The Role of Feedback in Effective Implementation: Creating Feedback Loops in K-12 Education

Rebekah Hornak

October 23, 2024

Feedback can often be hard to give and even harder to receive. Many don’t learn the art of providing and obtaining feedback until later in their careers. I was recently reminded that feedback, in the context of implementation science, can be a powerful driver of effective implementation, especially in K-12 education. When feedback loops are consistently embedded into our infrastructure and routines—throughout teams and across all levels—schools, districts, regional agencies, and state departments can adapt and refine their practices and policies for better outcomes.

Feedback is the backbone of Improvement Cycles and an essential part of the Active Implementation Formula. Observing practices, engaging in collaborative reflections, and using data-informed feedback allow educators and leaders to replicate what works and adjust what doesn’t. Schools can make informed decisions that improve their teaching methods and implementation. By embedding feedback into the system, schools continuously learn and evolve, creating a dynamic environment for growth. The Practice-to-Policy feedback loop cannot just live at the building level between teachers and principals or the district level between principals and the central office. It must exist between all layers of the educational ecosystem, and the process must be bidirectional.

Why Does Feedback Matter in Implementation?

Feedback is the backbone of Improvement Cycles and an essential part of the Active Implementation Formula. Observing practices, engaging in collaborative reflections, and using data-informed feedback allow educators and leaders to replicate what works and adjust what doesn’t. Schools can make informed decisions that improve their teaching methods and implementation. By embedding feedback into the system, schools continuously learn and evolve, creating a dynamic environment for growth. The Practice-to-Policy feedback loop cannot just live at the building level between teachers and principals or the district level between principals and the central office. It must exist between all layers of the educational ecosystem, and the process must be bidirectional.

The Layers of Feedback: From Students to State

Effective feedback works at multiple levels within the educational system. To understand its impact, let’s look at how feedback flows through different layers of the K-12 system, starting with the students and moving down through the ecosystem to leadership and agency levels.

1. Students: Empowering Learners Through Feedback

Students are at the core of K-12 education, engaging with practices provided by teachers. By regularly collecting student feedback, educators empower them to take ownership of their learning. Student feedback can inform how instruction and evidence-based practices are tailored to meet diverse learning needs.

Examples of student feedback tools include exit tickets, classroom surveys, or informal check-ins, which provide educators with a better understanding of student experiences. This feedback loop is critical for making real-time instructional adjustments that benefit individual learners.

2. Teachers: Continuous Reflection and Data-Informed Decisions

Continuous reflection is vital at the teacher level. Feedback from coaching, peer observations, and fidelity data collection allows teachers to refine their practices and implement evidence-based strategies as intended. Structured feedback systems allow for collaborative learning and professional growth, making room for adaptation when necessary. Additionally, feedback from the teachers on the building-level implementation to replicate successes and identify the challenges they are experiencing can help identify additional support needed.

For example, instructional coaches can offer regular feedback through classroom observations, helping teachers align their methods with best practices. Similarly, peer observations allow educators to learn from each other, identify areas of improvement, and celebrate successes.

3. Leadership: Informing Systemic Change

Moving through the layers, school leaders play a critical role in supporting effective implementation. Principals and implementation teams collect feedback from teachers about their experiences, confidence levels, and any barriers they face in implementing practices. This information is essential for leaders to advocate for the necessary support, training, coaching, and resources at the district level.

For example, feedback to leadership doesn’t just stay within the school; it moves down the linked teaming structure. Principals provide input to district leaders about successes and systemic barriers, such as shortages of substitutes, policy issues, funding, or low-quality professional learning. When district implementation teams understand these barriers, they can make informed decisions to support their buildings, teachers, and students.

4. District, Regional, and State Levels: Improving Technical Assistance, Advocacy, and Policy Considerations

At the district level, feedback loops extend further to regional and state-level agencies. Districts are often tasked with implementing new policies or practices mandated by state agencies. When districts provide feedback to the region or state agency—regarding resource shortages, policy challenges, or other barriers—regional and state agencies can adjust their expectations, offer more targeted support, or reconsider timelines for implementation to ensure successes are resources and barriers are solved.

For example, if a district faces substitute shortages that impact the professional development of teachers, district leaders can raise this issue with state policymakers. When feedback moves through the ecosystem, it helps create policies responsive to real-world challenges, ensuring smoother implementation.

5. National Levels: Learning from our Partners

It does not go unsaid that SISEP also needs to receive feedback at the national level. Our intensive state partners, OSEP TA Center colleagues, and other implementation centers provide us with ongoing feedback on the various technical assistance activities the SISEP Center provides, as well as participating in usability testing on our many resources on the Active Implementation Hub. This process is critical to ensuring support quality and constantly improving.

Conclusion: Feedback as a Catalyst for Improvement

By establishing feedback systems across all levels of the educational system, schools can ensure that their efforts to implement evidence-based practices are successful and sustainable. Feedback isn’t just about identifying problems; it’s about driving ongoing improvement, supporting educators, and improving student outcomes.

Now, onto the good stuff:

Feedback is critical to the implementation process across all human sectors. In K-12 education, feedback allows schools to make better, more informed decisions when embedded throughout the educational ecosystem—from students to state agencies. Whether tailoring instruction to meet student needs, refining teaching practices, or advocating for systemic change, feedback loops create a continuous learning and improvement culture.

Schools and districts should prioritize embedding feedback loops at every level, ensuring all parties impacted have a voice in the implementation process. This will help create a more adaptive, responsive, and effective educational system. Check out the following resources to learn more about the Practice-to-Policy Feedback Loop.

Read: Implementation Team Overview and Improvement Cycles

Tool: Communication Protocol Worksheet

Reflection: Mapping Feedback and Feed Forward Pathways

References

Metz, A., & Bartley, L. (2012). Active Implementation Frameworks for Program Success: How to Use Implementation Science to Improve Outcomes for Children. Zero to Three, 32, 11-18.

National Implementation Research Network. (2023) Improvement Cycles Overview [White Paper]. https://implementation.fpg.unc.edu/resource/improvement-cycles-overview/

Viswanath, K., Synowiec, C., & Agha, S. (2019). Responsive feedback: Towards a new paradigm to enhance intervention effectiveness. Gates Open Research, 3. https://doi.org/10.12688/gatesopenres.12937.2.