1. Investing in local implementation capacity: Statewide scale up a multi-tiered school reform model for fidelity and sustainability
Kim St. Martin
Assistant Director, MiBLSi
Steve Goodman
Director, MiBLSi
OSEP Project Directors’ Conference
July 2013
Investing in local implementation capacity: Statewide scale up a multi-tiered school reform model for fidelity and sustainability
miblsi.cenmi.org

2. Session Description
This session describes a scale-able and durable statewide model that emphasizes data-based decision making around
Student outcomes,
Implementation fidelity of effective reading and behavior support practices, and
Organizational structures of supports.
Strategic planning focuses on developing intermediate and local school district capacity to implement with durability in a self-modifying system. Suggestions for scaling-up will be provided.

3. What is MiBLSi?
A statewide structure to create capacity for an integrated Behavior and Reading Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) that can be implemented with fidelity, is sustainable over time and utilizes data-based decision making at all levels of implementation support

4. Participating Schools
The Early Years
2009 Schools (150)
2006 Schools (50)
2007 Schools (165)
2008 Schools (95)
2004 Schools (21)
2005 Schools (31)
Participating Schools
2000 Model Demonstrations (5)
This slides illustrates moving from model demonstration schools to replication schools. Note that it is more likely to replicate in areas of the state where earlier demonstrations have previously been established. 4

5. 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

6. Replications Replications
Note: the ducks at the end of the row are less clear that the closest ducks (most recent) as we continue each iteration in replications re become clearer in the work we do
Through each replication, we become more clear in our implementation efforts

7. Why we moved from school to district model…
Schools do not always get to criteria for fidelity of implementation.
Schools do not always maintain implementation efforts
Supporting a school based participation model cannot be scaled and is not durable as district based

8. 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

9. Two Categories of Work Access to Effective Practices
Ensuring that students (staff) have access to effective practices in an integrated behavior and reading Multi-Tiered System of Supports
Practices are selected based on: Need, Fit, Resource Availability, Evidence, Readiness for Replication, Capacity to Implement
Support for the Practices
Ensuring that the interventions are implemented correctly with the “right people”, at the “right time”, in the “right amounts” (Implementation Fidelity)

10. Moving from Model Demonstration to Standard Practice
Modifying System for Standard Practice
Examine Feasibility/Efficacy of Practice Being Developed
Embed w/in existing work: Provide access as current practice
Model Demonstration: Does it Work in a specific setting with a specific population?
Replications:
Can it be reproduced in different settings with different populations?
Scale-Up:
Increase “reach” of practice to critical mass of implementation
Invest heavily in resources to produce results
Utilize typical/existing resources

11. Vision for Supporting Scaling MTSS Across Michigan
Local capacity to support implementation of MTSS with fidelity will be developed and provided within …
47 of 57 Intermediate School Districts (approx. 80%)
319 of 798 Local Education Agencies (approx. 40%)
1595 or 4192 schools (approx. 38%)
Local capacity support means…
MTSS Coordination
Implementation Team
Cabinet level (executive leadership) support
Effective/efficient data systems for collecting, storing and analyzing data at district level
District trainers (training capacity)
Coaching structures (coaching capacity and systems for coaching to occur in an on-going way)

12. Vision for Supporting Scaling MTSS Across Michigan Continued
“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

13. MiBLSi add value by providing to districts assistance to address…
Michigan School Improvement Framework
ESEA Flexibility Waiver
State Board of Education policy on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
Matt’s Safe School Law (bully prevention)
Drop Out Prevention
State Board of Education Policy on Seclusion and Restraint
State Board of Education Resolution to Address School Discipline Issues Impacting Student Outcomes
State Board of Education Professional Learning Policy, Standards and Guidance
Disproportionality in race and discipline
MiBLSi collaborates with ISDs to develop local capacity in supporting constituent districts as they work to successfully implement an integrated behavior and reading MTSS model. MiBLSi professional development materials, resources and technical assistance align with the following mandates, priorities and policies of the State of Michigan Department of Education:

14. What makes a program scale-able or scale-worthy?
Your Turn
Your Turn
What makes a program scale-able or scale-worthy?

