How do educators sustain K-12 district initiatives? Teaching and learning initiatives, despite being well-intentioned, often struggle to gain traction due to limited teacher acceptance or inconsistent program fidelity, so much so that many are familiar with the concept of "initiative decay." Even the most promising initiatives can…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine differences in perceived SEL implementation levels across different campus levels (elementary and secondary) when SEL professional development and coaching support were provided to campus staff. A causal-comparative research designed utilized survey data previously collected to examine…

Effective instructional coaching won't happen across a district without a well-specified coaching program and a reliable way to guide coaches. Fortunately, there are innovations from research and development efforts that can help districts put into practice the best ideas about instructional coaching. Andrew Wayne and Jane Coggshall describe how…

This article reviewed published research on implementing the Response to Intervention (RTI)/Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) educational framework in mathematics at public schools. Today, all 50 states have adopted different forms of the tiered educational system, and the focus of these support systems is switching from model building to…

The purpose of this guide is to assist Tier 3 or MTSS District Teams in supporting school level and student level implementation of Tier 3 supports. These system features include procedures for teaming, professional development/training, coaching, data systems and evaluation, student support provisions and student and family engagement.

Effective professional development is critical for improving implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in special education. The present systematic review sought to gather evidence exploring the effects and key components of in-service special education teacher training in EBPs. This review identifies six essential components of training…

The purpose of this self-study guide is to increase the knowledge, skills, and ability of teachers to implement evidence-based instructional practices by improving the effectiveness of literacy coaching. This self-study guide is intended to help administrators, teacher leaders, and coaches determine which components of literacy coaching to…

This demonstration features the collaborative work of a state-funded project matching university-based PBIS trainers with school level implementers in a rural setting. Strategies and lessons learned when implementing PBIS with fidelity during challenging times is shared. The information learned from this regional example highlights the need for…

Schoolwide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) is a three-tiered framework for preventing and addressing challenging behavior and improving school climate. SWPBIS requires ongoing coaching and consultation to ensure implementation fidelity and improve the efficiency and efficacy of data-based decision making and problem-solving…

Disproportionality in exclusionary school discipline is a longstanding challenge in general and special education. To reduce disproportionality in discipline in a way that produces measurable results, federal law provides a mechanism referred to as Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS). Whether a school district has been cited for…

This practice guide is a revision of the updated version of "Supporting and Responding to Behavior: Evidence-Based Classroom Strategies for Teachers" that replaces, rather than supplements, the first version. The updated "Supporting and Responding (Version 2)" guide includes: (1) an expanded focus on support for students'…

The Partnership Model for School and District Turnaround is Michigan's policy for improving student outcomes in its lowest-performing schools. In compliance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) identifies schools that rank in the bottom 5% of the Michigan School Index System as Partnership schools.…

Video and coaching as vehicles for teachers' professional development have both received much attention in educational research. The combination of the two, video coaching, where teachers watch and discuss videos of their own practice with a coach, seems especially promising, but there is limited insight into how the design leads to desired…

Challenges inherent to increasing student literacy are well-documented particularly in under performing schools. Those challenges increase in schools experiencing high staff turnover, high populations of English language learners, and greater poverty. In order to improve student learning in these communities there needs to be a comprehensive…

As your school district undertakes the process of evaluating its K-12 reading program, literacy curriculum, or literacy instructional practices, this book will be your go-to resource. Pennell offers a step-by-step guide for educators, school leaders, or professional learning communities to evaluate high-quality instructional materials and…