George M. Batsche

Competing Views: A Dialogue on Response to Intervention.

The provision for allowing local education agencies to use an assessment of a students response to intervention (RTI) in lieu of a consideration of an ability— achievement discrepancy has been a controversial aspect of the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. To address issues that have arisen about RTI, a series of questions was posed to two authors who have written about the topic—one from an advocacy perspective and the other from a critical point of view. Their responses were arranged in a dialogue format so that these divergent views could be fully considered.

The Challenge in mathematics and science education : psychology's response

This volume discusses, from the viewpoint of contemporary American psychology, the underlying scientific principles and mechanisms necessary to drive the process of educational change. Various chapters deal with social, cognitive, school and clinical psychology.

The Florida Problem-Solving/Response to Intervention Model: Implementing a Statewide Initiative

George M. Batsche, EdD, is Professor and Co-Director of the Institute for School Reform in the School Psychology Program at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida and serves as the Co-Director of the Florida PSM/RTI Project. batsche@tempeset.coedu.usf.edu Michael J. Curtis, PhD, is Professor and Co-Director of the Institute for School Reform in the School Psychology Program at the University of South Florida and serves as the Co-Director of the Florida PSM/RTI Project. curtis@tempest.coedu.usf.edu Clark Dorman, EdS, is the Project Leader for the Florida PSM/RTI Project and a former school psychologist in the Orange County (Orlando) School District. dorman@coedu.usf.edu Jose M. Castillo, MA, is a doctoral student and Presidential Fellow in the School Psychology Program at the University of South Florida. jcastillo@tampabay.rr.com Larry J. Porter is a doctoral intern in the Pasco County School District in Land O’ Lakes, Florida and a student in the School Psychology Program at the University of South Florida. ljporter@mail.usf.edu

The place of the school in community mental health services for children: A necessary interdependence

While a great deal of attention has focused on community-based delivery services for children with mental health needs, the potential of integrating school-based services, such that a comprehensive system of care is implemented, has been largely unrealized. As the school is a significant place for all children and a service delivery setting of great magnitude, this article discusses the necessary interdependence of school and community mental health service systems, especially in light of recent federal, state, and independent initiatives. An analysis of these initiatives is presented, and recommendations toward integrated services are suggested.

Relationship Between Systems Coaching and Problem-Solving Implementation Fidelity in a Response-to-Intervention Model

ABSTRACT The literature on RTI has indicated that professional development and coaching are critical to facilitating problem-solving implementation with fidelity. This study examined the extent to which systems coaching related to the fidelity of problem-solving implementation in 31 schools from six districts. Schools participated in three years of a state-level professional development initiative to implement RTI practices. Each school received ongoing coaching through job-embedded training, technical assistance, and evaluation support. Data on quality of coaching received, continuity of coaching (i.e., coaching provided by the same individual over time), changes in educator beliefs and perceived skills, and problem-solving implementation fidelity were examined through multilevel modeling (MLM) procedures. Results indicated that coaching continuity positively related to RtI implementation fidelity. Implications for systems coaching practices to support problem-solving and RTI implementation are discussed.