1

Intermediate School District:

Implementation Team Meeting Notes for District Level Implementation

December 2011

1

Notes
What is MiBLSi?
Michigan’s Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative (MiBLSi) is funded by the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services. This project is designed to help schools develop schoolwide support systems in reading and behavior. MiBLSi is the State Personnel Development Grant from U. S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Services. MiBLSi has worked closely with the National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Intervention & Supports (PBIS.org) and the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN)
Logic of MiBLSi
•Outcome- Schools/Districts implement MTSS practices with fidelity supported by an infrastructure that promotes continuous improvement and sustainability
•Emphasis is on developing local implementation capacity
•Partnership between 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
•To ensure that appropriate work is done correctly and effectively, we need to set up feedback systems
•Unit of implementation is at the school level, unit of support is the district level
Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) as defined by MiBLSi
MTSS is a framework to provide all students with the best opportunities to succeed academically and behaviorally in school. MTSS focuses on providing high quality instruction and interventions matched to student need, monitoring progress frequently to make decisions about changes in instruction or goals. Data are used to allocate resources to improve student learning and support staff implementation of effective practices.

ISD Implementation Team
This team analyzes and summarizes implementation information. The information is used to develop a plan for training, coaching, technical assistance and distribution materials. One the plan is approved by the cabinet then the implementation team manages implementation efforts. Adjustments to the plan are based on data to ensure successful outcomes. MiBLSi staff will work with the ISD implementation team. It is also the responsibility of this team to embed this work with existing district initiatives (e.g., school improvement).
Implementation Team Tasks
  • Develop implementation support plan (for districts/schools)
  • Help to “make room” for the practices through braiding of initiatives
  • Coordinate and monitor implementation of plan
  • Create implementation materials
  • Collect and summarize data (share with cabinet team)
  • Identify barriers to implementation (share with cabinet team)
What is the purpose of an implementation team?
The purpose of the ISD Implementation Support Team is to plan for conditions that make implementation of effective practices with fidelity both easy and durable.
ISD Cabinet Leadership Team
This team has standing agenda to review implementation efforts, allocate resources to facilitate implementation and address policy to remove implementation barriers.
What is the difference between Leadership Team and Implementation Support Team?

Our goal…
To create capacity for an integrated Behavior and Reading MTSS system that can be implemented with fidelity, is sustainable over time and utilizes data-based decision making at all levels of implementation support
The “old” and less effective way of doing things

Focus on Fidelity of Implementation
•Training by itself does not work
•Policy change by itself does not work
•Financial incentives alone do not work
•Students cannot benefit from interventions they do not experience
•Staff cannot implement practices well that are not supported
Implementation of Effective Practices with and without an Implementation Support Team

Two Categories of Work for ISDs
  1. Access to Effective Practices
–Ensuring every staff can apply 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
  1. Support of the Practices
–Ensuring that the interventions are implemented correctly with the “right people”, at the “right time”, in the “right amounts” (Implementation Fidelity)

A model for supporting Districts and Schools

The implementation supports provided by the ISD implementation team should be aligned and compensatory with the LEA implementation supports. There are different “flavors” of addressing LEA implementation teams that involve unique and differentiated supports. These include:
  1. Large Urban Districts
  2. Stand Alone Districts
  3. Clusters of Small Districts
Providing support
Implementation practices and supports are necessary across each level of a cascading system

Example: Coaching takes place at each level of the cascading model of supports
“For every increment of performance I demand from you, I have an equal responsibility to provide you with the capacity to meet that expectation”
(R. Elmore, 2002)
Intensity of Supports Based on Need and Experience

from K. Blase, 2009
Developing Effective Systems to Support Implementation
MiBLSi works with buildings, LEAs and ISDs to ensure that systems utilize Core implementation Drivers (Fixsen, Naoom, Blase, Friedman, & Wallace, 2005)that promote staff development and make it easy for the reading and behavior MTSS practice to take place.
Leadership Drivers are mechanisms to provide direction/vision for the practices and allocation of resources to enable the Capacity and Competency drivers to be in place. The term leadership refers to the function of leadership rather than an individual’s position within the organization.
Capacity Drivers are mechanisms to create and sustain hospitable organizational and systems environments for effective educational services. The focus is on creating organizational “host” environments that make it easy to implement the practices well.
Competency Drivers are mechanisms that help to develop, improve, and sustain one’s ability to implement an intervention to benefit students.

The Implementation Support Team works to support the implementation of the practices through application of the implementation drivers.

