Fidelity Assessment and Curriculum Adherence for CHOICES

• In Event: CHOICES: Examining Impact of Brief Interventions to Reduce Delinquency

Abstract

High fidelity of any intervention is essential to optimize the outcomes of a program. Multi-dimensional, objective strategies are the “gold standard” in evaluating the fidelity. For the CHOICES program, which targeted 6th graders in classrooms across two middle schools, complimentary objective and subjective fidelity assessment strategies were implemented. An evaluator, who was independent from program developers and facilitators, directly observed a random subsample of program sessions. The evaluator, in conjunction with the curriculum developer, developed a checklist that would objective define ‘optimal’ implementation and adherence to the CHOICES protocol. A subjective evaluation (completed by both the evaluator and each teacher) of perceived engagement and interaction of the CHOICES facilitator with students was also developed as a measure of students’ engagement in the program (this was especially important, as the program is meant to be highly interactive). These process data will ultimately help us evaluate the long-term impact of the program; particularly, when the program was optimally implemented. In addition, quantitative pre- and post-tests were administered to students, and attendance records were obtained from each school; allowing our team to determine whether students who were actively engaged in high-fidelity CHOICES decision-making workshops had better outcomes than settings that were less engaging.

Authors

• Jennifer M. Reingle, UT Health Sciences Center

• Nadine M. Connell, University of Texas at Dallas