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Session Title: Connecting the Dots: Methods and Issues in Assessment of Fidelity of Implementation in Education
Panel Session 225 to be held in Mineral Hall Section F on Thursday, Nov 6, 9:15 AM to 10:45 AM
Sponsored by the Pre-K - 12 Educational Evaluation TIG
Chair(s):
Bonnie Walters,  University of Colorado Denver,  bonnie.walters@cudenver.edu
Abstract: Determining fidelity of implementation is an essential component of an evaluation study that hopes to 'connect the dots' between an innovative educational practice and intended outcomes, such as improvement in student achievement, or to compare the effectiveness of an innovation to traditional practices. Panelists will provide insight into current methods of assessing the degree to which innovative instructional strategies are consistently and accurately implemented in classroom practice according to the original design. The merits and challenges of each of the methods will be examined, alternative methods drawn from the literature will be compared, and an interactive discussion concerning the experiences of participants will be facilitated. The purpose of the panel is to advance the evolution and refinement of methods of assessing fidelity of implementation in the field of education.
From the Field: Assessing Teacher Alignment with Literacy Best Practices
Lori Conrad,  Public Education and Business Coalition,  lconrad@pebc.org
In her role as the Senior Director of Education for the Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC), Conrad has refined a rubric as one method of assessing teachers' alignment with PEBC's best classroom practices in literacy. The rubric has a self-assessment version for use by participating teachers and a version for trained classroom observers. She will share the challenges and strategies inherent in the development of an appropriate tool for assessing fidelity of implementation across grade levels and content areas.
From the Field: Assessing Teacher Use of Inquiry Science Methods
Chris Renda,  University of Colorado Denver,  car@timemarkllc.com
Teachers participating in math and science professional development are assessed to determine fidelity of implementation of inquiry science through interviews and classroom observations. Instruments used to assess fidelity are: the Levels of Use interview protocol (Hall & Hord, 2001) and the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (Piburn & Sawada, 2000). Benefits and challenges of each instrument are discussed, and reliability and factor analysis shared.
From the Field: Assessing Teacher Use of Formative Assessment Practices
Julie O'Brian,  Colorado Consortium for Data-Driven Decisions,  julie@ctlt.org
As Director of the Colorado Consortium for Data-Driven Decisions, O'Brian incorporates several strategies for measuring the fidelity of implementation of what teachers learn in a professional development institute on classroom formative assessment practices. In her presentation, she will share how her team has developed an innovation configuration map detailing the levels of subset skills, knowledge, and practices; and how they use video-taped lessons to analyze levels of implementation.
From an Evaluator's Perspective: Comparison of Methods of Assessing Fidelity in Education
Susan Connors,  University of Colorado Denver,  susan.connors@cudenver.edu
While the importance for evaluators to examine fidelity of implementation is evident, there is no established procedure or standard for carrying out this critical evaluator task (Ruiz-Primo, 2006). As a Senior Research Associate, Connors will discuss the relative strengths and concerns about currently used methods drawing from the literature and from involvement in the evaluation studies of the other panelists in this session.

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