School districts experience considerable pressure to continuously improve, and the pursuit of improvement typically leads to the adoption of new -- and purportedly more effective -- initiatives. Often districts engage consultants to help navigate the selection and implementation of an initiative, and while these partnerships can prove fruitful, they present a set of challenges that are often underestimated by districts. Districts can increase the likelihood of an initiative's effectiveness by asking a few key questions before embarking (or not) on the initiative. In particular, districts need to attend to issues of coherence, capacity, and commitment.