Our Projects
Academic Program Management Review in a Midwest District
The Challenge
A mid-sized urban district in the Midwest asked how its reading and mathematics programs were led, taught, and supported from the central office to the classroom.
The district was about to introduce a new K-5 reading program, and leaders wanted an outside description of how district vision, curriculum, assessment, and professional learning reached classrooms, and where district systems supported or undercut effective practice.
Our Support
Gibson sequenced the work so that district-level findings shaped the questions asked of schools and teachers.
District documents and interviews. Gibson reviewed board policies, curriculum frameworks, assessment schedules, and descriptions of professional development offerings, then interviewed 14 district staff.
Surveys. Parallel surveys went to all principals and assistant principals (45% responded) and all reading and math teachers (47% responded).
Principal focus groups. Principals took part in a focus group or follow-up interview.
Synthesis. Findings were organized around instructional leadership, curriculum and instruction, and professional learning.
Results
10 recommendations in the June 2024 report, including streamlining district goals into one set of priorities, writing standard operating procedures for core instructional functions, and adopting a decision-making framework.
17% of elementary administrators agreed the district's approach to reading instruction was clearly defined, and 38% said the same for math.
About half of responding elementary administrators were unaware of the upcoming reading program adoption.
30% of elementary administrators agreed the district gave them sufficient support as instructional leaders.
The systematic look at the district from a third party created a common understanding of the issues that district leaders needed to tackle first, and enabled them to create a plan for a more-effective rollout of the new curriculum.
For your district. A district preparing a curriculum adoption can use a review of this kind to decide which instructional procedures, decision rights, and training to settle first.