Frequently Asked Questions
Cost & Resources
What does it cost to implement Practia?
Practia was designed with a real world understanding of the budget constraints schools face. As with any program, there is a cost, but much of Practia implementation calls for a different way to use existing resources/expenditures. Here is a more detailed breakdown:
- Cost of the Practia framework – $0. This concept is offered to all schools/educational systems. It does require a different way of approaching the work of school improvement, but no per pupil cost or anything like that.
- Cost of instructional coaching – variable. Many/most schools already employ instructional coaches, so there may not be a need for any new salary costs. There may be some training/professional learning costs required to help coaches understand the Practia system, but again, many schools already budget for professional learning.
- Cost of adult practice data system – unknown/variable. This is potentially the largest new cost associated with Practia. If working with a software developer or purchasing a commercial product, these costs could be significant. However, there are options available to schools and districts. For example, simple tools like spreadsheets could be used for this data. There is also an emerging opportunity to use new tools like “Vibe Coding”, which some districts have utilized to significantly reduce IT costs (and help staff learn new skills).
- Cost of Practia implementation support – $7,500 per school per year (or $750 per month). This cost is completely optional, but, if schools want direct support to implement Practia, it is available. This includes monthly virtual coaching and “as needed” ongoing support via email. For more information, including district-level support, see the Support & Sustainability section below or visit the Practia Support page.
What resources — time, staff, budget — does implementation require?
Practia does require a commitment of resources. However, there is an important factor to understand – for the most part, Practia does not require a commitment of new resources. Practia calls for a re-imagining, re-allocation, and re-ordering of existing commitments. Practia does this by focusing on key components including community-defined essential conditions, a formative adult practice data system, and personalized coaching. The Practia system then allows leaders to transparently use this information to direct resources where they are most needed and will be most impactful.
The vision and promise of Practia is that implementation will lead to a more successful system, and research clearly shows that, when staff feel empowered and productive, burdens are lessened. Thus, this reallocation of resources will result in a more productive, more impactful, more successful school community.
Are there any hidden costs associated with implementation?
There are no “hidden” costs, but there may be costs associated with Practia that a school should be aware of. First, as detailed on the website, the Adult Practice Data system is a new concept. There are a variety of ways schools can manage this system, with widely varying costs. Schools may be able to use or repurpose spreadsheets or existing IT programs. Schools could also find custom IT solutions, but these would likely have significant cost.
Another variable cost is related to coaching – when it happens and if district policy is to pay teachers for extended time. This will likely look different in different settings; schools should be aware of the potential for increased costs. At the same time, one of the key concepts in Practia is effectively allocating resources to improve adult practices. The costs of Practia implementation are a part of that process and should be considered as schools make those critical decisions.
What is included in the free framework vs. the paid support packages?
The free Practia framework includes the concept and all available materials on the website. In addition, the Practia Community offers additional content, moderated discussions, and Q&A — free and open to anyone. For schools and districts wanting implementation support, fee-based options are available through Zuckerman Education Consulting. Learn more about these support options on the Practia Support page.
Time & Implementation
How long does it take to implement Practia?
Practia implementation is an ongoing process. A thoughtful implementation plan will allow for a stage based, intentional rollout. It may take a year or more for full implementation of the entire Practia system. But there should be tangible benefits at all stages during the implementation process, so positive impact may be felt almost immediately. The first stage calls for establishing Essential Conditions — the community-defined practices and approaches adults will commit to in order to support student success. If this engagement is done well, that alone should contribute to a more positive school environment. The same is true with each step along the way. Coaching and resource allocation driven by adult practice focused data systems can have immediate impact. Once full implementation is reached, the system will continue to lead to better outcomes.
Can Practia be implemented mid-year, or does it require starting at the beginning of the school year?
There are certainly advantages in implementing Practia so the system can be fully up and running at the beginning of the school year. However, especially considering the urgency of ensuring better outcomes for all students, schools do not need to wait to begin Practia implementation. Practia does not have a rigid structure that is timeline and task oriented. At its core, Practia is a framework, a way to approach the work of school improvement that stresses improving adult practices. When a school (or individual teacher) is ready to make that shift, they can begin right away with the Practia framework.
How will this impact teachers’ and coaches’ existing workloads?
Practia was designed with a real world understanding of existing workloads of teachers and coaches. Therefore, it should not add any burden to their workloads. When implementing the Practia system, teachers and coaches will need to repurpose some of their activities, including coaching and professional learning sessions. But this reframing will not add to workloads. In fact, research shows that high-quality, individualized coaching significantly improves instructional practice and is valued by teachers. What the research consistently identifies as harmful to teachers is professional development that feels irrelevant, disconnected from their daily work, or adds burden without meaningful impact. Practia intentionally focuses on high quality adult learning, where teachers see the impact of changes in their practice. Therefore, Practia will increase job satisfaction and lighten the workload.
