In reading intervention research, implementation fidelity is assumed to be positively related to student outcomes, but the methods used to measure fidelity are often treated as an afterthought. Fidelity has been conceptualized and measured in many different ways, suggesting a lack of construct validity. One aspect of construct validity is the…

Early access to evidence-based reading intervention improves outcomes for students with or at risk for reading difficulties. Additionally, teacher implementation of reading interventions plays a key role in the efficacy of reading interventions. Previous research suggests the influence of intervention implementation fidelity on student language…

Social-emotional learning (SEL), character education, and positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS) are common approaches to Tier 1 universal social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) supports in schools. There has been emerging evidence supporting the superior effect of integrated prevention that combines approaches to Tier 1 universal SEB…

There is an apparent need to identify resource- and time-efficient approaches to supporting teacher implementers of behavioral interventions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief training and intermittent performance feedback coaching model on teacher implementation of a multicomponent behavioral intervention.…

Positive school climate is associated with myriad positive student, staff, and school outcomes, including increased achievement and decreased problem behavior. Hence, universal evidence-based practices are necessary to increase school climate. One universal approach with evidence of effects on school climate is School-Wide Positive Behavior…

The problem that prompted this qualitative case study was a continuous below proficiency level performance of the kindergarten through second-grade students in a U.S. Southern state in reading, despite response to intervention (RTI) being implemented since 2011. The purpose of the study was to explore K-2 teachers' perceptions regarding the…

Background: Many Irish children are failing to meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity. Research shows that children are failing to develop the necessary physical literacy skills to reverse this trend. Early childhood has been identified as a critical period to intervene, with the school environment identified as a key environment to…

Introduction: Due to usability, feasibility, and acceptability concerns, observational treatment fidelity measures are often challenging to deploy in schools. Teacher self-report fidelity measures with specific design features might address some of these barriers. This case study outlines a community-engaged, iterative process to adapt the…

This dissertation study aimed to examine the relationship between Tier 1 Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) implementation fidelity and the academic (e.g., MAP Growth scores) and behavioral outcomes (e.g., major office discipline referrals, suspensions). High quality PBIS implementation fidelity has been linked with improved…

Evidence-based programs (EBPs) delivered in elementary schools show great promise in reducing risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs). However, efforts to sustain EBPs in school face barriers. Improving EBP sustainment thus represents a priority, but little research exists to inform the development of sustainment strategies. To address…

Schema instruction improves word-problem solving for students with mathematics difficulty (MD; e.g., Powell et al., 2015); however, prior research suggests that students need word-problem-specific language comprehension in addition to schema knowledge to build word-problem models (Fuchs et al., 2015, 2018). Students have general word knowledge…

Purpose: Competence in fundamental movement skills (FMS) is purported to be linked with increased physical activity participation. Yet, recent research suggests a low level of FMS proficiency in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, impact on gender, and influence of teacher fidelity on the Moving Well-Being Well…

Reading on grade level by the third grade is such an important skill for children to acquire for success in elementary school and beyond. National literacy rates show that only about one in three American students perform at or above grade level in English Language Arts. The ABCUSD has approximately 4,000 teachers in the system. It is unlikely…

Teacher-level factors are theoretically linked to student outcomes in data-based instruction (DBI; Lembke et al., 2018). Professional development and ongoing support can increase teachers' knowledge, skills, and beliefs related to DBI, as well as their instructional fidelity (McMaster et al., 2020). However, less is known about how each of these…

Available data indicate educators struggle to implement interventions consistently across time, which negatively impacts student outcomes. Implementation strategies have been developed to improve treatment fidelity, but many require time and staffing demands that can be unfeasible in practice. The primary purpose of this study was to extend the…