The policy landscape around curriculum selection and implementation is thorny: the federal government cannot mandate any state or local curricula, state policy varies widely, and local schools and districts often lack the capacity to support and sustain detailed reviews of materials and ongoing teacher training in quality curricula. Cultural and political battles around curricular content make a tough job even harder. This article describes how, despite these challenges, several states are advancing sound policies and programs to make it easier for districts to choose and use quality instructional materials, even as they preserve local control. These leading states range in size, geography, and political environment. But they demonstrate that this work can--and must--be done and that state boards of education can engage in myriad ways. Recommendations to policymakers of ways they can strengthen curriculum adoption in their states are included.