Developing Data-Dashboards for High Quality Implementation in the School: What Data Helps Teachers Implement with Fidelity?

High quality program implementation of evidence-based programs is a key component to achieving broad public-health impact. However, program stakeholders often do not have access to the right data at the right time to inform their program delivery. This project proposes that when implementers receive data that they perceive to be valid and valuable, in a form that is meaningful to them, they will be motivated to use that data to ensure high quality implementation. Our goal is to develop a data-dashboard to support fidelity implementation in the classroom.

We conducted focus groups with teachers of school-based evidence based programs to determine what data are most important to them for self-evaluation and improvement. Across these focus groups, we sought to understand how teachers use data in their lives, what preferences teachers have in the look-and-feel of a data dashboard, and what data are most important for them to access quickly and easily.

Teachers were presented with dashboards populated with mock data related to program fidelity and student performance. We presented teachers with multiple dashboard configurations that varied across several dimensions. Dimensions that varied included positive or negative valence of teacher and student data presented, teacher’s ability to autonomously select personal implementation goals, selection of tips teachers would use to ensure fidelity, information on how implementer and youth scores relate to outcome goals, and the ability to arrange dashboard elements according to personal preferences.

Teachers reported their reactions on the extent to which the dashboard would enable them to more effectively deliver the EBP in the classroom. Teachers provided feedback on what the right level of information is for them, and what information was most useful and important. They reported on the elements that helped them make decisions about what to do next and what information was most useful for monitoring personal and student progress. They provided feedback on whether the dashboard was valuable and whether it would increase the quality with which they carry out their program delivery.

By integrating feedback from these focus groups we can begin to intelligently build a dashboard designed to promote teacher motivation for high quality implementation. These focus groups present a step toward understanding how best to provide teachers with the right data at the right time.