Date of Submission

2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

Department Chair

Jessica Glass Kendorski, PhD, NCSP, BCBA-D

First Advisor

Katy Tresco, PhD

Second Advisor

Barry McCurdy, PhD, NCSP, BCBA-D

Third Advisor

Jenelle Nissley-Tsiopinis, PhD

Abstract

Executive functioning skills, including organization, time management, and planning (OTMP), are critical for an individual across the lifespan. Deficits in these skills can negatively impact academic achievement, social-emotional functioning, and future occupational opportunities and satisfaction. Organizational Skills Training (OST) interventions have been shown to improve OTMP skills in children, however, less is known about the role of teacher engagement in supporting these interventions. The current study examined the relationship between teacher engagement in a school-based Organizational Skills Training-Tier 2 program (OST-T2), and improvements in student organizational skills outcome. Secondary data were analyzed from 96 students in grades 3-6 and their 31 teachers, who participated in a cluster-randomized control trial of OST-T2. Teacher engagement was measured through completion rates of Class Mastermind sheets, and student outcomes were assessed using teacher and parent ratings on the Children’s Organizational Skills Scale (COSS). Findings indicated that students demonstrated improvements in organizational skills over the course of the intervention, however, teacher engagement, as measured by the Class Mastermind sheet completion, was not significantly correlated with changes in student outcomes. Subgroup analyses of students likely to meet ADHD diagnostic criteria yielded similar results. These findings suggest that while OST-T2 interventions are effective in improving organizational skills, teacher engagement as operationalized in this study may not directly influence student outcomes.

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