Changing systems to scale up an evidence-based educational intervention

AbstractThis paper reflects on a nationwide scale-up effort of school-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and offers lessons learned that may be applied to the scaling of other evidence-based educational practices. Core elements of PBIS are reviewed and the importance of “implementation science” for the scaling of PBIS is discussed. The expansion of PBIS to over 23,000 schools and nearly every state has been enhanced by the conceptual foundation of implementation science. Likewise, implementation science has benefited from the practical application and research from PBIS scientists and practitioners who have begun to provide support for the implementation science formula for successful uses of evidence-based programs. This analysis offers an expanded definition of evidence-based practice that subsumes a systems approach to implementation. Although many insights are provided into the scale up process, the lack of a tipping point for widespread implementation of PBIS is notable.