Fourth R Implementation Manual

The Fourth R Implementation Manual: Building for Success from Adoption to Sustainability

2015; 86 pages

The purpose of this implementation manual is two-fold. First, it was written to give educators, policy-makers and other practitioners a deep understanding of the Fourth R program, including the evidence-base behind it. However, we know that ineffective programs can sit on a shelf and collect dust as easily as effective ones can. Developing an effective implementation plan is a critical step in ensuring the success of the Fourth R. Thus, our second purpose is to identify the steps in the Fourth R implementation sequence and identify strategies and potential pitfalls for each step.

We have developed this manual based on:

  • Experience adapting and implementing the program in more than 5000 schools in 8 provinces and territories.
  • Feedback from Fourth R training sessions from coast-to-coast-to-coast in Canada over the past decade.
  • Evaluation and implementation research projects involving more than 3500 students and 300 educators in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories.
  • Two national implementation studies including educators from across Canada.
  • A study on Fourth R scale-up process drawing from interviews with 18 national key informants.
  • School liaison coordinator reports.
  • Minutes from advisory committee meetings in several provinces and territories.
  • A review of the implementation literature.

This manual provides strategies to help bridge the science-to-practice gaps through which evidence- based programs can falter in the real world. It provides specific guidance on adapting the program in ways that meet the needs of your particular school community without forfeiting the components that create real and lasting change for youth and schools.

To download your free copy of The Fourth R Implementation Manual, click here.