Curriculum Implementation Research to Results: A Theory of Action for Student Outcomes

Presented by Helena Connolly, Former Teacher, Current Senior Manager, Impact and Innovation Research, Great Minds; Stacy Domingo, Former Teacher, Current Field Research & Implementation Lead, Great Minds; and Meg Wexler, Senior Service Designer, Leadership and Enablement, Great Minds

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What does it really take to turn a strong curriculum into strong student outcomes? And how can teachers and leaders work together to make implementation stick? In this research-based edWebinar, the presenters will explore Great Minds’ free Theory of Action and Framework for Implementation Success to highlight the conditions that help high-quality instructional materials make a meaningful impact in classrooms.

You will learn what effective implementation looks like in practice, understand the key drivers that connect curricula, professional learning, and leadership, and identify common challenges that can slow progress. Through research insights and real examples from schools and districts, they’ll share practical moves that strengthen alignment, build teacher confidence, and support consistent, high-quality instruction.

You’ll have time to reflect on your own context and consider small, meaningful shifts that can lead to stronger coherence and improved student outcomes. Whether you’re a PreK-12 classroom teacher, instructional coach, or school or district leader, you’ll leave this edWebinar with actionable strategies and tools to support implementation in ways that are realistic, sustainable, and centered on student learning.

Helena Connolly is the Senior Manager of Impact and Innovation Research at Great Minds, where she leads research strategy across curriculum development and product innovation. She oversees impact, implementation, and learning research to understand whether Great Minds’ programs improve student outcomes and the conditions that enable successful implementation in schools. Helena partners closely with product and professional learning teams to ensure research findings directly inform design decisions and advance evidence-based instruction. Helena’s perspective is shaped by her experience as a teacher in a high-needs elementary school. She is passionate about bringing together rigorous efficacy research, learning science, and educator-centered design to strengthen outcomes for all students.

Stacy (Fitzwater) Domingo is a Field Research & Implementation Lead at Great Minds PBC, where she partners with school and district leaders nationwide to study and strengthen high-quality instructional materials implementation. A former school administrator, fourth-grade teacher, and K–8 music teacher in Phoenix’s West Valley, Stacy has seen firsthand how great teaching and high-quality curricula can transform classrooms. She now blends that classroom and leadership experience with research—collaborating with cross-functional teams to examine real-world implementation, surface stories