1. Coaches Conference November 2, 2011
Coaches Conference
November 2, 2011

2. Key Points for Today Where are we going with the project?
What is the value we add to schools and districts?
How do we apply implementation science to achieve our goals?
How does coaching fit within our project plan?

3. Where are we going?

4. Emphasis of MiBLSi Work Over Time
Focus on providing direct PD and TA to Implementers (Team Training, Focus Training)
Focus on providing direct PD and TA to Implementers (Team Training, Focus Training)
MiBLSi develop capacity for project implementation
Focus on providing direct PD and TA to Implementers (Team Training, Focus Training)
MiBLSi develop regional capacity for MiBLSi regional implementation
Focus on providing direct PD and TA to Implementers and cascading levels of support
MiBLSi develop local capacity for LEA/ISD implementation
Focus on providing direct PD and TA to cascading levels of support
LEA/ISD develop local capacity for LEA/ISD implementation

5. Unit of Change vs. Unit of Support
Focus on outcomes at the building level
Process, Systems, Student
Support at District Level
Investing in the Intermediate School Districts/Local School Districts which will serve and support individual schools.
Participation will be strengthened at the district/ISD level, by developing contingencies and systems to support high levels of implementation and ongoing support at the school level.

6. Vision at ISD Level 47 of 57 ISD (80%) will have … RtI coordinator
Implementation Team
Cabinet level support
Effective/efficient data systems for collecting, storing and analyzing data at district level
District trainers
Coaching structures

7. Vision at District Level
319 of 798 LEAs/PSAs (40%) will have the ability to support implementation of an integrated behavior and reading RtI model. This support may involve partnering with ISD in implementation efforts or district implementation independent of ISD resulting in educators access to..
RtI coordinator
Implementation Team
Cabinet level support
Effective/efficient data systems for collecting, storing and analyzing data at district level
District trainers
Coaching structures

8. Vision at Building Level
1595 of 4192 schools (38%) would have the potential to be supported by district implementation of an integrated behavior and reading multi-tiered model of supports.

10. People see change as an event: “But we just changed last year.
“Stop asking me if we’re almost there; we’re Nomads, for crying out loud.”

11. We are on a journey…
Our destination is to be the best program in the nation!
Thank you for the passion, expertise and competency to get us there!

12. What is the value we add to schools and districts?

13. It’s what we do…
MiBSLi creates capacity for an integrated Behavior and Reading Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) that can be implemented with fidelity, is sustainable over time and utilizes data-based decision making at all levels of implementation support.

14. MiBLSi is accomplishing its mission of helping schools implement Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) with a two-pronged approach:
Working with school building teams to implement effective MTSS practices
Working with school districts/ISDs to, in-turn, work with their schools teams to implement effective MTSS practices.
Building local implementation capacity

15. MiBLSi Value-Added Work System
Feedback
Management/Coordination
Stakeholders/Funders
Resources
Investments:
Funding
Visibility
Political support
Capital
People
Materials
Information
Returns:
Addressing critical issues (Discipline/Ethnicity)
Addressing program directives (State Performance Plan)
Work Systems:
Providing the RtI practices and the supports for the these practices to take place successfully within schools and districts
. Given the current economic environment, it is more important than ever that we wisely invest in practices that demonstrate successful outcomes. Additionally, we need to be good stewards of the resources made available to us. We understand that schools/district can choose to implement RtI on their own or choose another RtI program. It is important that we focus on the “value added” through participation with MiBLSi. This value comes from experience in developing RtI skills and practices that have been implemented across time, locations, and various populations. Added to this is an emphasis on ensuring that structures are in place to successfully support implementation of RtI practices. If MiBLSi is to improve and scale-up, we need to be cognizant of what brings educators into the program and why they continue on. Below is a graphic representation of the MiBLSi value added system. It is important to note that the concept of “value added” is strongly related to the feedback from the stakeholders and the consumers of MiBLSi.
Consumers (schools, districts, ISDs)
Technical Assistance
Professional Learning
Evaluation
Financial
Valued RtI Products/ Services