Evidence & Credibility
What problem is Practia designed to solve?
Practia is designed so that schools will better serve their communities – primarily students, and also staff and families. The school improvement systems in place have not resulted in better outcomes for students. Most specifically, this has harmed historically underserved populations, including students of color, students with disabilities, and English learners. Research and evidence have shown that adult practices are a primary lever of change and within the locus of control of the school. Yet, current systems attempt to use student outcome data to inform adult practices – that is an inherent flaw that cannot be overcome. Practia addresses this disconnect by defining the desired adult practices, collecting data on those practices, and supporting staff to implement those practices through coaching and resource allocation.
What evidence supports the Practia approach? What research or theoretical foundation does Practia draw from?
Practia is new in the sense that it takes evidence-based, research proven ideas, and packages them together in a way that is cohesive and coherent, built on a foundation of evidence-based practices. These are some of the practices and programs embedded in Practia:
- Implementation Science, specifically the work of Dean Fixsen and Karen Blasé and the National Implementation Research Network
- Empowering local communities, The Open System Institute and the work of Doannie Tran and Landon Mascareñaz
- Student agency, voice and belonging, Energy Convertors and Charles Cole III
- Insights on data and data use, the book Street Data by Shane Safir and Jamila Dugan
How is Practia different from other school improvement frameworks we have already tried?
While Practia is built on many of the same fundamental principles as other school improvement frameworks, it operates with a different focus. Practia is committed to using the lever of change that is actually within the locus of control of school staff – adult practices. Practia starts with a collective decision on what practices adults should be implementing, then giving adults the resources and coaching to implement those practices. With Practia, teachers and all school staff fully understand what is expected of them and receive support in meeting those expectations. And, critically, this is all done in real time so that students are not waiting for change. Practia sets up a system so leaders can recognize areas of concern right away and act with appropriate urgency.
How does Practia measure success? What does progress look like?
Practia measures success in two interconnected ways. The ultimate measure of success is student outcomes. That is what the entire framework is designed to improve and what will validate the system. Practia also incorporates measures of implementation progress. The adult practice data system is a formative measure of adult practices and a way to track progress over time.
Has Practia been implemented in schools? What were the results?
Practia is in the early implementation phase, so no results are documented yet. Please continue to check practia.org; it will be updated as information becomes available.
Author’s Note – I recognize that it is unusual to publish a framework like this before it has been tested or proven to be successful. The reality of the situation moved me to act with a level of urgency; if this approach will make a difference for students, especially students of color, students with disabilities, English learners and other historically underserved groups, then waiting is a poor option.
Staff Buy-In
How do we get teachers and staff to buy into a new approach?
Practia is a people-centered, humanistic approach to school improvement. And the preponderance of evidence demonstrates that human change can be difficult. Practia is not immune from these challenges. Therefore, intentional efforts to manage the change and support individuals during the process are critical. The Practia Framework includes some of the central tenets of effective change management, including open communication and engagement, transparency, and building of trust. A hope for Practia also lies in the success of the program. School improvement is often a struggle, with school staff working extremely hard and getting very little in the way of results. As Practia begins to show signs of success, signs of impact, it can gain momentum and increase buy-in and support. Success does not make the work easier or less intense, but it can reduce burden and drive participation and support.
How does Practia address staff concerns about being evaluated or monitored?
This is a key question and much will depend on the culture that the school has created. Practia centers engagement and trust. It is very difficult to “prove” that the system will not be used for evaluation or monitoring. In the healthiest school environments, staff will trust leadership and be excited to engage with Practia. In other types of healthy environments, staff will be willing to try Practia, which offers an opportunity for leadership to demonstrate that Practia is about support, not evaluation.
There will also be environments that are not healthy and do not have the trust to move ahead with staff believing that Practia is about support. This is a problem, but it is not a Practia problem. There is little to no evidence that any type of school improvement effort will be successful in this environment. In fact, it is very likely that the toxic atmosphere has greatly contributed to poor student outcomes. In these situations, it may be wise to address culture issues before embarking on significant school improvement processes.
Fit & Flexibility
Can Practia work alongside our existing school improvement efforts, or does it replace them?
There is not one absolute answer to this question. Practia is a framework, with guidelines and structure, but it is not a “one size fits all” system. Therefore, if existing school improvement efforts align with the essential conditions a school community agrees upon, then Practia very well may work as a companion. However, even in these cases, it may be necessary to make adjustments to existing systems. One of the core principles of Practia is the focus on adult practice data, and if that is not collected and utilized it will need to be added in order for Practia to work as designed. In cases like this, coaching protocols may need to be adjusted to account for the new data systems, but many coaching principles will likely carryover.
Is Practia designed for a specific type of school or district, or is it adaptable?
