Improving Implementation of Programs and Practices for Children with Disabilities: Lessons Learned from the Model Demonstration Coordination Center

The purpose of this report is to describe lessons learned through 10 years of coordination and collaboration between the Model Demonstration Coordination Center and OSEP-funded model demonstration projects. The report begins with a description of the Model Demonstration Coordination Center, followed by a brief summary of research in implementation science, including conceptual frameworks that have been developed for understanding the implementation process. Next grantees describe experiences at the various stages of implementation, and strategies for assessing sites’ readiness to advance to the next stage are presented. The remainder of the report summarizes specific strategies that future model demonstration grantees and other intervention developers can use to increase the likelihood of high-quality and sustained implementation.