Key Action I.4

Review, pilot, and decide

What is the goal?

The goal of this key action is to come to a decision about the best materials to serve your instructional vision and to communicate the decision to all stakeholder groups.

Why this key action is important

Making the final selection decision, informed by robust reviews and live trials if possible, allows you to present the best choice for your system. This is a big commitment and the decision should not be made until the Selection Team is ready. No materials are perfect and all will require implementation considerations. Once ready, communicating the decision effectively shows a sense of direction and builds investment. Moving forward with a decision allows your system to begin to map these considerations and prepare for launch.

Explanation of language

We use the term pilot to refer to any trial of the materials before selection. Pilots can be a single unit or a full year and can include a small number of teachers or entire schools or grades.

Step I.4.A

Conduct the reviews and gather feedback
Step I.4.B

Pilot the materials
Step I.4.C

Make the final selection decision
Step I.4.D

Communicate the decision and rationale

steps

guiding questions

notes & resources

1.

Which materials had the strongest reviews?
2.

Are there any we can rule out?

Agenda for Materials Review and Discussion is a sample agenda for conducting the review and leading a debrief conversation.

3.

What were the trends in strengths and concerns for the top-rated materials?

Remember to gather feedback based on your rubric in Step I.3.B: Develop the rubric.

4.

Does our budget match the cost of the top-rated materials?

The specific costs will be calculated in Step I.5.A: Understand your procurement options. For now, this cost consideration allows you to ensure that continuing the conversation about the finalists is viable.

1.

What do we want to learn from the pilot?
2.

How are we going to collect and evaluate the implications of the pilot?

Pilots can be conducted with multiple sets of materials to distinguish between them as part of decision-making or after you have a front runner to confirm the decision and inform implementation.
A pilot can take as little time as one unit or as much as a year. The resource Guidance on Pilots and Selection provides overviews of pilot purposes and design considerations. Page 27 of Lift Education’s Instructional Materials Implementation Guidebook also outlines some of the benefits of piloting instructional materials.
Pilots will bring up plenty of questions. Make sure you have a way of logging all the questions that come up because these will only intensify with full scale implementation.
Not all early implementers chose to pilot. The ones who did shared that it was helpful for surfacing strengths and challenges of different materials. This is an optional step, but can be very helpful for better understanding the materials and gaining investment across the system.

3.

What grade or teachers would be best for our pilot group?
4.

Which units will we pilot?
5.

What materials, training, or orientation do pilot teachers need before they launch?

Setting up the pilot with a clear sense of what you are looking to learn and how you will test the materials gives teachers a starting point to organize their trial.
You can look at how to set up training on pilot materials in Key Action II.5: Determine the plan for training teachers and leaders.

6.

What did we learn from the pilot to inform selection?
7.

What did we learn from the pilot to inform needed implementation support?

Return to the rubric and non-negotiable criteria to anchor the conversation about what challenges should inform implementation versus selection.

1.

Which materials are we going to select?
2.

Why did we select these materials?
3.

What are we most excited and optimistic about with these materials?
4.

What do we anticipate will need attention during implementation with these materials?

You outlined how you intended to make the decision in Step I.1.B: Determine how the final decision will be made. Now it is time to do so.
Remember, this is about supporting and strengthening instruction. This decision is a big one, but materials alone do not guarantee great instruction.

1.

How will we communicate the final decision?
2.

Is there a sequence we need to plan for how we roll out the decision? Who will communicate what?

For each stakeholder group, identify the key information that you want to communicate. Use the notes in your Selection Plan from Step I.1.E: Organize next steps and communicate the plan.
The Email-Sharing-Selection-Decision-and-Rationale and PowerPoint Sharing Selection Decision and Rationale resources are a sample email and PowerPoint you can use as a starting point to communicate your process.
Role playing (which can be awkward but equally useful) can help make sure Selection Team members are on the same page as questions come up.

3.

What are the key talking points that we want to reinforce in all communications?
4.

What questions will each group of stakeholders have, and what answers can we have ready?

The Curriculum Talking Points and FAQ on Selection is a template with talking points and frequently asked questions.
You will get questions that you are not going to be able to answer and will need to work through in Phase II. Do not try to answer implementation questions right now – but do make a promise you’ll be able to keep about when you will be able to answer them.

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Mini Workbook for This Key Action

Download Workbook I.4

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Overview

Key Action I.1: Plan Your Process

Key Action I.2: Establish the vision

Key Action I.3: Develop the rubric and prepare for reviews

Key Action I.4: Review, pilot, and decide

Key Action I.5: Procure and distribute materials

Overview

Key Action II.1: Set goals, roles, and monitoring plan

Key Action II.2: Determine the plan for assessment and grading

Key Action II.3: Determine expectations for use and the plan for collaborative planning

Key Action II.4: Determine the plan for coaching

Key Action II.5: Determine the plan for training teachers and leaders

FINISH KEY ACTION II.1: Set goals, roles, and monitoring plan

Key Action III.1: Work the plan and gather data

Key Action III.2: Step back and adjust the plan

Key Action III.3: Annually reset

Key Action I.4

Review, pilot, and decide

What is the goal?

Why this key action is important

Explanation of language

steps

guiding questions

notes & resources

I.4.A

I.4.B

I.4.C

I.4.D

Mini Workbook for This Key Action