Why Implementation Partnership Matters
Connecting the Pieces
Thought partnership that takes the weight off the process and puts practice into action
Happy New Year! If you are like millions of people across the country you have set a resolution to obtain a newly established goal. With this goal comes several daily habits to which your focus has now been drawn. The change you seek may require waking up an extra 5 minutes before your regularly scheduled alarm, writing a shopping list to follow, or restraining yourself from buying the newest hot ticket item. Ultimately, your success rises and falls upon the extent to which you plan and stay committed to these small actions.
What does this have to do with our educational communities and implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)?
EVERYTHING!
As a stakeholder in the educational space, consider the overarching goals we have for our communities. The multitude of these strategic goals outlines how we will obtain a designated outcome for students (e.g., academic proficiency, on-track graduation rates) in three to five years. While our best-laid plans are well intended, many are falling short when implemented.
Example Strategic Goal: Every student will develop foundational academic skills, curiosity, and a joy for learning necessary for success in Pre-K through 12th Grade.
Potential Metrics: Percentage of students meeting criteria for kindergarten readiness, Multi-Language Learners meeting expected growth and reclassification criteria
Why is this happening?
Siloed organizational structures are leading to initiative overload and a lack of support for essential stakeholders. Consider the idea of daily habits. As student outcomes are the metric to which goals are centered in the majority of cases, think of all of the aligned practices and processes that must exist among stakeholders, across departments, and within standard operations to obtain this goal. Depending on how your system is currently structured, changing the small daily habits of various stakeholders to meet this one goal will require a substantial commitment. Organizational structures from the district to the classroom must account for this complexity to better align initiatives and support the shift in adult actions that will lead to success.
Potential Daily Action: Educators utilize data and evidence-based strategies to support access for students receiving multi-language services.
Sample Implementation Questions: What data is being utilized and monitored? What constitutes a need? How will we know a strategy is effective?
How can an Implementation Partnership support?
Across the country, districts and schools are beginning to develop a deeper understanding of the role an MTSS framework plays in the functionality of their community. States have begun to acknowledge this through their development of policy and resources. However, while basic MTSS operations may be established at the school and district level, the lift in shifting the research and policies from theory into practice through action can feel disjointed and daunting. An implementation partnership can bridge the gap for leaders by helping them create a more thoughtful improvement process for how they prioritize practices, align initiatives, and lead their implementation. The ultimate goal is to have a thought partner in this work to take the weight off the process and put practice into action!
Click here to learn more about AlignED’s Implementation Partnerships
