1

Investing in local implementation capacity: Statewide scale up a multi-

tiered school reform model for fidelity and sustainability

Kim St. MartinAssistant Director, MiBLSi

kstmartin@miblsimtss.org

Steve GoodmanDirector, MiBLSi

sgoodman@miblsimtss.org

OSEP Project Directors’ ConferenceJuly 2013

miblsi.cenmi.org

Investing in local implementation capacity: Statewide scale up a multi-tiered school reform model for fidelity

and sustainability

2

Session DescriptionThis session describes a scale-able and durable statewide model that emphasizes data-based decision making around

1) Student outcomes,

2) Implementation fidelity of effective reading and behavior support practices, and

3) 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

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

What is MiBLSi?

Participating Schools

2004 Schools (21)2005 Schools (31)2006 Schools (50)

2000 Model Demonstrations (5)

2007 Schools (165)2008 Schools (95)2009 Schools (150)

The Early Years

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

2003 2005 2007 2010 2017

Emphasis of MiBLSi Work Over Time

6

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

ReplicationsReplications

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

Effective Interventions

Actual SupportsYears 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 & Borman, 2006; Vernez, Karam, Mariano, & DeMartini, 2006

Longitudinal Studies of a Variety of Comprehensive School Reforms

Implementation Science

9

Two Categories of Work

Access to Effective PracticesEnsuring 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 PracticesEnsuring that the interventions are implemented correctly with the “right people”, at the “right time”, in the “right amounts” (Implementation Fidelity)

10

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

Embed w/in existing work: Provide access as

current practice

Examine Feasibility/Efficacy of Practice Being Developed

Modifying System for Standard Practice

Invest heavily in resources to produce results

Utilize typical/existing resources

Moving from Model Demonstration to Standard Practice

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%)

12

“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”.

Fixsen et al 2008

Vision for Supporting Scaling MTSS Across Michigan Continued

13

• 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 add value by providing to districts assistance to address…MiBLSi add value by providing to districts

assistance to address…

14

Your Turn

What makes a program scale-able or scale-worthy?

Your Turn

Ma

na

gem

en

t/Co

ord

ina

tion 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

FinancialEvaluationProfessional Learning

Technical Assistance

PoliticalRegulatory/LegalEconomyGeographySociety/CultureE

nvi

ron

me

nta

l F

act

ors

Receivers

Stakeholders/FundersInvestments:

• Funding• Visibility• Political support

Returns:• Addressing critical issues

(Discipline/Ethnicity)• Addressing program

directives (State Performance Plan)

Consumers schools, districts,

ISDs/RESAs

MiBLSi Value-Added Work System

Valued MTSS Products/ Services

Priority, Plan, Formative Assessment, Continuous Improvement, Risk Management

Determine worth

MiBLSi Value-Added Work System

16

Technical Assistance Regions

Provides technical assistance and information dissemination to Intermediate School Districts (ISDs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) within a regional structure

Technical Assistance Regions

17

Developing Organizational Infrastructure

Developing Organizational Infrastructure

18

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

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

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

MichiganDepartment of

Education/MiBLSi Leadership

Multiple LEAs w/in intermediate district

Provides guidance, visibility, funding, political support, and implementation supports

Statewide Structure of Support

Who is supported?

How is support provided?

Statewide Structure of Support

20

Develop Organizational Structures

Develop Staff Competencies

Schools effectively implementing MTSS Practices

Successful Student OutcomesOutcomes OutcomesInputs

Feedback LoopsFeedback 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

Cabinet Level Team Implementation Planning Team

• Vision

• Political support

• Priority

• Visibility

• Allocation of resources

• Barrier busting

• Collect, summarize, evaluate data

• Develop district plan

• Coordinate and monitor plan

• Create/modify materials and tools

• Identify barriers to implementation

Coordination

1

2

3

Leadership Function of District TeamsLeadership Function of District Teams

22

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

Coordination

Liaison

MTSS Coordinator

Implementation SupportsDirectionTrainingCoachingContent ExpertiseMaterialsEvaluation

Schools

Schools

District Model

District Model

23

Your Turn

What are critical components necessary to ensure sustainable implementation?

