On this episode of the E4E podcast, we catch up with Dr. Brittany Zakszeski, an assistant professor specializing in school psychology in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. Brittany’s work focuses on students' mental and behavioral health via multi-tiered systems of support in schools. She discusses the use of school-wide positive behavioral supports to reduce discipline disproportionality and looks at the importance of equity-focused implementation of interventions.

More Information Section:

Episode Based on:

Zakszeski, B., Rutherford, L., Heidelburg, K., & Thomas, L. (2021). In pursuit of equity: Discipline disproportionality and SWPBIS implementation in urban schools. School Psychology, 36(2), 122–130. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000428

Resources mentioned:

1. Delaware PBS Project
2. Delaware Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

Brittany’s Email: [email protected]

Brittany’s Faculty page: https://www.cehd.udel.edu/faculty-bio/brittany-zakszeski/

Brittany’s CV: https://www.cehd.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Zakszeski-Vitae-2022-09-02.pdf

Projects the Guest is working on:

1. Project GROW (Growing Resilience, Opportunities, and Wellness in Delaware Schools) is a partnership between Delaware schools, university training programs and centers, and state and community agencies to advance training and practice in evidence-based, equity-centered school mental health service delivery within a multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework. Funded by the United States Department of Education through the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program, Project GROW seeks to address two documented societal crises: (a) the prevalence of mental health needs among children and adolescents and (b) the shortage of school-based mental health professionals.
2. The State Education Policy Analysis Project seeks to systematically identify, describe, and analyze the effects of state policies passed since 2016 that expand or restrict students’ access to racial/ethnic, gender, and sexual identity-affirming and -responsive policies and practices in educational settings.

Brittany’s Work:

1. Zakszeski, B. N., Rutherford, L., Heidelburg, K., & Thomas, L. (2021). In pursuit of equity: Discipline disproportionality and SWPBIS implementation in urban schools. School Psychology, 36, 122–130. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000428 [Honorable Mention, School Psychology 2021 Article of the Year]
2. Zakszeski, B. N., & Rutherford, L. (2021). Mind the gap: A systematic review of research on restorative practices in schools. School Psychology Review, 50, 371–387. https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2020.1852056