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What Factors Drive the Adoption of High-Quality Math Curricula and Professional Learning? Crosscutting Findings from the American Educator Panels. American Educator Panels. Research Report. RR-A4632-1

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Bibliographic Details
Title: What Factors Drive the Adoption of High-Quality Math Curricula and Professional Learning? Crosscutting Findings from the American Educator Panels. American Educator Panels. Research Report. RR-A4632-1
Language: English
Authors: Lauren Covelli, Rebecca L. Wolfe, Elizabeth D. Steiner, Melissa Kay Diliberti, RAND Education, Employment, and Infrastructure
Source: RAND Corporation. 2026.
Availability: RAND Corporation. P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138. Tel: 877-584-8642; Tel: 310-451-7002; Fax: 412-802-4981; e-mail: order@rand.org; Web site: http://www.rand.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 30
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Gates Foundation
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Mathematics Curriculum, Faculty Development, Instructional Materials, Public Schools, Administrator Attitudes, School Districts, Decision Making, Curriculum Implementation, Educational Quality, School District Size, Elementary Secondary Education, Administrator Surveys, School Surveys
DOI: 10.7249/RRA4632-1
Abstract: The adoption of "high-quality instructional materials" (HQIM) -- materials that have been rated as fully meeting the expectations of EdReports's college- and career-ready standards -- is a critical lever that districts and schools can use to support student learning. The uptake of these materials, especially in mathematics, has become increasingly common in U.S. schools. In this report, the authors use data from two RAND American Educator Panel (AEP) surveys -- one of public school districts and one of public school principals -- administered during the 2024-2025 school year to explore the adoption of HQIM in math. First, the authors explore how districts and schools make math curriculum adoption decisions and how those processes vary by district size, which, they hypothesize, is indicative of the number of staff and other centralized resources available to support the efficient adoption of HQIM and related PL. Second, they examine how characteristics of curriculum adoption processes, such as the length of time or included stakeholders, relate to the selection of HQIM for math. Finally, they describe the professional learning that is purchased from vendors alongside math curriculum materials and the depth of support or intensity of that professional learning. They present findings from the AEP surveys and their interviews with district leaders and principals and explore how responses differ by district size.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED680524
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:The adoption of "high-quality instructional materials" (HQIM) -- materials that have been rated as fully meeting the expectations of EdReports's college- and career-ready standards -- is a critical lever that districts and schools can use to support student learning. The uptake of these materials, especially in mathematics, has become increasingly common in U.S. schools. In this report, the authors use data from two RAND American Educator Panel (AEP) surveys -- one of public school districts and one of public school principals -- administered during the 2024-2025 school year to explore the adoption of HQIM in math. First, the authors explore how districts and schools make math curriculum adoption decisions and how those processes vary by district size, which, they hypothesize, is indicative of the number of staff and other centralized resources available to support the efficient adoption of HQIM and related PL. Second, they examine how characteristics of curriculum adoption processes, such as the length of time or included stakeholders, relate to the selection of HQIM for math. Finally, they describe the professional learning that is purchased from vendors alongside math curriculum materials and the depth of support or intensity of that professional learning. They present findings from the AEP surveys and their interviews with district leaders and principals and explore how responses differ by district size.
DOI:10.7249/RRA4632-1