States from Alaska to Florida have lists of approved literacy vendors offering a variety of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) and related professional development (PD) resources. (In this context, a “vendor” simply refers to a company or organization that provides these materials and support.) These vendors typically undergo a formal vetting process, which establishes a baseline level of quality. But which will be the best fit for a specific district?
At Marzano Research, I work with consultant teams who help districts select great vendors and with state leaders who put together vendor lists. (In fact, Marzano Research is on some of these lists.) Based on my experience, not every vendor will be a strong fit for every district. Rather, finding a vendor is a match-making process.
Here are five key strategies to select a vendor that best meets your needs and priorities.
1. Go/No-Go
When to use it
If district leaders are unsure whether teachers need new HQIM for reading and related PD
Who needs to be involved
District and school leaders, along with lead teachers or instructional coaches who have firsthand knowledge of instructional practices
First, take a step back. Do you really need new materials and PD?
Openness to change is important, but so is discernment. Before investing time and energy in new materials or PD, districts should consider whether adoption will actually move practice and outcomes forward.
If your current literacy materials and PD are high-quality and effective, or if you are already working with a vendor on the list, then perhaps you don’t need a change, even if you’re on a HQIM adoption cycle that says it’s time for new materials. Unlike civics, history, and science, learning to read is more evergreen.
If you need to make a “go/no-go” decision, gather a group and discuss these questions:
- How is student literacy achievement in our district? What specific grade levels and literacy skills need improvement?
- If there is room for improvement in literacy achievement, how do our current instructional materials support that improvement?
Based on your discussion:
- If your current instructional materials do not support your district’s need for improvement, you may want to consider adopting a new set of HQIM and related PD.
- If your current instructional materials do support your district’s need for improvement, you may want to focus on improving teachers’ use of the current instructional materials.
Resources
- Get guidance on using mapping to prepare for a HQIM change.
- See it in practice: read about one Wyoming district we worked with to determine whether new HQIM was needed.
2. Do Your Homework
When to use it
A few months before you launch a full literacy HQIM and PD adoption
Who needs to be involved
District and school leaders
It’s not enough to find a good vendor for HQIM and related PD. You need to find a vendor that’s a strong match for your specific district. Gather the following background information as a baseline before you start:
- Student reading achievement data overall, including summative and interim assessment results
- Struggling student reading achievement data, including screeners, diagnostics, and progress monitoring
- Student attendance patterns
- Classroom reading observations
- Other data and context that may be unique to your district (staffing, family and community aspirations for students, school climate surveys, etc.)
- State standards
- State laws and policies governing K–12 HQIM/curriculum adoption
- State vendor list
Next, document how literacy instruction works in your district. Create a logic model for literacy instruction in your district to map the activities educators use to teach reading, the indicators that those activities are taking place, and the short- and long-term outcomes for students.
Resources
- View a sample logic model from REL Central.
- Get a logic model template from REL Central.
3. Form a Dream Team
When to use it
At the beginning of a new HQIM and PD adoption
Who needs to be involved
HQIM adoption leader, other knowledgeable people who can suggest potential members
Collaboration among the right people makes a huge difference, both in choosing a vendor that matches district needs and in supporting educators to implement the HQIM well. Here are suggestions to ensure a comprehensive set of perspectives are represented:
- Include representatives from each grade level who are respected by their peers and the community.
- Include early career, mid-career, and veteran teachers.
- Include a district leader whom teachers and community members respect.
- If possible, include a parent/caregiver who can help ensure community buy-in.
- Make sure all members understand high-quality reading instruction and state standards.
- Make sure all members are willing to devote the time, energy, and collaborative spirit necessary for a successful adoption.
Resource
4. Get the Process Right
When to use it
Throughout the HQIM adoption process
Who needs to be involved
Your HQIM adoption committee
We’ve all heard “horror stories” about HQIM that end up gathering dust in a storage unit. Often, the materials are not to blame; nor is teacher resistance. Often, the vendor selection process is what did not go well. Here are some tips to make sure your district engages in a process that results in a great match and the full implementation of new HQIM and PD:
- Create a clear timeline with space to:
- Ensure all committee members are on the same page about district strengths and needs in literacy, and about district and state requirements for HQIM and curriculum.
- Broadly review a wide range of choices.
- Narrow and review a small number of choices in depth, using:
- The What Works Clearinghouse, which provides information about results from rigorous studies on the use of HQIM
- EdReports, which provides analysis of HQIM alignment to the science of reading, multilingual learner criteria, and usability
- The professional expertise of your literacy leadership team
- Present the small number of choices to teachers and families to gather feedback.
- Ask teachers in key grade levels to pilot the resulting top choices and gather their feedback.
- Use clear meeting protocols that ensure all committee members can contribute meaningfully.
- Consider appointing or hiring a meeting or process facilitator.
Resource
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- Refer to EdReports’ 6 Key Adoption Steps to get started.
5. Right-Size Expectations
When to use it
Throughout the HQIM adoption process
Who needs to be involved
Everyone
A new literacy HQIM and PD vendor from a vendor list will not solve all your district’s reading instruction and achievement problems. Make sure you right-size your expectations by:
- Proactively communicating with your staff and community before, during, and after the adoption.
- Having an open-door policy for questions and concerns about the adoption.
- Finding a way to include suggestions and feedback.
- Expecting and telling others to expect that:
- The new materials and PD will be high-quality, grounded in research, and successfully piloted with district students
- Reading achievement rises through a combination of HQIM, effective instruction, family support, and student effort.
- Each teacher and their instructional skills contribute to student success.
- Family support contributes to student success.
- Each student’s effort and engagement contributes to their own success.
Resource
- View sample letters to send to staff and families before, during, and after a HQIM adoption.
Conclusion
State-approved vendor lists provide some of the initial legwork to narrow down options, but districts still have to decide for themselves which vendor will be most effective for their goals. A thoughtful go/no-go decision, solid homework, the right people at the table, a clear process, and realistic expectations make that decision much more likely to pay off.