16. How do we apply implementation science to achieve our goals?

17. Implementation Science
Longitudinal Studies of a Variety of Comprehensive School Reforms
Effective Interventions
Actual Supports
Years 1-3
Outcomes
Years 4-5
Every Teacher Trained
Fewer than 50% of the teachers received some training
Fewer than 10% of the schools used the CSR as intended
Every Teacher Continually Supported
Fewer than 25% of those teachers received support
Vast majority of students did not benefit
Aladjem, D. K., & Borman, K. M. (2006, April). Summary of Findings from the National Longitudinal
Evaluation of Comprehensive School Reform. Paper presented at the Annual meeting of the American
Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA.
Vernez, G., Karam, R., Mariano, L. T., & DeMartini, C. (2006). Evaluating comprehensive school reform models at scale:
Focus on implementation. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.
Aladjem & Borman, 2006; Vernez, Karam, Mariano, & DeMartini, 2006

18. The NIRN Implementation Research: A Synthesis of the Literature
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). 
© Dean Fixsen, Karen Blase, Robert Horner, George Sugai, 2008 18

19. 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)

20. Summary: Prevention and Intervention
Educators are
Students are doing the best they can given their skills/abilities and the quality of their environment
Teach
Prevent
Encourage
adapted from Durand 1990

21. An analogy of implementation stages
When you read the album cover, it appears that all track are equal in duration. When you actually look at the record you see that the tracks vary in duration. Additionally, even went moving through the tracks (stages) a scratch may cause you to be stuck in one location for awhile and a bump may send you to an earlier track.

22. Stages of Implementation
Focus
Stage
Description
Exploration/Adoption
Decision regarding commitment to adopting the program/practices and supporting successful implementation.
Installation
Set up infrastructure so that successful implementation can take place and be supported. Establish team and data systems, conduct audit, develop plan.
Initial Implementation
Try out the practices, work out details, learn and improve before expanding to other contexts.
Elaboration
Expand the program/practices to other locations, individuals, times- adjust from learning in initial implementation.
Continuous Improvement/Regeneration
Make it easier, more efficient. Embed within current practices.
Should we do it!
Work to do it right!
Implementation is not an event
A mission-oriented process involving multiple decisions, actions, and corrections
Work to do it better!

23. Implementation Drivers Capacity Competency
Successful Student Outcomes
Implementation Drivers
Program/Initiative
(set of practices that are implemented with Fidelity)
Staff competency to support students/families with the selected practices
Organizational capacity to support staff in implementing practices with fidelity
Capacity
Competency
There are three categories of Implementation Drivers: Leadership, Capacity and Competency.
When these core components are in place they provide the support to a successful implementation that will be sustained.
Competency Drivers are mechanisms that help to develop, improve, and sustain one’s ability to implement an intervention to benefit students. Competency Drivers include: Selection, Training, Coaching, and Performance Assessment
Organization Drivers are mechanisms to create and sustain hospitable organizational and systems environments for effective educational services. Organization Drivers include: Decision Support Data System, Facilitative Administration, and Systems Intervention
Leadership
Implementation Drivers
Ability to provide direction/vision of process
Adapted from Fixsen & Blase, 2008

24. Competency Capacity Leadership Successful Student/Family Outcomes
Why:
Program/Initiative
(set of practices implemented with fidelity)
What:
Staff competency to support students/families with the selected practices
Organizational capacity to support staff in implementing practices with fidelity
Adaptive
Capacity
Competency
Technical
Integrated
and Compensatory
How:
There are three categories of Implementation Drivers: Leadership, Capacity and Competency.
When these core components are in place they provide the support to a successful implementation that will be sustained.
Competency Drivers are mechanisms that help to develop, improve, and sustain one’s ability to implement an intervention to benefit students. Competency Drivers include: Selection, Training, Coaching, and Performance Assessment
Organization Drivers are mechanisms to create and sustain hospitable organizational and systems environments for effective educational services. Organization Drivers include: Decision Support Data System, Facilitative Administration, and Systems Intervention
Leadership
Ability to provide direction/vision of process
Adapted from Fixsen & Blase, 2008

25. Elaboration Defined
Expand the program/practices to other locations, individuals, times- adjust from learning in initial implementation

26. Elaboration
Replications across more and/or different settings (improvements for model demonstrations)
Scaling-Up
Begin with transformation zones
Learn from these zones to develop structures and procedures to scale
Expand implementation within these structures to address implementation in <60% schools/districts

