School Psych Exam 2

Recommendations for practitioners to improve school experience and outcomes

engage in advocacy, identify and challenge biases, increase knowledge of minoritized students

Successful family-school collaboration leads to more positive family experiences with schools

and more positive student attitudes towards school and learning

Research on disproportionality indicates that minoritized students are

under and over represented in special education

Promoting a view of education as a shared responsibility

encouraging parents to continue discussions and learning expectations

NASP PPE Broad Themes

Respecting dignity and rights of all people, respecting other professionals, and professional competence and responsibility

How well was an intervention implemented?

Intervention Integrity

PPE is designed to provide

Guiding principles and standards to apply to situations

Collaborative approach to connect home, school, and community

Conjoint behavioral consultation

Most initial referrals

Elementary (K-5)

Some initial, some re-evaluations - Middle (6-8)

Most re-evaluations

High School (9-12)

Most common reasons for referral in high school

Traumatic brain injury and emotional disability

How often do students need to be re-evaluated?

at least every 3 years (triannual)

Steps of Intervention

Baseline, Norm, Evaluate, Evidence Based Intervention, Re-evaluate

Percentage of non-overlapping data points (PND)

trend line of student’s behavior compared to prediction baseline

Steps of PPE

Broad theme -> Guiding Principle -> Standard

Steps of Ethical Decision Making

Define problem, Identify ecological framework, Legal, ethical, policy guidelines, Identify rights and responsibilities of all parties, Course of action (all possibilities and their consequences), Final plan

Goal of Safe + Supportive Schools

Prevention + wellness promotion

Proactive support

building student strengths and identifying strengths and weaknesses early. Want to be as proactive as possible!

School Psych responsibility in safety

build effective crisis response teams and plans that everyone understands and is able to perform under pressure.

Reactive support

strategies implemented once a crisis has occurred; learning from mistakes.

Barriers to learning

mental health issues, poverty, violence, and substance abuse directly affect academics.

Service Gap

high proportion of children with diagnosable disorders never receive services; schools can address more needs.

Linked Success

better mental health leads to better general health and classroom performance.

Programs:

Social Emotional Learning

teaching social and coping skills.

MTSS Tier 1

Universal (100%) Assemblies, talks, whole-school/class/district-wide supports.

MTSS Tier 2

Targeted (20%) Group interventions, small-group counseling for students identified for extra support.

MTSS Tier 3

Intensive (5–10%) Students whose needs were not met in groups; need individual 1:1 help.

How do students move between MTSS tiers?

Tiers increase as need increases or needs are more personalized.

School psych role in Social Emotional Learning

Support positive social + academic behavior (model as well). Recognizing risk and protective factors for groups and individuals.

School psych role school culture

Monitoring relationships, belonging, mental health disorders, career planning, depression/anxiety. Leading school teams to implement interventions to meet individual needs.

What percentage of students receive their mental health services in school?

70-80%

Bullying

unwanted, repetitive, aggressive behavior marked by an imbalance of power. Can be physical, verbal, relational, and/or electronic.

What percentage of students are involved in bullying?

70-80% (includes bullies, victims, and bystanders)

Pros of Packaged Bullying Prevention Program: convenient, resources, reputable, ready to go

Cons of Packaged Bullying Prevention Program: impersonal, not reflective of district

Pros of Comprehensive Bullying Prevention Program

personalized, directly relevant to district, meets specific needs

Cons of Comprehensive Bullying Prevention Program

time-consuming, adds to workload, not proven until tried — could fail

Steps in Implementing Comprehensive Bullying Prevention

Conduct assessment of school’s environment, Identify existing resources, Create school safety team, Incorporate safety + bullying prevention into district policy, Establish positive discipline practices, Engage full school community, Regularly assess overall school climate — “MAKE SURE IT WORKS!”

Multiple levels of responsibility

involve students (see something, say something)

Why is Family, School, Community Collaboration its Own domain?

to bring attention to collaboration and make it more important to schools, because schools tend to try to be independent from the community

Districts + admin goal (typically)

appease all families/community while spending the least money possible.

Percentage of students that should be identified for special education according to state

13% or less of the district

Benefits of Family–School Collaboration: Students

Positive attitudes toward school + learning, Higher achievement + test scores, Improved behavior, Increased homework completion, Greater participation, Improved attendance, Less need for special education services

Benefits of Family–School Collaboration: Families

Increased self-efficacy, Better understanding + experience with teachers, faculty, school, Improved communication with children, Appreciation for their role in education

Benefits of Family–School Collaboration: School Psychologists

Easier to understand cultural contexts, Joint behavioral consultation, School-based teams with parents + professionals

Positives of School–Community Collaboration

Two-way communication + coordination, Family + educator partnerships, Professional development for all involved

School’s Key Responsibilities

Provide a positive environment, Support efforts of families, Work with all families, Promote education as a shared responsibility

Tracking

putting students at different levels within general education (A, B, C levels).

Multiculturalism

worldview that recognizes and values diverse learners, including intersectionality.

Multicultural Practice

seeing learners, families, and communities within the context of their cultural identity.

Challenges Based on Demographics for School Psychs

Tests typically in English, Aimed toward majority groups, Interventions built around majority groups

Challenges Based on Demographics for Students

Opportunity gap, Representation in special programming, Discipline, School climate