15. MiBLSi Value-Added Work System
Political
Regulatory/Legal
Economy
Geography
Society/Culture
Environmental Factors
MiBLSi Value-Added Work System
Receivers
Stakeholders/Funders
Determine worth
Management/Coordination
Capital
Resources
People
Materials
Information
Work Systems:
Providing the MTSS practices and the supports for the these practices to take place successfully within schools and districts
Financial
Evaluation
Professional Learning
Technical Assistance
MiBLSi Value-Added Work System
Investments:
Funding
Visibility
Political support
This 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.
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 MTSS on their own or choose another MTSS program. It is important that we focus on the “value added” through participation with MiBLSi. This value comes from experience in developing MTSS 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 MTSS 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.
Returns:
Addressing critical issues (Discipline/Ethnicity)
Addressing program directives (State Performance Plan)
Consumers schools, districts,
ISDs/RESAs
Valued MTSS Products/ Services
Priority, Plan, Formative Assessment, Continuous Improvement, Risk Management

16. Technical Assistance Regions
Provides technical assistance and information dissemination to Intermediate School Districts (ISDs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) within a regional structure
This slide displays a map of Michigan with the state sectioned off into various regions for the purpose of providing technical assistance

17. Developing Organizational Infrastructure

18. Transformation Zone: Make it easy to change
Transformational Process: Developing “Host Environments” for MTSS Implementation with Fidelity
Existing System of Practice
Transformation Zone: Make it easy to change
Desired System of Practice: Make it easy to sustain
This figure 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 call the transformation zone 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.
Implementation Teams
Analyze existing system of practice
Develop Plan
Coordinate and monitor Create/modify materials
Identify barriers to implementation
Modify plan for continuous improvement
Adjust system to address new challenges/pressures to implementation fidelity
Coordinate and monitor

19. Statewide Structure of Support
Provides guidance, visibility, funding, political support for MiBLSi
Students
Building Staff
Building Leadership Team
LEA District Cabinet and Implementation Team
Across State
Multiple ISD/LEA Teams
All staff
All students
Multiple schools w/in local district
Provides guidance, visibility, funding, political support, and implementation supports
Provides coaching and TA for LEA and/or ISD Teams
Provides guidance and manages implementation
Provides effective practices to support students
Improved behavior and reading
ISD Cabinet and Implementation Team
Regional Technical Assistance
Michigan
Department of Education/MiBLSi Leadership
Multiple LEAs w/in intermediate district
Who is supported?
Statewide Structure of Support
This stair step of a cascading system illustrates that there are units within educational systems that build upon each other and are connected through feedback loops and mechanisms of support
How is support provided?
Statewide Structure of Support

20. Feedback Loops Successful Student Outcomes Feedback Loops
Develop Organizational Structures
Schools effectively implementing MTSS Practices
Successful Student Outcomes
Inputs
Outcomes
Outcomes
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.
Develop Staff Competencies
Feedback Loops
Based on formative and summative measures
Compared with external standards set by stakeholders/consumers and also internal standard set by project
Feedback Loops

21. Leadership Function of District Teams
Cabinet Level Team
Implementation
Planning Team
Vision
Political support
Priority
Visibility
Allocation of resources
Barrier busting 1
Collect, summarize, evaluate data
Develop district plan
Coordinate and monitor plan
Create/modify materials and tools
Identify barriers to implementation
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 3
Coordination 2

22. Implementation Supports
District Model
Cabinet Team
Implementation Team
Vision
Political support
Priority
Visibility
Allocation of resources
Barrier busting
Collect, summarize, & eval data
Develop plan
Coordinate/monitor plan
Create/modify materials
Identify barrier
Liaison
Coordination
MTSS Coordinator
Implementation Supports
Direction
Training
Coaching
Content Expertise
Materials
Evaluation
Coordinations between the Cabinet 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
Schools
District Model

23. Your Turn
Your Turn
What are critical components necessary to ensure sustainable implementation?

24. Supporting Implement Fidelity

25. Logic of MiBLSi
Emphasis is on developing local implementation capacity
Partnership between Intermediate School District (ISD) and Local School District focuses on shared ownership and accountability around implementation of an integrated MTSS model
Schools/Districts will be supported through stages of implementation rather than through a training sequence
Goal: Schools/Districts implement MTSS practices with fidelity supported by infrastructure the promotes continuous improvement and sustainability

26. 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.

