Scaled-up Research (Indicator 8.2.1)
By 2007 the number of SPD grant projects that "scale-up" research-based State initiatives such as reading, behavior and other targeted areas through professional development and other activities will increase.

Quick Index:

• National Resources
• Scaling-up in States

National Resources

Along with a greater understanding of the benefits of evidence-based practices and programs has come a realization of the importance of adherence to evidence-based program protocols (e.g. fidelity). In his presentation "Implementing Innovations with Benefits to Consumers & Stakeholders" on our call (Tuesday, November 7) Dr. Dean Fixsen will share with us his research on the critical importance of implementing an evidence-based program with fidelity. Download his presentation slides here.

a) Dean L. Fixsen, Ph.D.
National Implementation Research Network, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute Power Point from 2006 OSEP Project Directors’ Conference

b) The notes from SIGnetwork Teleconference featuring Dr. Dean Fixsen- Scaling Up Nov 9, 2006 presentation

Experiences of State Departments of Special Education (.pdf)
(May 2004) from Project Forum at NASDSE. This document describes the scaling-up experiences of several state special education agencies (Alabama, Hawaii, Kansas, New York, Rhode Island, Texas). Includes discussion of facilitators and barriers to scaling up, prominent state efforts and a look ahead to future activities.

A Review of the Research Literature on Scaling Up in Education ( 2000)
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. This document describes the challenges and the elements of successful scaling up in education.

Expanding the Reach of Education Reforms: What Have We Learned About Scaling Up Educational Interventions? (2004) Rand Education. A research brief describing common findings from a larger collection of essays about educator scale-up experiences. General lessons learned are: the importance of building the capacity to implement and sustain the reforms, adjusting for local culture and policy, ensuring quality control, providing the necessary infrastructure, and fostering a sense of ownership. The complete publication (746 pages) is available for purchase or as a free download in pdf format

Scaling Up Success: Lessons Learned from Technology-Based Educational Improvement (2005) Harvard Graduate School of Education. This 288 page book describes different models for "scaling up" success.  Each model is grounded in a real-life case of technology-based educational innovation, providing examples of best practices. Available for purchase on Wiley's main website.

Scaling-up in States

From the OSEP Project Directors meeting (July 25-28, 2005)

Georgia SIG Staff presented scaling-up experiences at both a panel and breakout session:

• Georgia SIG Scaling-Up and Evaluating Professional Development: How the Georgia SIG has Positively Impacted Hundreds of Schools through Professional Development Initiatives
  During the implementation of the Georgia SIG, professional development (PD) has changed radically from one-shot workshops with no outcome data to data-driven, job-embedded PD resulting in positive student outcomes. The panel discussed how one school-wide initiative has grown from small pilot projects to implementation in over 300 schools and provided outcome data.
  Georgia SIG Panel Presentation PowerPoint
• The presenters described several professional development initiatives in Georgia, including the evaluation methods that have been used to document changes in adult practices and student performance. In addition, mechanisms and processes that are used for scaling-up the initiatives were discussed.
  Georgia SIG Breakout Session PowerPoint