27. Replications
Through each replication, we become more clear in our implementation efforts

28. “Scaling up is defined as having enough of something so that it is useful. Scaling up is the process of moving from “exemplars” to the “typical.” The process of scaling involves the development of organizational capacity to move from exemplars sustained by extra-ordinary supports, to typical application with typical supports”.
“Scaling up is defined as having enough of something so that it is useful. Scaling up is the process of moving from “exemplars” to the “typical.” The process of scaling involves the development of organizational capacity to move from exemplars sustained by extra-ordinary supports, to typical application with typical supports. While there is no firm agreement about the level at which “scaling” is achieved, we hypothesize that an organization (district) has reached the “tipping point” for functional scaling when approximately 40% of the units in the organization are implementing a practice with fidelity. At that point, the education system would have changed to provide typical supports for evidence-based practices across the (district).” Fixsen et al 2008
Fixsen et al 2008

29. Supporting Implementation Changes over time
Support for your first 50 schools (model demonstrations)
Support for your first 500 schools (learning how to scale and support implementation in complex systems)
Support for scaling and beyond (becoming standard practice of how we do education)

30. Leadership Function AND Implementation Supports Function
Provides the foundations needed for practice(s) to “foster and grow”
Implementation Support
Provides the support to ensure practice(s) are implemented with fidelity
Durability

31. Transformation Zone = “Zone of Discomfort”
In the transformation zone, reflective feed back and feed forward loops are embedded in implementation, organization change, and system transformation methods. A key guiding principle for scaling up involves, defining, strengthening, and aligning the interfaces between and among different operating/ system components by increasing the flow of relevant and reflective two-way-information.
Figure 1: System and Service Transition and Transformation
Figure 1 depicts the transformation zone as the place to transition from “what is” (the left hand side) to “what is envisioned” (the right hand side). We thank Steve Goodman in Michigan for developing this diagram and for dubbing the transformation zone as the “zone of discomfort” in recognition of the difficulties inherent in changing the ways of work among teachers, building administrators, district staff, individuals and leaders within the state education system, and parents and stakeholders.
Transformation Zone = “Zone of Discomfort”

32. Realities we Face
Current fiscal challenges will likely remain for next 5-10 years.
We need to focus on ways to produce higher achievement with equal or lower cost than the present system.
We need to do a better job of taking what we know works, and implementing it in our schools and classrooms.
We need to be more intentional in supporting the implementation of evidence-based practices

33. What does a coach do in the MiBLSi Model?

34. Individual vs. Systems
Individual coaching (sometimes referred to instructional coaching)
Enhancing the skills of the individual performer (teacher, principal) around MTSS practices for fidelity and effectiveness
Systems coaching (e.g., team coaching)
Enhancing the skills of individuals within an group (team) around their collective practices for implementing/managing MTSS

35. Coaching Purpose
Enhance the implementation fidelity of Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS)
Establish capacity for efficient and sustainable implementation of MTSS
To impact student outcomes in meaningful ways

36. Roles & Responsibilities Defined
Coaches are there to increase the fluency and judgment of teachers and staff with respect to the intervention
Coaches also are generalists – anything that impacts the ability of the teacher/staff to implement well or improve becomes part of the coaching agenda
(c) Dean Fixsen and Karen Blase, 2009

37. Coaching: Communication
The coach’s role is to communicate with a variety of key stakeholders within the implementation process as well as facilitate the development of effective feedback loops within the school system. Coaches should plan, assist, and encourage the Leadership Team to develop feedback loops between the Leadership Team and:
Central Office, and School Board
School Staff (including paraprofessionals, itinerants, specials teachers, substitutes, playground and lunch staff, etc…)
School Workgroups focusing on reading, behavior, school improvement, and supporting a multi-tier model of student support.
Parents and Community Members

38. Coaching: Organization
“Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it.” 
The coach’s role is to keep the leadership team focused and moving forward through the stages of implementation by providing modeling and prompts for work that needs to be completed. Creating systems or suggestions for organizing the data, action planning tools, and for structuring meetings. The role of the coach is to scaffold these organizational supports by modeling, practicing and providing feedback related to the team’s organization in a purposeful manner that allows for a gradual release of responsibilities from the coach to the team.