27. 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 of reading and behavior MTSS is a process that takes place over time (stages of Implementation). Within a school setting, this process may take 2 – 4 years; district-wide, this process will take many more years to achieve. It is important to remember that we should not expect to see change in student outcomes until effective practices have been implemented with fidelity.
Work to do it better!

28. Implementation Drivers
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
Competency
Capacity
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
Adapted from Fixsen & Blase, 2008
Ability to provide direction/vision of process

29. Illustration of Guided Notes for District Meetings

30. Exploration/Adoption Installation Initial Implementation
Focus of Work:
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
ISD Cabinet
ISD Implementation Team
ISD Implementation Team
(Phase I & Phase II Conversations)
Focus of Work:
LEA Cabinet
LEA Implementation Team
This slide illustrates a timeline of the focus of the work over the rest of the current school year and into the next.
LEA Implementation Team
Admin Teams
Admin Teams
School Teams
Exploration/Adoption
Installation
Initial Implementation

31. Developing ISD Infrastructure
Developing the structures to help LEAs develop support structures or to directly support school implementation
This figure illustrates a map of Michigan with dots representing Intermediate School Districts. The intermediate School Districts are clustered together for training purposes as demonstrated by the circles around each cluster of Intermediate School Districts.
District Cohort 1
District Cohort 2
Readiness work for District Cohort 3

32. Focused Planning Sessions
Provide for an efficient dissemination of content and technical assistance for developing local implementation infrastructure.
These meeting are conducted monthly in several regions throughout the state.
The full day sessions involve content delivery and translation to contextual fit.
Participants:
ISD implementation team members
MiBLSi TAP(s)
Other members of from the transformation zone team
TAP takes lead in coordination

33. Developing LEA Infrastructure
Accessing implementation support from ISD
This figure illustrates a map of Michigan with dots representing Intermediate School Districts with their constituent local school districts. The intermediate School District along with constituent local school districts are clustered together for training purposes as demonstrated by the circles around each cluster of Intermediate School Districts and constituent local districts.
District Cohort 1
District Cohort 2
Readiness work for District Cohort 3
LEA

34. Local Education Agency: Scope and Sequence
Topic 6: Evaluating the Effectiveness of MTSS Implementation Supports (District Implementation Team)
Pre-Session: Leading District Implementation (District Liaison and MTSS Coordinator
Topic 1: Leading District Implementation (District Implementation Team)
Leading District Implementation:
(Administrative Team)
Topic 2: District Data Review Process (District Implementation Team & Administrative Team)
Topic 3: Developing District Capacity for Sustaining MTSS (District Implementation Team)
MTSS Common Threads and What Really Works
(Administrative Team)
Topic 4: Selection Procedures (District Implementation Team & Administrative Team)
Topic 5: Supporting Buildings in Stages of MTSS Implementation (District Implementation Team)
Sessions
Timeline for

35. Training Schools Teams
Accessing implementation support from LEA or ISD
This figure illustrates a map of Michigan with dots representing Intermediate School Districts with their constituent local school districts and schools. The intermediate School District along with constituent local school districts and school are clustered together for training purposes as demonstrated by the circles around each cluster of Intermediate School Districts, constituent local districts and schools.
District Cohort 1
District Cohort 2
Readiness work for District Cohort 3
LEA
School

36. Training Schools Teams Continued
The number of schools to be selected for involvement in your training plan will depend on the constant tension of three factors regarding implementation
Training Schools Teams Continued
Resource Allocation
Moving through the stages:
How fast you move through these stages will depend on the constant tension of three factors regarding implementation illustrated in the figure. If you want quality implementation, then you may need either more time to engage implementation work or you may need more resources allocated to get the work done.
Implementation Quality
Implementation Timeframe

37. Your Turn
Your Turn
What are critical components necessary to ensure fidelity of implementation?

38. Lessons Learned for Scaling Up

39. 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)

40. Supporting Infrastructure
Use existing structures to scale up the work
No new funding available, need to be creative with existing funding stream
Re-allocate staff
Organize around efficiencies to make room for the work

41. Local Context Counts Local Context Counts
Emphasize adoption of critical non- negotiable “Big Ideas”
Allow for contextual variations in implementation of “Big Ideas”

42. Transformation Zones Transformation Zones
Learn from “Transformation Zones” to help in mapping out scaling up plan
Learn what works from those most willing to implement
More dynamic- changes with need and participation