Unlocking the Power of Implementation Fidelity: How Pasta Sauce, Checklists, and Action Planning Drive Success

While there are several types of fidelity, I focus on the notion of adherence for this blog: how well the team sticks with the plan, assessment, or curriculum. These types of fidelity tools typically involve the systems you need to support the intervention (e.g., leadership teams, access to resources), accessing data to guide implementation (e.g., identifying the problem, progress monitoring), and the selection of evidence-based practices. These checklists help teams develop action plans for their work and determine the degree to which they adhere to a model. Some tools may focus on one type of intervention (e.g., behavior, academics) and/or a specific level of intervention (e.g., schoolwide, groups of students). The tool you use depends on the type of intervention you are implementing. In many cases, these fidelity tools are self-assessments completed by leadership teams, sometimes with the guidance of external support personnel (e.g., external coaches)

Making Mastery Work: A Close-Up View of Competency Education

As schools move towards a 21st century model of preparing students for college and a career, it is becoming unnecessary to maintain a system based on time spent in the classroom, according to the report's authors. Rather, learning happens at different times in a variety of settings, and progress should be demonstrated by mastery of content, not merely grade promotion. In the proficiency-based systems examined in "Making Mastery Work", students advance at their own pace as part of a cycle of continuous learning and achievement. This mix of freedom and responsibility is positively impacting both the teaching and the learning at the ten schools studied by Nora Priest, Antonia Rudenstine and Ephraim Weisstein, the report's authors. Issues examined through the collected experiences of the participating schools include: the creation of a transparent mastery and assessment system, time flexibility, curriculum and instruction, leadership for competency education development, and the role of data and information technology in a competency-based education model

Leading functional skills in secondary schools

"As part of an extensive suite of materials (see page 21), this booklet supports leadership by providing: a high-level introduction to functional skills; an introduction to 10 factors for successful leadership, along with key questions and guidance; illustrative case studies; and, continuing professional development (CPD) materials for functional skills as well as useful websites..." - page 3

Are SREB States Making Progress? Tapping, Preparing and Licensing School Leaders Who Can Influence Student Achievement

Looks at the progress SREB states are making in developing systems to identify, prepare, and assess future school leaders

Schools Can't Wait: Accelerating the Redesign of University Principal Preparation Programs

Reviews recent efforts by 22 universities to provide higher quality training programs for school leaders. Includes examples of effective redesign practices and outlines an action plan for implementing successful educational leadership initiatives