Social and emotional learning (SEL) programs have become increasingly popular during the last 20 years. Although the benefits of SEL programs are significant, the issue of implementation fidelity often arises. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of implementation fidelity in the Life Skills Training (LST) program implemented with…

Over the past three decades, the restorative approach (RA) has been increasingly used as an alternative to exclusionary methods of discipline in the K-12 education system. Although the body of scholarship investigating the effectiveness of RA has grown, there remains a deficit in the literature that specifically explores barriers to effective and…

The response to intervention (RtI) framework assists schools in identifying students who struggle to close achievement gaps. The problem examined for this study was lack of fidelity in the application of RtI, possibly leading to an increase in special education referrals. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to gain a better…

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk higher levels of stress and a lower quality of life compared to parents of typically developing children. Few parent training programs focus on parenting outcomes, and few authors evaluate the implementation fidelity of their program. A systematic review was conducted to target studies…

The purpose of this qualitative, narrative-inquiry research study was to examine the perceptions and implementation of the Response to Intervention (RTI) process among elementary teachers who taught at a charter school in the southern area of Dallas, TX. In the qualitative research study, educators were provided an opportunity to voice their…

This study explores the instructional decisions made by elementary principals in implementing dual language programs, with a focus on the choice of language for state reading assessments. Utilizing a qualitative phenomenological approach, the research examines the lived experiences of eight principals in a South Texas school district, offering…

Within Extension, certain personnel, facilitators, and volunteers expected to conduct research in the form of program evaluation may have little or no training in effective research design and practices. This circumstance can lead to difficulties in the implementation of evaluation procedures, particularly with regard to program evaluation…

Positive behavioral interventions and support (PBIS) is a multitiered framework for behavioral support that is being increasingly implemented in schools. Although research has linked PBIS to improved student outcomes, less research is longitudinal and considers both academic and behavioral outcomes. This study examined the relationships between…

In recent years, there has been an increased research focus on developing tools to support the design, installation, and evaluation of tiered systems of support. In this special issue, we focus on research validating freely available tools to (a) measure fidelity of implementation of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports…

This post is one in a series highlighting MDRC's methodological work. Contributors discuss the refinement and practical use of research methods being employed across MDRC. Part I of this two-part post discussed MDRC's work with practitioners from the Boston Public Schools (BPS) Department of Early Childhood to construct valid and reliable measures…

Access to high-quality computer science education remains uneven across the United States, with rural schools facing persistent barriers including limited staffing, outdated infrastructure, and constrained professional development opportunities (Gutierrez & Terrones, 2023; Showalter et al., 2019). Computer Science in Rural California (branded…

Evidenced-based mathematics interventions are critical for supporting students with mathematics difficulties. In research and practice, collecting implementation fidelity is important for ensuring that all the core components of the intervention are implemented as designed. Historically, implementation fidelity has been defined as multi-faceted…

Evidenced-based mathematics interventions are critical for supporting students with mathematics difficulties. In research and practice, collecting implementation fidelity is important for ensuring that all the core components of the intervention are implemented as designed. Historically, implementation fidelity has been defined as multifaceted,…

Evidence suggests that implementing School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) with fidelity can reduce behavior problems in schools and, concomitantly, the use of school suspensions. Few studies have explored differences in SWPBIS implementation fidelity and outcomes between rural and urban schools, but research suggests…

The purpose of this study was to examine pre-service teachers' treatment integrity (TI) in the use of constant time delay (CTD) and simultaneous prompting (SP) while teaching discrete and chained behaviours. A descriptive research design was used. A total of 28 pre-service special education teachers (16 females and 12 males), whose ages ranged…