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This article provides a scoping review of the nascent empirical literature on professional learning for MTSS. We used a systematic search strategy to find studies on the impact of professional learning on educator and implementation outcomes. Seventy-nine studies utilizing a variety of designs were included. We found that research most frequently evaluated training and professional learning community focused interventions in elementary schools. We also observed strong alignment between professional learning interventions and the MTSS model studied, research design used, outcomes evaluated, and methodological rigor (e.g., Professional Learning Communities tended to be evaluated using qualitative methods that varied in rigor). Studies evaluated educator knowledge, skills, and dispositions, as well as implementation of the practices that comprise MTSS; however, educator aspirations were rarely evaluated. Moreover, few studies comprehensively evaluated the relations among professional learning and educator knowledge, skills, and dispositions and how those variables interacted to impact implementation. We call for more rigorous research on the impact of professional learning for MTSS and on factors that facilitate and hinder effectiveness.

In U.S. schools, Black and Latinx youth receive disciplinary action at rates greater than their White peers. In the context of systemic racism in the United States, proposed systemic solutions such as school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) should be evaluated for their effectiveness in producing more equitable school discipline. In light of mixed evidence for a SWPBIS–equity relationship, this study examined the merits of five SWPBIS elements demonstrating promise in the literature or underexamined potential for reducing discipline rates and disparities for Black and Latinx students in a sample of 322 SWPBIS-implementing schools serving a total of 292,490 students (19% Black, 28% Latinx) in a southeastern state. Multiple linear regression results indicated that higher fidelity to SWPBIS Classroom Systems was related to lower discipline risk for all students, including Black and Latinx students, but not more equitable discipline practices. Higher fidelity to SWPBIS Expectations was related to higher suspension risk among Black students, whereas higher levels of Recognition were related to more equitable suspension practices. No significant relationships were observed between Lessons and Data Analysis and disciplinary rates or equity. Implications for the research and practice of SWPBIS are discussed in the context of promoting more equitable and socially just discipline practices.

Purpose This article describes the development and initial validation of the Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) Involvement in Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Questionnaire. It was developed to measure the extent to which SLPs are involved in MTSS at their school site(s). Method A total of 567 SLPs practicing in the United States responded to up to 39 Likert-type items meant to reflect six domains: scope of practice, professional development, leadership, consulting/collaborating, assessment and analysis, and intervention. Measurement quality was evaluated in terms of score reliability and validity. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to evaluate the internal structure of the questionnaire responses. A three-factor model with the following dimensions of Carrying out Roles and Responsibilities, Leading, and Planning and Providing Interventions was supported. Loadings for retained factors ranged from .35 to .87. Internal consistency estimates ranged from .87 to .92. Descriptive statistics summarized the overall involvement of SLPs in MTSS, and responses to questions to assess the feasibility and acceptability of this questionnaire were analyzed. Results Questionnaire responses indicated that SLPs infrequently engage in MTSS activities. The item with the highest mean was related to SLPs collaborating with teachers to help them address students' speech and language disorders in their classrooms. Most of the SLPs who took the questionnaire found it easy to complete, but only some found the information to be useful. Conclusions The infrequent involvement of SLPs in MTSS indicates a need to disseminate information on the potentially valuable roles SLPs can play in MTSS implementation. This tool may be used by SLPs to better understand contributions they can make within an MTSS framework and self-reflect on their current levels of involvement. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.13874516

Systems-level consultation and implementation science research has resulted in increased understanding of how to facilitate large-scale use of evidence-based practices. This article aims to build u...

