Technical adequacy and social validity of innovation configurations for problem-solving

The purpose of this study was to collaboratively design an Innovation Configuration Checklist for school based problem solving and to provide preliminary data on its technical and practical characteristics. Specifically, this study examined the following: (a) the technical characteristics of an Innovation Configuration Checklist for a structured problem-solving process that would be both research based and appropriate for making decisions about children's learning in a school setting; (b) the social acceptability of the Innovation Configuration Checklist, as judged by its users, in terms of comprehensiveness of items, practical utility for field-based practice; and; (c) usefulness as a tool for monitoring treatment integrity of the problem-solving process.;The study was conducted in six stages, with the first five stages modeled after a design by Heck, Steigelbauer, Hall, and Loucks (1981) for developing Innovation Configurations. The sixth stage was added to assess the social acceptability of the Innovation Configuration Checklist for those using the instrument. Stage 1 included selecting and defining the components of the Innovation Configuration Checklist based on a comprehensive review of the research literature. Stage 2 involved field testing the Innovation Configuration Checklist at exemplary school sites to assess the comprehensiveness and accuracy of items on the Checklist. Stage 3 involved refinement of the Checklist, developing questions and guidelines to be used in interviews with a larger sample of users, and training of interviewers. Stage 4 focused on obtaining expert judgments of professionals proficient in school based problem solving to partially assess the content validity of the revised Checklist prior to using it in field based interviews. Stage 5 involved major data collection in which the revised Innovation Configuration Checklist was administered to members of state-approved teams in southwest Ohio SERRC regions who were conducting alternative multifactored evaluations for special education through a structured problem-solving process. Stage 6 addressed the issue of social validity of the Innovation Configuration Checklist to determine its acceptability to users in terms of practicality, convenience, ease of learning, and relevance for use by practitioners and supervisors in the field.;One question in particular was explored throughout the study. The question concerned whether or not use of an instrument, such as an Innovation Configuration Checklist, can increase treatment integrity in implementing a process such as problem solving.