Implementation Conversations Jennifer Coffey Audrey Desjarlais Steve Goodman May 11, :00PM- 4:PM EST 1

Agenda Vision (for next few years) Supporting each other Implementation- Big Picture Beginning with effective practice Implementation Support through Leadership Team 2

Vision What is the purpose of this group?, What do we hope to accomplish? 3

How can we support each other in achieving this Vision? Possibilities… –Continued discussions every other month with conference calls –Providing structured activities, application of implementation science to your current work –Breakfast meeting at Project Director’s Conference 4

Your Turn Think of an “unsuccessful” initiative that you have been involved in or you are familiar with…what were contributing factors to this? A.Lack of staff capacity to implement with fidelity B.The organization did not provide sufficient supports for staff C.There was a lack of information to improve the implementation process D.There was a lack of effective leadership E.Other 5

The NIRN Fixsen, D. L., Naoom, S. F., Blase, K. A., Friedman, R. M. & Wallace, F. (2005). Implementation Research: A Synthesis of the Literature. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, The National Implementation Research Network (FMHI Publication #231). Implementation Research: A Synthesis of the Literature © Dean Fixsen, Karen Blase, Robert Horner, George Sugai,

Installation Exploration Initial Implementation Full Implementation Innovation Practices Supports Sustained Successful Outcomes Main Ideas of Implementation Research 7

Two components that when combined, result in successful and sustainable outcomes Program/Initiative (Innovation) –Set of evidence-based practices –Selected on: Need, Fit, Resource Availability, Evidence, Readiness for Replication, Capacity to Implement Supporting Infrastructure (Implementation) –Ensuring that the interventions are implemented correctly with the “right people”, at the “right time”, in the “right amounts” (Implementation Fidelity) 8

Much time and resources have been invested into improving student outcomes at the building, district, and county levels. After all this effort, a major concern is how do we sustain implementation with staff change over or within new settings? 9

Practice Selection 10

Your Turn How do your schools choose the practices to implement? A.Mandated by District/State B.Careful review of research and fit to student need C.Popular approach of school culture D.“Pet project” of influential individual(s) E.Other 11

It is important to Choose the “Right” Practice –Based on need, documented effectiveness, and “goodness of fit” –Some practices are chosen for you We need to help practitioners see how the chosen practices address need, documented and “goodness of fit” 12

Practice Selection Considerations Need Fit Resource Availability Evidence Intervention Readiness for Replication Capacity to Implement 13

Practice Selection: TOOL TOOL 14

We find it helpful to create policy statements around categories of selection for educational practice Standard Practices are those used regularly as part of on-going educational efforts. Emerging Practices are ideas, curricula, programs, or procedures that have a reasonable likelihood to improve the core outcomes of education in schools in the LEA, but have not yet met the criteria to be a Scalable Practice. Scalable Practices are innovations that have sufficient practical verification and scientific validation to warrant the large-scale investment needed to transform these practices into Standard Practice within [LEA] schools. 15

“Discovering what works does not solve the problem of program effectiveness. Once models and best practices are identified, practitioners are faced with the challenge of implementing programs properly. A poorly implemented program can lead to failure as easily as a poorly designed one.” - Mihalic, Irwin, Fagan, Ballard & Elliott,

Implementation Drivers 17

Core Implementation Components © Fixsen & Blase, 2008 Successful Student/Family Outcomes Competency Drivers Organization Drivers Leadership Program/Initiative (set of practices) How: What: Why: 18

Core Implementation Components © Fixsen & Blase, 2008 Successful Student/Family Outcomes Competency Drivers Organization Drivers Leadership Program/Initiative (set of practices) Capacity to provide direction/vision of process Staff capacity to support students/families with the selected practices Institutional capacity to support staff in implementing practices with fidelity 19

From “The Checklist Manifesto” We have accomplished stupendous know-how. We have put it in the hands of some of the most highly trained, highly skilled, and hard working people in our society. Nonetheless…the volume and complexity of what we know has exceeded our individual ability to deliver its benefits correctly, safely, or reliably. Atul Gawande,

Leadership/ Implementation Support Teams 21

Leadership and Implementation Team Both are necessary and either one without the other is insufficient for producing noticeable changes in education and student outcomes. “Leadership” consists of those individuals with policy and management expertise who are responsible for oversight and supports for sustaining and improving student education in all schools in a “District.” “Implementation” involve special expertise to help create and sustain school-based resources to assure that each teacher and staff person is using designated education innovations fully and effectively. 22

Local Demonstration Schools Implementation Support Implementation Drivers Feedback Cycles Improvement Cycles Implementation Support Implementation Drivers Feedback Cycles Improvement Cycles Leadership Support Provide Visibility Provide Political Support Provide Funding Provide Vision Provide Allocation of Resources Leadership Support Provide Visibility Provide Political Support Provide Funding Provide Vision Provide Allocation of Resources Leadership Team Active Coordination and Management Content Expertise Understanding of critical features of the priority evidence-based practice Theory and Practice Content Expertise Understanding of critical features of the priority evidence-based practice Theory and Practice 23

Various Levels of Leadership Team Work 1.Preparing for and Organization of Leadership Team 2.Creating Readiness for Local Implementation –Developing commitment (priority) –Develop or enhance infrastructure (local team structures) 3.Implementation –Developing implementation capacity –Focus on fidelity 4.Scale-Up/Sustainability 24

Organization of Leadership Team Conduct discovery or exploratory work to clarify the shared context and identify collective the purpose(s) of the work. Establish meeting dates and times as well as the meeting locations for the year. Try to keep meeting times consistent (e.g., second Tuesday each month or after the monthly ISD administration meeting. Leadership teams meet at a minimum of four times per year. 25

Your Turn Please look at the Leadership Implementation Support Team Self-Assessment…Please look at the Leadership Implementation Support Team Self-Assessment… What existing structure (e.g., committee, team, etc) do you have in place that currently serves (or could serve) the function of a leadership and implementation support team?What existing structure (e.g., committee, team, etc) do you have in place that currently serves (or could serve) the function of a leadership and implementation support team? 26

BUILDING STAFF & STUDENTS Cascading System of Supports Providing supports for effective practices implemented with fidelity Providing feedback and data on implementation efforts District Team BUILDING TEAM DISTRICT TEAM ISD TEAM STATE TEAM 27

Framework for Addressing Practice and Supports 28

Braiding School Building and District Initiatives 29

System Change “For every increment of performance I demand from you, I have an equal responsibility to provide you with the capacity to meet that expectation” (R. Elmore, 2002) 30