Development and Use of the Ohio School Wellness Initiative Student Assistance Program Fidelity Checklist (OSWI SAP-FC): A Tool to Support SAP Implementation

To address the increase in youth mental health needs, schools can implement Student Assistance Programs (SAPs). A SAP is a comprehensive, school-based framework that provides a variety of services to school-aged youth exhibiting risk factors that interfere with their educational success. Although several SAP models and resources exist, the literature base is lacking documentation of the development and psychometric evaluation of a SAP implementation tool. This study describes the development and initial Rasch analysis of the Ohio School Wellness Initiative SAP Fidelity Checklist (OSWI SAP-FC) that outlines best practices and allows schools to assess gaps in current implementation, identify a plan for improvement, and monitor implementation progress. We first describe the systematic development of the fidelity checklist and pilot testing process with 48 Ohio schools. Results provide evidence that the 56 items defined one broad SAP construct. We outline implications for practice and research based on the results of this study.