Simple Summary Computer-aided diagnosis systems to improve significant prostate cancer (PCa) diagnoses are being reported in the literature. These methods are based on either deep learning or radiomics. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence comparing these methods on the same external validation sets. The aim of our study was to compare the performance of a deep-learning model with the performance of a radiomics model for significant-PCa diagnosis on various cohorts. We collected multiparametric magnetic resonance images and pathology data from four patient cohorts (644 patients in total). One of the cohorts was used to develop a deep-learning model and a radiomics model. Both models were tested on the three remaining cohorts. The comparison shows that whereas the performance of the deep-learning model was higher on the training cohort, the radiomics model outperformed the deep-learning model in all the testing cohorts, making it a more accurate tool with which to detect clinically significant prostate cancer. Abstract The computer-aided analysis of prostate multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) could improve significant-prostate-cancer (PCa) detection. Various deep-learning- and radiomics-based methods for significant-PCa segmentation or classification have been reported in the literature. To be able to assess the generalizability of the performance of these methods, using various external data sets is crucial. While both deep-learning and radiomics approaches have been compared based on the same data set of one center, the comparison of the performances of both approaches on various data sets from different centers and different scanners is lacking. The goal of this study was to compare the performance of a deep-learning model with the performance of a radiomics model for the significant-PCa diagnosis of the cohorts of various patients. We included the data from two consecutive patient cohorts from our own center (n = 371 patients), and two external sets of which one was a publicly available patient cohort (n = 195 patients) and the other contained data from patients from two hospitals (n = 79 patients). Using multiparametric MRI (mpMRI), the radiologist tumor delineations and pathology reports were collected for all patients. During training, one of our patient cohorts (n = 271 patients) was used for both the deep-learning- and radiomics-model development, and the three remaining cohorts (n = 374 patients) were kept as unseen test sets. The performances of the models were assessed in terms of their area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC). Whereas the internal cross-validation showed a higher AUC for the deep-learning approach, the radiomics model obtained AUCs of 0.88, 0.91 and 0.65 on the independent test sets compared to AUCs of 0.70, 0.73 and 0.44 for the deep-learning model. Our radiomics model that was based on delineated regions resulted in a more accurate tool for significant-PCa classification in the three unseen test sets when compared to a fully automated deep-learning model.

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). H...

School-based consultation has garnered increasing attention relevant to culturally responsive practice in school psychology. Although prior research has investigated school psychologists’ experienc...

The federal RTI policy came into effect in 2004, and saw widespread diffusion. The culture of policy framework explicates the design inherent to the life cycles of equity-oriented top-down policies...

Radiomics applied in MRI has shown promising results in classifying prostate cancer lesions. However, many papers describe single-center studies without external validation. The issues of using radiomics models on unseen data have not yet been sufficiently addressed. The aim of this study is to evaluate the generalizability of radiomics models for prostate cancer classification and to compare the performance of these models to the performance of radiologists. Multiparametric MRI, photographs and histology of radical prostatectomy specimens, and pathology reports of 107 patients were obtained from three healthcare centers in the Netherlands. By spatially correlating the MRI with histology, 204 lesions were identified. For each lesion, radiomics features were extracted from the MRI data. Radiomics models for discriminating high-grade (Gleason score ≥ 7) versus low-grade lesions were automatically generated using open-source machine learning software. The performance was tested both in a single-center setting through cross-validation and in a multi-center setting using the two unseen datasets as external validation. For comparison with clinical practice, a multi-center classifier was tested and compared with the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2 (PIRADS v2) scoring performed by two expert radiologists. The three single-center models obtained a mean AUC of 0.75, which decreased to 0.54 when the model was applied to the external data, the radiologists obtained a mean AUC of 0.46. In the multi-center setting, the radiomics model obtained a mean AUC of 0.75 while the radiologists obtained a mean AUC of 0.47 on the same subset. While radiomics models have a decent performance when tested on data from the same center(s), they may show a significant drop in performance when applied to external data. On a multi-center dataset our radiomics model outperformed the radiologists, and thus, may represent a more accurate alternative for malignancy prediction.

Understanding systems theory and how it relates to change in educational and related systems can help inform school psychologists’ efforts to improve student outcomes. The primary aim of the chapter is to provide an overview of the theoretical foundations of systems change and how systems change principles can be utilized in the complex, dynamic settings in which school psychologists function. Specifically, this chapter (a) includes a review of systems theory, (b) provides a brief overview of different theoretical frameworks for systems change, (c) describes one model for facilitating systems change, and (d) illustrates how school psychologists can translate systems theory to practice through a case study example.