39. Coaching: Technical Assistance
Technical assistance provides guidance to move forward through stages of implementation in a purposeful skill building process to allow for the gradual release of responsibility from the coach to the team while ensuring the building of capacity. This may involve specific suggestions for action planning and task completion. Coaches may need to model a data-based decision making process or may need to provide help with specific implementation tools such as conducting assessments and using this information in action planning. This may also involve the coach as a “performance technologist” in identifying and addressing performance problems regarding implementation of the identified practices with fidelity.

40. Coaching: Reinforcement
It is critical that coaches provide staff, faculty and administration recognition for accomplishments, especially when these individuals are faced with implementing a new set of skills or using skills that are not at a fluent level

41. Coaching introduction and expectations

42. Specific Expectations
Attend and participate in team training
Meet with your team(s) at least monthly
Provide technical assistance as needed
Monitor and report on team efforts
Team Checklists
Self-Assessment Survey
Present on MTSS at district levels.
Assist district to build capacity for sustained implementation (re-define your role over time)

43. Misunderstandings Around Data

44. Best Practices Use Decision-Support Data Systems
Use of Implementation Data
Teacher data to assess quality of Coaching
Teacher fidelity,
Skill acquisition
Practice Profile Data
Teacher data to interpret intervention outcomes
Use of Intervention Data – Student Outcomes
Correlation with Fidelity measures
Correlation with frequency and quality of coaching
Types of Supervision
Group supervision, Individual supervision, Peer supervision
Design a Supervision Service Delivery Plan
Use multiple sources of information for feedback
Multiple data for supervision - Types of information sources:
In person observations- Supervisor goes with practitioner to the setting
Observations of the skills in context….that is how consultation teaches clinical judgment. IN CONTEXT…training is context limited
Audio, Video
Second-hand (based on self-report)
Fidelity Checklists-Fidelity and Process data (adherence to structure…# in-home visits, amt of face to face time, topics covered, amount of practice)
May involve data collection and reporting to Agency Team
Process data - #/% of groups held as scheduled
Youth satisfaction with the groups
- Intermediate Outcome data (# of drop outs, # sessions missed, pre/post measures)
- Consumer satisfaction and observations (MST - TAMS, Teaching-Family Model consumer satisfaction across domains)
Record reviews
Provide regular feedback internally to Recruitment, Selection, Training, Staff Evaluation and Program Evaluation Systems
Develop accountability structures for Supervision – Supervise the Supervisor!
Regular satisfaction feedback from employees
Regular review of adherence to Supervision Service Delivery Plan
Use information to interpret outcome data
(c) Dean Fixsen and Karen Blase, 2004

45. How does coaching fit within our project plan?

46. 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)
Elmore, R. (2002). Bridging the gap between standards and achievement: The imperative for professional development in education. Washington, DC: The Albert Shanker Institute.

47. How is support provided?
Provides guidance, visibility, funding, political support for MiBLSi
Students
Building Staff
Building Leadership Team
LEA District Leadership Team
Across State
Multiple District/Building Teams
All staff
All students
Multiple schools w/in local district
Who is supported?
How is support provided?
Provides guidance, visibility, funding, political support
Provides coaching for District Teams and technical assistance for Building Teams
Provides guidance and manages implementation
Provides effective practices to support students
Improved behavior and reading
ISD Leadership Team
Regional Technical Assistance
Michigan
Department of Education/MiBLSi Leadership
Multiple schools w/in intermediate district
It is important to identify the unit of implementation that will be coached
MiBLSi Statewide Structure of Support

48. Implementation Supports
District Cabinet
District Implementation Team
Vision
Policy
Providing for implementation supports (coaching, training, evaluation)
Barrier busting
Create materials
Collect and summarize data
Identify barriers to implementation
Liaison
Coordination
District RtI Coordinator
Implementation Supports
Direction
Training
Coaching
Content Expertise
Materials
Evaluation
Coordinations between the Cainet and the Implementation Planning Team includes communication around four variable:
Need to know
Nice to know
Don’t need to know
Need to act on
Schools

