Avoid these mishaps when implementing new curriculum

Failing to carefully support and manage a new curriculum in its early stages may increase the likelihood of “downstream challenges,” new research confirms. Here’s how to avoid these common mistakes in the implementation phase.

According to more than 250 district leaders and educators surveyed by EdReports and The Decision Lab, most leaders cite high confidence in selecting high-quality instructional materials. However, additional support in the early stages of the process, including defining needs and outlining the adoption steps, may be critical for preventing future problems.

For example, nearly half of the respondents reported difficulties achieving stakeholder buy-in in the later phases of curriculum adoption. Another 48% said they struggle with implementation.

“In striving to balance competing priorities and limited time, many districts find themselves rushing through adoption, sometimes skipping critical steps such as full stakeholder engagement or educator training,” the report said.

These mishaps often lead to fragmented decision-making and, in many cases, adoption of materials that don’t align with academic standards.

Address regulatory requirements and infrastructure early

State mandates and policy requirements make curriculum implementation increasingly complex. According to the report, about 40 states have passed science of reading laws, and state influence over curriculum decisions is growing under the Trump administration.

Districts must build capacity to navigate this evolving environment by:

• Conducting regulatory mapping to understand state, federal and local requirements before beginning material review
• Assessing technology infrastructure compatibility early on
• Building internal expertise or partnerships to interpret changing compliance requirements
• Aligning adoption timelines with regulatory deadlines and state adoption cycles
• Documenting compliance strategies to streamline future adoption

Design comprehensive adoption processes that plan for implementation from day one

While 72% of districts surveyed reported confidence in their selection abilities, only 60% pilot materials before adoption. Districts need more comprehensive planning to connect early decision-making to classroom success. Strategies include:

• Providing a clear instructional vision and ensuring you understand local needs
• Creating detailed adoption roadmaps that extend beyond selection to multi-year implementation support
• Establishing clear metrics and monitoring systems before materials are purchased
• Allocating adequate time for each phase, avoiding rushed decisions
• Integrating piloting and evaluation into the timeline
• Planning professional learning and coaching support as part of the initial adoption decision

Centering educator voice while building broad stakeholder consensus

Achieving stakeholder buy-in remains a challenge for leaders. The researchers suggest that districts may be underestimating the complexity of change management while trying to handle it internally.

Leaders can address this by including teachers in the early phases of implementation, providing structured feedback, engaging diverse stakeholders (students, families and community members), using facilitated processes to work through disagreements and investing in communication strategies.

Leverage external expertise in a resource-constrained environment

Although districts face increased budget pressures and other resource constraints, they can benefit from specialized expertise to maximize their return on investment when implementing a new curriculum.

The researchers recommend:

• Considering external support for process design and project management to free internal capacity for strategic decisions
• Leveraging independent curriculum reviews to streamline evaluation work rather than conducting comprehensive reviews in-house
• Investing selectively in implementation support. Curriculum-based professional learning and coaching from external providers can accelerate teacher readiness
• Prioritizing partnerships that build internal capacity rather than create dependency

Read the full report here.

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