Since the inception of a new curriculum in a northeastern school district, reading proficiency scores remained low, and the district had not explored teacher experiences and challenges with the implementation of the new curriculum. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the experiences and challenges of third grade teachers when implementing the new required reading curriculum. The concerns based adoption model (CBAM) formed the conceptual framework for this study because it was designed to elicit concerns regarding implementing new programs. A purposeful sample of 12 third grade teachers utilizing the new curriculum for at least one year within the local school district was used to collect data. Participants were interviewed to identify the concerns, challenges, and experiences with implementing a new reading curriculum. Data were analyzed thematically, resulting in five themes: lack of collaborative learning and classroom support, time management of nonacademic requirements, concerns regarding professional development, navigating curriculum complexity, and concerns about curriculum alignment. Results indicated teachers were concerned about managing tasks associated with implementing the curriculum and how their actions impact students\u27 learning. The resulting project was a 3-day professional development to support the implementation of the curriculum and develop a network of community learners. Implications for potential positive social change included providing school leaders with data to assist them in making systemic changes before and during implementation of a reading curriculum to improve student progress in reading proficiency
