May 16, 2025 — Data Governance Committee members received a demonstration of TIMS 2, the Department’s updated textbook inventory management system and public adoption sample site intended to show what materials and consultant services are adopted and used in classrooms.

A textbook coordinator leading the demonstration said the new TIMS will allow districts, the state and community members to see real-time adoption information, vendor details and a catalog of curriculum-based professional learning (CBPL). “So with TIMS 2 ... we’re gonna be able to compare the purchased ... academic interventions, as well as our curriculum based professional learning against our assessments. So now we can start putting dollars to our test scores,” the coordinator said, describing the system’s intent to link spending and professional learning to assessment results.

The presenter reviewed limitations of the older TIMS (an in-house Oracle system) and said TIMS 2 was developed after the Jackson depository closed in 2021. The new site includes an adoption sample site that community members can access to view adopted materials across early childhood, elementary, secondary and CTE programs; the presenter said the feature was added after public confusion about the “Wit and Wisdom” curriculum.

The coordinator described plans to add a vetted catalog of external consultants and to use a selection process similar to textbook adoption: a call for submissions, internal review and then listing selected vendors under non-cost contracts so districts can purchase or request services through the catalog. The presenter said the state will work with other offices (cited as John Farrell’s office) to compare adoption and training data with assessments in specific districts (the presenter named Humphreys, Yazoo City, Knoxville and Holmes County as examples) to begin measuring return on investment.

The demonstration highlighted several practical effects for districts: real-time visibility into what is in classrooms, the ability to compare vendors and curricula across districts and a mechanism to record curriculum-linked professional learning tied to specific adopted programs. The presenter noted textbook costs can range from about $100 to $150 per student and said better tracking can help districts evaluate whether those investments produce measurable gains.

No formal committee action was taken on TIMS 2 during this meeting; the segment was a demonstration and informational update.