Integrated and responsive implementation support strategies: A qualitative analysis of implementation plans to advance systemic social and emotional learning.

backgroundGuided by the Interactive Systems Framework and the Evidence-Based System for Implementation Support, the current study examines how County Offices of Education can advance systemic SEL in districts and schools to bolster the well-being and mental health of educators and students.

methodThrough the directed qualitative content analysis of plans drafted by County Leaders, we examine how counties envisioned providing implementation support and provide definitions, examples, and frequencies of five commonly used implementation support strategies in real-world practice.

resultsTools, trainings, and technical assistance were mentioned in the majority of plans, incentives in approximately half the plans, and feedback loops were referenced in only 27% of the plans. We found that implementation support strategies were innovatively combined to build the capacity of local practitioners in integrated and responsive ways. We also present two new dimensions to conceptualize implementation support and advance theory-building in the field. The first dimension is implementation support strategy orientation, or the degree to which strategies are responsive to local preferences, resulting in a spectrum of top-down to bottom-up approaches. Second, implementation support strategy facilitation, describes the degree to which support strategies range in their level of requisite preparation.

conclusionsUltimately, our findings aim to inform implementation planning, advance and refine current frameworks, and narrow the bidirectional gap between research and practice.