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Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI)

Algozzine, B., Barrett, S., Eber, L., George, H., Horner, R., Lewis, T., Putnam, B., Swain-Bradway, J., McIntosh, K., & Sugai, G (2014). School-wide PBIS Tiered Fidelity Inventory. OSEP Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. www.pbis.org.

What is the TFI?

The purpose of the TFI is to provide an efficient tool for measuring implementation fidelity at all three tiers. Recent research demonstrates that scores on the TFI have strong content validity, and are strongly correlated to other fidelity measures at all three tiers (McIntosh, et al., 2017). The tool is divided into three sections, or scales, one for each tier. Each scale has 15-17 items. Each item is scored 0 (not in place), 1 (partially in place), or 2 (fully in place). The team votes on how to score each item, and the score with the majority of votes is entered into the PBIS Assessments site. PBIS National Center recommends that teams only take those sections pertaining to tiers at which they are currently implementing.

Results from the TFI can be used to monitor overall implementation fidelity, to monitor progress toward short or long-term goals, and to determine action steps that address areas of concern.

The TFI reports yield a Total Score, a Scale Report, and a Subscale Report. In addition, the team can pull a report of scores for each item. The Total Score Report is an aggregate of the scores for the sections assessing each of the three tiers. The Scale Report is the score for each of the three tiers, respectively. Finally, the Subscale Report provides scores for components that make up each of the three tiers assessed by the TFI. These components are listed below:

Tier 1

- Teams
- Implementaion
- Evaluation

Tier 2

- Teams
- Interventions
- Evaluation

Tier 3

- Teams
- Resources
- Support Plan
- Evaluation

There is no cost for the TFI. See the instructions below for accessing your school’s TFI at PBIS Apps.

Who completes the TFI?

The school leadership team responsible for PBIS implementation should complete the TFI. To accurately assess each tier, the Tier 1 team completes the Tier 1 scale; the Tier 2 Team completes the Tier 2 scale; and the Tier 3 team completes the Tier 3 scale. Scoring is based on artifact review and stakeholder feedback.

If your school is only involved in Tier 1 training, then you only need to take the Tier 1 section of the TFI. Likewise, for a school that is training or implementing at Tier 2, your school should take the Tier 1 and Tier 2 sections. Tier 3 schools and maintenance schools should complete the entire inventory.

All schools training at Emerging training level and beyond are required to take the TFI. The school will take the tiered scales at which they are training and/or are implementing.

There is a walkthough component to the Tier 1 scale of the TFI. We strongly encourage schools to have an external coach or consultant familiar with SW-PBS conduct the walkthrough and facilitate the team as they take the TFI. We require a MO SW-PBS consultant to conduct the walkthrough and facilitate the administration of the TFI for all Emerging and Emerging Advanced Schools.

When should the TFI be completed?

MO SW-PBS does not require participating schools to take the TFI until they have achieved two consecutive 80/80 scores on the SET, or they have begun their first year of training at Tier 2. Schools will take the TFI at least once annually in the spring, but may take it more frequently for purposes of progress monitoring.

Completing the TFI

Pre-Implementation of the TFI

- Identify which tiers you will assess. Take the TFI section for each tier your school implements. Leave blank any tiers that you do not currently implement.
- Gather supporting documentation that will help you identify responses for the various items on the TFI.
- Complete a TFI Walkthrough (see Walkthrough section).
- Review available TFI resources:
  - TFI Video Tutorials
  - TFI Directions
  - TFI Scoring Guide
  - TFI Action Plan
  - TFI Walkthrough Form
  - TFI Chapter from SW-PBS Workbook
  - SWPBIS Tiered Fidelity Inventory Manual
  - TFI Training Slides (from PBIS Apps): Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3
- Possible Pre-Administration Documentation
  - Tier 1
    - School team organizational chart (if available)
    - School/ District policies on social behavior/support
    - Team meeting minutes (last 3 meetings)
    - Student handbook
    - Professional development plan for past year
    - Prior PBIS fidelity measures (last two years)
    - Student behavioral data summary for past month
    - Major ODR/Day/Month compared to the national median
    - Universal screening measures and process
    - Any prior evaluation reports focused on social behavior
    - Any reports to school administration or board focused on social behavior
  - Tier 2
    - Tier II team meeting minutes (last two)
    - Rubric for selecting students for Tier II support
    - Tier II strategy handbooks, or procedures (i.e., CICO)
    - Available Tier II data summaries (if possible for 2 months)
    - Family communication systems
    - Most recent fidelity measures for Tier II strategies
  - Tier 3
    - Tier III team meeting minutes (last two meetings)
    - Decision rules for selecting students for Tier III
    - Assessment tools for Tier III (i.e., functional behavioral assessment, mental health, medical records, etc.)
    - Three student support plans (randomly selected)
    - Tier III data summary (last two reports)