Practia is adaptable for any type of school or district. One of the main motivations in the development of Practia was a system that addressed the significant achievement gaps in American schools. One of the primary methods for addressing gaps is engagement with staff, students, families, and the community. Genuine engagement is often missing, especially in communities that have been historically underserved. Critically, while engagement is at the core of Practia, this engagement is dependent on local conditions and the community. Practia does not define how engagement happens, that is for each local community to determine. Therefore, Practia can be impactful across all types of schools and demographic characteristics.
While Practia is adaptable for all situations, there will be different challenges in different settings. Small rural schools face very difficult circumstances, as they are expected to do the same type of work with limited resources and staffing. Practia was developed with an understanding of this reality. Practia is not an “add-on”; it is a reframing of current practices to be more effective and efficient. In that way, Practia may be more needed in rural settings, as it will preserve and maximize limited resources.
Can individual schools implement Practia, or does it require district-wide adoption?
Practia is flexible so can be utilized by any grouping that is ready, from individual classrooms to whole schools to district-wide and even across a state. The optimal units for implementation would be school or district-wide, especially because resource allocation can be maximized for impact. Schools and districts often have limited resources and Practia can help decision-makers understand where the resources will have the most impact. Some of that benefit can apply across a state, but state resources are often directed by law and policy and it is much more difficult to quickly adjust those parameters. Practia can also be implemented by individual teachers in their classrooms, regardless of what the school, district, or state are doing. Classroom implementation holds the promise of high impact for that group of students and families, but without realizing the full gains of broader efforts.
Data & Privacy
What kind of data does Practia collect on adults?
This is a key question – Practia does not collect data “on adults.” Practia does collect data on adult practices so that coaches, professional learning, and resource allocation can be tailored to support those practices. But Practia does not collect any personal information about anyone – students, staff, or families.
Note – the data system proposed in Practia is new, certainly in the world of education. It may cause discomfort, especially at first, when people are not used to collecting and using this type of information. But, over time, as it becomes more normalized, and people see how this data is actionable and can be used immediately, the expectation is that it will become widely accepted.
How is adult practice data used — and who has access to it?
A core element of Practia is that adult practice data is used for support and improvement, not evaluation or monitoring. Practia is built on an environment of trust. Part of that trust is that data will be shared broadly so that adult practices are, collectively, supporting students. In a system focused on improvement, it is important to be honest and transparent about the data. This level of transparency may cause some discomfort for school staff, especially at the beginning. Over time, it will become more of a norm that this data will be used for improvement purposes.
How do we ensure the data is used for improvement and not evaluation?
Practia works in a healthy environment where there is trust amongst school staff. In such an environment, there is trust that data is used for collective improvement and not evaluation. And, if the environment is not healthy, it is much more challenging to envision structures that would assure this to be the case.
With that said, there are things schools can do. For example, transparency is important. Data can be visible to the whole team, not hoarded by a few select administrators. The improvement/support processes should be open and clear, so all staff know where they stand. Setting up systems like these can contribute to a healthy environment and successful Practia implementation.
Support & Sustainability
What support is available during implementation?
Practia is offered as an open framework, free to implement. There are also support options. First, there is a Practia Community which offers additional content, moderated discussions, and Q&A. This community is an opportunity for anyone, in any role in a Practia system to go more in depth, learn more about the Practia framework, and find a network of support. The Practia Community is FREE and open to anyone who wants to join; click here to access the community.
For schools and districts looking for more, a Fee for Service Implementation Support Package is available, provided by Zuckerman Education Consulting.
School level support provides coaching to help implement the Practia framework. It includes one live virtual coaching session per month and “as needed” support via email. These supports are for all staff implementing the Practia system, including teachers, instructional coaches, those who are supporting instructional coaches, and school administrators. The coaching will be tailored to individual needs and will align with the yearly cycle. The cost for the School Implementation Support Package for a school is $7,500 per year or $750 per month.
District level support is a “train the trainer’ model so that districts will then be able to coach implementation efforts at schools. District support is available to all types of educational administration organizations, including State Educational Agencies (SEAs), Charter School Networks, Private School Organizations, and Regional Education Service Agencies. District level costs are variable, depending on the size and scope of the district.
Learn more about all options on the Support page.
How do we sustain the framework after the initial implementation phase? What does ongoing implementation look like after the first year?
Practia is a framework, a way to approach improvement. As time goes on, schools and staff will become more familiar with the Practia system and it is expected that implementation will become easier. One way that Practia may evolve over time is in regard to Essential Conditions. The conversation about what Essential Conditions are needed in the school is not a one-time event. It should be an ongoing, interactive conversation with the school community. One critical data point is student outcomes. If the systems are working as expected and adult practices are being implemented and still student outcomes do not improve, then there may be a need to review and revise those Essential Conditions. For example, if a curricular program is being implemented with integrity and fidelity and student outcomes are still not improving, the community may need to consider whether a different curricular program should be adopted.