Designing Meaningful Pilots: Fall 2026 Workshop Reflections

Takeaways from the Fall 2026 Math Pilot Community of Practice

A well-designed pilot can be an important opportunity to gather meaningful evidence and engage educators and other stakeholders in the process. It is more than simply “trying out” materials; a meaningful pilot should be intentionally designed around what a team needs to learn and how those learnings connect to its instructional vision.

In August and September 2026, CalCurriculum brought together district, charter, and county leaders for an Adoption Leadership Community of Practice series focused on Designing a Meaningful Pilot. Across three sessions, participants explored how to design purposeful pilots, collect meaningful evidence, and use pilot data to inform a collaborative decision-making process.

Here are three key takeaways from our time together.

Start with a clear purpose

A meaningful pilot begins with a clear understanding of what your team needs to learn. Rather than piloting materials simply because they are under consideration, teams can identify specific questions they want to learn more about through trying out the materials in classrooms, in connection with instructional vision and priorities.

For example, teams might want to understand how students experience the materials, how usable materials are for teachers, or how well the materials support the instructional practices the district is working toward. A clear purpose can then guide decisions about what to pilot, for how long, and what evidence to collect.

As participants explored pilot design, we also discussed the importance of designing the pilot around the student experience. Pilots should fit within the instructional calendar and scope of learning for the year, while giving teachers enough time to become familiar with the routines and instructional moves of each program.

Gather evidence to inform your pilot purpose

Once you identify your pilot purpose, then you should design opportunities to gather aligned evidence. Using a structured evidence collection plan can help teams move beyond general impressions to collect evidence connected to their priorities.

Pilot teachers are an important source of feedback, but they are not the only voices that can inform the process. Administrators, coaches, non-piloting educators, students, and families can all contribute perspectives that help a team understand how materials fit the context.

Plan ahead for how your pilot will inform your recommendation

A pilot does not exist in isolation from the broader adoption process. Teams should think ahead to how they will organize, analyze, and discuss the evidence they collect—and how that evidence will inform the eventual recommendation.

In our series, we explored strategies for making pilot data approachable and transparent, and considered how teams can use a consensus process to build shared support for the eventual decision.

Seek out community, guidance, and support

One of the strengths of this Community of Practice was the opportunity for leaders to learn from one another and share approaches across different district, charter, and county contexts.

As one participant shared:

“These sessions were well-organized and run and I loved the sharing out across regions. Thank you for making these available and asking the great questions that CA needs!”

We’re grateful to all of the leaders who brought their questions, experiences, and perspectives to the series!

Whether your team is preparing to pilot instructional materials now or planning for a future adoption, we hope these takeaways can help you design a pilot that is purposeful, inclusive, and grounded in the evidence your team needs to make an informed decision.