DESIGN PROJECT

Menlo Education Research is partnering with publishers and content developers of math curricula, along with California districts and teachers, to co-design implementation supports to improve how high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) are implemented in math classrooms. This work centers educators and students directly in the design process so that teachers are able to implement curriculum in ways that are adaptive, relevant, and ultimately more effective for students to learn. Through a series of co-design sessions, rapid test-and-refine cycles, and regular reflection with teachers, the project examines what educators need most to implement HQIM successfully, and how publishers can leverage those insights into future development.

The project supports:

• Bringing educators and publishers together to co-develop new lesson implementation tools

• Testing and refining implementation supports through repeated design–test–reflect cycles

• Elevating educator voice and experience as a core design driver

• Generating guidance, frameworks, and public learnings that strengthen future co-design efforts

• Showcasing how improved, user-informed and user-driven implementation supports expanding adoption of for HQIM 

By 2028, the project aims to demonstrate how educator and student co-design can meaningfully improve the usability, relevance, and impact the implementation of instructional materials across varied school contexts and to help all parties better understand how to set up meaningful co-design experiences in their partnerships.