We've previously focused on creating the enabling conditions that make successful implementation of a literacy intervention possible. Now, we turn to what happens next: the sensitive period when a program or initiative moves from preparation into classroom practice, and when—according to more than two decades of implementation research—things are most at risk of going awry.
As the research reminds us, “Implementation is a process, not an event. Implementation will not happen all at once or proceed smoothly, at least not at first” (Fixsen et al., 2005). This reminder can be particularly helpful as leaders think about the opening weeks of a new school year and what they can do to support successful intervention outcomes for everyone involved.
Two Implementation Stages Worth Understanding Now
Implementation science identifies two stages that describe what happens when a school is getting started with an intervention program at the beginning of a new school year. Understanding both can help leaders invest their summer planning time well:
Installation (Getting Started) is where summer planning lives. It is when leaders focus on “ensuring that all necessary components are in place for effective implementation” (Fixsen et al., 2005). This includes carving dedicated time for intervention out of the master schedule, ensuring professional development is delivered to both teachers and leaders before the program launches, and establishing systems and processes for data review (Carlson, 2025). While these are critical steps, completing them can sometimes create the impression that the work is done, even though the more complex work lies ahead.
Initial Implementation is when the intervention is introduced into classroom practice, and when the more challenging work begins. The research highlights the very human side of this phase: “the compelling forces of fear of change, inertia, and investment in the status quo combine with the inherently difficult and complex work of implementing something new” (Fixsen, et al., 2005). During this time, teachers must navigate what researchers describe as the “initial awkward stage,” as they build new habits and routines in the early weeks, a time when some may feel uncertain about the intervention and whether it will be effective. Implementations can easily falter at this stage, as teachers may feel overly taxed by change and the challenge of using something new.
The good news is that strong preparation during the Installation (Getting Started) stage preparation is one of the most powerful things a leader can do to reduce early implementation risk. Teachers who begin the year with everything they need in place are better poised to navigate the early weeks of Initial Implementation and establish routines and practices that will carry them and their students through the year.
A Takeaway for Summer Planning
The quality of the preparatory work during the Installation stage directly impacts how manageable and successful Initial Implementation will be, and summer is the ideal time for leaders to focus on the high-impact actions that set the stage for a strong start to the new school year.
In the articles below, we translate key implementation science principles into a practical checklist of actions leaders can take both before school begins and in the early days of back-to-school.
