Using Local Implementation Teams To Support The Adoption And Uptake Of Classroom Physical Activity Programming

PURPOSE: While 91% of U.S. schools have adopted classroom physical activity (PA) interventions, their public health impact remains limited due to poor implementation. A promising strategy to improve intervention uptake involves forming local implementation teams to manage program functioning while planning for sustainability. This study aimed to assess the composition and roles of local implementation teams created to support the adoption and uptake of an evidence-based classroom PA program. METHODS: Five regional school health coordinators (HCs) from regional educational service agencies (RESAs) in Michigan recruited eleven schools to participate in this study (10 public schools and 1 charter school). Supported by school principals, HCs facilitated the creation of 11 unique implementation teams, with each HC overseeing 1-3 teams. HCs documented the number of team members and team structure (composition), as well as members' expertise and level of engagement (roles). The initial level of engagement of each partner was determined and documented by HCs using the National Implementation Research Network taxonomy, with potential levels ranging from inform to co-create (roles). RESULTS:Composition: Local implementation teams had 2-15 members. Three schools included both school and regional members, two schools included school and district members, and six schools included only school-level members. Roles: In 7 out of 11 schools, the principal and physical education teacher were central members of the team. Other team members had diverse expertise, including, for example, classroom teachers, a behavior specialist, and an instructional coach. Level of engagement for team members was documented in 9 out of 11 teams, with reported levels ranging from inform to co-create. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that diverse and strategically composed implementation teams may support the adoption and uptake of classroom PA programs by leveraging varied expertise and roles. The documented engagement levels indicate that strategies for tailored involvement of team members may also be crucial for program success. Future research should explore the long-term impact of these teams on program outcomes and their potential scalability in different educational contexts. Supported by: This work was supported by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund (R-2204-150254). ChatGPT was used to edit the sentence structure and grammar of this abstract.