School Psych Praxis

4 domains on praxis

1. professional practices, practices that permeate all aspects of service delivery

2. direct and indirect services for children, families, and schools (student-level services)

3. systems level services

4. foundations of school psychological service delivery

structured interview

- standardized and formal

- high validity

- can make direct comparisons to other answers

- structured, diagnostic

- have to follow strict format and administration

unstructured interview (data-based decision making, problem identification)

- conversational

- helps put student at ease

- responses can be difficult to interpret

- responses cannot be compared to norms

semi-structured interview (data-based decision making, problem identification)

combines best features of structured and unstructured

- can ask follow up questions

whole interval recording

behavior is scored when it occurs during the entire interval

- this is good for behavior that occurs continuously

- good for behaviors that occur in short durations

partial interval recording (data-based decision making, problem identification - observational strategies)

behavior is scored if it occurs during any part of the interval

- good for behaviors that occur at a low rate or last for inconsistent times

momentary time sampling

behavior occurs only during the moment that a time interval begins or ends

- least biased estimate if the behavior actually occurs

frequency/event recording (data-based decision making, problem identification - observational strategies)

record how many times a behavior happens during a given period

duration recording (data-based decision making, problem identification - observational strategies)

record how long a behavior lasts during a given period

latency recording (data-based decision making, problem identification - observational strategies)

record how long it takes for a behavior to start

what can be used to get background information (data-based decision making, problem identification)

- student records

- medical records

- review previous interventions

- developmental history

what is universal screening

- assess all children within a given class/school/district/grade

- can be academic, behavior, social, emotional

- Can indicate broat need for modification (instruction, classroom, curriculum or narrow issues with student performance

three factors of universal screening

1. determine whether there needs to be modifications of core curriculum, instruction, or general education environment, and guide decisions about intensive instruction

2. cost-effective, time efficient, and easy to administer (chance of misclassifying students)

3. least dangerous assumption: better to err on the side of false positives to assume that they won't qualify for special services/if majority of the student's need help, then we won't focus on sped services

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM)

reliable, but MUST be used ONLY if it aligns with local norms, benchmark, and standards (DIBELS, aimsweb+)

- criterion-referenced/authentic tests

- focuses on long term progress

- fluency based indicators of skills (initial-sound, letter-naming, phoneme segmentation, oral reading)

- example: 2 min reading fluency test

cognitive assessment test (CogAT) (Type of universal measure)

group administered cognitive measure

cognitive tests (Universal screening measure)

predicts future learning more than achievement tests

STEEP (data-based decision making, problem identification: universal screening measure)

system to enhance education performance

- CBMs of reading, math, and writing to identify students in need of additional support

what is RTI

response to intervention

- with targeted support, a student should show progress and aim towards expected level of performance after intervention

- reasonable amount of time to show growth = 30-60 days

- 80% of data points should be within 15% of the mean, 15% below the trend line

- should obtain 3-5 baseline points prior to intervention

SMM

subskill mastery measurement

- specific intervention

- target behavior

- these are used more frequently

GOM

general outcome measure

- progress toward long-range goals

social-emotional functioning assessment

BASC-3 (broad assessment)

behavior assessment (what is it and how to do it) - FBA

identify problem behavior and build appropriate replacement behaviors using positive interventions

1. operationally define the problem behavior

2. review, interview, observe

3. identify function of the target behavior and hypothesize what intervention will be effective (develop hypothesis only after the observation)

4. implement the intervention and evaluate the effectiveness via progress monitoring/data collection

5. look at the behavior and the environment

behavior assessment (what is it and how to do it)- functional analysis

changes the environment to see the behavior

1. see the relationship between the antecedent and behavior and consequence

behavior assessment (what is it and how to do it) - BIP

1. identify the function of the behavior

2. provide operational definitions

3. provide replacement behaviors

performance based assessments

1. work samples

2. portfolios

CBMs interpretation

normative and systematic

- used to find students who are at risk

- mastery measurements (short-term progress)

CBA

curriculum based assessment

- focuses on long term progress (broader assessment)

ecological assessment

ICEL

- instruction

- curriculum

- environment

- learner

variability - 1 level of analysis (Data-based decision making)

1. effectiveness of intervention: does it have the ability of changing XXX

2. confounding variables: need for controlling extraneous variables to ensure effectiveness

3. mitigating factors: other factors that may influence the connection between environment and effect (natural disasters, bereavement, illness, pressure)

4. measurement error: when the assessment wasn't administered properly

level - 2 level of analysis (Data-based decision making)

comparing to the average

trend - 3 level of analysis (Data-based decision making)

overall direction of the data

- RTI: 80% of the data should fall within 15% of the average line

- need 3-5 baseline data points

- 3 consecutive data points needed

decision rules for RTI - should intervention be changed?

