What are some best practices for documenting and reporting intervention fidelity and student performance?

1 Define your goals and measures

Before you start an intervention, you should clearly define your goals and measures for both student performance and intervention fidelity. For student performance, you should select a valid and reliable assessment tool that aligns with your intervention objectives and curriculum standards. You should also establish a baseline, a target, and a timeline for student progress. For intervention fidelity, you should identify the critical components of your intervention, such as the frequency, duration, intensity, and quality of the delivery. You should also decide how you will measure and record these components, such as using checklists, logs, observations, or feedback.

2 Collect data regularly and consistently

Once you have your goals and measures in place, you should collect data regularly and consistently throughout the intervention. For student performance, you should administer the assessment tool at least once every two weeks, or more frequently if needed, to monitor student progress and responsiveness. You should also use a graph or a chart to display the data and compare it with the baseline, the target, and the timeline. For intervention fidelity, you should use your chosen method to measure and record the critical components of your intervention at least once every two weeks, or more often if possible, to ensure the intervention is implemented as planned and with quality.

3 Analyze data and make decisions

After collecting data, you should analyze it and make decisions based on the results. For student performance, you should look for trends, patterns, and gaps in the data and compare them with your expectations and goals. You should also use a decision rule, such as the four-point method or the dual discrepancy method, to determine if the student is making adequate progress, insufficient progress, or no progress. Based on the decision rule, you should decide whether to continue the intervention as is, modify the intervention, or change the intervention. For intervention fidelity, you should calculate the percentage of adherence to the critical components of your intervention and compare it with a criterion, such as 80% or higher. You should also identify any barriers or facilitators to the implementation and address them accordingly. Based on the fidelity data, you should decide whether to maintain the intervention quality, improve the intervention quality, or revise the intervention plan.

4 Report data and communicate with stakeholders

Finally, you should report your data and communicate with your stakeholders, such as students, parents, teachers, administrators, or external agencies. For student performance, you should provide a summary of the data and the decisions made, as well as feedback and recommendations for the student and the parent. You should also explain the rationale and the evidence behind your decisions and solicit input and collaboration from the stakeholders. For intervention fidelity, you should provide a summary of the data and the actions taken, as well as feedback and suggestions for the intervention provider and the supervisor. You should also explain the importance and the impact of intervention fidelity and seek support and commitment from the stakeholders.