The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) is a research-based framework for studying the implementation of change or innovation in educational settings (Hall & Hord, 2020). Researchers use CBAM to assess how fully and effectively an innovation is being implemented over time.
CBAM includes three diagnostic dimensions—Stages of Concern, Levels of Use, and Innovation Configuration—each with associated tools and processes for data collection and analysis. Together, these dimensions offer a comprehensive view of implementation progress. When used in combination, they not only support systematic monitoring of implementation but also help identify specific targets for ongoing educator support. This enables leaders to provide focused interventions such as professional learning, coaching, and resource allocation to advance implementation.
Stages of Concern
As individuals begin to implement an innovation, their concerns and perceptions evolve in predictable ways. The Stages of Concern, a core dimension of the CBAM framework, describes this progression—from unrelated concerns to a continuum that moves through self, task, and impact stages (George, Hall, & Stiegelbauer, 2006).
Tools for Assessing Stages of Concern
Researchers and change facilitators can assess individuals’ Stages of Concern (SoC) using three established methods. Each approach offers different levels of detail and formality, depending on the context and purpose of the assessment.
| Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) | Open-Ended Concerns Statements (OE-SoC) | One-Legged Interviews (OLI) | |
| Approach | Informal | Semi-Structured | Structured |
| Data Collection | Brief conversation about concerns | Written description of concerns | 35-item survey about concerns |
| Analysis/ Interpretation | Estimate of SoC Stage | Coding of Response Estimate of SoC Stage | Construct Scoring Profile of SoC Stages Relative Intensity |
Stages of Concern Questionnaire [link]
Stages of Concern Change Facilitator Questionnaire [link]
Stages of Concern Questionnaire Scoring [link]
Stages of Concern: A Manual for Assessing Open-Ended Concern Statements [link]
Levels of Use
Levels of Use (LoU) is one of the core dimensions of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM). While the Stages of Concern explore how people feel about an innovation, LoU focuses on what people do—how they put the innovation into practice.
As educators begin working with a new program, strategy, or system, their use evolves over time. LoU captures this progression, from early behaviors like gathering information to later stages where the innovation is fully integrated into their practice and adapted to meet local needs (Hord et al., 2006).
Researchers can describe an educator’s Level of Use overall, and examine key aspects of how they engage with the innovation, including:
- Seeking knowledge and learning more about the innovation
- Sharing information with colleagues
- Assessing their own use of the innovation
- Planning and reflecting on how to improve their use
- Taking action to make it work in real settings
Levels of Use Interview Protocol [Link]
Levels of Use Placement [Link]
Innovation Configurations
Describing What Implementation Looks Like in Context
Successful implementation of an innovation depends on clearly defining what the innovation looks like in practice. In real-world settings, educators often use innovations in different ways, some closely aligned with the intended model, and others that vary significantly. The CBAM dimension known as Innovation Configurations (IC) provides a framework for identifying and analyzing these variations (Hall & Hord, 2020).
Tools for Assessing Innovation Configurations
At the heart of this approach is the Innovation Configuration Map (IC Map)—a practical tool that outlines different ways an innovation might be enacted, from ideal use to partial or unintended use. Like a roadmap, the IC Map illustrates multiple paths educators may take as they work toward full implementation.
Example IC Map
The Science Program Innovation Configuration Map
| Component 1: The teacher groups students for learning. | |||
| (a) Assigns students to groups that vary over time based on instructional objectives and students’ ability. | (b) Assigns students to small permanent groups for lab assignments and other group work. | (c) Assigns students to groups during lab activities only. | (d) Provides whole group instruction exclusively. |
| Component 2: The teacher emphasizes science process and program content. | ||||
| (a) Emphasizes science process and program content equally. | (b) Emphasizes the science program content exclusively. | (c) Emphasizes the science process exclusively. | (d) Emphasizes science recall and memorization of facts from a variety of sources. | (e) Emphasizes recall of science facts from previous science textbook. |
IC Map Template [link]
IC Map Use
By observing classroom practice through the lens of an IC Map, researchers and leaders can gather diagnostic data to:
- Understand how the innovation is being used
- Identify variation across classrooms or sites
- Provide targeted support to move practice closer to the ideal
- Monitor progress over time
Innovation Configurations help bridge the gap between vision and reality—offering a structured way to guide and support meaningful, effective use of innovations.