Every school year, districts across the country invest in instructional tools with the hope of improving standardized test scores. And every year, many of those tools sit underutilized while achievement gaps persist and assessment results disappoint. The question isn't whether the right resources exist. The question is whether districts are willing to do the hard work of implementation that actually prepares students when it counts most.
In Phenix City Schools, two schools tell that story clearly — one gained eight points on the state report card, one dropped nine. The difference had nothing to do with the tool they were given. When we expanded our use of an adaptive instructional platform across grades 2 through 8, we didn't just purchase a product. We built a system around it — one grounded in clear expectations, protected instructional time, and a culture of accountability designed to ensure every student was better prepared for the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program, our state standardized test.
Start With the "Why" Before You Ask for the "What"
When I came into this role, one of the first things I noticed was that a single school had been using the platform consistently and seeing real results on state assessments. Teachers were engaged, students were active learners, and the data was telling a clear story — earning that school the most growth of any building in our entire district on the Alabama State Report Card.
That result didn't happen by accident. It happened because the building principal believed in the work and made it non-negotiable for her staff. She built usage directly into the daily schedule. Every morning, she gets on the intercom to announce the transition. There are no interruptions during that time — not even for parent checkouts. Assessment readiness isn't something you sprint toward in the weeks before testing. It's something you build every single day.
Before I could take that model districtwide, I had to earn buy-in from building administrators who were rightfully skeptical about adding another initiative to their plates. The approach I took was the same one I've used throughout my career: show educators the "why" before you ask them to change behavior. When principals could see concrete evidence, including touring this school, watching students work in real time, and hearing from a peer they respected, the conversation shifted. They weren't being handed a mandate. They were being shown a path to better scores.
The results have since extended beyond that original model school. South Girard School saw dramatic growth, improving by 25 percent. This is a meaningful gain for a school that has historically ranked in the bottom half of Alabama elementary schools. These aren't outlier success stories. They are proof of what becomes possible when a building commits to the daily work.
Fidelity is a System, Not a Feeling
Committing to fidelity isn’t easy. It’s critical to build structures that make fidelity the default. In Phenix City, fidelity means several things in practice.
It means embedded training from day one, and ongoing professional development beyond that. When I spoke with the platform's team during onboarding, I made clear that a one-and-done summer training was not acceptable. Teachers and administrators need continued support as they encounter new challenges, and we structured our agreement accordingly.
It means monthly usage reports that come to my office, reviewed first by my directors, and then discussed at our monthly principal and assistant principal meetings. We spotlight the schools performing at 90 percent usage or above in our superintendent's weekly leadership newsletter. Recognition is a powerful motivator, and we use it intentionally.
It means walkthroughs. My department is present in every school, every day. After walkthroughs, we debrief with the building administrator directly. We don't manage teachers from the central office as that’s the principal's job. But we hold ourselves accountable for what we see, and we are consistent about following through.
And when fidelity slips, we intervene. When usage reports showed minimal activity at one of our middle schools, the secondary director went directly to the school, worked alongside the building administrator and instructional coaches, and within weeks, the numbers improved. I am spending three days a week, three hours a day in a school that is working to recover from a significant drop in state assessment scores. The drop occurred, in part, because we did not follow through the way we should have. I own that, and we are fixing it.
Reduce the Load, Raise the Bar
One of the most important factors in achieving real adoption across our schools has been how significantly the platform reduces the planning burden for teachers. When I walk into classrooms, I see teachers working from scripted, standards-aligned lesson structures with built-in teacher editions. Grading happens automatically on the platform. Real-time data surfaces immediately when a student answers incorrectly, allowing teachers to pull small groups on the spot — groups that change daily based on what the whole-class data reveals.
I watched a fifth-grade math teacher do exactly this. Every student had a Chromebook. The problems were visible on the Smartboard. When a student missed a question, the teacher saw it instantly and noted who needed additional support. Her small groups weren't predetermined. They were responsive. That's the kind of targeted, data-driven instruction that closes the gaps students carry into standardized testing.
What I appreciate most about the platform we use is that it mirrors our state assessment. Students encounter the same format, the same question types, the same pacing — over and over again. Repetition builds retention, and retention reduces anxiety. When test day comes, our students won't be seeing anything for the first time. That familiarity is not a small thing. It is often the difference between a student who freezes and a student who performs.
Align to What Actually Matters
One piece of advice I give any district leader considering a new instructional tool: do not assume it is aligned to your state assessment. Go verify it yourself.
When one of our schools took the time to map the platform's content against Alabama's specific standards, they found gaps. That discovery led to a direct conversation with the vendor and a commitment to address those areas. Common Core alignment is not the same as state-specific alignment, and in Alabama, that distinction has a direct impact on ACAP performance.
We also use diagnostic data from other assessments to guide how we prioritize within the platform. When our data showed geometry as an area of concern in elementary schools, we honed in on that content specifically. Multiplication fact fluency was another gap we identified and targeted. The platform becomes most powerful when it is integrated into your broader assessment strategy, not treated as a generic test-prep exercise dropped in during the final weeks of the school year.
Practical Advice for District Leaders
If you are considering adopting a new instructional tool to improve standardized test outcomes, here is what I would tell you based on our experience.
Do your own research before anything else. Ask for sample resources. Review them yourself. Then visit a school where the tool is being used effectively and spend real time in classrooms. A quick tour won’t cut it; I recommend several sessions across grade levels. Talk to the building principal honestly. Their perspective will tell you more than any sales presentation.
Start with a pilot. Choose one school or one classroom, observe what happens with intentional support, and let the assessment data guide your decision before scaling districtwide.
Secure your funding and protect your investment. We have spent significant district funds on this initiative. That investment only pays off when leadership stays engaged and accountability structures are built to back it up.
And perhaps most importantly: be prepared to inspect what you expect. Tools do not improve test scores. When educators are supported, held accountable, and shown the evidence, they effect change and can see the work is worth it.
We started with two numbers: eight points up, nine points down. By now, you know exactly why those outcomes diverged. It wasn't funding. It wasn't the platform. It was fidelity, leadership, and the willingness to stay present and accountable every single day. That same school working to recover from that nine-point drop is now receiving the attention and support it should have had from the start. The work isn't finished. But we know what it takes — and we are committed to seeing it through.
About the author
Dr. Jessica Constant is the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction at Phenix City Schools in Alabama. She can be reached at jconstant@pcboe.net.
