Opening: Tell Us About Today

• What is your role and your primary responsibility for intervention programs right now? Options: Title I coordinator, Curriculum director, Intervention specialist, Building principal, Special education lead, Other (please specify)
• Which grades and subject areas are you responsible for when it comes to interventions? Options: K–2 ELA, 3–5 ELA, 6–8 ELA, K–5 Math, 6–8 Math, High school, Multiple/All of the above
• Roughly how many students do you oversee who are currently receiving targeted intervention? Options: Fewer than 100, 100–499, 500–1,499, 1,500–4,999, 5,000+
• Which intervention platforms or approaches are you using today (digital and non-digital)?
• If you could summarize in one sentence the single biggest anxiety you have about interventions this year, what would it be?

Are You Accepting Slow Progress as Normal?

• When you look at this year’s progress reports, where are you most disappointed or surprised? Options: Reading growth below expectations, Math growth below expectations, Inconsistent growth across schools, Insufficient progress-monitoring data, Other (please describe)
• Tell us about a recent cohort or grade where results didn’t meet expectations—what happened and why does it still bother you?
• How much of the district’s intervention disappointment do you believe is due to program design versus execution (scheduling, fidelity, teacher practice)? Options: Mostly design, Mostly execution, Even split, Unsure
• And how long have these patterns — the ones you just described — been affecting outcomes in your district? Options: This year, 1–2 years, 3–5 years, More than 5 years
• What is the emotional or political cost to you and your team when a cohort doesn’t show expected growth? Options: Increased oversight from district/state, Loss of stakeholder trust, Challenges defending federal funds, Staff burnout, Other

Where the Intervention Minutes Go (and Why They Vanish)

• If intervention time is the single scarcest resource, what’s the number one reason those minutes aren’t translating into measurable growth? Options: Scheduling conflicts, Teacher capacity/training, Student attendance, Poorly targeted instruction, Materials not aligned to standards, Other (please specify)
• How many minutes per student per school day are typically allocated for Tier 2/3 interventions in most buildings? Options: <15 minutes, 15–20 minutes, 21–30 minutes, 31–45 minutes, Varies widely
• Describe how intervention groups are formed at a typical school in your district (by assessment, teacher recommendation, grade-level, other). Options: Assessment-driven, Teacher referral, Combination, Grade-level cohorting, Other (please describe)
• What barriers make it hard for teachers to keep intervention sessions consistent and high-quality? Options: Insufficient training, Substitute coverage, Competing initiatives, Lack of planning time, Technology issues, Other
• Tell us about a week when intervention fell apart—what factors coincided and how did teachers and students respond?

Who's Really Driving Decisions?

• If we assume the status quo is protecting familiar procurement patterns, who would be most surprised if you changed that pattern—and why?
• List the people or roles who must sign off on a new intervention solution (include names/titles if possible).
• What are the hard timeline constraints for a purchasing decision this school year? Options: Immediate (within 30 days), This quarter, By end of semester, End of school year, Next fiscal year
• What funding sources will you use to pay for a solution (select all that apply)? Options: Title I, ESSER/ARPA, District general fund, Grant funding, School-level budgets, Other
• For each key stakeholder (Title I coordinator, curriculum director, principal), what does ‘good’ look like to them? Please name specific success signals they’d accept. Options: Higher benchmark proficiency, Documented RTI progress, Improved sub-group growth, Teacher-reported usability, Compliance with state requirements, Other (please detail)
• What evidence or artifacts do those stakeholders typically require to feel comfortable approving a new program? Options: Pilot data, Research citations, Vendor demos, Teacher testimonials, Budget impact analysis, Other

If Students Could Tell the Truth

• Describe three representative student profiles from your intervention groups (brief vignette for each: skill level, behavior, attendance).
• Which diagnostic or screeners do you use to place students into intervention groups? Options: Local benchmark assessments, NWEA MAP, DIBELS/Acadience, State interim assessments, Vendor diagnostic, None/teacher judgment
• How often do you run these diagnostics or progress-monitoring checks for students in intervention? Options: Weekly, Biweekly, Monthly, Quarterly, At benchmark windows only
• When teachers look at group rosters, what frustrates them most about the mix of skills they're expected to teach? Options: Wide skill variance, Behavioral challenges, Insufficient materials, No clear pacing, Lack of time to differentiate, Other
• Give an example of a student who was mis-placed and what it cost in time or progress—how long did it take to correct and what did you learn?

