A case study of pragmatic measure development of the Treatment Integrity for Elementary Settings self-report measure for teachers

Abstract

Introduction: Due to usability, feasibility, and acceptability concerns, observational treatment fidelity measures are often challenging to deploy in schools. Teacher self-report fidelity measures with specific design features might address some of these barriers. This case study outlines a community-engaged, iterative process to adapt the observational Treatment Integrity for Elementary Settings (TIES-O) to a teacher self-report version designed to assess the use of practices to support children's social-emotional competencies in elementary classrooms. Method: Cognitive walkthrough interviews were conducted with teachers to improve the usability of the teacher self-report measure, called the Treatment Integrity for Elementary Schools–Teacher Report (TIES-T). Qualitative content analysis was used to extract themes from the interviews and inform changes to the measure. Results: Increasing clarity and interactive elements in the measure training were the dominant themes, but suggestions for the measure format and jargon were also suggested. Conclusion: The suggested changes resulted in a brief measure, training, and feedback system designed to support the teacher's use of practices to support children's social-emotional competencies in elementary classrooms. Future research with the TIES-T will examine the score reliability and validity of the measure.