District leaders use learning walks and ongoing professional learning to reinforce clear, consistent expectations for curriculum use over time¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · qualitative r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Half of interviewed district leaders reported initial teacher resistance centered on autonomy, productive struggle, and whether the curriculum would meet student needs. → Hannan 2026 q2 i? Leaders described two mechanisms for reinforcing expectations: classroom visits called learning walks and professional learning that keeps curriculum use a regular topic of conversation, with most districts combining the two. → Hannan 2026 (2)

Evidence¶

Hannan 2026¶

Hannan, M., Rainier, S., & Perry, R. (2026). Beyond curriculum adoption: What district leaders are saying about using Illustrative Mathematics. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED681318

q2 · i? · qualitative · r2

Interview finding from the seven-district cross-case study: half of leaders reported initial teacher resistance; several felt teachers would have benefited from professional learning on the curriculum's rationale.

"Half the district leaders who were interviewed for this study reported initial teacher resistance, with concerns centered on autonomy, “productive struggle,” and the question of whether the curriculum would meet their students’ needs."

Hannan 2026 (2)¶

Hannan, M., Rainier, S., & Perry, R. (2026). Beyond curriculum adoption: What district leaders are saying about using Illustrative Mathematics. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED681318

q2 · i? · qualitative · r2

Thematic finding from the semistructured interviews: leaders combined learning walks and professional learning to reinforce expectations, citing Magnolia's instructional rounds and Maple's coaching-communicated fidelity guidance as spotlights.

"Leaders described two key mechanisms for reinforcing expectations: (a) using classroom visits, which they call “learning walks,” to signal that they expected to see the adopted curriculum in use and (b) relying on professional learning opportunities to keep curriculum use a regular topic of conversation."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Effective professional development is content focused, active, collaborative, modeled, coached, feedback-rich, and sustained over time — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• Districts use multiple forms of data—learning walks, state assessment items, dashboards, and diagnostics—to give teachers feedback and refine IM implementation over time — related
• Without clear expectations and support from district leaders, coaches might not devote sufficient time to the full range of coaching activities needed to improve teachers' instruction — related
• Interviewees most frequently cited the absence of coaching and professional learning support after initial installation as the source of implementation variation — related
• Better coordination, communication, and coherence across professional learning and supports are needed to sustain centering student experience — related
• District leaders report that building a shared instructional vision before curriculum adoption lays the foundation for successful IM implementation — related
• HQIM teacher guides differ substantially in the depth of educative guidance they provide for the same pedagogical practice — related
• Training and technical assistance is most engaging when it is grounded in clear expectations, designed around recipient needs, developed with ongoing recipient input, accessible, delivered by equipped providers, and framed as a partnership — related