What Would 'Measurable Success' Make Feel Real?

• If someone asked you for a concrete growth target you could defend publicly, what would you propose (be specific—percentile change, scale score, benchmark passage)? Options: % proficient increase, Scale score points (state), NWEA RIT points, Percent of students meeting progress-monitoring goals, Other (please specify)
• How frequently would you need to see progress signals to feel confident a program is working? Options: Weekly, Biweekly, Monthly, Quarterly
• Which outcome measures are non-negotiable for you (select up to three)? Options: State assessment growth, Interim benchmark gains, Progress-monitoring fidelity, IEP/RTI goal attainment, Teacher adoption metrics, Student engagement metrics
• What minimum intervention minutes and staffing model are you unwilling to compromise on?
• What would success look like to your funding source (e.g., Title I) six months after a rollout? Options: Documented individual growth, Improved subgroup outcomes, Compliance paperwork completed, Cost-neutral staffing, Other

How Far Are Your Data Really From Being Actionable?

• When you try to get a single, reliable roster + assessment view, what usually breaks or is missing? Options: SIS rostering gaps, Assessment file mismatch, Slow data refresh, No single sign-on, Privacy/legal blockers, Other
• Which systems must a vendor integrate with for you to consider a pilot (select all that apply)? Options: SIS (e.g., PowerSchool, Infinite Campus), LMS (e.g., Canvas, Schoology), Assessment platform, Google/Office rostering, Single Sign-On (SAML/SSO), None required
• How quickly do you need student-level data to appear on teacher dashboards to be useful? Options: Real-time, Within the same school day, 24–48 hours, Weekly
• Do you have any district policies or family consent requirements that would restrict data sharing in a pilot? If so, please summarize.
• What would make your teachers actually use a new dashboard daily rather than it becoming another ignored login? Options: Clear action steps, Automated rostering, Embedded lesson plans, Minimal clicks to student view, Ongoing coaching, Other

What's an Easy Pilot You'll Back (—and What's a Dealbreaker)

• If we proposed a pilot that could prove impact in a semester, what would be the single most persuasive element to get buy-in? Options: Quantifiable growth targets, Low lift for teachers, Budget-neutral model, Strong research/evidence, Clear data-sharing safeguards, Other
• What is the ideal pilot size (number of schools/classrooms/students) that your leadership would approve? Options: Single school (1–3 classrooms), Multiple schools (4–10 classrooms), District-wide cohort, Grade-level pilot across buildings
• What would have to be true about teacher training and ongoing support for you to call the pilot a fair test? Options: One initial training + coaching, Weekly coaching cycles, On-demand microlearning, Teacher stipends/incentives, None of the above
• List the top three acceptance criteria you would use at pilot close to decide on scaling.
• Are there any non-starters—legal, privacy, procurement, or instructional—that would prevent you from piloting with us? Options: Student data cannot leave SIS, No vendor access to identifiable data, No pupil-level reporting allowed, Procurement cycle blocks new vendors, None of the above, Other (please explain)
• Realistically, who on your team would own the pilot and what level of time commitment could they provide weekly?

Bringing This Together: Decisions, Timelines, and Next Steps

• Given everything above, what is a realistic decision timeline we should plan toward? Options: 30 days, 60–90 days, By end of semester, By end of school year, Next fiscal year
• What internal steps do you need to complete before a pilot agreement can be signed (e.g., legal review, board approval, budget sign-off)?
• Who else should we bring into the conversation next to accelerate alignment (name/title and what you want them to weigh in on)?
• If we were to build a one-page pilot plan for you now, what three things must it include to get a quick yes?
• Finally, what concerns would you want us to address up front to make a pilot feel low-risk and high-value?

Quick Snapshot: Your Intervention Rhythm

• How many minutes of targeted intervention is a typical student scheduled to get per day (average across buildings)? Options: Less than 15 minutes, 15–20 minutes, 21–30 minutes, 31–45 minutes, More than 45 minutes, We don’t have a consistent schedule
• Which grades regularly receive district-coordinated intervention blocks? Options: K–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12, All grades, We vary by school
• Typical intervention group size (students per adult) across sites? Options: 1:1, 2–4 students, 5–8 students, 9–12 students, More than 12, Varies widely by building
• Who is usually responsible for scheduling and assigning students to intervention groups? Options: Title I coordinator, Curriculum director, Building principal, Special education/intervention specialist, Classroom teacher, Automated rostering tool, Other
• Give one recent example of an intervention week that felt close to working—what looked different?

Are we mistaking busyness for real progress?

• How confident are you that current assessments clearly identify the exact skill gaps preventing growth? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Neutral, Somewhat doubtful, Not confident at all
• Which assessment tools do you use for screening and progress monitoring? (select all that apply) Options: State interim/benchmark, District-created tests, Progress monitoring probes (e.g., CBM), Adaptive diagnostics from vendors, DIBELS/Acadience, Curriculum-embedded checks, No consistent tool
• How often are students formally progress-monitored for intervention placement and pacing? Options: Weekly, Biweekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Only at report card checkpoints, Irregular/no set cadence
• Who typically administers these assessments and interprets the results at the classroom/school level? Options: Classroom teachers, Intervention specialists, School assessment coach, Building admin, Third-party vendor, Automated system reports, Other
• Tell us about a time an assessment result surprised you—what did it miss or overstate?

What’s stealing those precious minutes?

• If you had to name one recurring scheduling practice that most often strips intervention minutes away, what would it be? Options: Pull-out conflicts with specials/PE, Testing windows, Assemblies/field trips, Coverage for absent staff, Rotating schedules per grade, Other
• How often do intervention sessions get shortened or canceled in an average week? Options: Almost every session, Often (2–3x/week), Sometimes (1x/week), Rarely, Never/consistent
• Which of these typically interrupts intervention time at your sites? (select all that apply) Options: Substitute teacher coverage, Behavior incidents, Push-in from specials, Testing or benchmark schedules, Family meetings/IEP meetings, Technology failures, Other
• What workarounds have teachers or buildings tried to protect intervention time—and did any actually stick?
• How does it feel for staff when intervention blocks are repeatedly shortened or moved? Options: Deflating/demoralizing, Frustrating but manageable, Creates urgency to find fixes, Apathy—we’ve normalized it, Other

Who’s actually running the show?

• Are the adults delivering interventions empowered to make instructional changes based on data, or do they mainly follow a prescribed script? Options: Fully empowered, Mostly empowered with limits, Follow a set program with little flexibility, Unclear who decides
• Which roles are primarily delivering interventions across your buildings? (select all that apply) Options: Intervention specialists, Classroom teachers, Special educators, Paraeducators/teaching assistants, Title I staff, Volunteers/External tutors, Vendor-led staff
• How would you rate the existing training and coaching support for staff running interventions? Options: Robust and ongoing, Sufficient for day-to-day, Minimal but improving, Inadequate/one-off, None
• What percentage of intervention staff feel confident translating assessment data into daily lesson decisions? Options: Nearly all (80–100%), Most (50–79%), Some (20–49%), Very few (<20%), We haven’t measured confidence
• Describe a recent situation where staff had to adapt instruction because a student wasn’t responding—what happened and who led the change?

If you visited three schools in the district, would you see one program or three different universes?

• How consistent are core elements (schedule, group size, assessment cadence, curriculum) across buildings? Options: Highly consistent, Mostly consistent with a few variations, Mixed—some sites consistent, others not, Very inconsistent
• Which areas show the biggest site-to-site variation? (select up to three) Options: Intervention minutes, Group composition/size, Assessment tools/cadence, Staffing qualifications, Use of curriculum/materials, Data use and follow-up, Family engagement
• What local factors drive that variability (e.g., building leadership, staffing shortages, scheduling constraints)?
• Have you tried targeted standardization (pilot or coaching) in any buildings? What changed? Options: Yes — clear gains, Yes — mixed results, Tried but didn’t stick, No, not yet
• How does variability make you feel about district-wide accountability for intervention outcomes? Options: Confident we can meet targets, Concerned but hopeful, Worried we’ll miss goals, Overwhelmed/unsure where to start

Is your data a roadmap or a riddle?

