Implementation Support

The biggest challenge youth advocates and educators face is NOT in finding a program that is proven to work, nor even in finding a way to fund and start it. Over a period of time, most public agencies have funded a whole litany of theoretically excellent programs.

Yet negative outcomes persist. One reason is that implementation of these excellent programs often fails. It fails for a variety of reasons. The Ripple Effects Whole Spectrum Intervention System (WSIS) was designed to enable youth serving organizations to more easily implement evidence­based, scalable, sustainable, tiered interventions to meet the prevention needs of a wide spectrum of users under a whole spectrum of site-specific, real-world circumstances.

The Whole Spectrum Implementation Support System includes live, print, digital, and video resources for staff, administrators and parents to facilitate realistic planning and ensure effective implementation, standardized scalability and affordable sustainability.

Live training & support

Ripple Effects live training and print support materials provide a guided process for both district level planning and site­specific adaptation, helping users select from the literally millions of combinations of ways to implement, without losing fidelity to science-based instructional strategies. Training and support materials clearly identify core components and optional elements, for both process and content, for various kinds of use. This provides a framework that explicitly recognizes the importance of both fidelity and adaptation.

Software-based embedded coaching

136 tutorials address every aspect of the implementation process. The nuts and bolts of implementation, as well as process elements like getting buy in, and dealing with burn out are covered in a unit on making programs work. A second module, on Managing Diverse Learners, provides personalized coaching for educators to privately deal with sensitive issues, especially cultural competence. A third module, on transformative leadership, coaches implementers in the social-emotional competencies that are highly correlated with their overall success in education, as well as their success with specialized SEL program.

Resources

A comprehensive set of resources for implementers, parents, technologists and researchers include:

1. Ripple Effects Software

A. Skill training and personal guidance software

•  Ripple Effects Coach for Kids Grades 2-5;
•  Ripple Effects Coach for Teens Grades 6-11
•  Ripple Effects Coach for Staff (Implementers)

B. Ripple Effects assessment tools

•  Ripple Effects Group Level School Safety Profiler
•  Ripple Effects Group Level Respect for Person’s Profiler
•  Ripple Effects Personal Assessment Surveys
•  Ripple Effects Screen for Strengths Interactive Self Profiles 

2.     Implementation manuals

• Ripple Effects Whole Spectrum Intervention System (Description)
• Ripple Effects Whole Spectrum Learning Platform
• Ripple Effects Coach for Kids User Guide
• Ripple Effects Coach for Teens User Guide
• Ripple Effects Coach for Staff User Guide
• Ripple Effects Implementation Planning Guide.
• Ripple Effects Assessment Tools
• Ripple Effects: Planning for RTI. (Booklet & Fillable PDF)
• Ripple Effects for Universal Promotion
• Ripple Effects for Targeted Prevention: Risk Reduction
• Ripple Effects Positive Behavioral Intervention Guide
• Using Ripple Effects in Juvenile Justice Settings
• Ripple Effects Trainers Resources Guide
• Ripple Effects Technology Guide
• Ripple Effects Personal Trainer for Parents

3.   Additional print resources

• Graffiti style classroom posters for elementary (inside tube)
• Classroom posters for middle/high school (inside tube)
• Pounce: Social Behavior Observation Form
• Student certificates of completion of training
• Eagle Eye postcards. (For quick, positive communication with     parents)

4.   Video presentation resources

• Ripple Effects Program Overview (3 minutes)
• Focus on success. ABC news report (3 minutes)
• Use of Ripple Effects as suspension alternative. (7 minutes)
• In their own words. Students and teachers. (3 minutes)
• Whole Spectrum Learning System (3 minutes)

5.   Theory base

From Multidisciplinary Theory to Multimedia SEL Interventions: The Conceptual Underpinnings of Ripple Effects Whole Spectrum Intervention System. Ray, A. 2009. Ripple Effects. San Francisco.

6.   Evidence of effectiveness

• Vol. I: Effectiveness Studies Summary; Research Methods and Results
• Vol. II: Primary Prevention Outcomes
• Vol. III: Secondary Prevention Outcomes
• Vol. IV: Tertiary Prevention Outcomes
• Vol. V: Summary of Outcomes Across Eight Studies
• Vol. VI: Implementation Fidelity

7.   Support

• Live training by national cadre of certified trainers
     • Trainer training – 3 day Institutes
     • Site-based staff training 3 or 6 hour session
• Live/phone technology support
• Live/phone planning and implementation support
• Moderated, online community of practice
• Data management and reporting services
• Thousands of pages of web content