Statewide Implementation of Evidence-Based Programs

Abstract

F or the past several decades, considerable scientific and policy interest and research activity have focused on developing evidence-based practices and programs, evidence-informed practices and programs, and other innovations intended to produce better outcomes for exceptional children. Past and current efforts to diffuse, translate, transport, disseminate, mandate, incentivize, and otherwise close the "science-to-service gap" have not been successful in getting the growing list of evidence-based programs routinely into practice. D. L. Fixsen, Naoom, Blase, Friedman, and Wallace ( 2005) defined evidence-based programs as collections of practices that are done within known parameters (philosophy, values, ser-vice delivery structure, and treatment components) and with accountability to the consumers and funders of those practices. … Such programs, for example, may seek to integrate a number of intervention practices (e.g., social skills training, behavioral parent training, cognitive behavior therapy) within a specific service delivery setting (e.g., officebased, family-based, foster home, group home, classroom) and organizational context (e.g., hospital, school, not-for-profit community agency, business) for a given population (e.g., children with severe emotional disturbances, adults with co-occurring disorders, children at risk of developing severe conduct disorders). (p. 26) In an extensive review of the diffusion and dissemination literature, Greenhalgh, Robert,

Evidence-Based Practice: Inclusive Education for the Effective Implementation for Children With Autism

“…Fortunately, the emerging field of implementation science may provide the needed guidance for such a translational process (Fixsen, Blase, Metz, & Van Dyke, 2013), and professional development models for teachers and service providers working with children and youth with ASD have begun to adopt an implementation science approach (Odom, Cox, & Brock, 2013).All of this points to the fact that from science to practice is a clear challenge and furthermore an imperative next stride for the field (Wong et al,2014). One approach to improving services to students with ASD enrolled public school programs is through professional development.…”

School-wide PBIS: An Example of Applied Behavior Analysis Implemented at a Scale of Social Importance

“…Implementation science (Fixsen et al 2005(Fixsen et al , 2013 separates intervention practices (what is done to change student behavior) from the practices used to change an organizational system (adoption of the intervention practices). It is as important to define how effective practices are adopted as it is to provide the research demonstrating that these practices both produce desired change in the organization, and desired outcomes for the target population.…”

Working with schools: What employment providers need to know for successful collaboration1

“…We have proposed one approach to help respond to how transition professionals "scale-up" or implement best practices statewide (Fixsen et al, 2013, Test et al, 2009) and ensure that all key stakeholders involved in a student's life actually work together with a sense of urgency and not wait for "someone else do it".…”