• When a teacher or coordinator wants to know whether a student is on track, can they get a single, reliable report that answers that question? Options: Yes—one clear report, Mostly—requires pulling a couple places, No—it’s fragmented across systems, We don’t have reliable progress reports
• Which systems currently hold the most important student data for intervention? (select all that apply) Options: SIS (PowerSchool, Infinite Campus, etc.), LMS (Canvas, Schoology), Vendor assessment platform, Spreadsheets/Google Sheets, Local data warehouse, Paper records, Other
• Do you have automated rostering and grade-level mapping into your intervention/assessment tools? Options: Yes—automatic and reliable, Partially—some manual steps, No—fully manual rostering, We don’t use rostering
• How quickly does new assessment data become visible to teachers (near real-time, daily, weekly, monthly)? Options: Near real-time, Within 24 hours, 1–3 days, Weekly, Monthly or longer, Not available
• Describe the most common data quality issue you face and the downstream effect it causes.

What would make this realistic to fix (if we could change one thing)?

• If you could change only one operational thing this year to unlock measurable student growth, what would it be? Options: Protect more intervention minutes, Improve assessment accuracy/cadence, Standardize intervention practice across sites, Increase teacher coaching and capacity, Improve data flows and dashboards, Secure dedicated funding/staffing
• Which of these would you be willing to pilot this school year? (select all that apply) Options: Shorter, higher-frequency diagnostics, Standardized 20–30 min intervention block, Vendor-led teacher coaching, Automatic rostering and single sign-on, District-wide fidelity checks
• What metrics would you accept as early evidence that a pilot is working (select up to three)? Options: Increased minutes delivered, Improved diagnostic placement accuracy, Faster progress monitoring gains, Higher teacher confidence/use, Reduced variability across sites, Positive teacher feedback
• What constraints would most likely block a pilot moving forward? (select all that apply) Options: Funding, Union/contract issues, Staffing shortages, Technology/integration limits, Resistance from building leaders, Competing initiatives
• Who are the essential decision-makers or champions we need to include to make a small pilot successful?
• Realistically, when could your team start a focused mapping and pilot planning process? Options: Immediately (this month), Within 1–2 months, At semester break, Next school year, Unsure — need more internal discussion

Quick Check — Who's in the Room and What Do They Need?

• Who are the people we should know by name for this rollout (role + name + best contact)?
• Which of these best describes your district’s scope for this pilot? Options: Single school, Small group of schools (2–5), Multiple schools (6–20), District-wide
• Roughly how many students and teachers will be in the pilot cohort? Options: < 50 students, 50–150 students, 151–500 students, 500+ students
• What are the top 1–2 outcomes you need this pilot to prove for your stakeholders? Options: Diagnostic accuracy, Measurable growth within pilot, Teacher usability and adoption, Compliance with data policies, Scaling plan & budget approval, Other
• Who will be the internal sponsor(s) driving approval if the pilot meets its goals (title/department)?
• How confident do you feel about your internal timeline for going from pilot to scale? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Uncertain, Not confident at all

Are We Sure Rostering Won’t Break the Pilot?

• If rostering had to fail for a week, what would that look like for teachers and students?
• Which student information systems (SIS) or rostering services are you using today? Options: Infinite Campus, PowerSchool, Skyward, Clever, ClassLink, Local SIS/Custom, No SIS / manual rostering
• How do student identifiers map across systems (e.g., state ID, local ID, email)? Options: State ID primary, Local student ID primary, Email/username primary, Mixed / inconsistent
• How often is roster data refreshed at the district/school level? Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Ad-hoc/manual updates
• Tell us about a past rostering or login problem you had—what happened and who fixed it?
• What access will our technical team need to validate rostering before the pilot (SIS admin, sample export, API keys)? Options: SIS admin account, Sample roster CSV, API credentials, Read-only export access, No access currently available

When Data Goes Silent, Who Feels It?

