Implementation Fidelity

Main challenge now is effective and consistent implementation, not adoption

The main challenge now is not encouraging adoption but rather ensuring effective and consistent implementation.

• Implementation Fidelity

cite page 6 Summary

Greater coherence and guidance are needed to ensure fidelity while allowing local adaptation

Greater coherence and guidance are needed to ensure fidelity to evidence-based frameworks while allowing for local adaptation.

• Implementation Fidelity
• Implications Recommendations

cite page 7 Summary

Schools and agencies should prioritize evidence-based frameworks, standardized procedures and robust

To fully realize the potential of BTAM as a cornerstone of school safety, schools and supporting agencies should prioritize the development and dissemination of evidence-based frameworks, standardized procedures, and robust training opportunities—while maintaining the flexibility needed to adapt to local contexts.

• Implementation Fidelity
• Implications Recommendations

cite page 8 Summary

Schools in early-legislation or early-encouraging states might be further along in refining practice

As a result, schools in states with early BTAM-specific legislation or in states that encouraged BTAM earlier than others might be further along today in refining their practices for their specific school context.

• Implementation Fidelity
• State Policy Mandates

cite page 28 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Policies specific to BTAM help ensure implementation with fidelity and provide structure, consistenc

Policies and procedures specific to BTAM help ensure that the overall process is implemented with fidelity across individual cases and that policies help provide structure, consistency, and accountability.

• Implementation Fidelity
• Policy

cite page 40 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Clear procedures help improve reliability of BTAM outcomes at student and school levels

Clear procedures for assessment and management help improve the reliability of BTAM outcomes at both the individual student level and broader school level.

• Implementation Fidelity
• SOPs Protocols

cite page 40 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Note: implementing BTAM with fidelity means consistently following established protocols and best pr

Implementing BTAM with fidelity means consistently following established protocols and best practices for BTAM, ensuring that each step of the process is carried out as intended by the chosen model or guidelines, whether a school has chosen to adopt an existing, named model or developed its own model to meet its needs.

• Implementation Fidelity
• Key Terms

cite page 40 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Chapter investigates how public schools operationalize BTAM within school safety efforts

In this chapter, we investigate how public schools are operationalizing BTAM as part of their school safety efforts.

• BTAM Program
• Implementation Fidelity

cite page 40 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Principals' uncertainty is somewhat concerning; leader often not aware of policy document's content

This is somewhat concerning; if these schools do have policies in place related to BTAM, principals’ responses suggest that the school leader is often not aware of the policy document’s content.

• Implementation Fidelity
• Policy

cite page 41 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Types further down the table are more likely to produce consistent results and maintain performance

Drawing on the research literature on program implementation and quality improvement, operational types that are further down the table reflect modes of BTAM implementation that are more likely to produce consistent results case by case and maintain performance over time, thanks to their standardization (see, e.g., Bohanon, Caputo Love, and Morrissey, 2021).

• Assessment Process Types
• Implementation Fidelity

cite page 58 Ch 8: How Do BTAM Teams Assess Risk of Harm?

Structure and consistency help ensure threats are not missed and students are treated fairly

Such structure and consistency are important in helping ensure that situations that might pose a threat are not missed and that students are treated fairly and appropriately through the BTAM process.

• Assessment Process Types
• Implementation Fidelity

cite page 59 Ch 8: How Do BTAM Teams Assess Risk of Harm?

BTAM is not synonymous with discipline; misuse concerns are often about implementation fidelity

However, BTAM is not synonymous with discipline, and concerns about misuse are often more about implementation fidelity than about BTAM as a violence prevention approach more generally.

• Exclusionary Discipline
• Implementation Fidelity

cite page 89 Ch 11: How Are Schools Using BTAM to Respond to Student Behavior?

Schools should shift focus from BTAM adoption to implementation fidelity and refining practices

The rapid growth in schools’ use of BTAM and widespread adoption suggest that schools should shift their focus from BTAM adoption to implementation fidelity and refining practices to ensure consistent and effective implementation.

• Implementation Fidelity
• Implications Recommendations

cite page 108 Ch 14: Discussion and Implications

Inconsistent implementation may lead to uneven outcomes and hard-to-measure effectiveness at scale

In particular, inconsistencies in implementation across schools may lead to uneven outcomes and challenges in measuring program effectiveness at scale.

• Implementation Fidelity
• Variability Of Approaches

cite page 109 Ch 14: Discussion and Implications

Need for greater coherence guiding schools to evidence-based practices with fidelity

In this sense, our results highlight the need for greater coherence in guiding schools toward evidence-based practices that are adaptable to local contexts but maintain fidelity to proven frameworks.

• Implementation Fidelity
• Implications Recommendations

cite page 110 Ch 14: Discussion and Implications

Table A.26 Implemented as originally designed: 47.4 (official + other teams); 47.3 (official only)

Sample (N = 468 | 445 by column) · Table A.26 columns: Official BTAM teams and other school-based teams | Official BTAM teams only

We have implemented the program as it was originally designed and specified by the developers | 47.4 | 47.3

• Implementation Fidelity
• Program Changes

cite page 123 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.26 Changed form, kept core functions: 33.0 (official + other teams); 32.7 (official only)

Sample (N = 468 | 445 by column) · Table A.26 columns: Official BTAM teams and other school-based teams | Official BTAM teams only

We have made changes to the program’s form (e.g., related to materials, staffing, specification of protocols, etc.), while maintaining its core functions related to assessing and managing threats | 33.0 | 32.7

• Implementation Fidelity
• Program Changes

cite page 123 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.26 Changed core functions: 1.3 (official + other teams); 1.3 (official only)

Sample (N = 468 | 445 by column) · Table A.26 columns: Official BTAM teams and other school-based teams | Official BTAM teams only

We have made changes that directly modified the program’s core functions related to assessing and managing threats | 1.3 | 1.3

• Implementation Fidelity
• Program Changes

cite page 123 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.26 I don’t know if we have made changes: 18.3 (official + other teams); 18.7 (official only)

Sample (N = 468 | 445 by column) · Table A.26 columns: Official BTAM teams and other school-based teams | Official BTAM teams only

I don’t know if we have made changes | 18.3 | 18.7

• Implementation Fidelity
• Program Changes

cite page 123 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.26 N: 468 (official + other teams); 445 (official only)

N | 468 | 445 |

• Implementation Fidelity
• Program Changes

cite page 123 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies