How Colusa County Is Helping Districts Rethink Math Piloting

Choosing new instructional materials is one of the most important decisions a district can make – and piloting materials is one of the last important stages districts engage in to evaluate their final choices before making their ultimate selection. 

Historically across the state, pilot structures have been inconsistent. And as many leaders prepare to jump into piloting final math choices this coming fall, leaders want greater confidence that the materials they ultimately select truly align with their instructional vision for mathematics and the needs of their local communities.

As they prepared to support their districts with piloting this coming fall, the Colusa County Office of Education partnered with CalCurriculum to help leaders rethink what a pilot could accomplish. Leading these efforts have been Veronica Sandoval, Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Accountability, and Lexi Cabral, Professional Development Coordinator, working to extend and share learnings about best practices in instructional materials adoption across the county. 

Instead of viewing a pilot as a chance to “test drive” curriculum, the county and CalCurriculum encouraged districts to design pilots that would generate meaningful evidence for decision-making. The Colusa County of Education team convened district leaders in-person for a hybrid workshop focused on “Designing a Meaningful Pilot,” where participants explored research-informed guidance, examined promising practices from across California, and learned alongside peers through a collaborative community of practice.

The learning did not stop there. Following the workshop, the Colusa County of Education team facilitated a full-day planning session that gave district teams dedicated time to translate ideas into action. By the end of the day, every district had developed a customized pilot plan tailored to its local context and instructional priorities.

The planning process began with a simple but powerful question: 

What are we hoping to learn from this pilot? 

District teams started by getting clear on what they wanted their pilot to accomplish. With a shared understanding of the purpose and desired outcomes, they were able to make intentional decisions about the pilot design, the evidence they would collect, and how they would define success.

Colusa County’s approach demonstrates that meaningful instructional materials pilots do more than compare instructional materials. When districts begin with a shared instructional vision, lead with a strategic purpose for the pilot, and intentionally engage careholders, pilots become a powerful tool for making informed decisions and laying the foundation for successful implementation long after the adoption is complete.

“Working with CalCurriculum was an exceptional experience. The learning was informative, engaging, and easy to follow. Their team created a highly collaborative environment, adapted to meet the unique needs of our staff, answered every question thoughtfully, and provided the clarity and direction we needed to confidently move forward with our math pilot.” 

-Veronica Sandoval, Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Accountability, Colusa County Office of Education

If you want support with planning an upcoming pilot for your district, check out our Workshops page for upcoming sessions!