Imagine a large randomized controlled trial study of a mathematics educational intervention planned in two large urban districts. District 1 gets a new administrator and drops out. In the meantime, the state test changed, so one of the planned outcome measures is no longer usable. Teacher dropout is high. And, as the analysis is being completed, the evidence standards for judging the quality of the study are revised. Welcome to the real world of educational research in authentic settings. In this structured poster session, participants have opportunities to (a) learn about colleagues' previous struggles, stumbles, and successes, (b) discuss these experiences, and (c) begin to draft a guide for handling various challenges (known, potential, and unforeseen) of study implementation.