• If data feeds stop updating, what is the first thing that will break operationally? Options: Teacher dashboards, Progress monitoring, Billing/accounting, Compliance reporting, Other
• Which data feeds do you currently prioritize for intervention programs (attendance, assessments, behavior, demographics)? Options: Assessment scores, Attendance, Enrollment/demographics, IEP/504 flags, Behavioral incidents, Other
• Who owns the quality checks on those feeds today and how do they validate them?
• Have you ever seen mismatches between assessment IDs and class rosters? How long did it take to correct them? Options: Never, A few hours, A few days, More than a week
• What PII or student-level data fields require special handling in your district (e.g., state ID, free/reduced status, special ed flags)?
• If we asked for a secure sample data extract to validate feeds, what format and turnaround time would be realistic? Options: CSV export within 48 hours, SIS API access within 1 week, Manual export with >1 week lead, Not possible

What Happens If the Teacher Doesn't Log In?

• Who will be responsible for daily classroom-level execution of the pilot (title and number of teachers)?
• How would you rate teachers’ current comfort with blended or adaptive digital instruction? Options: Very comfortable, Somewhat comfortable, Limited experience, Resistant/needs heavy support
• Do teachers have consistent device access and schedules during intervention minutes? Options: Yes—devices and schedule are reliable, Devices available but schedules vary, Devices are limited, No devices available during intervention
• What substitute/coverage plans exist if a teacher misses pilot days, and who manages those substitutions?
• What formats of training have teachers responded to best in the past (on-site workshop, virtual live, short micro-modules, coaching)? Options: On-site workshop, Virtual live session, Self-paced micro-modules, In-class coaching, Blended approach
• Who would be the on-site or building-level champion to nudge teachers and track daily usage?

Can We Run the Pilot Without a Day of Chaos?

• If the pilot starts next week, what operational steps would absolutely have to be completed before day one? Options: Rosters finalized, Teacher training completed, Student accounts provisioned, Device checks completed, Parent communications sent
• How long does setup typically take in your environment once technical access is granted? Options: < 48 hours, 3–7 business days, 1–2 weeks, More than 2 weeks
• Which classrooms or grades are non-negotiable to include or exclude from the pilot (and why)?
• Describe the daily intervention block structure we’ll need to work within (minutes, fixed period vs pull-out, rotation model). Options: Fixed 20–30 minute block, Flexible within school day, Pull-out groups, Push-in groups, Other
• What contingency plans do you want in place if initial diagnostic sessions take longer than expected? Options: Extended diagnostic window, Staggered start by class, Additional proctors/support staff, Cancel and reschedule
• Who will approve a change to the pilot schedule mid-run if needed?

Is Privacy and Compliance Actually Settled?

• What approvals does a third‑party vendor generally require from your district before any data exchange (legal, IT, privacy officer)? Options: Legal review, IT security review, Privacy officer sign-off, Procurement approval, School board notification
• Do you already have a standard DPA or other legal template we should complete? Options: Yes—standard DPA available, We require vendor’s DPA, We negotiate each time, Not sure / need to check
• Are there specific state or local data residency or hosting restrictions we should know about? Options: Yes—state hosting required, Yes—local restrictions, No special restrictions, Unsure
• Who signs off on FERPA/PII-related safeguards in your district and how long does sign-off typically take?
• Would you prefer a vendor-provided parent notification template for the pilot or will you use district language? Options: Vendor template preferred, We will use district language, Combination / edit vendor template

If Everything Goes Right, What Does ‘Deployment-Ready’ Look Like?

• What measurable signals would make you say the pilot is successful at its midpoint? Options: Teacher login rate > X%, Diagnostic completion rate > X%, Evidence of initial student growth, Positive teacher feedback, Data integrity confirmed
• How will you measure student progress during the pilot (benchmarks, growth %, progress-monitoring cadence)? Options: Weekly progress checks, Bi-weekly, Monthly, Pre/post diagnostic only
• What acceptance criteria must be met to move from pilot to expanded rollout (choose all that apply)? Options: Pedagogical effectiveness, Technical stability, Teacher adoption thresholds, Budget approval, Integration reliability
• Who will be accountable for the post-pilot evaluation and recommendation for scale (title/department)?
• What SLA or support expectations would make you comfortable during the pilot (response time, dedicated CSM, weekly check-ins)? Options: Dedicated CSM + weekly check-ins, Support within 24 hours, Support within 48–72 hours, On-call support only
• Is there an explicit budget or funding window we need to demonstrate results within to secure scaling funds? Options: Yes—specific funding window, Budget contingent on board vote, Flexible / not fixed, Unsure

Who Owns What — Let’s Avoid Finger-Pointing

• Which person or team will be the day-to-day owner for: rostering, integrations, teacher communication, and pilot logistics?
• What internal communication cadence do you prefer during the pilot (daily standup, weekly status, ad-hoc)? Options: Daily brief standup, Twice-weekly, Weekly, Bi-weekly, Ad-hoc as issues arise
• Who should be included in escalation emails if technical issues impact classrooms?
• Are there external partners (EDS vendors, broadband providers, local tech support) who must be looped in for go-live days? Options: Yes—external partners, No external partners required, Unsure—need to confirm
• What is your preferred way for the vendor to document and share responsibilities (RACI, shared task tracker, weekly notes)? Options: RACI matrix, Shared task tracker, Weekly status notes, Project plan in PM tool

Final Gaps — What Could Still Stop Us?

• What single constraint would you say is the most likely to block the pilot (funding, tech, staffing, approvals)? Options: Funding, Technical access/integrations, Staffing/teacher bandwidth, Legal/privacy approvals, Scheduling conflicts
• Are there known device or connectivity equity issues at any pilot sites we should proactively plan around? Options: No issues, Minor issues at some sites, Significant issues at several sites, Unsure—need assessment
• What internal deadlines or external reporting requirements could force a pivot mid‑pilot?
• If we surfaced a critical risk during setup, how would you prefer we present mitigation options (recommendation + impact, multiple trade-offs)? Options: Single recommended mitigation, Multiple options with trade-offs, High-level alert then workshop
• What additional information or artifacts would help you greenlight the pilot today (sample roster, technical diagram, parent letter, training agenda)? Options: Sample roster, Technical integration diagram, Parent communication template, Teacher training agenda, Data privacy summary

Next Steps and Rapid Commitments

• Which of these pilot start windows would you prefer? Options: Within 2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 1–2 months, Flexible / TBD
• Pick your preferred teacher training format and timing for rollout preparation. Options: Single full-day on-site, Two half-day virtual sessions, Self-paced micro-modules + live Q&A, In-class coaching waves
• Are you able to provide a secure sample roster and a point-of-contact for SIS access within the chosen start window? Options: Yes—within 48 hours, Yes—within 1 week, Yes—within 2+ weeks, No / need alternative plan
• Who should receive the pilot kickoff calendar invite from our team (name, role, email)?
• Are you ready to commit to the next immediate step we recommend (technical kickoff, teacher workshop scheduling, or DPA exchange)? Options: Yes—technical kickoff, Yes—teacher workshop scheduling, Yes—DPA/legal exchange, Need internal approval first

Quick introductions — who's in the room?

• What is your primary role in this initiative? Options: Title I Coordinator, Curriculum Director, Intervention Specialist, Building Principal, District Assessment Lead, Other
• Which grades and subject areas will this intervention cover? Options: K–2 Reading, 3–5 Reading, 6–8 Reading, K–5 Mathematics, 6–8 Mathematics, Other
• How many students roughly will be in scope for initial rollout? Options: <100, 100–250, 251–500, 501–1,000, >1,000
• Who else needs to be at the table for decisions (names/roles)?
• How would you describe your district’s current approach to intervention, in one sentence?

Are we settling for patchwork solutions?

• Where do you see the biggest inconsistencies across schools when it comes to interventions? Options: Schedules and minutes, Staffing and coaching, Curriculum/program selection, Assessment use, Data interpretation, All of the above
• Tell us a specific recent example of school-to-school variation that worried you—what happened and why did it matter?
• How often do teachers deviate from the planned intervention sequence or minutes? Options: Almost always, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never
• Which of these factors most commonly drives that variability? Options: Teacher comfort/confidence, Scheduling conflicts, Lack of coaching, Materials misalignment, Student behavior, Other
• If you had to estimate, what percent of intervention groups are following an evidence-based progression consistently? Options: 0–10%, 11–30%, 31–50%, 51–75%, 76–100%
• How does that inconsistency make you feel about your ability to meet district goals? Options: Very concerned, Somewhat concerned, Neutral, Confident

What keeps you up at night about federal accountability and funding?

