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Fidelity of Implementation: Is It the Right Concept?

Fidelity of implementation is often contrasted with adaptive integration when considering how changes are enacted to account for variation in effects. This blog post considers how the complexity of the change being made and the demands of implementation in the local context may suggest the kind of implementation objective to pursue.

Fidelity of Implementation: Is It the Right Concept?

March 17, 2016 | By Anthony S. Bryk

Heterogeneity of program effects has become a central concern in educational field trials. Increasingly, studies seek to measure “fidelity of implementation” as a key moderator for variation in effects across sites.

Often the programs under study are quite complex by design (e.g., involving multiple work roles, processes, and tools that interact with one another). They also confront a wide range of local contextual and organizational conditions. This has caused me to ponder, “Under what conditions is the idea of fidelity of implementation an appropriate conceptual organizer…. Read the full blog post here.

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