News and Updates

Dr. Melanie Livet’s 2025 publication advances the field of implementation science by addressing a central challenge: accelerating the translation of evidence into routine practice in complex health systems. The article builds on foundational principles of implementation science, examines methods to promote the adoption and integration of evidence-based practices into day-to-day service delivery, and applies these methods to integrated care systems and delivery settings. Dr. Livet expands both theoretical understanding and practical guidance for researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of evidence generation and real-world impact.

The Evidence and Implementation Summit 2025 brought together researchers, practitioners, system leaders, and partners from across sectors to explore what it truly takes to move evidence into practice at scale. The Summit focused on closing the persistent gap between what we know works and what actually happens in real-world systems—highlighting implementation as the critical bridge between research and outcomes. Learn more about Ximena Franco-Jenkins, Ph.D. and Yolanda Perkins, Ed.S., attendance and presentations.

Yolanda Perkins, Ed.S., attended and presented at the first annual Dartmouth Implementation Science Center Symposium.  Ms. Perkins delivered a keynote session on the NIRN Active Implementation Frameworks and a poster session later that evening on the New York Math Network Project.

Read: Content Validity of the Teacher Impression Scale Assessment of Preschool Children’s Peer Social Competence

The NIRN team presented at the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) Annual Meeting, showcasing their expertise in implementation science and its role in supporting prevention efforts.

Dr. Ximena Franco-Jenkins, Dr. Megan Bookhout, and Jake Leonard recently presented at the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Biennial Meeting, an international gathering of professionals dedicated to understanding and enhancing child development through research.

In alignment with the conference theme, NIRN presented work on the MECK Pre-K project, "Exploring the Impact of High-Quality Pre-K on Language, Literacy, and Socio-Emotional Skills for Spanish-Speaking Children Attending a Universal Pre-K Program in North Carolina."  This work aims to examine the quality of a sample of pre-K classrooms in North Carolina in relation to gains in preschoolers' language literacy, mathematics, executive function, and social skills.

In partnership with Learning Forward, the Learning Policy Institute, the Research Partnership for Professional Learning, and Rivet Education, NIRN contributed an implementation science perspective to this important work on defining Curriculum-Based Professional Learning for the field of K-12 education.

Associations between school characteristics and learning gains for pre-K attenders and non-attenders: Important constructs, limited evidence

On February 13, 2025, Alicia Reynolds Reddi and Yolanda Perkins attended and presented at the North Carolina Association for Research in Education Conference (NCARE). NCARE Established in 1974, the North Carolina Association for Research in Education (NCARE) works to improve the quality of education in North Carolina through research and evaluation.

NIRN team members Alicia Reynolds Reddi, MPH, and Jake Leonard, M.S., presented at the annual Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness conference, which was held on September 18-21 in Baltimore, Maryland. This year’s conference theme, “Navigating the Future of Education Research: Impact Evaluation in a Transforming Landscape,” invites participants to delve into the methodologies, skills, and knowledge areas that education researchers will need to provide rigorous evidence for decision-making.

Dr. Ximena Franco-Jenkins presented at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting, which was held September 25-28 in Chicago, Illinois.

NIRN team members Jake Leonard and Megan Bookhout presented their work at the Society of Prevention Research's annual meeting, held in Washington, D.C., from May 28th to 31st.

Dr. Mel Livet co-authored "Technical Assistance for Systemic Change: Lessons Learned from a National Technical Assistance Center.

NIRN Co-Director, Dr. Melanie Livet's work was presented at the Pharmacy Quality Alliance Annual Meeting in Baltimore last week.

Co-Director Dr. Ximena Franco-Jenkins presented at the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) inaugural summit in Panama City. The event, "SRCD Anti-Racist Developmental Science Summit: Transforming Research, Practices, and Policies, " aimed to bring together developmental scientists to address critical racial equity and justice issues in developmental science. 

Dr. Mel Livet, Co-Director of NIRN, presented at the American Pharmacists Association in March.

Correy Watkins, Implementation Specialist with NIRN, and Ellen Nacik, Implementation Specialist with the Minnesota Department of Education, presented the use of the District Capacity Assessment to improve the implementation of PBIS.

Dr. Caryn S. Ward presented at the Evidence and Implementation Summit in Melbourne, Australia in October.

The SISEP Center was represented by Dr. Angela Jack and Correy Watkins at the annual NE-PACT Conference in New Jersey this October.