Report: California School Districts’ Perspectives on K-8 Math Instructional Materials Adoption and Implementation
About this report
This report offers insights into how large school districts in California approach the adoption and implementation of high-quality K-8 math instructional materials, including how districts are planning for alignment with California’s 2023 Math Framework. This report may be a helpful tool for districts, technical assistance providers and instructional materials developers, and county and state leaders to explore opportunities for improving instructional materials adoption and implementation processes.
What we did
The Glen Price Group (GPG) research team took a mixed-methods approach, which included a landscape analysis, discovery interviews, and a survey and interview protocol for district staff. Districts were strategically recruited from a pool of 92 school districts with high total enrollment and high percentages of Black, Latinx, and/or Free and Reduced Price Meal (FRPM) eligible students. The research examined the experiences of 45 districts across 19 counties, representing over one million students.
What we found (the highlights)
- The K-8 math instructional materials most districts currently use have been in place for at least six years, and 81% of districts are already engaged in an adoption process or anticipate starting a new adoption process prior to the end of the 2027-2028 school year.
- Most districts report starting the list of State Board of Education (SBE)-approved K-8 math instructional materials, and many shared that they find both the number of options on the list and the process to determine which products are best aligned with their unique district priorities overwhelming.
- While adoption strategies are fundamentally similar across districts, the implementation of instructional materials varies widely, and only 28% of districts that provided professional learning explicitly referenced offering ongoing professional learning.
- Districts identified an implementation capacity gap, revealing that while they understand what good implementation requires (e.g., coaching, time, ongoing professional learning), they lack the necessary resources to provide it at scale.
- The primary limitations districts face in providing professional learning to support curriculum implementation are a lack of time (due to limited professional learning days or the inability to remove teachers from the classroom) and a scarcity of substitute teachers to cover release time.
Downloads
Join the discussion
Register for a one-hour virtual discussion session below. Each session will include a brief overview of the report followed by participant discussion about the findings and implications for future work.
How to take action
The report identifies several key “Opportunities for Impact” across three main areas: Strategic Partnerships, Additional Resources, and Financial Resources. The report also identifies types of assistance districts explicitly requested as well as future research opportunities.
Identify opportunities for action based on this report with your colleagues by using the set of questions in this Discussion Guide developed for your specific role. Questions are available for District Staff, Technical Assistance Providers, Instructional Materials Developers, County Office of Education Staff, Statewide Leaders and Policymakers and Philanthropic Partners.