Radiomics uses multiple image features from medical imaging data to predict clinical variables. Various features can be constructed to describe the properties of the full image, or those of a specific region of interest such as a tumor. These features may be related to a wide variety of clinical variables, such as disease characteristics, genetics, and therapy response. This can be done through the use of machine learning, which enables the training of a model on these features using data of patients for which the relevant clinical variables are already known. The resulting models may be used as a diagnostic aid for the prediction of labels such as tumor phenotype and therapy response in new patients. Thereby, radiomics can provide a noninvasive alternative for invasive procedures, such as biopsies, to uncover disease characteristics or clinical outcomes. Radiomics therefore has a high potential to be a valuable tool for clinical practice. This may explain the rise in popularity of radiomics in the medical imaging research field in recent years, resulting in many methods and applications. This chapter provides a guide through the several aspects of designing a radiomics study.

Professional development is a critical systems-level intervention thought to facilitate Response-to-Intervention (RtI) implementation. The current study examined the relations between professional ...

Prostate cancer (PCa) is currently the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men. Systematic biopsies are the standard of care for PCa diagnosis. However, biopsies are invasive and prone to sampling errors. With magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) the whole prostate tissue can be visualized non-invasively. In this study we evaluate a radiomics approach to classify suspected lesions, into highgrade and low-grade PCa. The data comprised MRI, histology of radical prostatectomy specimens and pathology reports of 40 patients. Histology and MRI were correlated obtaining 72 lesions. Features were extracted to train a Support Vector Machine as classifier. Our experiments were performed in a fully automated framework, using 100x random split cross-validation, including extensive algorithm selection and hyperparameter optimization on the training set in each cross-validation. Our method achieved an AUC of 77[0.66–0.87], sensitivity 0.74[0.57–0.91] and specificity of 0.66[0.50–0.82], demonstrating the potential of radiomics to classify PCa lesion based on MRI.

Questions remain regarding whether professional development focused on response to intervention can be implemented effectively on a large scale. One important goal of professional development involves educators' beliefs regarding foundational response-to-intervention concepts (e.g., data-based decision making, importance of effective instruction). This study examined the relations between professional development focused on response to intervention and educators' beliefs. Participants (N = 3,961) were from 34 pilot and 27 comparison schools in a southeastern state. School leadership teams responsible for facilitating response-to-intervention implementation at pilot schools participated in 13 full-day trainings across 3 years. In addition, coaching support was provided to all pilot school educators including leadership team members. Multilevel modeling indicated that school leadership team membership predicted positive changes in beliefs regarding data-based decision making when compared with the r...

Widespread adoption of Response to Intervention (RtI) requires large numbers of educators to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to implement the model with fidelity. This study examined relationships between large-scale professional development on RtI and educators’ perceived skills. Elementary educators (n = 4,283) from 34 pilot and 27 comparison schools in a southeastern state participated. Leadership teams composed of subsets of educators from pilot schools who were responsible for leading RtI implementation participated in 13 days of training across a 3-year period. Additionally, job-embedded coaching was provided to pilot school instructional educators. Results from multilevel models indicated that leadership team membership related to increases in educators’ perceptions of RtI skills applied to academics (π = .05; SE = .02; t[6,726] = 2.60; p < .05) and of data display skills (π = .07; SE = .03; t[6,678] = 2.45, p < .05). Educator participation at pilot schools that received job-embedded coaching related to increases in perceptions of RtI skills applied to academics (β = .07; SE = .02; t[6,726] = 2.77, p < .05). Implications for future research on RtI implementation and the practice of providing large-scale professional development focused on RtI are discussed.

Recent studies indicate that the majority of school psychologists’ time continues to be dedicated to SPED related activities. Despite ongoing calls for school psychologists to expand their roles, why many practitioners do not deliver more comprehensive services is not well understood. This qualitative study investigated facilitators of and barriers to comprehensive and integrated services using the National Association of School Psychologists Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services as the guiding framework. Thirteen full-time, school-based practitioners from across the US participated in semi-structured interviews. Constant-comparative analysis was used to generate themes. Results indicated that practitioners experienced a number of systemic barriers to (e.g., heavy caseload; inconsistent district policies, priorities, and role definitions; lack of stakeholder involvement) and facilitators of (e.g., resources, graduate training and professional development) comprehensive and integrated service delivery. Participants’ perspectives regarding changes needed to expand their services focused on systemic issues as well. Implications for research and practitioners’ efforts to advocate for systems change are discussed.

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.