- if 2-3 data points during the intervention condition fall below the aim line, the intervention needs to be changed

- if there are no correct responses for 3-4 sessions, change the intervention

- if the student's percentage of correct responding is below 85% provide better prompts, modeling, and effective feedback

- if performance accuracy is high but slow, provide repeated practice and systematic contingencies to address student motivation

assessing by ED code - intellectual disability

significant below-average intellectual functioning (below standard score 70: 2 SD below) AND deficits in adaptive functioning (communication, self-care, home living, social skills, use of community resources, self-direction/independence, functional academic skills, employment, leisure, physical health issues)

- use ABAS-4 or Vineland to assess adaptive functioning

assessing by ED code - non English speaking/ELL or ESL students

1. language competency (speaking, reading, writing) using following information

a. developmental history and all languages that were spoken and heard

b. language dominance (language student has heard the most in their environment)

c. language preference

2. language proficiency in all languages and the dominant language must be determined

3. guidelines for distinguishing language differences from language disorders

4. make sure to consider other possible factors - low SES, poor instruction, lack of experience or exposure to language, school attendance

guidelines for distinguishing language differences from language disorders

- the disorder must be present in the child's native language (L1) and English (L2)

- testing must be conducted in the native or strongest language (CTONI and or WJ Battele)

- assessments must be conducted using formal and informal measures when possible, normed to the appropriate cultural group

- language must be assessed in a variety of formal and informal speaking contexts

- patterns of language usage must be described and error patterns must be determined

premack principle

first/then

- undesired behavior can be motivated using desired behavior through contingencies

immediacy

consequences should occur immediately after the behavior in order to be effective

negative/positive reinforcement

removing or adding something to increase the behavior

negative/positive punishment

removing or adding something to decrease the behavior

fixed ration reinforcement

specific number of behaviors must occur before a reinforcer is given (for every 1 correct behavior, 1 reinforcer is provided)

variable ratio

on average behaviors must occur to provide reinforcers

frequency, duration, intensity

aspects of behavior that are measurable

shaping

technique that creates a behavior by reinforcing approximations of the desired target behavior

extinction

eliminating the reinforcers or rewards for the behavior terminates the problem behavior

language development

phonology: sounds that a language uses

1. phonemic awareness: component of broader construct of phonological processing

2. PMS = phoneme, morpheme, semantics

phoneme

basic unit of language

- a sound

- smallest sound units that affect meaning

- /s/

morpheme

language's smallest units of meaning

- prefix, suffix, root words

- "pre"

semantics

study of word meaning and combinations

- phrases

- clauses

- sentences

syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language

- sentence structure

- rules for combining words into grammatically sensible sentences

language acquisition device (LAD)

Noam Chomsky (expert in language development) proposed that everyone has an innate mental structure for language acquisition and grammar

- known for Critical Period

- interactionist view: language is learned in the context of spoken language, some ways biologically prepared

brain areas for language

left hemisphere of cerebral cortex (if damage, could lead to aphasia)

1. Broca's area: grammar and expressive language (broooo on the left - frontal lobe)

2. Wernicke's area: word meaning comprehension and receptive language - close to the ear (weerrdd to your motherrr)

cognitive tests (IQ)

despite controversy, these tests are still used

- explain why students may have difficulty learning or not making progress in school

formative evaluations

determines the student's strengths and weaknesses

- can be low stakes benchmarking tests at the beginning of the school year or new class

summative evaluations

provides review/summary of the person's accomplishments to date

- provided at the end of a grading period

domain-referenced and criterion-referenced tests

not norm-referenced or standardized

- they focus on the defined set skill (mastery measurement)

norm-referenced tests

student's performance is compared to general reference group

percentile ranks

score in percentage form in its frequency distribution

- 33% = student scored better than or equal to 33% of those who took the same test

- 25-75 is average

grade norms and equivalents

use with caution****

- grade equivalent scores should rarely be used because they are considered poor metrics

age norms and equivalents

average scored earned by individuals at a specific age

- this type of score should be used with a degree of caution as well

standard score (SSs)

used to describe a person's position on a normal curve (bell curve)

- typically see mean of 100 and SD of 15

- 86-115 is average

- highly encouraged to use

scaled scores

commonly reported and typically have a mean of 10 with a SD of 3

- 7-13 is average

Z scores

mean of 0 and SD of 1

- not used much

T scores

common scores and they have a mean of 50 and SD of 10

- not used much

variance

a measure of how far a set of numbers is spread out

standard deviation

spread of set of values from the mean value (variance from the mean)

reliability

scores are consistent and stable across time

reliability coefficient

0-1: generally want above .80

the higher the better

standard error of measurement (SEM)

test results rarely provide the "true score" because of error. With every test there is room for error

test-retest: method to assess reliability

same test twice. if the two scores are similar then its reliable.

space the tests out between 2 weeks

alternative and parallel forms: method to assess reliability

provide similar tests with high reliability coefficient

split half: method to assess reliability

split the test and administer it to see the reliability coefficient

internal consistency reliability: method to assess reliability

cronbach's alpha

interrater reliability: method to assess reliability

same scores from two different judges

- projective tests have low interrater reliability

validity

degree to which the test actually measures what it claims to measure

criterion related validity

evaluate how accurately a test measures the outcome it was designed to measure

predictive validity

test score predicts a criterion variable measuring a future outcome or behavior

example: high predictive value means that a student that scores under 75 on a cognitive test should perform below grade level

convergent/concurrent validity

one test is correlated with another test that has similar purpose

- two tests that test ADHD

(comparing the WJ and the KABC and how they test processing areas)

divergent/discriminative validity

two tests that measure two traits should have low correlation

example: ADHD and depression should be different

construct related validity - face and content validity

does the test item look rational and reasonable

- having a history question in a math test

confounding variables examples

motivation, lack of effort, personal issues, anxiety

halo effect

when one variable changes the perspective of the whole person

- they do drugs, so they must be a horrible person

- this is one of the biggest observer bias

false positive

positive result but it's not really positive

- better to give more support than none

- student performs well on a test but theyre actually failing

false negative

no effect, but z/t score says there is an effect

- a student performs poorly on a test, but in actuality theyre making good progress

special populations

- infant/early childhood and preschool assessments procedures

- ELLs

- low incidence exceptionalities (chronic health impairments, severe physical disabilities, ASD, sensory impairment)

- screening for gifted and talented

problem solving framework (IADE)

1. problem identification - does a problem exist?

2. problem analysis - why is the problem occurring

3. intervention and development/implementation - how can the problem be solved

4. intervention evaluation - does the problem still exist?

consultee-centered model

NASP approved best practice

- indirectly helps the client's skill and competence through problem solving and skill building

consultant role = identify effective treatments for the clients and teach skills to meet the need

- may have to deal with consultee's distorted views of the client

client-centered model

directly helps the student through interventions and is effective through single-case basis

- time intensive for the consultant

- example: 1:1 DIS counseling

behavioral model (applies both models)

solution focused and collects data to effect behavior change in a person

1. goal = to reduce the frequency of an undesirable behavior by altering the relationship between the student's behavior and the environment

2. basic steps

- identify the problem

- implement the plan

- monitor effectiveness

- evaluate and make needed changes to plan

conjoint behavioral consultation

works alongside staff, student, parent

multicultural and cross cultural issues in consultation

adjust the consultation services to address the needs and cultural values of the consultee, client, or both

interagency and school community collaboration/consultation

links the client with community resources

- child centered = direct services to the student (tutoring or mentoring)

- family centered = parent workshops, family counseling, family assistance

- school centered = donation of money or equipment, staff development, classroom assistance

- community centered = outreach programs, artwork/science exhibits, after school programs

consultation with interpreters

be mindful of speech rate and use brief, simple sentences

barriers to collaboration and consultation

- resistance to participation

- bad time commitment

- funding problems

- lack of leadership

- communication difficulties

- unclear goals

system of prevention

coordinate services that support wellness in the community

system of early intervention

collaborative attempt to reach students at early stages of need in hopes of keeping them from going into various systems

systems of care

coordinated effort to meet intensive, severe, and chronic needs

- example: SPED

kohlberg's moral development

- post conventional = rules are seen as social contracts and can be changed when necessary, moral reasoning is based on universal ethical principles and justice motivated by avoidance and punishment

- conventional = good behavior is about living up to social expectations and societal laws (law and order - conform to social norms and avoid disapproval of others)

- pre-conventional = moral reasoning is based on direct consequences and rewards (avoid punishing and self-interest* high ethics and personal principles - opposed to laws of society)

tests that have nonverbal subtests

- UNIT

- C-TONI

- KBIT

- WISC

- WNV

- KABC

what to do if test protocols are requested

- only a judge can legally order a psych to turn over protocols that are copyright protected

- if lawyer is demanding access to records and protocols, review test results but DO NOT copy them unless subpoenaed

school psychology's main expertise

- cognitive functioning and development

- learning

- psychometric