Treatment Fidelity Procedures for a Teacher Candidate Randomized Control Trial Internship Intervention: Design, Feasibility, and Preliminary Results

• In Event: Measurement, Implementation, and Evaluation Across the K–12 Educator Pipeline

Abstract

This study describes the steps taken to examine and assess treatment fidelity within a federally funded, randomized control trial (RCT) for teacher candidates interning at five high need schools in Central Florida, while attempting to maintain adherence to group design standards of the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC). Preliminary results show adherence to treatment protocol varied greatly across the clinical supervisors (i.e., Professors-in-Residence) and study conditions. This study suggests there are challenges to treatment fidelity in RCTs that operate within multiple school settings and adhere to the WWC group design standards, stressing the importance of flexibility in adapting interventions to meet the unique needs of each school in tandem with comprehensive and multi-pronged fidelity and diffusion checks.

Authors

• Christine D DeStefano, University of Central Florida

• Christopher D Charles, University of Central Florida

• Debbie L. Hahs-Vaughn, University of Central Florida

• Mary Little