With new funding from the Overdeck Family Foundation, Rivet Education and the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) will launch a three-year study starting in December 2026 to identify what helps districts and schools successfully implement high-quality instructional materials (HQIM).

To understand the impact of using a structured implementation planning tool, the study will look at use of Rivet Education’s Instructional Materials Implementation Tool. 

Rivet created its Implementation Tool after its work in the field led to a clear trend: districts had almost no insight into how curriculum implementation was actually going and if they were on track to see an impact on teaching and learning. We created the tool to “make the invisible, visible” and concretely articulate the role-specific actions required for HQIM to actually change learning in classrooms. 

Over the years since launching the Implementation Tool, Rivet has informally observed evidence of its effectiveness–more coherent systems, stronger CBPL practices, decision-making and resource allocation informed by implementation data, and even correlations between implementation progress across phases and student achievement gains. Versions of the Implementation Tool (and its associated digital Implementation Dashboard) are being leveraged at the state level in Delaware, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, Virginia (in development), and Washington D.C., with many more individual districts using the free tool nationwide.

Now, Rivet and NIRN will build on these initial findings. 

Four Questions That Could Help Shape the Future of Curriculum Implementation

The study will investigate four central research questions, examining the impact of a structured approach to measuring and monitoring implementation as well as the efficacy of specific implementation activities at the district, school, and teacher levels.

1. School Implementation Capacity

Does use of the Rivet Instructional Materials Implementation Tool improve school implementation capacity compared to schools using their existing planning and implementation processes?

Researchers will examine whether schools using the tool build stronger leadership, planning, and continuous improvement systems to support successful curriculum implementation.

2. Teacher HQIM Implementation

Does use of the Rivet Instructional Materials Implementation Tool improve teacher practices and HQIM implementation outcomes?

Researchers will examine teachers’ instructional practices, their perceptions of the curriculum’s acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility, and the consistency with which materials are implemented as intended. The study will compare outcomes across schools and examine changes over time within schools using the tool.

3. Implementation Experiences

How do school leaders and teachers perceive the usability, feasibility, and usefulness of the key actions and success criteria within Rivet Education Instructional Materials Implementation Tool and what factors facilitate or hinder its implementation?

Through focus groups, researchers will learn directly from educators about what works, what barriers they encounter, and how implementation guidance can be improved.

4. Student Outcomes (Exploratory)

Is use of the Rivet Education Instructional Materials Implementation Tool associated with improvements in HQIM-aligned student outcomes?

Researchers will explore whether improvements in implementation are associated with stronger performance on existing curriculum-aligned academic assessments. Because student outcomes are influenced by many factors, this component will be exploratory.

Together, these questions will help the field better understand the relationship between leadership actions, implementation conditions, teacher practices, and student learning.

“This research will help us better understand the conditions and implementation supports that enable high-quality instructional materials to be used effectively in practice, said Melanie Livet, Senior Implementation Scientist and Co-Director at NIRN. “That evidence is critical for helping schools and districts translate strong curricula into meaningful improvements in teaching and learning.” 

The Study Design and Deliverables

The study will involve approximately 50 schools, 25 assigned to use the tool and 25 in a comparison group (across one or two districts). Over three years, we’ll collect quantitative and qualitative data that examines implementation capacity, instructional practices, implementation fidelity, and student outcomes. 

The goal of this research extends beyond determining whether the Implementation Tool is effective.

We’ll translate the findings into practical guidance that states, districts, schools, and organizations supporting curriculum implementation can use to strengthen their work.

“We know that adopting high-quality instructional materials is only the first step,” said Rivet Education’s co-founder Annie Morrison. “What happens next is what determines whether those materials make a difference for teachers and students. We developed the Implementation Tool to give education leaders a clearer roadmap for that work, and now we have an incredible opportunity to rigorously study its effectiveness. I’m excited not just for what we’ll learn about our own tool, but for what this research could mean for the field. Our goal is to help every district make more informed decisions about how to support teachers, strengthen implementation, and ultimately improve student learning.” 

The study will produce several research and practitioner-focused resources:

• Implementation Brief (Interim Findings), August 2028: Early findings on school implementation capacity, teacher practices, and implementation outcomes.
• Final Evaluation Report, December 2029: A comprehensive report detailing the research methods, findings, and recommendations regarding the effectiveness of the tool.
• Implementation Guidance and Improvement Recommendations, December 2029: Evidence-informed recommendations for refining the tool, training, and implementation supports.
• Rivet Webinar, December 2029: A presentation of findings and practical lessons for education leaders and implementation partners.
• Practice Brief, February 2030: Actionable recommendations to help district and school leaders strengthen HQIM implementation.
• Scholarly Products, February 2030: At least one peer-reviewed manuscript and one national conference presentation.

Findings will be shared throughout the project, allowing emerging evidence to inform improvements to Rivet’s tools and implementation supports before the study concludes.

Building an Evidence Base for Better Implementation

For too long, conversations about curriculum improvement have focused primarily on what schools adopt. But the decisions leaders make after adoption, from how they organize implementation teams to how they support teachers and monitor progress, can shape whether those investments reach students.

Education leaders deserve more than general advice to “implement with fidelity.” They need research-informed guidance about which actions to take, when to take them, and how to know whether those actions are working.

Whether the findings validate the current approach, identify areas for improvement, or reveal new questions worth investigating, they will contribute to a stronger understanding of what effective HQIM implementation requires.