Evaluate
Reflective Questions
Readiness and Systemic Alignment
- Have we honestly audited our existing systems (assessment practices, leadership capacity) to ensure they support the new curriculum?
- Is our curriculum work positioned as the central work of our school authority, or is it perceived by teachers and principals as another initiative?
- Do we have a shared, clear understanding of curricular expectations?
Relational Trust and Vulnerability
- Have we created a safe environment where teachers and principals can share their thoughts, feelings, and frustrations?
- In our communication and planning, are we working with teachers or “doing to” them?
- How are we balancing the need for a successful and sustainable implementation with the professional autonomy needed to ensure teacher well-being?
Capacity Building and Professional Learning
- Are we actively building the instructional leadership capacity of our principals in leading, or are we just checking the boxes of rolling out a new curriculum?
- Is our professional learning designed to address classroom practices, or is it only theoretical in nature?
- Have we moved from “one-and-done” workshops to collaborative learning sessions where teachers and principals can network and co-create?
Support and Monitoring
- Are we balancing our universal support for teachers with directed intentional conversations with those who need more support?
- How are we pivoting our plan based on the feedback we receive from our teachers?
- Are we providing useful and effective resources to support teachers in the implementation of the new curriculum?
Pacing and Sustainability
- Are we “going slow to go fast” to ensure a sustainable change?
- Which of our principles are non-negotiable, and where can we afford to be flexible?
- What responsibilities have we taken off teachers and principals to ensure they have the time and support to implement the new curriculum?
Moving Forward
Building Instructional Leadership Capacity
- Create an intentional plan for building the instructional leadership capacity of school leaders.
- Revisit long-range planning to ensure it represents current learning outcomes and that the assessment practices are reflective of student learning at deep levels.
- Ensure that school leaders have a clear understanding of what classroom instruction should look like, feel like, and sound like when teachers are implementing the new curriculum.
- Formalize the institutionalization of new practices, such as assessment strategies, within administrative procedures or policy to ensure they are built into the school culture for sustained implementation.
- Ensure the new curriculum is clearly aligned with existing broader frameworks (e.g., Science of Reading) to build teacher understanding and commitment, reducing initiative fatigue.
Professional Learning
- Distinguish between professional learning and professional development and regularly invite feedback from teachers on the value of these experiences.
- Review whether current professional development/learning opportunities are effective in achieving the desired outcomes.
Resources
- Embrace new technologies and use them to support teachers in their planning, assessment, and resource development.
- Establish clear policy and guidelines for the ethical and effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) in curriculum implementation and teacher practice.
Communication and Stakeholder Engagement
- Develop a clear, intentional communication strategy to share information with parents and the broader community, ensuring language is jargon-free to maintain support.
- Prioritize the emotional resilience and well-being of teachers by creating a culture of trust where open feedback and professional autonomy are balanced with implementation support.
Additional Resources
Alberta Teachers’ Association. (2018). Essential conditions for K–4 curriculum implementation: Perspectives of 2,800+ Alberta K–4 teachers. https://teachers.ab.ca/sites/default/files/2025-08/coor-101-23_curriculum_implementation_report.pdf
Curriculum leadership truths. (n.d). Principal’s Playbook. https://www.theprincipalsplaybook.com/educational-leadership/curriculum-leadership-truths
National Institute for Excellence in Teaching. (2020). High-quality curriculum implementation: Connecting what to teach with how to teach it. https://www.niet.org/research-and-policy/show/policy/high-quality-curriculum-implementation
Instruction Partners. (n.d.). What does it take to implement a strong curriculum effectively? Part 2: What happens in districts and schools where new instructional materials lead to greater student learning? https://www.eride.ri.gov/workshopreg/attachments/201892610532821.pdf
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2020). An implementation framework for effective change in schools (OECD Education Policy Perspectives No. 9). OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/4fd4113f-en
Pagliaro, M. M. (2018). Designing and implementing the curriculum: A compendium of criteria for best teaching practices. Rowman & Littlefield
Samuel, J., & Alamina, J. I. (2017). Curriculum implementation and instruction: Pedagogical perspectives. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.