Implementing evidence-based practices in early childhood classroom settings

Abstract

The accountability movement in educational policy and practice has ushered in the era of evidence-based practice. However, educators’ adoption, use, and sustained implementation of evidence-based practices in classroom settings have proven elusive at best. The field of implementation science is contributing to our collective understanding of how to support evidence-based practice implementation in authentic settings, including classrooms. This chapter then explores three fundamental questions related to evidence-based practice implementation in early childhood special education classrooms: (1) What makes evidence-based practice implementation difficult, (2) what facilitates evidence-based practice implementation; and (3) how does a provider make an informed decision about which evidence-based practice(s) to use with an individual child? Finally, we conclude with a brief discussion of other fields of study that could contribute to the knowledge base on evidence-based practice use in classroom settings.