Four Essential Elements of Effective Implementation

| By: Committee for Children

I recently met with a former coworker who is a great resource for all things related to implementation. Much of her work is based on resources from the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN), which focuses on the best practices and science of implementation. Our conversations always ground me in remembering that purchasing an evidence-based social-emotional learning curriculum is only one small step toward effective implementation, and ultimately, seeing outcomes for students. These are four useful tips my colleague shared for going beyond that first step to scale up and sustain implementation efforts.

First, recognize where you are in the implementation process and assess progress regularly. There are different frameworks for looking at this, such as the stages of implementation by SISEP: Exploration, Installation, Initial Implementation and Full Implementation. NIRN also provides a more global framework that's useful for early implementers:

• Letting it happen: Know the research and say you will implement the program, but do not take further steps toward using it
• Helping it happen: Learn about the program through websites and other resources; provide materials and training
• Making it happen: Implement the program with fidelity, as intended

Second, develop systems for tracking implementation regularly throughout the year. Implementation is a process—not just a beginning and end—so determine success goals early on and regularly review data to assess whether you're on track. If not, look for ways to improve fidelity. For instance, if your goal is to have 100 percent of staff teaching all lessons and only 50 percent are currently doing so, consider touching base with those staff who aren't teaching the lessons to determine needs for support or designating a colleague who can co-teach during scheduled lesson times.

Third, look at and use existing systems. In other words, work smarter, not harder. For example, if you are newly implementing a bullying prevention program and need to collect data on bullying reports, examine your current structures to determine how to do that best. If your leadership team or your RtI Tier 1 team already focuses on looking at data for continuous improvement, this might be a better fit than starting another new team that looks at bullying data separately.

Lastly, leadership support is a key driver for success. This goes beyond designating a person to organize schoolwide implementation or choosing a program and simply telling staff to implement it. It requires ongoing involvement, encouragement, and support. The Second Step Principal Toolkit is one resource that provides ways of embedding the program's skills and concepts into school practices and policies.

Successful, sustained implementation takes time and involves many more components than I could possibly include in this blog. Please add to these ideas by sharing your tips and experiences about successful implementation in the comments section below.