Access to Effective Practices
Training is one way to get effective practices into the hands of educators. Remember that the unit of implementation is at the school level. The challenge for the implementation team is to provide training based on the different needs of the schools. It is more reasonable to set up training based on three categories rather than individualizing training to each separate school or separate district.
These categories describe the general work that takes place in the school and is based on the stages of implementation:
  • “Should we do it?” (Exploration/Adoption Stage)
  • “Work to do it right” (Installation and Initial Implementation Stages)
  • “Work to do it better” (Elaboration and Continuous Improvement/Regeneration Stages)
How Many Schools Should be Involved in the Training?
The number of schools to be selected for involvement in your training plan will depend on the constant tension of three factors regarding implementation illustrated in the figure below. If you want quality implementation, then you may need either more time to engage implementation work or you may need more resources allocated to get the work done. Note: you do not want to be placed in a position of “False Starts”

Effective evaluation system that looks at 3-levels
An important task of the implementation team is to develop a system to evaluate the effectiveness of implementation efforts

Evaluation should consider several purposes:
•Audit for “taking stock” of current strengths/weaknesses and action planning
•Formative evaluation for improving program while it is in the process of being implemented
•Summative evaluation for improvement of future reiterations
Stages of Implementation
Implementation of reading and behavior MTSS is a process that takes place over time (2-4 years). It is important to remember that we should not expect to see change in student outcomes until effective practices have been implemented with fidelity.

Suggested Timelines:
Some ISDs will move at a faster or slower pace.
November 2011:
  • Clarify purpose of team
  • Setting process for effective team
  • Focus on outcomes and team products
December 2011:
  • Identification of coaches (building, district, ISD)
  • Identify coaching structure (how are coaches training, supported)
  • Identify trainers
  • Identify additional resources need to support schools with implementation
  • What are possible barriers to implementation (time, funds, competing initiatives)
  • Develop formal ISD plan for schools “Working to do it right”
  • What schools, what grade levels will begin training
January 2012:
  • District MTSS facilitators complete work on logistics for supporting coaches, trainers and training session for building leadership teams
  • Collect baseline information on schools that will begin PBIS implementation (e.g., Schoolwide Evaluation Tool, Self-Assessment Survey
February 2012:
  • Leadership launch training for principal and coaches
March 2012:
  • Building leadership team training in PBIS Days 1 and 2
April 2012:
  • Coaches work with buildings to address professional learning content to supplement team PBIS Days 1 and 2 sessions
May/Jun 2012:
  • Building leadership team training in PBIS Day 3
Training content update: Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
  1. Posting of training content to website
  2. Leadership launch material will be posted to MiBLSi website for trainings scheduled for Late January/February 2012
  3. PBIS Day 1 and Day 2 material will be posted to MiBLSi website for trainings scheduled for March 2012
  4. Changes to training content
  5. Training content is being updated to reflect improvements to delivering the information, focus on critical “big ideas”, and updates based on research literature
  6. Some material will be removed from team training and will be addressed by coaching meeting separately with team (e.g., completing SWIS requirements to set up account, clarification of discipline categories)
  7. Coaches and teams will be presented with an outcomes oriented checklist to be accomplished by team and coach meeting outside of team training.

1

Appendices

  1. ISD, Partnering Districts, and MiBLSi Roles...... 13
  2. ISD Multi-Tiered System of Supports Liaison...... 16
  3. ISD Multi-Tiered System of Supports Coordinator...... 17
  4. ISD IMplementation Team Selection...... 18
  5. Variables that relate to cost of iMplementation...... 19
  6. Implementation PLan Considerations...... 21
  7. District Audit: Preparing for Multi-Tiered System of Supports...... 23

ISD, Partnering Districts, and MiBLSi Project

Roles and Responsibilities for Support MTSS Implementation

ISD Cabinet

Purpose:To support implementation of MTSS (or any large scale reform effort) by cultivating a common vision, articulating the vision, and developing the scope of the necessary work. This begins with the individuals who have the ability to align practices to support implementation efforts with policy; allocate and leverage resources to support efforts between departments within the ISD and across districts; create space for the work to occur on a continual basis; assist in removing barriers that impede implementation efforts; provide visibility of the work to necessary stakeholders; and provide and solicit political support necessary to ensure on-going implementation efforts

Responsibilities Related to MTSS Implementation Efforts:

  • Provides and articulates the vision for supporting MTSS implementation across the region
  • Allocates necessary resources (staffing, time, fiscal) to accomplish the collaborative partnership between the ISD, partnering local districts, and MiBLSi project (e.g. identification of an Implementation Team; staff to providing training and coaching support)
  • Identifies someone to serve as the ISD Liaison who is also a member of the cabinet and the Implementation Team
  • Provides political support through the following examples:
  • Frequently updating the ISD board about regional MTSS efforts and the integral role of ISD staff for supporting local district efforts
  • Consultation with partnering districts to reaffirm support for the vision around MTSS within their districts and across the region
  • Provides visibility for the work accomplishments through the following examples:
  • Board updates
  • Superintendents Round table meetings updates (regional superintendent meetings)
  • Internal ISD Administrative staff meetings updates
  • External /Regional Discipline group updates: (e.g. Curriculum Directors, Special Education Directors, Business Officials, Human Resources, Tech dept.
  • Press releases to community members and local businesses
  • Communicates regional efforts and progress to leaders at Michigan’s Department of Education and other statewide organizations (e.g. MAISA)
  • Removes implementation barriers identified by the Implementation Team and communicated by the ISD Liaison that hinder MTSS efforts
  • Receive updates from the ISD Liaison regarding MTSS implementation efforts through a standing agenda item during the ISD Cabinet meetings
  • Receives and analyzes data regarding implementation and outcomes.
  • Uses data on a routine basis to problem solve and address implementation barriers
  • Ensures responsibilities of MTSS coordination are assigned (e.g. identifies a MTSS Coordinator)
  • Creates organizational structures that allow for easy identification of implementation challenges and mechanisms to address the challenges in a timely way that minimally impacts forward progress

Implementation Team

Purpose: The Implementation Team, under the auspices of the ISD cabinet, is responsible for planning, monitoring, problem solving, and continuous improvement of MTSS implementation efforts. This is accomplished by identifying a team of individuals who collectively can work with the MiBLSi project to develop a work plan to support partnering districts in MTSS implementation efforts that encompasses all the necessary components for successful implementation

Responsibilities:

  • Collaborate with MiBLSi project staff on a monthly basis to develop a work plan for supporting partnering districts with MTSS implementation that will include detail around core implementation drivers that promote staff development (within the ISD and local districts) and make it easier for reading and behavior practices to take place
  • Essential components of a work plan around core implementation drivers may include but are not limited to:
  • Deepening staff competency to implement reading and behavior MTSS practices
  • Developing ISD and/or district staff competency to providing training and coaching support around reading and behavior MTSS practices
  • Developing content expertise within the districts and/or ISD to support a deeper level of understanding for MTSS practices to support all levels of learners
  • Identifying data sources necessary for the ISD and districts to monitor and evaluate implementation processes and outcomes
  • Creating organizational structures for communication to flow vertically (grade level, building leadership team, district) and horizontally (across grade levels and buildings) within the district and ISD (information flowing across districts to the ISD Implementation Team)
  • Creating organizational structures that allow for easy identification of implementation challenges and mechanisms to address the challenges in a timely way that minimally impacts forward progress
  • Developing mechanisms to support administrative teams in managing the change process and in the technical aspects of MTSS implementation necessary before and during implementation
  • Establish a plan for communication and dissemination of information to families, community, and local businesses
  • Establish an effective meeting structure by assigning roles such as, facilitator, recorder, time keeper, and individual responsible for organizing necessary data for the meeting
  • Monitor implementation efforts through:
  • Data analysis relevant to the reading and practices building leadership teams are learning
  • Completion of work plan activities
  • Feedback from the MTSS Coordinator about areas of strength and implementation barriers experienced by partnering districts
  • Adjust the work plan as necessary based on data, feedback from stakeholders, and district needs
  • Identifies accomplishments and implementation barriers to be addressed by the ISD Cabinet via the ISD Liaison
  • Engage in continuous learning around MTSS data, systems and practices and the implementation research
  • Develop a long range work plan in collaboration with MiBLSi project staff that extends beyond the initial districts who have agreed to partner with the ISD

MiBLSi Project:

Purpose:To create capacity for an integrated behavior and reading MTSS system that can be implemented with fidelity, is sustainable over time, and utilizes data based decision making at all level of implementation support

Responsibilities:

  • Collaborate with the ISD Liaison, Implementation Team, MTSS Coordinator and partnering districts in the development and monitoring of a work plan detailing the activities around MTSS implementation through monthly meetings and/or more frequent conference calls as timelines warrant
  • Provide consultation and support to the ISD and district liaisons as they work to support efforts from the Implementation Team
  • Assist in developing local training and coaching capacity within the ISD and partnering districts through the provision of a structure for building fluency in the training content that includes modeling and structured feedback
  • Support the MTSS Coordinator through professional learning opportunities and statewide networking to assist in strengthening their role in supporting implementation efforts
  • Provide supplemental materials through the website (e.g. video conferencing, webinars, tools and resources) to deepen knowledge of the data, systems, and practices for an integrated MTSS model
  • Establish a collaborative network for ISD and partnering districts to access to leverage and share resources to support implementation efforts
  • Assist in promoting State (MDE) systems of support and necessary policy changes to build resources for effective practices in the field.

District Partners:

Each district partner will create a District Implementation Team, which includes a district Liaison, and district MTSS Coordinator, who works collaboratively with the ISD Liaison, ISD MTSS Coordinator, and MiBLSi project staff to: