Implementation Framework

Implementation Process Framework

Implementation is a process that unfolds over time with specific stages or phases that are important to get right in order to achieve successful implementation and eventual sustainment of effective practices. The above diagram outlines 5 specific phases that can guide collaborative and strategic efforts within a school system to achieve successful implementation in the service of producing better and more equitable outcomes for students. Below is a description of each phase of the implementation process.

Pre-Implementation

Processes occurring before initiating implementation. There are two phases of Pre-Implementation.

Two Phases of Pre-Implementation:

• Exploration Phase. This phase is all about exploring and defining the needs that exist that warrant change, developing hypotheses regarding the root causes for why the identified needs exist, selecting effective practices to implement that aim to address the hypothesized reasons why the needs exist, and pulling this all together to create clarity, alignment, and priorities within the school district. Selecting effective practices is essential because students ultimately cannot benefit from ineffective practices that do not work to produce the outcome of interest. To guide selection decisions, it is important that schools have criteria they use to gather data and inform decisions about which set of effective practices to select, such as (a) evidentiary support, (b) feasibility, (c) costs/affordability, (d) cultural and development appropriateness, and (f) implementation supports (e.g., well-specified practices, professional learning resources, fidelity rubric, etc.).
• Preparation Phase. This phase is all about creating the infrastructure and readiness among leaders, staff, and other stakeholders to begin rolling out the implementation effort. Lack of readiness accounts for nearly 80% of unsuccessful implementation efforts. To be ready means to be prepared to take something on. In the case of implementation, readiness means that the organization and people are prepared to initiate the implementation of a given set of effective practices that aim to promote better and more equitable outcomes for students. Readiness ultimately boils down to whether people are committed to implementing the practices and feel efficacious in their ability to do so given other competing demands for their time.

Active Implementation

Processes taking place upon initiating implementation. During Active Implementation, leaders and implementers persist towards delivery of selected practices with high fidelity, and eventually strive to sustain those practices to promote better and more equitable student outcomes. There are typically three phases of Active Implementation.

Three phases of Active Implementation:

• Initial Implementation Phase. This phase is all about adoption and creating supports that enable the highest proportion of staff who are the expected implementers of the practices to initiate implementing the practices. Lackluster adoption places limits on fidelity, undermines the effective practices reaching the students who need and can benefit from them, and makes achieving sustainability virtually impossible. There are specific systems of implementation support that enable successful initial implementation.
• Full Implementation Phase. This phase is all about supporting leadership and staff to persist towards achieving high fidelity implementation in the service of producing better and more equitable outcomes for students. Like initial implementation, there are specific systems of implementation support that leaders and teams within buildings can provide that enable staff to persist and incrementally improve in their delivery of the effective practices so students receive more consistent access to high quality experiences that lead to better outcomes.
• Sustainment Phase. This phase is all about preventing implementation drift and ensuring that the intentional work around achieving both successful implementation and changes in student outcomes does not disappear from the system. Most school systems that reach high fidelity struggle to sustain it over time. There are predictable barriers to achieving sustainment that can be addressed through teaming at district and building levels. Effective sustainment requires creating policies, hiring and on-boarding procedures, and sustainment plans that maintain high fidelity so students continue to access higher quality experiences that lead to better outcomes.