by Denyse Doerries, Ph.D., and Sue Land, M.Ed.
from T/TAC Link Lines
September/October 2006
Both the Individuals with Disabilities Act, 2004, and the No Child left Behind Act, 2002, mandate that schools provide not just equal educational opportunities, but high-quality education for all children. The legislation charges schools with changing their current instructional and behavioral practices to employ effective interventions (based on research) with proven outcomes (Schaughency & Ervin, 2006; Stollar, Poth, Curtis, & Cohen, 2006). Despite efforts to disseminate effective practices, schools are not necessarily adopting them (Schaughency & Ervin, 2006). Thus, there continues to be a gap between research concerning evidenced-based practices and the reality of school practices.
Research suggests that the success of change initiatives often is based not on the characteristics of the innovation but on the culture of the school within which the innovation is implemented (Stollar et al., 2006). Knowledge of evidence-based practices alone is not sufficient to sustain change. The literature suggests that frequently, when the supports for the change are withdrawn, the change initiative fails (Fuchs, Fuchs, Harris, & Roberts, 1996). Successful school change requires ongoing professional development, modeling and on-site coaching, continuous communication with staff, and time for planning and application (Hall & Hord, 2001).
What can teachers do to support the adoption of evidenced-based practices? A pivotal piece of a successful change initiative is the presence of a school-based collaborative-problem solving team (Stollar et al., 2006). Collaborative teams provide the framework for successfully integrating a desired innovation into the culture of a school (Stollar et al., 2006). The teams identify and analyze the schools’ data, determine if a gap exists between current practices and evidence-based practices, and, in conjunction with faculty input, establish a need and the benefits that will accrue from the change initiative. Further, the team collaborates with administrators and faculty to problem solve, identifies evidenced-based interventions, and creates a climate that supports the interventions.
Teachers can join already existing school-based teams such as School Improvement Teams or start at grade-level teams to examine the gap between current practices and evidenced-based interventions. Teachers can request assignments to school-based planning teams or volunteer for such teams, allowing them to play an essential role in bringing successful innovations to their schools.
The Virginia Department of Education’s Priority Projects provide the structure to support change initiatives at the local level. These projects articulate the state’s priorities and provide, in conjunction with the regional T/TACs, the ongoing technical assistance necessary to sustain change at the local level in priority areas.
The ongoing technical assistance that T/TAC W&M provides to schools involved in various Priority Projects takes place through a team approach. In most cases teams are comprised of general and special education teachers, other support teachers and staff, as well as administrators. These teams meet on a regular basis to examine school data, determine needs, develop action plans, solve problems, and evaluate progress. Individual schools and school divisions in Regions 2 and 3 may wish to seek more information about the VDOE Priority Projects and T/TAC W&M support. A complete listing of these projects and supports may be found at http://www.wm.edu/ttac.
The Priority Projects that require a team approach are as follows:
Other Priority Projects and VDOE-supported activities to acquire evidenced-based practices include:
As schools endeavor to improve the achievement of all students, committing
to a team approach is essential. “In this day and age there is simply
too much for any one educator to know in order to effectively meet the needs
of all his or her students” (Brownell & Walther-Thomas, 2002, p. 224).
References
Brownell, M., & Walther-Thomas, C. (2002). An interview with Dr. Marilyn
Friend. Intervention in School and Clinic, 37, 223-228.
Fuchs, D., Fuchs, L., Harris, A.H., & Roberts, P.H. (1996). Bridging the
research-to-practice gap with mainstream assistance teams: A cautionary tale.
School Psychology Quarterly, 11, 244-266.
Hall, G.E., & Hord, S.M. (2001). Implementing change: Patterns, principles,
and potholes. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, U.S.C.H.R. 1350 (2004).
No Child Left Behind Act, U.S.C. 115 STAT. 1426 (2002).
Schaughency, E., & Ervin, E. (2006). Building capacity to implement and
sustain effective practices to better serve children. School Psychology
Review, 35,155-166.
Stollar, S.A., Poth, R.L., Curtis, M.J., & Cohen, R.M. (2006). Collaborative
strategic planning as illustration of the principles of systems change. School
Psychology Review, 35, 181-197.
- Back to Articles -
< Training
and Technical Assistance Center (T/TAC W&M) >
< William and Mary School of Education
>
P.O. Box 8795 • Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Phone: (800) 323-4489 • TDD: (757) 221-2302 • FAX: (757) 253-4897
This website is funded by the < Virginia
Department of Education > through the T/TAC project.
Copyright © 1996-2007 Training and Technical Assistance Center,
College of William and Mary. All Rights Reserved.