Ruth Ervin

Ruth Ervin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Education. Her work focuses on special education, particularly systems change and evidence-based prevention/intervention strategies for students with behavioral and academic challenges in school settings.

Her research centers on Systems Change, Prevention Strategies, and Intervention Strategies within Special Education, with emphasis on functional behavioral assessment, Response-to-Intervention (RTI) frameworks, and peer-mediated approaches. She investigates how data-informed problem-solving models can be implemented at school-wide levels to address reading and behavior difficulties through multi-tiered support systems.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent focus on translating research into practice, particularly in scaling model demonstration projects to statewide initiatives. Her work emphasizes merging research agendas with practical implementation, especially in systems change literature and tiered intervention models for diverse student populations.

Dr. Ervin has received significant recognition including:

• Article of the Year Award, School Psychology Review (2006)
• Presidential Mini-Grant Award for Research Recognition (1998)
• Research Development Award (1997)
• Dissertation Research Award, BSP Interest Group of NASP (1997)

She teaches graduate courses in the ECPS department (EPSE 535, 551A, 552B, 565B) focused on special education assessment and intervention methodologies, contributing to the training of future school psychologists and special educators.