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Systems coaching is a professional development approach focusing on the implementation fidelity of evidence-based practices and whole school reform efforts such as Response to Intervention (RtI). However, the roles, responsibilities, and supports required by systems coaches, and how the work of those tasked with facilitating capacity for RtI implementation manifests within complex and multifaceted school environments remains unclear. The purpose of the current exploratory study was to investigate coaches' perspectives and experiences related to RtI implementation to illustrate systems coaching in context. Ten coaches providing job-embedded support for RtI implementation across 34 schools in one state participated in semi-structured interviews. A constant-comparative and matrix analysis approach was used to generate codes and themes. Results indicated systems coaches experience a number of systemic and contextually dependent facilitators and barriers to their work, providing implications for RtI coaches' preparation, ongoing support, and current practices, as well as directions for future research.

Modern definitions of complete mental health include both positive and negative indicators of psychological functioning. We examined the associations between peer relationships (victimization and receipt of prosocial acts) and multiple indicators of mental health that represent subjective well-being (i.e., life satisfaction, positive and negative affect) and psychopathology (general internalizing symptoms and externalizing problems--aggressive behavior) among 500 high school students in Grades 9 to 11. Peer experiences explained the most variance in positive affect (R[superscript 2] = 18%) and internalizing psychopathology (R[superscript 2] = 19%). Different types of peer experiences drove these effects, with relational victimization particularly salient to internalizing psychopathology and prosocial acts by peers most predictive of positive affect. Moderation analyses indicated that peers' prosocial acts did not serve a protective role in the associations between victimization and mental health. Instead, the presence of overt victimization negated the positive associations between prosocial acts and good mental health (high life satisfaction, low internalizing psychopathology). Understanding these associations illuminates the range of student outcomes possibly impacted by victimization and suggests that both limiting peer victimization and facilitating positive peer experiences may be necessary to facilitate complete mental health among high school students.

In the past 2 decades the number of women in the field of school psychology has increased markedly, with some estimates suggesting that approximately 8 out of 10 school psychologists are women, but the percentage of school psychologists who are White has remained constant at approximately 90%. This study was conducted on behalf of the National Association of School Psychologists Research Committee to investigate how other characteristics of the field such as age, years of experience, or type of employment differ by race or gender. Results suggested that significant gender differences existed in terms of age, years of experience, primary employment as a university faculty member, and time worked in university settings. Significant differences related to race existed for the number of hours worked in state departments of education as well as the percentage of minority students served. Potential explanations for the findings are provided and implications for the field are discussed.

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) established a policy in 1989 mandating a national study of the field every 5 years. The purpose of the studies was to generate a comprehensive description of the field of school psychology across the United States, as well as to allow for analyses of changes in the field over time. The first study collected data based on the 1989-1990 school year. Subsequent studies were completed every 5 years following the initial study. It has become apparent in the years since adoption of the NASP policy that the data generated through the mandated studies have proven valuable not only to NASP, but to other national and state professional associations, to school districts, and even to individual school psychologists. This article reports the data which reflect the most recent NASP study and are based on the 2009-2010 school year. This article is the first in a two-part series. This report describes the demographic characteristics of school psychologists across the United States as well as the context within which school psychologists work. [For part 2, see EJ981554.] (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)

Every 5 years, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) conducts a national study of the field. Surveys are sent to randomly selected regular members of NASP to gather information on school psychologists' demographic characteristics, context for professional practices, and professional practices. The latest iteration of the national study was conducted based on the 2009-2010 school year. This article is the second in a two-part series reporting the results of the 2010 national study. The first article described the demographic characteristics of school psychologists and the context for their professional practices. The current article addresses school psychologists' professional practices and discusses implications for the field based on the overall results of the national study (i.e., demographic characteristics, context for professional practices, and professional practices). (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)