The Perceptions of RtI Skills Survey is a self-report measure that assesses educators’ perceptions of their data-based problem-solving skills—a critical element of many Response-to-Intervention (RtI) models. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to evaluate the underlying factor structure of this tool. Educators from 68 ( n = 2,397) and 60 ( n = 1,961) schools in a southeastern state participated during the spring of 2008 and spring of 2010, respectively. Results supported a correlated three-factor model with the following dimensions: Perceptions of RtI Skills Applied to Academic Content, Perceptions of RtI Skills Applied to Behavior Content, and Perceptions of Data Display Skills. Internal consistency estimates for all factors exceeded .90. In addition, significant associations between factor scores and data-based problem-solving fidelity at Tiers I and II were found. Implications for educators facilitating RtI implementation are discussed.

Schools across the nation are implementing innovative practices; however, questions remain regarding how to facilitate quality implementation. Research designs that emphasize high degrees of control over independent variables result in findings with internal validity, but that may not generalize to complex, dynamic educational systems. The purpose of this article is to propose a design research framework as a mechanism for consultants to facilitate and evaluate innovation implementation. Information on design research principles and processes is provided, and issues to consider when applying the framework are discussed. An illustration of how a design research framework was applied in a large-scale initiative to implement and evaluate Response to Intervention (RtI) implementation is also provided. Finally, issues and questions to consider relative to consultants' use of design research principles are explored.

This article presents information on the development and initial validation of the 16-item Response to Intervention (RTI) Beliefs Scale. The scale is designed to measure the extent to which educators working in schools hold beliefs consistent with the tenets of RTI. The authors administered the instrument to 2,430 educators in 62 elementary schools in the fall of 2007 and 2,443 educators in 68 elementary schools in the spring of 2008. Exploratory, single-level confirmatory, and multilevel confirmatory factor analysis procedures were used to examine construct validity. Results supported a correlated 3-factor model (Academic Abilities and Performance of Students with Disabilities, Data-Based Decision Making, and Functions of Core and Supplemental Instruction) at both the school and educator levels of analysis. Furthermore, the factor scores derived from the model demonstrated significant, positive relations to RTI implementation. Reliability estimates for two of the three factor scores exceeded.70. Implicat...

This article illustrates the infusion of self-determination approaches (e.g., futures planning) within a schoolwide context. Unfortunately, some students are not explicitly instructed by school staff to address their plans for the future. This may be a result of school professionals’ feelings of inadequacy to address skill sets outside of their specialization (e.g., content area, special education). By connecting self-determination practices with schoolwide initiatives (e.g., schoolwide positive behavior support, Common Core State Standards), educators in particular may be more willing to address these skills in their settings. This article provides an example of these types of connections with an actual case study of one student within an urban high school.

Concerns regarding whether a sufficient supply of school psychologists exists have been evident for decades. Studies have predicted that school psychology would face a critical personnel shortage that would peak in 2010, but continue into the foreseeable future. The current study is a 10-year follow-up investigation based on previously published personnel shortage projections. Data derived from the National Association of School Psychologists 2009–2010 national study were used to examine current personnel shortages as well as to project the extent to which personnel shortages are likely to continue. Findings indicate that the field of school psychology continues to experience a personnel shortage that will continue through 2025. Additionally, greater rates of retirements are projected for the field for school psychologists who are males, who possess a doctoral degree, and for university faculty. Analyses based on the U.S. Census Regions indicate that notable differences are likely to occur in the match between the supply of and demand for school psychologists based on geographical location. Implications are discussed relating to the recruitment and retention of school psychologists and to the services they deliver.

IntroductionA multitiered system of supports (MTSS) represents a widely adopted public health approach to education in the USA. Researchers agree professional learning is critical for educators to implement the critical components of MTSS; however, professional learning approaches vary in their designs and targeted outcomes. While researchers increasingly focus their inquiries on professional learning for MTSS, no systematic research review exists.ObjectivesThe primary objectives for this mixed-methods review are to (1) understand how professional learning focused on MTSS has been operationalised (2) determine the impact of professional learning on educator (eg, knowledge) and implementation (eg, data-based decision-making processes) outcomes and (3) understand the contextual variables that influence professional learning in the USA. We aim to determine which elements of professional learning improve educators’ capacity to implement MTSS.Methods and analysisWe will include studies that use quantitative and qualitative methods. PsycInfo, PubMed, CIHAHL and ERIC will be the primary research databases used to search for studies published from January 1997 to May 2018. We also will search the US Institute for Educational Sciences and Office of Special Education Programs websites, ProQuest, Google Scholar, Science Watch and MSN. Finally, we will search the proceedings of relevant conferences, examine the reference lists of studies that pass full screening and contact authors for additional work. Data extraction will include participant demographics, intervention details, study design, outcomes, analyses and key findings. We will conduct a quality assessment and analyse the data using effect size and thematic analyses.Ethics and disseminationInstitutional review board or ethics approval is not needed for this review of already published works. We will disseminate the findings through presentations at state, national and international conferences; presentations to stakeholders and agencies; publication in peer-reviewed journals; and posts to organisational and agency websites.

