Guidance for Selecting or Curating High-Quality Instruction…

communicate the reason(s) for and goal(s) of an adoption before beginning the review process.

Define the Non-Negotiables

District or campus leaders should define the non-negotiables for the adoption. Non- negotiables are the basic requirements for the new materials. Non-negotiables may include: the budget/price limit, the minimum alignment percentage, instructional model, required supports for students and resources for teachers, and the format of the material. Your district/campus’ experience with remote learning may suggest additional non- negotiables.

Practice Tip

Useful resources for developing the list of non-negotiables:

• Board policy

• Administrative procedures

• District/campus budget

• District curriculum / campus instructional goals and

instructional model

• Student achievement data

• District/campus LMS and other

technology requirements

The list of non-negotiables can be used to help narrow the number of materials the selection committee will review and inform the development of the rubric as explained further below.

Establish a Timeline

In order to ensure that the new material(s) will arrive in the classrooms on time and that teachers have time to learn how to use them, it is critical to establish a timeline for the review and adoption process. Working back from the board meeting where the materials will be adopted or from the deadline for getting materials into the classrooms, create a realistic timeline for the entire process. Include time for ordering any required technology components and providing product-specific professional development for all teachers who will be using the new material(s).