What is the Implementation Zone?
DPI has committed to focusing investments in support of the learners who are marginalized, especially learners of color, learners with IEPs, and learners in our lowest performing schools. As outlined in DPI’s State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP), part of the agency’s federal accountability under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education (IDEA) for the US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the goal is to establish an Implementation Zone (IZ). This “zone” functions as an incubator or learning lab, that develops a common way of work within a linked team structure so that DPI can effectively measure and monitor whether and how efforts and investments are leading to equitable and improved outcomes.
The Implementation Zone is an intensive level of support in which DPI has selected and operationalized key practices, and is providing training, coaching and funding in order to support the use of those practices. The IZ serves as the support structure for project teams in implementing identified practices in order to improve outcomes for all students and accelerate progress for students with IEPs and students of color. As such, the IZ overall is content neutral, while the current projects being incubated in the IZ are Early Reading (IZ-ER) and Inclusive Learning Communities (IZ-ILC).
Upcoming Events
Invited districts joined DPI for an introductory webinar to learn if this work is the right fit for their continuous improvement efforts on April 4, 2024 - 3:00-3:45.
View the Webinar Recording or View the Slides
Next steps include 3 exploration meetings for districts initially invited. Each meeting will walk districts through activities to help determine if this work matches your continuous improvement needs while supporting individual readiness. By the end of these meetings, districts should feel confident whether the collaboration is right and will then work to co-create a partnership agreement with DPI for the next 3-5 years.
- Meeting #1: April 25, 2024 3:00-4:00 (CST)
- Meeting #2: May 9, 2024 3:00-4:00 (CST)
- Meeting #3: May 23, 2024 3:00-4:00 (CST)