Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize social science research. However, researchers face the difficult challenge of choosing a specific AI model, often without social science-specific guidance. To demonstrate the importance of this choice, we present an evaluation of the effect of alignment, or human-driven…

Evidence-based programs and grassroots programs are often adapted during implementation. Adaptations are often hidden, ignored, or punished. Although some adaptations stem from lack of organizational capacity, evaluators report other adaptations happen in good faith or are efforts to better fit the local context. Program implementers, facilitators…

There is increasing evidence supporting the effectiveness of the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) for children on the autism spectrum. However, substantial variability in response to the ESDM has been reported across participants. We examined the plausible yet untested hypothesis that variations in the fidelity level of therapists delivering the…

Purpose: Using the assessment literacy framework, the purpose of this study was to explore preservice teachers understanding and enactment of the message system during an early field experience. Method: Six PTs employed SE seasons totaling 540 min. Seven qualitative data methods were utilized. Data analysis included deductive and inductive…

We developed a six-step iterative process for developing and evaluating a model of implementation fidelity appropriate for use in an instructionally embedded assessment system. Our work explicitly connects the literature on theories of actions for assessment systems with the implementation fidelity literature originating from the program…

HealthySteps (HS) is an evidence-based integrated model designed to provide enhanced primary care services to young children and families. This article describes the strategies HS specialists use, adapt, and innovate while maintaining fidelity to the model to meet the unique needs of diverse settings, circumstances, and communities. The authors…

Premised on the idea that evaluators should be familiar with a range of approaches to program modifications, I review several existing approaches and then describe another, less well-recognized option. In this newer option, evaluators work with others to identify potentially needed adaptations for select program aspects "in advance." In…

This study used the standard setting to establish cutscores for the fidelity of implementation of an evidence-based intervention, the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI) designed to enhance goal-directed actions in secondary students with and without disabilities. Cutscores were then applied to fidelity data from a large,…

Although our field has made significant progress in the measurement of procedural fidelity in research studies, we argue for a more nuanced and expansive perspective on procedural fidelity. Specifically, we review the status quo of procedural fidelity measurement in intervention research along with specific suggestions for increasing both…

Coaching is an essential component of supporting teachers to implement evidence-based practices (EBPs) in classrooms. The Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI), an EBP designed to promote student self-determination, uses a research-based coaching model with six guiding principles. This qualitative study analyzed the content of…

Immersive virtual reality (VR) carries important potential, both for the creation of scientific knowledge and also for its communication. This is particularly important for studies of human spatial cognition, where psychologists now possess the power to combine the scale and fidelity of the real world with the malleability and control of the…

Many early childhood programs are not prepared to meet the needs of children who have significant social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. "Program-Wide Supports for Pyramid Model Implementation" (PWS-PMI) provides a systematic approach to supporting early childhood programs using Pyramid Model practices and enhancing children's…

Higher education institutions struggle to demonstrate learning improvement (Banta, Jones, & Black, 2009; Banta & Blaich, 2011; Jankowski, Timmer, Kinzie, & Kuh, 2018). We showcase how student learning outcomes assessment processes can benefit from strong program theory and implementation fidelity data. In our example, faculty…

In community interventions more generally, the concept of fidelity refers to the degree to which a program is delivered as intended. The present paper discusses ways in which fundamental aspects of participatory research challenge the concept of fidelity and differ from more traditional science-dominated approaches. We begin with a discussion of…

Purpose: This systematic review aimed to examine the effectiveness of the Social Communication, Emotional Regulation, and Transactional Support (SCERTS) Model--based interventions in supporting developmental skills of children who were diagnosed with or at increased likelihood of autism. Method: We searched six electronic databases, in addition to…