What is Fidelity - OTISS

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah

Fidelity measurement in education supports implementation by confirming whether intended curriculum and interventions are delivered with the essential ingredients. The text contrasts fidelity to process (adherence to components and dose) with fidelity to practice (instructional quality, competence, responsiveness, and adaptations). It introduces the Observation Tool for Instructional Systems and Supports (OTISS) developed by SISEP to address missing fidelity measures, using evidence-based observable teacher practices derived from instructional research and enabling accessible, frequent reporting for continuous improvement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Fidelity

The Observation Tool for Instructional Systems and Supports (OTISS)

So what does the research say?

Why should we use the OTISS?

How is the OTISS utilized in the field?

What is Fidelity? Correy Watkins & Rebekah Hornak Introduction Fidelity is defined as doing what is intended-a simple definition for a complex measurement. The purpose of measuring fidelity is to assist us with supporting implementation. Collecting fidelity data provides us an opportunity to problemsolve throughout the process versus waiting for outcome data. We often hear the phrase in educational institutions,“Weare ‘doing’ the curriculum with fidelity” or “The intervention is being ‘used’ with fidelity.”But how do we truly know if we are measuring what is intended? More often than not, purchased programs and curriculum materials are missing a research-validated measurement to ensure it is implemented as intended. Educational institutions maybe measuring fidelity through the use of a walkthrough tool or teacher self-report, but are the tools aligned with what they want to measure (Hill & Erickson, 2019)? There is a need within the field of education to move fidelity from research to practical application and to do so with an efficient tool. One that does not skim the surface and can ensure a correlation between fidelity and outcomes. We can even take fidelity a step further and ask whether we want to measure “fidelity to process” or “fidelity to practice.”If measuring the process, we would want to examine if the teacher was following the core components or essential ingredients of the program and how often they were using it. If measuring the fidelity to the practice itself, we would look at the quality in which the teacher was delivering instruction within each core component and if they were able to adapt their responses to the needs of each student as they provided differentiated support. Fidelity Fidelity to process is adherence to essential ingredients and dose (frequency and duration) . Fidelity to the practice is quality or competence and participant responsiveness or adaptations. [www.sisep.fpg.unc.edu](www.sisep.fpg.unc.edu) While fidelity to process and fidelity to program are essential factors to consider in implementation, it is also important to consider best practices when measuring fidelity (Hill & Erickson, 2019) . We should use consistent fidelity assessments and develop a protocol for use of the fidelity assessments. Fidelity data should be used to inform improvements to implementation support and outcomes. These measures can also give us a view of implementation at different levels within the system or a linked teaming structure. How do school buildings use fidelity data and communicate results to district levels teams? How are District Implementation Teams utilizing data to solve implementation barriers further up the teaming cascade? What is the Observation Tool for Instructional Systems and Supports? The SISEP Center has developed the Observation Tool for Instructional Systems and Supports (OTISS) to assist educational agencies when there is a lack of a fidelity measurement in implementation. Based on the work of John Hattie (2009), the tool is designed to measure instructional best practices to ensure a coherent instructional system is in place. The OTISS is an example of how the data can be aggregated and used to decide how to improve implementation, educator support, and instruction. So what does the research say? John Hattie’s work included a meta-analysis of over 800 meta-analyses, including over 50,000 studies related to student achievement. A meta-analysis is the concept of examining data from a number of studies to determine patterns and trends in a subject matter. In this case, Hattie examined teacher behavior and what works best for learning (Hattie, 2010) . From this body of work and ascoping literature review, SISEP identified seven evidence-based instructional practices that were observable teacher behaviors. See the teacher behaviors listed below. 1. Communicates clear learning goals 2. Demonstrates instructional tasks 3. Engages all students in meaningful int

FAQs

What is fidelity in the context of educational implementation?

Fidelity is defined as doing what is intended, using measurement to understand whether curriculum and interventions are implemented as planned.

How does fidelity to process differ from fidelity to practice?

Fidelity to process focuses on adherence to essential ingredients and dose (frequency and duration), while fidelity to practice emphasizes instructional quality, competence, and adaptations to students’ needs.

What is the OTISS and what problem does it solve?

OTISS is a content-free observation tool created by SISEP to measure instructional best practices when a valid fidelity measurement tool is missing, helping agencies improve implementation, educator support, and instruction.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah