Development and Validation of Intervention Selection Profile (ISP)
Project ISP is funded by a Goal 5 (Measurement) grant from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Social & Behavioral Context for Academic Learning (R305A170284). The overarching purpose of this project is to support the development and validation of the Intervention Selection Profile (ISP), a suite of brief problem identification tools. For students in need of Tier 2 support, the ISP will allow educators to quickly and easily collect data indicative of each student’s concerns, including the function of problem behaviors and deficits in positive skills. Results can then be used in selecting and adapting appropriate interventions.
Learn more
Learn more
Continued Validation of the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS)
We have completed a series of studies to date that collectively support the psychometric defensibility of the SAEBRS suite of tools, which includes teacher, student, and parent forms. Grants from East Carolina University, the University of Missouri, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Society for the Study of School Psychology (SSSP) have supported this research. Additional work is ongoing via partnerships with districts across the United States including the School District of Philadelphia, Wichita Public Schools, and the Tacoma Whole Child Initiative.
Application and Evaluation of the SEBA Model to Enhance Decision-Making Across Tiers
We have embarked on a series of studies examining the influence of assessment procedures on decision-making within schools. All too often, we define evidence-based assessment as corresponding to the psychometric defensibility of individual assessment tools. Yet, we know that the procedures through which assessment data are collected, interpreted, and used will ultimately impact their influence on children. Multiple studies have considered the impact of such procedures, including (a) the training provided to teachers prior to the collection of screening data, (b) the number of time points or raters used when collecting screening data, (c) the impact of screening data availability on intervention outcomes, and (d) the use of multiple gating procedures to enhance screening efficiency. An upcoming special issue of School Psychology Review (SPR) will pertain to this topic, titled “Improving Decision-Making: Procedural Recommendations for Evidenced-Based Assessment.” The issue is co-edited by Drs. Nathaniel von der Embse and Stephen Kilgus.
Currently, we are in the second year of a four-year pilot project (“Evaluation of a population-based mental health assessment to intervention model”) with the School District of Philadelphia to evaluate the application of the SEBA model within a high-needs middle school. This project is funded by the Thomas Scattergood Foundation and United Way of Philadelphia.
Currently, we are in the second year of a four-year pilot project (“Evaluation of a population-based mental health assessment to intervention model”) with the School District of Philadelphia to evaluate the application of the SEBA model within a high-needs middle school. This project is funded by the Thomas Scattergood Foundation and United Way of Philadelphia.
Development and Testing of the Resilience Education Program (REP)
The REP is a novel Tier 2 intervention intended for students at risk for internalizing problems (e.g., anxiety, depression). The intervention combines aspect of both small-group cognitive behavioral instruction, as well as Check In/Check Out (CICO). REP is appropriate for two types of students, including (1) those who have not learned important coping skills and (b) those who have learned these skills but require reinforcement and feedback to use them. An initial single-case design pilot study support REP effectiveness. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is currently ongoing and a grant proposal is under review at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).
Dissertations
Examining the mediating role of teacher-related variables on the relationship between classroom management and student social-emotional and behavioral risk
The prevalence of social-emotional and behavior (SEB) difficulties among school-aged children, the negative outcomes associated with such problems, and the environmental interactions that potentially develop and maintain SEB problems, collectively suggest a need for early identification of SEB risk in school-age children. Additionally, there is a need to further investigate the extent to which classroom-level factors; such as classroom management contributes to the prevalence of risk within a classroom. If such environmental factors do contribute to risk, then they become logical malleable targets for intervention. Furthermore, if research suggests that additional variables account for the relation between classroom management and classroom risk prevalence, these too would then become targets for intervention. The purpose of the proposed project is to explore the indicators (e.g., teacher stress, teacher social-emotional competence, teacher self-efficacy, and teacher-student relationships) that mediate the relationship between classroom management and SEB risk.
Evaluation of a tier 2 internalizing intervention: The Resilience Education Program (REP)
Research suggests a large number of students are at-risk for internalizing problems, such as depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, there is a lack of feasible evidence-based interventions in the school setting that address internalizing concerns. Researchers have recently begun to examine the effects of social-ecological internalizing interventions, with a particular focus on reinforcement-based mentorship programs, such as the Resilience Education Program (REP). The purpose of the proposed project is to examine the effectiveness of REP on a larger scale using a waitlist randomized controlled trial design with participants in late elementary and middle school grades.
The prevalence of social-emotional and behavior (SEB) difficulties among school-aged children, the negative outcomes associated with such problems, and the environmental interactions that potentially develop and maintain SEB problems, collectively suggest a need for early identification of SEB risk in school-age children. Additionally, there is a need to further investigate the extent to which classroom-level factors; such as classroom management contributes to the prevalence of risk within a classroom. If such environmental factors do contribute to risk, then they become logical malleable targets for intervention. Furthermore, if research suggests that additional variables account for the relation between classroom management and classroom risk prevalence, these too would then become targets for intervention. The purpose of the proposed project is to explore the indicators (e.g., teacher stress, teacher social-emotional competence, teacher self-efficacy, and teacher-student relationships) that mediate the relationship between classroom management and SEB risk.
Evaluation of a tier 2 internalizing intervention: The Resilience Education Program (REP)
Research suggests a large number of students are at-risk for internalizing problems, such as depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, there is a lack of feasible evidence-based interventions in the school setting that address internalizing concerns. Researchers have recently begun to examine the effects of social-ecological internalizing interventions, with a particular focus on reinforcement-based mentorship programs, such as the Resilience Education Program (REP). The purpose of the proposed project is to examine the effectiveness of REP on a larger scale using a waitlist randomized controlled trial design with participants in late elementary and middle school grades.