The Prepare phase helps your district define a clear instructional vision, align stakeholders, and establish what matters before screening and evaluating materials. Setting a foundation impacts everything that follows.
Thoughtful Preparation Shapes Everything That Follows
When districts take time to clarify their instructional vision and align their teams, the rest of the process becomes more focused, more efficient, and more consistent.
Preparation helps districts:
Make decisions with clear, shared criteria
Keep stakeholders aligned from start to finish
Move through evaluation with greater confidence
Select materials that truly reflect their goals
Set Your District Up for a Smoother Adoption Process
Preparing for curriculum adoption means working through several key steps, including clarifying priorities, aligning your team, and setting up a process that leads to confident decisions.
With a solid foundation in place, districts are better prepared to move into adoption and implementation phases.
Start where your district is right now.
Setting a Vision
During this part of the process, you'll:
Define Your Instructional Vision
Before reviewing materials, districts should have a clear picture of what teaching and learning should look like in the classroom.
Why it matters
Clarifies what high-quality instruction looks like in your district
Aligns leaders and content specialists around a common vision
Identifies what matters most for student learning
Plan Your Review Process and Timeline
As you establish your instructional vision and define priorities, begin planning how the review process will be structured and sequenced. This includes determining who will be involved, how responsibilities will be assigned, and how the work will unfold over time.
This early planning step helps
Create a clear structure for consistent materials review
Define roles, responsibilities, and expectations upfront
Keeps the process moving forward, minimizing delays or missed steps
School districts across the state run into similar challenges along the way. These are some of the most common questions, and how to think through them.
Districts should begin planning early in the spring semester prior to the release of the state-adopted list. Early planning includes defining the district vision, identifying screening criteria, developing evaluation tools, establishing timelines, forming committees, and making key decisions about materials format and budget.
Districts should define non-negotiables or screening criteria related to instructional vision, technology requirements, data privacy, supports for diverse learners, grade bands and course coverage, assessment infrastructure, educator supports, student supports, the scope of materials being reviewed, and any other district priorities. These criteria support consistent evaluation and decision-making.
Districts should determine early whether to adopt print, digital, or a combination of both based on instructional priorities, student needs, and how materials will be used in classrooms. They should also ensure that devices, connectivity, and technical support can support the selected format.
Budget planning should involve district leadership, content or department leaders, finance and purchasing departments, and the instructional materials administrator. Planning should account for student enrollment, teacher and student material needs, support for additional departments, and available funding sources.
Time constraints are common, but moving too quickly can lead to misalignment, incomplete evaluation, and decisions that are difficult to justify later. Districts should prioritize a small set of critical early steps, including clarifying the instructional vision, defining key criteria, and establishing a basic structure for the review. Even a short investment in these areas can make the process more focused, reduce confusion, and prevent rework later.
If timelines are tight, districts may consider narrowing the scope of review, focusing on the most critical courses or materials first, or using screening criteria to quickly reduce options before deeper evaluation.
Before reviewing materials, districts should establish a clear instructional vision, define screening and evaluation criteria and non-negotiables, identify the courses and grade levels included in the adoption, and develop a timeline for the review process. Districts should also consider budget, committee structure, public input, and technology needs early so the process is organized, transparent, and aligned to district priorities. This preparation helps reviewers focus on evidence, compare materials consistently, and make decisions that support effective classroom use.
