Experts in Implementation Science

Guided by the research on implementation science, we work with you to achieve initial and sustained success.

Implementation Science for Literacy

Wilson Language Training^® (WLT) integrates the tenets and methodologies of implementation science to guide the instruction of our literacy programs in a manner that allows schools, districts, and their students to realize the benefits of the intervention and sustain them over time. Utilizing this relatively new discipline, Wilson^® collaborates with schools and districts to ensure that all program implementation activities are thoughtfully planned and put into place during the school year.

Systematic Support for Success

When new programs are introduced, it is often presumed that they are implemented automatically, as if there are no other activities or processes that need to be considered or undertaken. Just waiting for the new implementation to “happen,” without guiding its success, often derails the desired outcome. As a result, Wilson incorporates implementation science practices into COMPASS (COMprehensive Plans for Achieving Success and Sustainability) Plans. Wilson does not intend to train the district team to use implementation science. Rather, implementation science practices will be integrated into a district’s plan to improve student outcomes using Wilson literacy interventions.

Comprehensive Planning Collaboration

The implementation activities that Wilson outlines for a district’s Implementation Team are described in each COMPASS Plan. The level of detail provided ensures that the purpose is clear and supportable and that all stakeholders understand the development of the literacy skills of their students.

Learn More

To see how Wilson programs and professional learning incorporate the principles of implementation science, please read the following.

Make “It” Happen: Using Implementation Science with Wilson Programs, a Wilson Implementation Network (WIN) monograph.
The WIN School Profile of Salisbury Elementary School (MA), describing their experiences implementing Fundations^®.
The WIN District Profile of the School District of Indian River County (FL), which describes the district-wide implementation of Fundations. Also, watch this PBS story from 2014, in which Fundations is the multisensory program adopted by the district. Wilson’s use of implementation science principles supported the district’s successful implementation of the program.
The WIN District Profile of Worcester Public Schools (MA), which focuses on the systematic planning of professional learning to align with the gradual rollout of Fundations across the district.
Advancing School Success Through Leadership Support: Palm Valley Elementary School and Litchfield Elementary School District #79 (AZ), a WIN Profile focusing on the critical role of school and district leadership in providing the necessary support for successful implementation of Fundations at Palm Valley Elementary.

To learn more about implementation science and its application:

Watch this video by IDA TV called The Importance of the Science of Implementation. Moderated by Barbara Wilson and featuring Dr. Caryn S. Ward and Dr. Dean Fixsen as panelists, it addresses the elements of implementation science that are necessary when schools and districts adopt Structured Literacy programs.
Watch this video of Barbara Wilson explaining what implementation science is and why it is key to student success.
Read more about the application and importance of implementation science in Implementation Science 101: A Brief Overview, an article co-authored by Barbara Wilson and Michelle Duda in Perspectives on Language and Literacy, a quarterly publication by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA).
Read the white paper by Dr. Michelle Duda and Barbara Wilson on Using Implementation Science to Close the Policy to Practice Gap, published by Literate Nation.
Read Barbara Wilson’s article regarding implementation science in the International Dyslexia Association’s Examiner Newsletter (February 2015).
See a graphical overview of implementation science and glossary of key implementation science terms and acronyms.
See a graphical representation of the “It” in implementation science.
Visit the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN).
View the presentation handouts from Barbara Wilson, Dr. Michelle Duda, and other panelists during the 2014 IDA International Conference symposium Making It Happen vs. Hoping It Happens.

As a whole, implementation science provides a research-based process by which educators can realize intended outcomes by offering an intentional pathway that creates the capacity to implement any effective intervention. With attention to such detail, making it happen, rather than hoping it happens, will allow you to achieve and maintain success.
Duda, Penfold, Wernikoff, and Wilson, “Make ‘It’ Happen: Using Implementation Science with Wilson Programs”

School and District Literacy Plans

Wilson’s Implementation Teams are ready to collaborate with your school or district to develop custom plans that capture your strategies for achieving its literacy goals. These strategies are formulated as part of COMPASS Plans and are customized to suit your school or district’s specific needs. Plans may include only one tier or incorporate several tiers of instruction at once.