Several research summaries over the last few years have brought attention to the impact that high-quality instructional materials have on student learning. The U.S. Department of Education's What Works Clearinghouse, which produces summaries of rigorous research, has identified a number of effective curricula with large effect sizes on students'…

It's a story that is all too familiar. A school district has a majority of students reading below grade level. The district adopts a new English language arts curriculum anchored in complex texts and analytical writing tasks. As they began to teach with the new curriculum, teachers adapted materials in an effort to meet their students at their…