49. Competency Capacity Leadership Adaptive Technical Integrated
Successful Student Outcomes
Program/Initiative
(set of practices that are implemented with Fidelity)
Incentives
Coaching
Resources
Adaptive
Capacity
Training
Competency
Information
Technical
Integrated
and Compensatory
Decision Support Data System
Selection
There are three categories of Implementation Drivers: Leadership, Capacity and Competency.
When these core components are in place they provide the support to a successful implementation that will be sustained.
Competency Drivers are mechanisms that help to develop, improve, and sustain one’s ability to implement an intervention to benefit students. Competency Drivers include: Selection, Training, Coaching, and Performance Assessment
Organization Drivers are mechanisms to create and sustain hospitable organizational and systems environments for effective educational services. Organization Drivers include: Decision Support Data System, Facilitative Administration, and Systems Intervention
Leadership
Facilitative
Administration
Vision
Management/Coordination
Adapted from Fixsen & Blase, 2008

50. We need to establish host environments that support adoption, sustained use, & expansion of evidence-based practices
(Zins & Ponti, 1990)
We need to create systems within the school to support sustainability. 50

51. Coaching for Competence refers to an ongoing professional development process designed to…
Ensure Implementation and Fidelity
Acquire and improve the skills and abilities needed to implement an Evidence-Based Practice with fidelity or another well-defined innovation with as intended
Generalize new and fragile skills to real world settings (classrooms, hallways, team meetings)
Develop Professional Judgment
Developing a conceptual understanding of the core elements of the Evidence-Based Practice processes or the core elements of the practices associated with the intervention (focus on function of key program features)
(c) Dean Fixsen and Karen Blase, 2009

52. Comparison of Schoolwide Evaluation Tool (SET) Scores after training and after MiBLSi Implementation
For 6 elementary schools

53. Effects of Coaching on PBIS Team Implementation Checklist Results
Here are two sets of five schools. Each were presented with positive behavior support training on Universal Presention strategies

54. Intensity of Supports Based on Need and Experience
Skills
New
Established
Context
High Level Intensity
Mid-level Intensity
Familiar
Low Level Intensity
Familiar Context and Established Skills:
More rapid implementation with less skillful supports required – but still need to address Implementation Drivers
New Context and New Skills:  
Requires all we know about implementation best practices, with skillful supports built into the new context (e.g. Regional Implementation Teams, excellent coaching for competence, Drivers best practices)   
from K. Blase, 2009

55. How are coaches supported within MiBLSI?

57. How are supported? Annual coaches conference Regional coaches meeting
Sessions at state implementer’s conference
Tools and materials

58. Implementation Guide (Practice Profiles)
Identifies critical components
For each critical component:
Identifies gold standard
Identifies acceptable variations in practice
Identifies ineffective practices and undesirable practices
Adapted from the work of W. David Tilly III, and Heartland Area Education Agency 11, Iowa
Tilly, September 2008

59. Providing Conceptual Feedback
Whenever possible, coaching should involve providing “Conceptual” feedback regarding the “Big Ideas” of the practice or intervention
Make the general point first then illustrate it with examples from data sources (Practice Profile rubric data, permanent products, student data, observational data)
The alternative feedback method would involve “Blow by Blow” – Review of work products, or work samples (e.g. videotape) to point out instances of effective implementation and to give advice (reflect together) on alternatives – step by step --- interaction by interaction.
(c) Dean Fixsen and Karen Blase, 2009

60. Unacceptable Variation Description of implementer behavior
Practice Profiles
Each critical component is a heading
Each level of implementation becomes a dimension on the rubric associated with that critical component.
The conversations about the Profile serve as the fodder for Coaching
Drastic
Mutation
Critical Component
Ideal Implementation
Acceptable Variation
Unacceptable Variation
Critical Component 1:
Description
Description of implementer behavior
Adapted from work of the
Heartland Area Education Agency 11, Iowa
Tilly, September 2008

61. Practice Profile: Building Leadership Team Example

62. Practice Profile: District Leadership Team Example

63. Effective Coaching Summary
Initiate the Relationship Effectively
Clear roles and mutual responsibilities
Create and Maintain a Positive Relationship
10:1 Ratio of Positives to Criticism
Let the data tell the story!
Use Personalized Rationales
Be Gentle - Initial Praise and Empathy
Coach Conceptually
Name the big idea first then give examples

64. Issue Invitations that match where the person is
Pre-Contemplation
Contemplation
Preparation for Action
Action
Offer Anticipatory Guidance = “pre-correct”
Focus on Continuous Improvement
Be Willing to face the Challenge!
Get Better - Coaches need coaching and support