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)

Classroom Interventions: What We Can Learn From Speeding

Most educators want their students to be successful. When problem behaviors arise in the classroom, unfortunately, they may revert to familiar strategies. For example, a teacher may yell at their students, or particular students, to gain control of the classroom. Sometimes teachers may return to ineffective strategies because they are not aware of what else to do. Or they might think that being “positive” is somehow “babying” their students. Yet, these teachers feel frustrated when they see their students struggling to be successful. Just like aspirin will not cure every headache, no one intervention can solve every issue. However, some strategies can increase the chance students will be successful

Caring for Your Students: Simple Strategies for Connection and Well-Being

I have a question for you. How do you want to be remembered by your students? What words would they use to describe you? Kind? Thoughtful? Helpful? Please take a moment to think of one word you would like your students to use about you. Whatever keyword you decide, you are going to face challenges to reach that goal

Hallways and High Schools: Changes in Adult Behavior to Decrease Disruption from Students in Non-Classroom Settings

Decreasing classroom disruptions that result from hallway related behavior in high school settings can be very challenging for high school staff. This article describes a case example of preventing problem behavior related to hallway settings in a high school with over 1,200 students. The interventions are described and the results of the plan are included

Developing Buy-In for Schoolwide Approaches

Preparing for an intervention implementation through developing buy-in can be essential for practitioners across various schoolwide approaches (link). Recently, my friend and co-author, Lisa Caputo Love gave a presentation for the 7th Annual CAST Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Symposium about developing buy-in for UDL. While she focused on UDL in her presentation, the strategies she recommended for gaining buy-in can be used across different schoolwide interventions

How Blues Clues and Opportunities to Respond Can Make You A Better Teacher

According to Malcolm Gladwell, the researchers and writers behind Blues Clues believed that the more intellectually and physically children were when watching something, the more memorable and meaningful the content became. Throughout a Blue’s Clues episode, the hosts asks students questions to help them solve a problem (e.g., What’s Blue’s favorite food?). As the viewers participate with the host, they are intellectually and behaviorally engaged. Not only did providing opportunities to respond increase viewer ratings, but it also led to improved cognitive development for viewers. While there were undoubtedly other factors related (e.g., repetition of content) to improved viewer engagement and development, providing opportunities for the viewers to respond was a crucial part of the show’s success

Embedding UDL into Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports

Secondary school staff may be implementing effective universal, tier one strategies in their schools. By universal strategies, we mean academic, behavioral, and social and emotional supports that all teachers can embed into the curriculum. One example of universal support is Universal design for learning (UDL). This approach includes embedding instructional supports when you teach a skill, asking students to engage with course content, and/or expressing what they have learned, and can help strengthen your schoolwide approach to instruction