Have you heard this from school leaders? “We invested heavily in this new curricular program. Teachers were invited to give input during the decision-making process. Resources were purchased. Training was completed. Expectations were communicated. We all want greater consistency across classrooms and stronger outcomes for students. So why aren’t teachers implementing the program with fidelity?” Fidelity to purpose that engages teachers as professional partners is likely necessary.
Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!
Podcast Transcript:
[00:00:00.340] – Steve [Intro]
Welcome to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast. As instructional coaches and school leaders, you are tasked with guiding continuous teacher growth to create student success. This podcast looks to support you with strategies from experienced guests, as well as my own insights that I’ve gathered over the years. I’m thrilled to have you with us. Thanks for tuning in.
[00:00:29.490] – Steve
Coaching around the fidelity question. Have you ever heard this? “We’ve invested heavily in this new curricular program. Teachers were invited to give input during the decision-making process. Resources were purchased. Training was completed. Expectations were communicated. We all want greater consistency across classrooms and stronger outcomes for students. So why aren’t teachers implementing the program with fidelity?” That’s a familiar question in many schools. Sometimes it’s expressed as frustration, sometimes concern, sometimes confusion. I’ve heard versions of it from superintendents, curriculum directors, and principals. Shortly after implementation, concerns often surface. Instructional coaches are frequently positioned as the people responsible for making fidelity happen. Some teachers follow the program closely but quietly express doubts. Others begin blending in previous materials and strategies. Some adapt pacing. Some question whether the instructional design fits their students. Occasionally, resistance becomes public and visible. At some point, frustration moves the conversation towards compliance. Recently, I read a Phi Delta Kappa article titled, “Educator Resistance to Curricular Control.” The researchers described several forms of teacher resistance that emerge when curricular fidelity is tightly prescribed. Some teachers demonstrate what the authors called, strategic compliance. They follow the requirements publicly while privately holding concerns and frustrations. Other teachers engage in strategic compromise.
[00:02:44.670] – Steve
They blend required materials with practices they believe will better meet students’ needs. Some move toward strategic redefinition, adapting or even challenging implementation practices within PLCs, departments, or coaching conversations. At times resistance becomes overt, and in some more extreme cases teachers leave schools seeking an environment more aligned with their beliefs about teaching and learning, or some even leave the profession. What struck me while reading the article was this quote: “Most resistance is not rooted in laziness or negativity. Often it is connected to teachers’ desire to maintain influence over decisions that affect students’ learning. I’ve come to believe that an important question for instructional coaches and school leaders to consider is, ‘What are teachers trying to protect?’ Hear that again. What are teachers trying to protect? That question changes the conversation. It moves us away from assuming resistance is defiance, and it moves us toward exploring what concerns teachers may have about student learning and the program that’s being implemented. Those concerns are important for coaches to hear because when instructional coaches interpret resistance only as an unwillingness, coaching can quickly lead toward persuasion. The coach’s role subtly shifts from being a thinking partner to an implementation monitor.
[00:04:51.890] – Steve
When coaches become curious instead of defensive, resistance becomes information.” That thinking was reinforced in a podcast conversation I had with Becca Silver, the founder of the Whole Educator Podcast. During our conversation, Becca made a statement that has stayed with me: “Resistance isn’t refusal.” It’s a signal of unmet needs. That insight matters deeply in coaching conversations. Silver stated that teachers are asked to think critically every day. We want them to analyze student needs. We want them adjusting instruction, making responsive decisions, and reflecting on evidence of learning. Yet, when a new initiative arrives, teachers sometimes experience an expectation that critical thinking should stop and compliance should begin. That creates a tension. Teachers may be wondering, “Will this pacing support my learners?” “Will this strengthen or weaken student engagement?” “Will this fit the developmental readiness of my students?” “Is it possible my relationship with students will suffer?” “Will the practices that have previously supported success now disappear?” These concerns can easily appear as resistance. But perhaps, they are actually expressions of professional responsibility. Now, none of this means fidelity is unimportant. In many ways, it’s essential. Learning is unlikely to improve systemically if instruction and content vary greatly from classroom to classroom.
[00:07:07.660] – Steve
Equity matters. Coherence matters. Shared instructional commitments matter. Maybe the real issue is how we define fidelity. When leaders say, “Implement with fidelity,” teachers often hear, “Follow the script.” But the strongest implementation cultures are not built on compliance, they are built on shared responsibility for student success. That distinction shifts a leader’s work from supervision towards coaching for collective learning. Here are some concepts for coaches to be exploring with individual teachers and PLCs when a new program is being implemented: What is the new program designed to accomplish for learners? What elements are essential and why? Where is professional judgment expected? What evidence will tell us whether the new program is working? Those conversations move fidelity away from procedural compliance and toward fidelity to purpose. Perhaps the most important shift is recognizing that implementation is not something done to teachers. It’s something that we learn about collectively with teachers. When schools introduce new curriculum programs or instructional frameworks, leaders often feel pressure to protect an investment that’s been made. Coaches often feel pressure to ensure consistency, and teachers may feel pressure to demonstrate compliance. But meaningful implementation rarely grows from pressure alone. It grows when educators feel invited into shared responsibility for student success.
[00:09:40.960] – Steve
That invitation requires vulnerability across the system. Leaders need to acknowledge, “We do not yet know everything that implementation will require.” Teachers may need to acknowledge, “I’m willing to try practices that are new or uncomfortable if we continue examining their impact on students.” Instructional coaches may need to acknowledge, “My role isn’t to monitor compliance.” My role is to facilitate collective learning. That changes coaching conversations. Instead of asking, “Are you following the program?” we should initially be asking, “What are students experiencing?” “What are we noticing?” “Are there adaptations that might strengthen the purpose rather than weakening it?” “What are we learning together?” I think these conversations are especially important because perfect procedural fidelity is probably unrealistic in most schools. Teachers will adapt. The critical question becomes: are adaptations moving away from the purpose or toward it? That question can only be answered through reflection, collaboration, observation, and evidence of student learning. This is where PLCs, coaching conversations, walkthroughs, and leadership discussions can become deeply connected. Not in systems of monitoring but as systems of shared inquiry. In strong learning cultures, teachers are not left alone to either comply or resist. They are invited to investigate. Investigate what is working, for whom, under what conditions, considering what adjustments might improve while preserving the essential design.
[00:12:09.750] – Steve
That kind of culture builds both professionalism and collective responsibility. And perhaps, that’s the real coaching challenge around fidelity—engaging educators as professional partners in maximizing student learning. That requires us to create conditions where teachers feel trusted and safe enough—safe enough to think critically, to raise concerns, and to stay committed to shared goals for students. Ultimately, fidelity is not about protecting a script. It is about protecting the desire that all students experience powerful learning. And the strongest implementation cultures are not built on compliance. They are built on shared responsibility for student success. If a new curriculum or instructional framework is being introduced in your school, consider beginning by exploring: What will help teachers engage as critical professionals in the shared work of improving learning for students? Do that instead of asking, “How do we get teachers to comply?” Because coaching around fidelity is ultimately not about enforcing the script. It’s about building a culture where educators collectively investigate what helps students succeed. And that kind of fidelity, fidelity to purpose, has the potential to strengthen not only implementation, but the professional culture of an entire school community.
[00:14:23.690] – Steve
Coaching is about facilitating professional participation among staff. I’d be happy to hear about your experiences with implementing change in your school district. You can always reach me at barkleypd.com or email me directly at sbarkley@pls3rdlearning.com. Thanks for listening.
[00:14:52.990] – Steve [Outro]
Thanks for listening, folks. I’d love to hear what you’re pondering. You can find me on Twitter or LinkedIn @SteveBarkley or send me your questions and find my videos and blogs at barkleypd.com.
