Notes by Ben Boerkoel, Kent ISD, based on a training by Beth Steenwyk

1. Selection of the Practice – the processes a team uses to study and understand the need and the development of a thoughtful approach to address the need. 2. Fluency with the Practice – the degree to which the team understands and knows the practice 3. Improvement Cycles – the degree to which the team focuses and intentionally engages in continuous improvement 4. Drivers of Practices – the degree to which the team understands and pays attention to how the practice is implemented

 Is this the right thing to do?  Is there a clearly identified need?  Does it fit the need?  Is it supported by evidence?  Can we do this the right way?  Do we have the resources?  Do we have the readiness, knowledge and skills?  Do we have the capacity?

Need  Is the need identified across the district, building, grade?  Has the need been identified as a critical by the school improvement process?  Is this a social/behavioral need or an academic need? Have the two been correlated?  Is there support for addressing this need?

Fit  What other initiatives must be considered?  What district/school priorities must be considered?  What priorities have been identified by the school improvement process related to student achievement?  What school-wide structures need to be considered when determining fit?  What multi-tiered system of supports must be considered for this to be effective and can they be put in place?

Evidence To what extent do school personnel have the skills required to: Examine research/scientific evidence? Analyze and use data to make decisions? Understand impact and effectiveness data? Are practices of examining data embedded in the school culture and school improvement process? What limitations of the research must be considered?

Resources  What resources will be needed? (e.g., fiscal, personnel, technology, data, training and coaching, etc.)  What current resource expenditures might require change, adjustment, or elimination?  What current practices might require change, adjustment, or elimination?

Readiness  What is the level of commitment to the practice, a commitment that will be necessary if it is to be implemented with fidelity?  What benchmarks are in place to determine readiness?  What standard of readiness are in place to ensure that personnel are ready to adopt and implement?  What system and competency benchmarks are in place to ensure readiness for implementation?  To what extent is there a culture of learning that would support the practice?

Capacity  To what extent do staff members meet the qualifications needed for implementation?  What is the decision-making process for selecting /prioritizing staff for training?  What commitment is present to build and sustain capacity, including a commitment to cost?

The degree to which the team understands and knows the practice and can identify the:  Selection of the Practice – effective processes for choosing a practice  Key Features or Core Components – the non-negotiable features of the practice. If these features are not present, you are not “doing” the practice.

 Critical components that you can observe at the classroom, building, and district level.  Ideal “gold standard”  Acceptable variations  Unacceptable variations (You need a technical expert in the practice to help define this)  Help identify the fit with current priorities and practices  Clarify the resource requirements that will be needed for implementation

 Observable at the classroom, building, and district level.  Classroom – so the teacher can interact with students as intended  Building – to support what happens at the classroom level  District – to support building and classroom implementation  Need to define the implementation standard at each level  Ideal “gold standard”  Acceptable variations  Unacceptable variations  Each level of implementation becomes a measure that can be used to assess implementation fidelity  The levels of implementation serve as a guidance for effective coaching and performance assessment

The degree to which the team focuses and intentionally engages in continuous improvement  Gather – A need uncovered is not a need understood  Study – A need considered does not design a solution  Plan – A solution designed does not make it happen  Do – Making it happen means implementing with intention, purpose, and fidelity

 Exploration  Installation  Initial Implementation  Full Operation  Innovation  Sustainability Cycle

 The implementation stages are not linear.  Taking time to explore is critical to effective implementation  Each stage requires an improvement cycle.  Implementation is not an event, it’s a process.  Ongoing wondering – Can we work to do it better so we can do it more efficiently and sustain it?

 Developing a school improvement plan is one thing.  Executing that plan is another thing.  Implementing the educational practices within that plan is yet another thing.  Monitoring and evaluating implementation is a critical thing.

 The degree to which the team understands and pays attention to how the practice is implemented.  Intentionality, Focus, and Change  The key components that “drive” the practices forward.  Competencies  Systems  Leadership

 Occur at all levels of the system but look different at each level.  Are integrated, with one driver influencing another.  Are compensatory so that if one driver is weak, another can support and compensate for a short period of time.  Require those implementing to know the Innovation (the “what”) and the Implementation (the “how”) well

Implementation requires CHANGE in  Supporting roles  Functions  Processes  Practices  Procedures at the classroom, school, and district levels of the organization.

 Leadership – What leadership capacity needs to exist to assure that the practices are implemented and maintained with accuracy and fidelity?  Competencies – What skills do people need at the classroom, building, and district level to implement this practice with accuracy and fluency/fidelity?  Organization/Systems – What infrastructure and supports need to be in place to assure that the practices can be implemented by those charged with implementation with accuracy and fidelity?

 Technical – Does the leadership have the knowledge and skills to effectively monitor and evaluate implementation and impact and to identify known (technical) solutions to issues that may arise?  Adaptive – In an effort to support the required change, does the leadership have the disposition, willingness, and knowledge to challenge assumptions and current practice and to adapt the implementation as needed without compromising fidelity?

 Selection – Who are the right people to implement and who will need training?  Training – What learning opportunities will support implementation with fidelity?  Coaching – What support will be provided for those who are implementing the practice?  Performance Assessment – What will be done to monitor fidelity of implementation and the impact on recipients of the practice?

 Data-driven Decision-Making – What type of data systems are in place to collect implementation and impact data? What are the decision-making processes and mechanisms in place to analyze data?  Leadership Support – How will leadership support successful implementation of the practice?  System Support – What internal systems are in place to support the successful implementation of the practice?  Performance Assessment - What processes and mechanisms are in place to evaluate if systems are present and fully functioning to support implementation of the practice with fidelity?

“ A poorly implemented program can lead to failure as easily as a poorly designed one. “