• How reliant is your Title I funding or reporting on showing measurable growth this year? Options: Fully reliant, Mostly reliant, Partly reliant, Not reliant
• What specific performance targets are you accountable for (state assessment, growth percentile, proficiency gaps)? Options: State assessment proficiency, Growth percentiles, Progress-monitoring targets, Chronic absenteeism, Other
• Where are you currently missing the mark on those targets—grade bands, subgroups, schools?
• If growth targets aren’t met this year, what are the likely operational or financial consequences for your programs? Options: Loss of funding, Program reductions, Increased state oversight, Reputational damage, Other
• How long have these accountability pressures been shaping your priorities? Options: This year, 1–2 years, 3–5 years, 5+ years
• Which feelings dominate when you think about reporting results (stress, urgency, cautious optimism, resignation)? Options: Stress, Urgency, Cautious optimism, Resignation, Motivation

Where do students really start — and how do you know?

• How confident are you that your current placement decisions place students at the right level of instruction? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Not confident, We don’t really have a placement process
• Which diagnostic or screening tools do you currently use to place students? Options: Vendor adaptive diagnostic, Locally developed screener, State interim, Benchmark assessments, Teacher judgment only, Other
• Describe a time when placement felt wrong—what was the cost in time or learning?
• How frequently do you re-assess placement or progress during a cycle? Options: Weekly, Bi-weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Only at benchmarks
• What percent of students typically show a meaningful mismatch between diagnostic level and classroom performance within the first 2 weeks? Options: <5%, 5–10%, 11–20%, 21–35%, >35%
• What would change for students and teachers if placement errors dropped by half?

Imagine the ideal intervention hour — what actually happens?

• If a single intervention block were working perfectly, what would students be doing and feeling halfway through that block?
• Which components are non-negotiable for that ideal hour? Options: Accurate diagnostics, Adaptive lessons, Small-group instruction, Progress-monitoring, Standards-aligned content, Teacher-facing action steps
• How many minutes of focused intervention do you consider realistic per student each day? Options: 10–15, 16–20, 21–30, 30+
• What would a teacher need to see on a dashboard mid-week to truly act with confidence? Options: Skill-level heatmap, Suggested small-groupings, Lesson-by-lesson mastery, Intervention fidelity flags, Student engagement indicators
• What constraints would make even the best-designed hour impossible to implement?
• Which student profile do you most worry about (example: ELL below grade, significant learning gap, chronic absentee)? Describe one representative profile.

What would make a pilot feel like a no-risk experiment?

• What outcomes would you require to declare a pilot successful? Options: Pre/post growth on diagnostics, Progress-monitoring meeting targets, Teacher adoption/fidelity, Improved subgroup outcomes, Positive teacher feedback
• What size pilot would give you statistical and political confidence (number of students or schools)? Options: Single school cohort, 3–5 schools, District-wide subset (25% of schools), Grade-band pilot across district, Other
• What acceptance thresholds feel credible (e.g., X point gain, Y% of students meeting growth)? Please be specific.
• How long should the pilot run before you evaluate results? Options: 4–6 weeks, 8–12 weeks, One semester, Full academic year
• What data-sharing or privacy requirements would block a pilot unless addressed up front? Options: FERPA-compliant agreements, SIS data tokens only, No student-level exports, Third-party review required, Other
• Who internally must sign off to greenlight the pilot (roles/titles)?

What would clear next steps look like for your team?

• What is your decision timeline for choosing an intervention partner? Options: Immediately, Next 30 days, 30–60 days, This semester, Next fiscal year
• Where does budget approval sit in your timeline and who controls it? Options: Site-level budget, District central office, Grants/Title I, Multiple sources
• Which integrations are mandatory before you can pilot (SIS, rostering, LMS, assessment systems)? Options: SIS rostering, Single Sign-On, State assessment upload, LMS gradebook, None
• What professional development or coaching cadence would make teachers comfortable adopting a new system? Options: One-time training, Weekly coaching for 6 weeks, Monthly coaching, On-demand resources + check-ins
• What governance or communication channels do you prefer for joint project updates? Options: Weekly project calls, Bi-weekly executive updates, Shared project workspace, Email summaries only
• If we were to take one measurable action together this week, what would make the biggest difference?