Implementing an Evidence-Based Program: The Role of Tight and Loose Coupling

• In Event: Systemic Issues in Educational Improvement

Abstract

The Every Student Succeeds Act outlines four tiers of evidence that schools should use to guide implementation of new practices. Tier 1 interventions are defined as those supported by one or more well designed randomized control experiment. Yet, achieving the systematic uptake of evidence-based programs in education and other youth serving agencies is difficult. One challenge is that, even with strong evidence of effectiveness, program effects often drop as the program moves from the carefully controlled setting of the experiment to implementation in a broader range of contexts. This paper examines an evidence-based program of teacher development in order to consider how institutional and organizational factors can work to more tightly couple teacher engagement and program expectations.

Authors

• Marisa A. Cannata, Vanderbilt University

• Ellen B. Goldring, Vanderbilt University

• Mollie Rubin, Vanderbilt University

• Susan Kemper Patrick, Learning Policy Institute

• Michael Alan Neel, Vanderbilt University

• Kristen Carroll, Douglas County Schools