Maribeth Gettinger
PhD, Columbia University
Professor, School Psychology

Contact Information:
UW-Madison
327 Educational Sciences
1025 W Johnson St
Madison, WI 53706
Phone: (608) 262-0445
E-mail: mgetting@wisc.edu

Research Statement

Dr. Gettingers research is aimed at evaluating evidence-based interventions for two types of high-risk populations. The first project focuses on young children (3-9 years) who exhibit behavioral challenges, including aggression, noncompliance, over-activity, disruptiveness, and attentional problems. These behaviors limit childrens ability to learn, use acquired skills, or assume independence appropriate for their developmental level. Including children with behavioral challenges in general education has been limited, in part, because many educators do not have adequate training to accommodate their needs. Thus, a secondary emphasis is on professional development to help teachers develop and sustain positive classroom practices that promote academic and social competence among all learners. Currently, Dr. Gettinger is directing field-based research in several Wisconsin schools to assess the effectiveness of Functional Assessment (FA) and Positive Behavior Support (PBS) for preschool and primary school children, with or at risk of disabilities. The benefits of the intervention on both child and educator outcomes are assessed through direct observations, interviews, and rating scales.

The second project is an Early Reading First (ERF) program, which is funded through the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. The purpose of the federal ERF initiative is to prepare young children (ages 2-6) from low-income, predominantly minority families to enter kindergarten with the necessary language, cognitive, and early reading skills to prevent reading difficulties and ensure success in school. Currently, Dr. Getting is co-directing (with Dr. Karen Stoiber at UW-Milwaukee) an ERF project in Milwaukee. This project is a partnership with Social Development Commission - Head Start of Milwaukee. The goal is to create high-quality, literacy-rich environments in classrooms to support the development of young childrens literacy, language, and cognitive competence. Through intensive and continuous professional development and mentoring, teachers are trained to implement evidence-based strategies derived from research on emergent literacy specifically, focusing on oral language, phonological awareness, print awareness, and alphabet knowledge. The project includes approximately 900 children in classrooms randomly assigned to experimental or control conditions. Measured outcomes include early literacy skills measured at monthly intervals, oral language, and teacher and parent ratings.

Representative Publications

Ball, C., & Gettinger, M. (2009). Monitoring childrens growth in early literacy skills:Effects of feedback on performance and classroom environments. Education andTreatment of children, 32, 189-212.

Gettinger M, & Stoiber, KC. (2009). Effective teaching and effective schools. In TB Gutkin & CR Reynolds (Eds.), The handbook of school psychology (4th ed., pp.769-790). Hoboken , NJ : John Wiley.

Gettinger, M, & Stoiber, KC. (2008). Applying a response-to-intervention model for early literacy development in low-income children. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 27, 198-213.

Stoiber, KC, Gettinger, M, & Fitts, M. (2007). Functional assessment and positivesupport strategies: Case illustration of process and outcomes. Early Childhood Services, 1, 165-179.

Gettinger, M, & Stoiber, KC. (2006). Functional assessment, collaboration, and evidence-based treatment: An experimental analysis of a team approach for addressing challenging behavior. The entity from which ERIC acquires the content, including journal, organization, and conference names, or by means of online submission from the author.Journal of School Psychology, 44, 231-252.

Gettinger, M, & Kohler, KM. (2006). Process-outcome approaches to classroommanagement and effective teaching. In C.M. Evertson & C.S. Weinstein (Eds.), Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and contemporary issues (pp. 73-95). Mahwah , NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum.