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Mutual Selection in Implementation: Cultivating the Right Conditions for Success

How to ensure that your crops are ready for harvest
“Seeds you plant today determine the harvest you reap tomorrow.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo
A favorite pastime for residents of the Garden State is to rise early on a Saturday morning and visit their local farmers market. Being ready for an early arrival at the farmers market allows shoppers a first chance at best quality produce and access to a wider variety of produce before it sells out. The same readiness applies to any effective implementation plan. How do you determine who is ready and prepared to implement an innovation successfully? As your implementation journey begins, with your innovation determined and your infrastructure established, selection plays a critical role in successful implementation. If selection is not carefully targeted, it may result in confusion, diminished confidence in the innovation, or participant disengagement. This blog aims to highlight the importance of district selection in successfully implementing a usable innovation.
The implementation drivers framework drives the work of implementation. The two drivers, competency and organization, guide practice and infrastructure building, which are integral to implementation. In addition, leadership supports those drivers by removing barriers and championing the work. The question that should be asked is how you begin this journey. How do you get started?
Competency Drivers are defined as the mechanisms to develop, improve, and sustain educators’ and administrators’ ability to implement an evidence-based program or practice (EBP) as intended to benefit students. (“Implementation Drivers Overview PDF”, 2015).
As you pull into your local farmers market with a list of items that you plan to purchase, a question arises: “How can I select the best items?” What does that really mean? In short, how do we select prime produce?
Selection is a vital component of the Competency Drivers. This is the first and best opportunity to implement successfully without a false start. By carefully identifying the right districts or participants, selection sets the stage for meaningful engagement, effective implementation, and achieving desired outcomes.
These Competency Drivers support the development and improvement of staff competencies, while Organization Drivers build systems necessary for the innovation to be implemented as designed to achieve outcomes. Both drivers are supported by leadership who use adaptive and technical strategies to remove barriers and support implementation efforts.
Selection sets the stage for implementation, serving as a mutual process that ensures a good fit. The provider and the district clearly understand that the innovation’s purpose is to drive meaningful improvements and better outcomes for the district. To guide this process, criteria should be created to inform the inclusion/selection of districts. These criteria provide a framework for identifying the essential characteristics required to implement a usable innovation successfully and can be used to identify participating districts. District selection is of high importance because it is critical to have implementers who are “ready” and/or understand the value of participating in the implementation of an innovation to improve outcomes.
Let’s take a look at one example. The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has created an Early Literacy Initiative that focuses on improving literacy skills among students, including students at risk for reading difficulties and those with disabilities. Through this initiative, we aim to strengthen educator capacity in early literacy practices and enhance learning outcomes. NJDOE had to determine who to identify as possible participants and how to distinguish who was ready and willing to implement this innovation.
With cohort one, the NJDOE used a set of inclusion criteria to guide the selection of Transformation Zone districts.
“A transformation zone can be thought of as a ‘vertical slice’ of the education system. The ‘slice’ is small enough to be manageable but large enough to include all aspects of the system” (Fixsen et al., 2013).
This included factors like targeted school status, a high percentage of students with disabilities, and low graduation rates. While this approach ensured we addressed significant gaps, we quickly learned that readiness was equally important. NJDOE refined the process for cohort two, prioritizing districts that – though they demonstrated need – were better prepared to engage with the work, clearly understood its value, and were committed to the innovation. By aligning with districts that are “ready” to engage with the work, the state is positioned to establish stronger partnerships for achieving meaningful outcomes, showing that effective selection includes balancing needs with readiness.
When selecting produce at the market, there are four general tips to follow that can support decision making, and they are:
- Use your senses
- Pay attention to color
- Buy greenhouse grown veggies
- Consider purchasing “imperfect” produce (“Produce Buying Guide,” 2024)
These four general tips can also be applied as we consider the selection of districts to implement an innovation. Let’s discuss this further.
1. Use Your Senses.
As you select your vegetables, you should consider using your senses. Initially, you might use your sight to determine if the produce appeals to your eyes. Does it look the way that it is supposed to? Does it pass the smell test? Is the produce firm, or are there soft spots? In short, does it look, smell, and feel the way it should? First impressions are great, but using selection criteria, like data you collect from your senses, allows for a deeper understanding of the context within a district. Your eyes can see one thing but you must dig deeper to determine if a specific district is a good fit. Selection criteria are an effective tool for decision-making.
2. Pay Attention to Color.
The color of the item helps the buyer to determine freshness. Is the fruit ripe? Districts that meet the readiness indicators typically have the infrastructure for successful implementation. An example of infrastructure is having an established professional learning plan supported by coaching. This provides implementers with a structured approach to access and incorporate new innovations. Implementers with a solid infrastructure have fewer gaps, are more prepared, and are more likely to be successful.
3. Buy Greenhouse-Grown Veggies.
Most fruits and vegetables are seasonal, so items you need can occasionally be out of season. Fortunately, purchasing items grown in a greenhouse addresses this roadblock and allows you to purchase items that you prefer and need year-round. Districts that have a history of successful implementation should garner even more attention. Districts that have shown the ability to implement an innovation(s) over a period of time with successful outcomes should earn higher consideration for selection. They have demonstrated that not only are they ready, but they have the experience to improve chances for successful implementation.
4. Consider Purchasing “Imperfect” Produce.
Imperfect produce has to be considered as well. As an experienced shopper, you are well aware that sometimes things are more than meets the eye. Your experience allows you to get past what it looks like at times because you have a specific use for an item. As you consider districts, sometimes you have to determine who is the best fit. They may not meet all of the selection criteria, but they have a history of successful implementation, leadership support, and, most importantly, they have a need for the innovation that could lead them to be a highly qualified candidate to implement the innovation because they are motivated for change.
Just as balancing appearance, ripeness, and potential helps select the best fruits and vegetables, evaluating districts requires thoughtful consideration. Much like appearance and ripeness, your selection has to be made below the surface level. NJDOE has taken several things into account when considering the selection of their transformation zone for early implementers.
For example, New Jersey relied on multiple measures beyond accountability data, such as graduation rates or state assessment outcomes for cohort two. Street data was incorporated into the selection criteria.
“Street data is the qualitative and experiential data that emerges at eye level and on lower frequencies when we train our brains to discern it” (Safir et al., 2021, p.57).
Using street data allowed NJDOE to look deeper and assess contextual factors such as leadership support, existing PD structures, and culture around coaching. This ensured the selection of districts that required support and also demonstrated the capacity to engage effectively and drive sustainable change. Ideally, we might select districts with a strong track record of implementing innovations – similar to greenhouse-grown produce – because their experience enhances the likelihood of success. However, NJDOE also saw the value in districts that may only meet some of the criteria but demonstrate motivation and commitment to growth. The team hopes that by balancing proven infrastructure with readiness for change, this approach will enable us to build meaningful partnerships that lead to positive student outcomes.
The four general tips can act as a “how to” when considering the selection of districts to implement a usable innovation.
- Do they meet the initial requirements for consideration to join the exploration stage? Are they “ready?”
- Which districts have those key readiness indicators that can lead to successful implementation?
- As you think about seasonal and imperfect produce, ask: Have they successfully implemented a usable innovation?
- Is leadership supportive? As a way of trying to determine the best pick, multiple factors have to be considered, and asking these questions and following these tips can lead to the creation of a selection criteria that leads to the best fit for implementing a usable innovation.
Remember that selection is not a one-time event. Your initial selection may require modification, which is acceptable because improvement cycles inform the work, and the data that is gathered allows the opportunity to revise the selection criteria. These modifications also allow a chance to reexamine your other supports and practices and how readiness efforts could be strengthened. The willingness to change demonstrates an openness to continuous improvement and ensures the “right fit” for selection.
After a great morning at the farmers market selecting your favorite produce, you now head home to begin baking your favorite dessert, canning vegetables, and/or possibly making homemade jam. Selecting items that don’t pass the senses test, aren’t ripe, or are out of season can lead to undesired outcomes. As we have discussed, district selection is of extreme importance in regard to the successful implementation of a usable innovation. Your initial impressions can help you identify possible districts, but you must remember to dig deeper to determine if those districts are the best fit for the selected usable innovation. Districts must meet specific eligibility requirements to be considered ready. A successful history of implementation efforts, teaming structures, and leadership are just a few examples of structures that require historical knowledge of a district that is not readily available when considering readiness. Sometimes districts aren’t ready, and that is fine; the question is how to empower them to build readiness to implement the usable innovation successfully.
Districts must meet specific readiness criteria for eligibility, such as a proven history of successful implementation efforts, establishing teaming structures, and strong leadership. These factors often require a nuanced understanding of a district’s history and infrastructure, which may not be immediately apparent. In NJ, we had several districts that were considered to be a part of the transformation zone. Readiness was heavily considered when determining who would be the earliest implementers. The districts that historically have leadership support and established teaming structures earned additional consideration. Recognizing that some districts may not be ready is not a failure but an opportunity to empower these districts to build readiness. By fostering readiness, we create conditions for meaningful and long-lasting success.
References
Fixsen, D., Blase, K., Horner, Rob., Sims, B., Sugai, G. (2013). Scaling-up Brief. Active Implementation Hub. https://implementation.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023-SISEP-Brief-1-Current.pdf
Nature Fresh Farms. (2024, October 16). Produce Buying Guide. Nature Fresh Farms. https://naturefreshfarms.com/blog/produce-buying-guide/
SISEP. (2015). Implementation Drivers Overview PDF. Active Implementation Hub. https://implementation.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/Implementation-Drivers-Overview.pdf