Three big concerns about research findings (and the way they are presented) contribute to the Research to Practice Gap.

Three strategic planing tools based on the principles of implementation science are included below to help you get started.

The Wing Institute website also hosts PDF version of each tool.

Strategic Planning Tool

For Teachers and Practitioners

Define your local context and identify a challenge you or your students are struggling with.

Which characteristics of your students might be important to this challenge? Compare your context to the research studies.

• What age or grade level are students?

• Are students in general education, receiving support services, or participating in inclusion? Do they have intensive support needs?

• Are students English language learners?

• Are students from low socioeconomic backgrounds?

Consider your community’s values.

• Is succeeding in this challenge something that community stakeholders (students, families, school / district staff, board members) care strongly about?

What resources are available to support you in successfully implementing?

• Do you have time built into your schedule to conduct an intervention or add a program?

• Would you be able to apply for additional funding if you need materials?

• Do you have an instructional coach, mentor, or team willing to collaborate with you?

Consider reaching out to the researchers and requesting additional support, such as explanations or summaries in plain language and related materials (such as lesson plans, checklists, or student materials).

Strategic Planning Tool

For District Administrators or School Site Leaders

Define your local context and identify a challenge your teachers or students are struggling with.

Which characteristics of your students might be important to this challenge? Compare your context to the research studies.

• What age or grade level are you focused on?

• Are targeted students in general education, receiving support services, or participating in inclusion? Do they have intensive support needs?

• Are targeted students English language learners?

• Are targeted students from low socioeconomic backgrounds?

Consider your community’s values.

• Is succeeding in this challenge something that community stakeholders (students, families, school / district staff, board members) care strongly about?

• Consider strategies to get buy-in from teachers, focusing on positives and incentives.

Make a plan to leverage the principles of implementation science and technology transfer in your efforts.

Can you adjust the schedule to accommodate additional intervention blocks?

Can you leverage instructional coach personnel to develop lesson plans and materials that would ease the implementation burden on teachers?

Would you be able to apply for additional funding via grants if you need more resources?

Consider contacting the research team and asking to collaborate.

Strategic Planning Tool

For Researchers

• Publish in open access and/or practitioner oriented journals. Use accessible language and avoid jargon.

• Publish or provide succinct summaries of your work in accessible locations (blogs, interviews, etc.) using plain language.

• Include detailed information about subjects and local contexts, such that practitioners can compare to their own context.

• Include explicit recommendations for practice, including ideas for how this work could be implemented in a practice setting or how it could inform the practice of an educator or clinician.

• Generate practical tools and resources developed from the principles of your work (lesson plans, student materials, checklists) and make them available to practitioners.

Thoughts?

Please share them!

At the Wing Institute, we want to know how we can better serve you.

Reach out and let us know how we’re doing!

winginstitute@morningsideacademy.org