During the Assessment

- Review item components (suggestions listed above), main idea, and scoring criteria.
- Team members confer to identify whether an items is not in place, partially in place, or fully in place.
- Record concensus vote into the survey.

To log into PBIS Assessments, please follow these instructions:

1. From your preferred internet browser, log into www.pbisapps.org to access the SAS.
2. Once at PBIS Apps, click on the PBIS Applications Login located in teh black bar at the top fo the screen.
3. Enter the email address and password associated with the PBIS Assessment account. Please note the following
  1. If you currently have access to SWIS, your login email address for www.pbisapps.org is the same as your SWIS login.
  2. If you do not have access to SWIS, you were added to your school’s PBIS Apps account and should have received an “Welcome to PBIS Assessment” e-mail indicating you had 48 hours to setup your password. If you were unable to setup your password within that time frame, you can setup your password by: Clicking on the PBIS Application Login and Clicking “Change Password”
  3. Contact your consultant if you have difficulty with the login process.
4. Login.
5. Once logged in, click on PBIS Assessments on the left side of the black bar at the top of the page. You will be taken to the Dashboard showing all PBIS surveys.

To access TFI link,

1. Click the TFI from the Open Survey Windows section. If you do not see the TFI in the Open Survey Windows section, contact your consultant.
2. Across from your school name click Take Survey. Remember that only one instance of the TFI needs to be completed.

Analyzing Your TFI Results

You will be able to access your TFI results data immediately after you complete it (even before the TFI window closes). To view your TFI data in both table and graph form go to www.pbisapps.org and use your login information. Teams implementing with fidelity achieve a score of 70% or above. Follow these instructions to view your TFI data graphs:

1. Login to PBIS Apps as instructed above
2. Click the Report menu at the top of the screen
3. Select Report Options from the left hand side of the screen
4. Select the TFI from the drop down list
5. Click Generate

Report Options Include:

Select Surveys: Select a survey about which to report from the drop-down menu
Report Type: Select Total Score, Scale, Subscale, Items, or Download from the drop-down menu to define which data to display related to the selected survey
From Date: Select a school year from the drop-down menu as the starting school year from which data will be included in the report
To Date: Select a school year from the drop-down menu as the last school year from which data will be included in the reports. Note: This school year must be the same as or after the selected From Date

Use the TFI Action Plan to help develop your building and/or maintenance plans.

TFI Walkthrough Information

Beginning with the 2019-20 school year, MO SW-PBS recommends teams complete the TFI Walkthrough instead of the traditional Schoolwide Evaluation Tool (SET).

This walkthrough will help the team to answer three of the items in the TFI Tier 1 scale. MO SW-PBS also recommends that the individual who conducts the walkthrough, as well as the individual who facilitates the administration of the TFI with the team be someone external to the school. Research by McIntosh, et al., (2017) shows that validity is higher when an external facilitator is present. This external facilitator can be a regional consultant, a district staff member, or a staff member assigned to another building. Regardless of who facilitates the team meeting, this individual should have familiarity with SW-PBS and the TFI. This walkthrough should take approximately an hour to complete, and involves interviewing 10% of randomly selected staff members (or a minimum of 5 in very small schools), and at least 10 randomly selected students. The individual conducting the walkthrough may also look for expectations and rules posted in at least 5 locations. A copy of the walkthrough form is included at the end of this section.

TFI Walkthrough Resources

TFI Walkthrough Tool

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