SISEP
Project Directors 2009
Dean Fixsen, Karen Blase,
Rob Horner, and George Sugai
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
University of Oregon
University of Connecticut
SISEP Center
State Implementation and Scaling up of
Evidence-based Practices (SISEP)
www.scalingup.org


DoE and OSEP Leaders
Project Officer: Jennifer Doolittle
© Dean Fixsen, Karen Blase, Robert Horner, George Sugai, 2009
System Change

“Education has a thousand
pilots and no central heating
system”
Tom Luce, National Math and Science Initiative
Scaling Up


EBPs currently are used where
they are most wanted (boutique
uses)
Social impact will come from
going where they are most needed
 Accessible to ALL students and
families who could benefit
 Common usage = work with the
willing and the reluctant
Scaling Up
Scaling up is achieved when
at least 60% of the
students/ schools that
could benefit from an
innovation have full and
effective access to that
innovation
School Wide PBS
Total Number Schools
SWPBS Schools
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
Aug 04
Aug 05
Aug 06
Year
Aug 07
School Wide PBS
Total Number Schools
SWPBS Schools
100,000
80,000
6% of all
schools
60,000
40,000
20,000
0
Aug 04
Aug 05
Aug 06
Year
Aug 07
Capacity Development



To scale up interventions we
must first scale up
implementation capacity
Building implementation capacity
is essential to maximizing the
use of EBPs and other
innovations
Large scale, real time change
Glennan, Bodilly, Galegher, & Kerr (2004)
© Dean Fixsen, Karen Blase, Robert Horner, George Sugai, 2009
Selection Criteria



The State has documented
implementation of an evidence-based
curriculum/instruction initiative or a
behavior support program.
The State has demonstrated
committed leadership at the State
level.
The State is willing to dedicate
roughly $2 million a year to scaling
up evidence-based practices.
© Dean Fixsen, Karen Blase, Robert Horner, George Sugai, 2009
Selection Criteria


The State is willing to participate in
and contribute to a community of
practice.
The State has a statewide data
collection system in place.
© Dean Fixsen, Karen Blase, Robert Horner, George Sugai, 2009
Scaling Up
 Start with the end in mind
 What will it take to:
 Make statewide use of
education innovations…
 That produce increasingly
effective outcomes…
 For the next 50 years?
IMPLEMENTATION
CAPACITY FOR
SCALING UP EBPs
SISEP Support
State
Management
Team
State
Transformation
Team
Regional
Implementation
Team
Regional
Implementation
Team
N = 50 – 200
Schools
N = 50 – 200
Schools
Regional
Regional
Implementation Implementation
Team
Team
N = 50 – 200
Schools
N = 50 – 200
Schools
SISEP Support & 2 FTE
IMPLEMENTATION
CAPACITY FOR
SCALING UP EBPs
State
Management
Team
[Phase 1]
State
Transformation
Team
First Regional
Implementation
Team
Regional
Implementation
Team
N = 9 Staff
N = 50 Schools
N = 50 – 200
Schools
Too many
overqualified
people =
Capacity Dev.
Regional
Regional
Implementation Implementation
Team
Team
N = 50 – 200
Schools
N = 50 – 200
Schools
Implementation
Team
Innovation
Teachers
Students
Practice Informed
Policy (PIP)
System
Change
Policy Enabled
Practice (PEP)
SISEP System Change Support
State
Management
Team
Implementation Team
Prepare
Communities
Prepare Districts
Prepare schools
and staff
Implementation
Team
Assure
Student
Benefits
Parents and
Work with
Researchers Stakeholders
Create Readiness
Assure Implementation
© Fixsen & Blase, 2009
Student Benefits
Performance Assessment
(Fidelity)
Systems
Intervention
Coaching
Adaptive
Competence
Training
Integrated &
Compensatory
Selection
Technical
Organization
Facilitative
Administration
Decision Support
Data System
Leadership
© Fixsen & Blase, 2007
System Change
EXISTING SYSTEM
EXISTING SYSTEM IS
CHANGED TO SUPPORT
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
THE INNOVATION
EFFECTIVE INNOVATIONS
ARE CHANGED TO
FIT THE SYSTEM
EFFECTIVE INNOVATION
System Change


Innovative practices do not fare
well in existing organizational
structures and systems
Organizational and system
changes are essential to
successful use of innovations
 Expect it, Plan for it

Cannot change a whole system at
once
Transformation
Zone
Use Innovations
Develop
Implementation
Infrastructure
Change System
Transformation Zone

A “vertical slice” of the education system
(from the classroom to the Capitol)

The “slice” is large enough (critical mass) to
include all aspects of the system
»

Develop capacity to change systems
The “slice” is small enough to be
manageable
»
Manage the change process (small bites)
»
Manage the risks (most innovations don’t work
at first)
»
Limit the damage (quick recovery, rapid
resolution)
SYSTEM ALIGNMENT
Transformation
Zone
ALIGNMENT
State
Department
Districts/ Regions
Implementation Teams
Federal
Departments
Schools
Teachers/ Staff
Effective Practices
FORM SUPPORTS FUNCTION
For More Information
Karen A. Blase, Ph.D.
Dean L. Fixsen, Ph.D.

919-966-9050

919-966-3892

blase@mail.fpg.unc.edu

fixsen@mail.fpg.unc.edu
State Implementation and Scaling up of
Evidence-based Practices
National Implementation Research Network
www.scalingup.org
http://nirn.fpg.unc.edu
For More Information
The OSEP-funded National Technical Assistance Center on
Positive Behavior and Intervention Supports was established
to address the behavioral and discipline systems needed for
successful learning and social development of students. The
Center provides capacity-building information and technical
support about behavioral systems to assist states and districts
in the design of effective schools.
Thank You
We thank the following for their support

Annie E. Casey Foundation (EBPs and cultural
competence)

William T. Grant Foundation (implementation literature
review)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (implementation strategies grants; NREPP
reviews; SOC analyses of implementation; national
implementation awards)






Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (implementation
research contract)
National Institute of Mental Health (research and training
grants)
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (program
development and evaluation grants
Office of Special Education Programs (Capacity
Development Center contract)
Agency for Children and Families (Child Welfare
Leadership Development contract)