June 2, 2023
Imagine the first time you heard the word "brokering" used in an educational space. Is the term "broker" anything you've ever thought about? Who does the brokering? What exactly is being brokered? Where does the concept of brokering fit within K–12 education? You are here, so you know that supporting the implementation of practices and programs is...
May 1, 2023
What is an Implementation Support Practitioner? Spring is here! April showers will soon bring May flowers. As I dig into the dirt, planting this year’s garden, I am reminded of a saying I have heard used among teachers: “Find your marigold, and later be the marigold.” If you are a gardener, you know what this...
March 30, 2023
When you think about sustaining an evidence-based practice, what comes to mind? We have been working through this ourselves at the SISEP Center. According to Rabin (2008), sustainability is: “To what extent an evidence-based intervention can deliver its intended benefits over an extended period of time after external support from the donor agency is terminated.”...
March 1, 2023
Implementation Resilience in the Face of Challenges Today, human service organizations grapple with many unprecedented challenges—challenges that are systemic and impact the implementation of evidence-based programs and practices with quality. Our most vulnerable populations–like children experiencing poverty, the disability community, and communities of color–are most affected by these organizational challenges. How can organizations make...
February 8, 2023
A recent article by Jim Knight inspired an in-depth conversation on fidelity at the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) out of UNC’s Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. Our interest was piqued, given our work within the field of implementation science and practice and the role of fidelity in K-12 education. As we try to...
January 18, 2023
Understanding context is extremely important to assist with decision-making when providing implementation support. On an average day, people make hundreds of decisions. We must understand that, in order to make the best decision, we must always consider context to help us differentiate which options will lead us to the best outcome. To simply state it...
December 2, 2022
Introduction An essential component of implementation efforts is partners effectively working together. This is easier said than done. The relationships that we have are a direct reflection of learned experiences over periods of time. These relationships are cultivated through lived experiences. Partners must build and maintain relationships to continue successful implementation efforts. So how do you...
November 4, 2022
Implementation Capacity and Evidence-Based Practice Fidelity It’s fall in Minnesota, a time of year when apples (including MN-invented ones, looking at you, Honeycrisp), pumpkins, and perhaps, candy come to mind. Do you recall the 1980s commercial about one such treat? We hope so because we are all in on this metaphor! Picture a “television set.”...
September 26, 2022
Ask any doctoral student and they would agree that their task list only grows and never ends. From that manuscript that’s long overdue to data coding that’s been put off due to hectic Fall & Spring semesters, we often associate summer as the season for trimming tasks off our task lists. The thought of adding...
August 31, 2022
How much time do you spend working in teams? Are you empowered to optimize this collective time by bringing together a variety of thinkers who push you to be better? Are you inspired to stay engaged and support your teammates to do the same? Let’s unpack why this is important and how we make this...