.
Materials do not need to be a complete curriculum to be considered. We are interested in resources that meet a genuine need in volunteer English programs and help teachers provide effective English language instruction. All submissions are evaluated according to the applicable criteria in the review rubric.
Who can submit curriculum?
You may submit curriculum only if you own the material or have explicit authorization from the rights holder to submit it. You must have the authority to agree to the applicable submission terms on behalf of yourself and any other relevant rights holders.
You are responsible for ensuring that your submission does not improperly include copyrighted or other protected material that you do not have permission to submit. This includes material created by others, such as textbook excerpts, images, illustrations, and other third-party content.
What happens if my submission is incomplete?
Submissions that are clearly incomplete or not ready for review—for example, those with missing lesson content, broken links, or inaccessible files—will be returned before a full rubric review begins. Returning an incomplete submission does not count as a formal review and does not use your opportunity to revise and resubmit after a formal review.
How long does the review process take?
TESOL Ministry is a volunteer-led organization, and review timelines depend on volunteer availability and submission volume. Submissions are generally processed in the order received, and we cannot guarantee a specific review or decision date. We appreciate your patience as our volunteers work through submissions.
Will I receive a detailed explanation of the review decision?
The rubric communicates the review outcome and identifies relevant strengths or areas needing improvement. TESOL Ministry is not obligated to provide detailed justifications beyond the information indicated on the rubric, additional written feedback, or individualized coaching.
Can I revise and resubmit my curriculum?
After a formal review, if revisions are needed, you have one opportunity to revise and resubmit the same material. Your revised submission must be received within 60 calendar days of the date the review results are sent to you.
The 60-day period is the deadline for submitting your revision, not a guarantee of when the revised material will be reviewed.
After that resubmission, or if the 60-day window closes without a revised submission, any further submission of the material will be treated as a new submission and reviewed in the order received. A new submission is subject to the regular review process, with no guaranteed timeline.
Does acceptance guarantee inclusion in Learn More English?
No. A completed review or favorable rating does not guarantee acceptance or publication on the Learn More English platform. TESOL Ministry makes separate decisions about whether to accept and distribute materials based on quality, suitability, program needs, and available resources.
Does submitting my curriculum give TESOL Ministry ownership of my material?
No. Submitting material for review does not transfer ownership to TESOL Ministry. Any requests to remove your material from the ESL Curriculum Exchange must be made in writing to connect@tesolministry.org
Requests for removal may take up to 30 days to process.
Can TESOL Ministry distribute or sell accepted curriculum?
Potentially, but acceptance alone does not authorize distribution or sale. Any future publication, licensing, sales, revenue-sharing, or other commercial arrangement will require separate terms agreed to by the relevant parties. Submission or acceptance does not obligate TESOL Ministry to enter into such an arrangement.
Will I know who downloads my materials?
No. TESOL Ministry does not provide contributors with information identifying individuals who download their materials. We may collect or report general usage statistics, such as download counts, when available, but individual downloader identities are not shared with contributors.
Can TESOL Ministry decline or remove curriculum?
Yes. TESOL Ministry reserves the right to decline, defer, or discontinue consideration of a submission, or remove previously accepted material, when appropriate. Reasons may include concerns about content quality, accuracy, rights or permissions, suitability, technical accessibility, changing program priorities, or available resources.