What are Fidelity Guidelines & Checklists?
The Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) Principles of Effectiveness (1998) states that "…programs should be implementedconsistent with the manner in which they were implemented when they were demonstrated to be effective…" Fidelity Guidelines specify, for seven key dimensions, how a program was implemented when it demonstrated evidence of effectiveness. The seven key dimensions are Delivery, Dosage, Setting, Materials, Target Population, Provider Characteristics, and Provider Training. To maximize program effectiveness, implementation should be aligned to the research-based specifications in the Fidelity Guidelines. Fidelity Checklists are tools for assessing implementation alignment to the seven key dimensions for specific programs.
What sources are used to develop the Fidelity Guidelines & Checklists?
The following sources are used to develop the Fidelity Guidelines & Checklists:
- Published, peer-reviewed research that was reviewed for that program's Research-Validated status. Experimental research for Research-Validated programs demonstrates statistically significant behavioral outcomes at least six months after the subjects of the research were exposed to the program.
- Subsequently published, peer-reviewed research that demonstrates statistically significant behavioral outcomes at least six months after the subjects of the research were exposed to the program.
- Unpublished research that demonstrates statistically significant behavioral outcomes at least six months after the subjects of the research were exposed to the program.
Download Fidelity Guidelines & Checklists
Please note: Additional downloadable Fidelity Guidelines & Checklists for other Research-Validated programs will be posted here as soon as they are ready for dissemination.
Date: 03/10/2010
