Understanding Implementation of Tiered Intervention Platforms and Enabling School-Wide Conditions for Accelerating Student Growth

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 7:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Designing and Evolving Programs for Continuous Educational Improvement

Abstract

This mixed-methods study investigates implementation fidelity and enabling conditions in high-growth schools using tiered academic interventions. Conducted within a research-practice partnership in a large urban district, we used classroom observations (n=24) and educator surveys (n=21) analyzed through descriptive statistics and thematic coding across elementary and middle schools implementing four intervention programs. Results revealed higher fidelity in structural domains but greater variability in instructional delivery and engagement. Survey analysis identified expertise, differentiation capacity, and engagement systems as critical themes, with enablers including strategic staffing and training, while challenges involved planning time and groupings. Elementary schools and S.P.I.R.E. demonstrated superior fidelity, though variation reflected adaptation. Findings suggest an integrated model linking program design, organizational infrastructure, and capacity with implications for differentiated support.

Authors

• Katherine McKee, Vanderbilt University

• Changhee Lee, Vanderbilt University

• Krista Davis, Metro Nashville Public Schools

• Marcia Barnes, Vanderbilt University