Your Turn

24

Supporting Implement Fidelity

25

Logic of MiBLSiEmphasis 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

27

Stages of ImplementationFocus 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.

Work to do it right!

Work to do it

better!

Should we do

it?

28

Staff competency to support students/families with the selected practices

Adapted from Fixsen & Blase, 2008

Successful Student Outcomes

Program/Initiative (set of practices that are implemented with Fidelity)

Organizational capacity to support staff in implementing practices with fidelity

Ability to provide direction/vision of process

Implementation Drivers

28

Implementation Drivers

29Illustration of Guided Notes for District Meetings

Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May

Admin Teams

Focus of Work: 2012- 2014

ISD Cabinet

LEA Cabinet

LEA Implementation Team

ISD Implementation Team (Phase I & Phase II Conversations)

LEA Implementation Team

Exploration/AdoptionInstallationInitial Implementation

School Teams

Admin Teams

ISD Implementation Team

Focus of Work: 2012- 2014

31

Developing the structures to help LEAs develop support structures or to directly support school implementation

District Cohort 1District Cohort 2Readiness work for District Cohort 3

Developing ISD InfrastructureDeveloping ISD Infrastructure

32

Focused Planning SessionsProvide 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

District Cohort 1District Cohort 2Readiness work for District Cohort 3LEA

Developing LEA Infrastructure

Accessing implementation support from ISD

Developing LEA Infrastructure

34

Local Education Agency: Scope and Sequence

Pre

-Ses

sion

: Lea

ding

Dis

tric

t

Impl

emen

tatio

n (D

istri

ct L

iais

on

and

MTS

S C

oord

inat

or

Topi

c 1:

Lea

ding

Dis

tric

t

Impl

emen

tatio

n (D

istri

ct

Impl

emen

tatio

n Te

am)

Topi

c 2:

Dis

tric

t Dat

a R

evie

w

Pro

cess

(Dis

trict

Impl

emen

tatio

n

Team

& A

dmin

istra

tive

Team

)

Topi

c 3:

Dev

elop

ing

Dis

tric

t

Cap

acity

for

Sus

tain

ing

MTS

S

(Dis

trict

Impl

emen

tatio

n Te

am)

Topi

c 4:

Sel

ectio

n P

roce

dure

s

(Dis

trict

Impl

emen

tatio

n Te

am &

Adm

inis

trativ

e Te

am)

Topi

c 5:

Sup

port

ing

Bui

ldin

gs in

Sta

ges

of M

TSS

Impl

emen

tatio

n

(Dis

trict

Impl

emen

tatio

n Te

am)

Topi

c 6:

Eva

luat

ing

the

Effe

ctiv

enes

s of

MTS

S

Impl

emen

tatio

n S

uppo

rts

(Dis

trict

Impl

emen

tatio

n Te

am)

Lead

ing

Dis

tric

t

Impl

emen

tatio

n:

(Adm

inis

trativ

e Te

am)

MTS

S C

omm

on T

hrea

ds a

nd

Wha

t Really

Wor

ks

(Adm

inis

trativ

e Te

am)

Timeline for 2013 -2014

Sessions

Local Education Agency: Scope and Sequence

35

District Cohort 1District Cohort 2Readiness work for District Cohort 3LEASchool

Training Schools Teams

Accessing implementation support from LEA or ISD

Training Schools Teams

36

The number of schools to be selected for involvement in your training plan will depend on the constant tension of three factors regarding implementation

Resource Allocation

Implementation Timeframe

Implementation Quality

Training Schools Teams Continued

37

Your Turn

What are critical components necessary to ensure fidelity of implementation?

Your Turn

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

Supporting Infrastructure

41

Local Context Counts

• Emphasize adoption of critical non-negotiable “Big Ideas”

• Allow for contextual variations in implementation of “Big Ideas”

Local Context Counts

42

• 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

Transformation ZonesTransformation Zones