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. ********** Gender and race (1) represent major variables that are critical to understanding the demographic composition of school psychology as a field. Yet, changes over time in each stand in stark contrast to one another. The gender composition of the field stands out as perhaps the most dramatic demographic change in the history of school psychology. In contrast, despite the critical role of race in shaping the history of school psychology, racial representation remains one of the field's slowest changing attributes. Gender In its early years, school psychology was largely a male profession (Fagan & Wise, 2007). As recently as 1981, men constituted a majority of the field (Smith, 1984). However, in less than 10 years, the representation of women increased markedly, constituting almost two out of three (65%) school psychologists (Graden & Curtis, 1991). That trend has continued. More than three out of four school psychologists (77%) were female during the 2009-2010 school year (Curtis, Castillo & Gelley, 2012). Moreover, Curtis, Hunley, and Grier (2004) noted that because approximately 80% of students enrolled in school psychology training programs were women, that trend would continue into the foreseeable future. The literature suggests that because of the dramatic changes in the field relative to gender, empirical investigation of a number of issues is merited. For example, the short time within which the percentage of women has grown so dramatically very likely has implications not only for a static snapshot of the field, but for its long-range characteristics as well. Hunley and Curtis (2005), based on National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) data for the 1999-2000 school year, reported that among both practitioners and university faculty, female school psychologists were significantly younger. This gender difference relating to age could have important implications for the field with regard to the severe personnel shortage that has been projected (Curtis, Hunley et al., 2004). Because the shift in gender has occurred over a relatively short time period, it is also possible that gender differences exist that relate to level of preparation and to credentialing. Between 1971 and 1991, doctoral degrees awarded to women for all areas of psychology increased from 25% to 61% (Pion et al., 1996). Moreover, data from the American Psychological Association (2010) indicate that for accredited doctoral programs in clinical, counseling, school and combined psychology in the United States, 77.7% of the students enrolled were female and for school psychology programs, 82.4% were female. Professional practice outside the schools often requires that the school psychologist hold psychological licensure at either the doctoral or nondoctoral level, depending on state law. Consequently, whether there are differences in the percentage of female and male school psychologists who are licensed is worthy of examination. …

This study investigated school psychologists’ continuing professional development (CPD) activities, topics, needs, motivations, financial expenditures, and opinions, as well as relationships between select demographic characteristics and certain CPD practices and preferences. A survey was mailed to 1,000 randomly selected Regular Members of the National Association of School Psychologists, resulting in the return of 510 completed surveys, a 51% response rate. Respondents expressed opinions about CPD that were positive, optimistic, and consistent with their high levels of engagement and investments of both time and financial resources. Most respondents reported engaging in 25 or more hours of CPD during the previous year. CPD topics in which they engaged most frequently were response to intervention and academic, behavioral, and social–emotional interventions, and academic screening and progress monitoring. Respondents reported a high level of need for more CPD in those same topic areas, but a low level of need for offerings in standardized assessment. Older school psychologists were less likely to have engaged in CPD relating to contemporary assessment practices and interventions and more likely to have engaged in activities related to standardized assessment. Almost half of the respondents had engaged in CPD through an online activity and reported a desire for more online opportunities. No relationship was found between age and usage of, or positive opinions about, online CPD.

To aid potential authors, this statement is an overview of the core values and editorial goals of the current editorial leadership of Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation. The key pillars are that we value research that (a) supports culturally responsive practice and social justice, (b) reflects varied research methodologies and traditions, (c) originates and investigates consultation topics across multiple professional disciplines, and (d) reflects global practice.

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