Article: Oklahoma Builds Infrastructure to Lift Up District-to-District Learnings
When serving numerous schools and districts, each with its own context, what does it take for a state department of education to sustainably broker opportunities for districts to see what is already working across the state? Oklahoma is grounding its strategy on a simple but powerful idea: When districts are able to see, celebrate, and talk through each other’s successes, they’ll have access to key implementation lessons that their peer districts are learning. The goal: support local leaders as they determine how to create the conditions where students can reliably get what they need, no matter which school they attend.
By 2032, all Oklahoma districts must implement multitiered systems of supports (MTSS), a way for schools to make sure every student gets the right kind of help at the right time. MTSS provides a framework for catching problems early, responding quickly, and making sure academic, behavioral, and mental health supports are coordinated, consistent, and sustainable.
However, districts in Oklahoma (as in most states) are looking for support to determine where and how to begin, for example, integrating the state’s Project RESPECT initiative into other systems.
To support districts, particularly those now receiving Project RESPECT funding to hire a school-based mental health provider and access professional development, the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) brought in its Comprehensive Center partner, the Southwest Comprehensive Center (Southwest CC). Southwest CC is a no-cost technical assistance partner that helps state educational agencies (SEAs) in the region implement evidence aligned practices and tailor solutions to the local context and state priorities.
This year, Southwest CC has supported the SEA in:
- Identifying “bright spot” districts
- Designing a sustainable community of practice (CoP) model
- Building the district-to-district infrastructure that will anchor school-based mental health within long term MTSS implementation
Bright Spots: Strategic Tools
The first wave of forthcoming “bright spot” districts all share one thing in common: They have advanced MTSS by building collaborative structures, strengthening Tier 1 prevention, and using data to drive decisions. However, they have each done so in ways that meaningfully reflect their unique contexts and starting points.
“More than stories, bright spots are strategic tools,” notes Dr. Theresa Pfister, Southwest CC, and Program Manager at WestEd. “These districts show that successful MTSS implementation is not about adopting a program quickly, but about building sustainable systems through shared leadership, intentional practice, and a culture of continuous improvement.”
This fall, OSDE will release its first set of “bright spots.” The state’s goal is twofold: to celebrate progress and to surface the information peer districts need to know before considering whether and how to replicate the approach.
Building a Community of Practice (CoP): The Backbone of Statewide Learning
To facilitate relationship building and structured learnings around opportunities posed by bright spot MTSS implementation this year, OSDE also explored offering a statewide district mentorship program. The districts invited to participate in the first year of this program will be those receiving Project RESPECT grants. However, some districts expressed hesitation about serving as mentors—many felt they were still learning themselves. OSDE listened and shifted the design.
The result: Oklahoma is now building an opt-in statewide CoP. The CoP, which will launch in January 2027, will allow districts to learn alongside a “buddy” district that is similar in size and at the same implementation phase to build confidence collectively.
To help OSDE efficiently build the CoP, Southwest CC created:
- A full scope and sequence for the first year
- Clear roles and responsibilities
- A timeline for monthly sessions
- A buddy system that pairs districts based on similar demographics, geography, and needs
Oklahoma, which has 543 districts, intends to start the CoP with a small cohort that expands over time.
A Year Long Learning Arc
The CoP is designed as a year long experience, not a one off training, reports OSDE.
The state expects each monthly session to include:
- Learning time grounded in evidence based practices
- Application time, where districts practice new skills and solve problems collaboratively
- District led presentations to build local leadership capacity
In between monthly sessions, there will also be opportunities for interested districts to work in pairs, if they choose, as well as office hours for ongoing support from OSDE.
Tapping into that lifeline of trusted peers can make the difference when you need a question answered to make a decision that may affect thousands of students.
Oklahoma’s CoP design, Pfister notes, is grounded in the CoP literature—particularly the work of Wenger-Trayner and Wenger-Trayner—which emphasizes collaboration, shared knowledge, and collective problem solving. It is also deeply aligned with implementation science: building routines, structures, and feedback loops that support durable change.
With the support of a partner foundation and other state agencies, OSDE will facilitate the CoP.
The state is, in essence, looking to build a broad, supportive network around districts—a network that can withstand funding fluctuations, notes OSDE.
Learning From, and Sharing With, Peer States
In considering how to smartly design the district-to-district infrastructure that will anchor long term MTSS implementation, OSDE leaders also tasked Southwest CC with assembling learnings from peers across the country.
“States like North Carolina, Texas, Arkansas, and Wisconsin offer models for sustaining school based programs,” says Pfister. “Oklahoma deserves credit for studying their approaches, adapting what fits, and building a network of advisors who can support the work over time.”
OSDE’s specific approach includes six research-based components that, as Pfister says, other states may want to consider as well:
- Start with bright spots to build momentum and trust
- Use a CoP to create statewide learning structures
- Pair districts strategically based on shared context
- Build artifacts and routines that support continuous improvement
- Design for sustainability, not just the current grant cycle
- Connect districts to external expertise to expand capacity
Pfister also notes that Oklahoma’s approach to infrastructure building is widely applicable. “Any state trying to scale a new initiative—whether that’s literacy, numeracy, or mental health—can learn from Oklahoma’s design. They are a group of really caring and committed people,” Pfister adds.