Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Identification Of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo By Pre-Service Teachers, Rachel Elizabeth Meisinger

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Current research suggests that Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) is a distinct attentional disorder from Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) that is characterized by a hypoactive, sluggish behavior pattern (Barkley, 2014). Further, unlike ADHD, SCT represents a more passive form of inattention that does not overly disrupt classroom learning goals. Thus children with SCT may be ‘falling through the cracks’ in schools. If children with SCT are going unrecognized in the classroom, they are likely not getting referred for treatment and additional educational services. SCT is related to many internalizing, academic, and social difficulties (Becker & Langberg, 2013, 2014) and early identification and …

School Wide Positive Behavioral And Intervention Supports : The Effectiveness Of Tier 1 Strategies, Gregory James Halsor

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This literature review critically examines the effectiveness of Tier 1 Positive Behavioral and Intervention Supports (SWPBIS). Managing problem behavior in the school setting has been a major focus of educators, with the goal of lowering classroom disruptions and increasing the effectiveness of learning.

Over the years, school wide behavior management programs have not been consistent or widespread leading educators to identify disruptive behavior as a primary concern in their classrooms. SWPBIS emphasizes the integration of measurable outcomes, data-based decision making, and evidence based interventions. Research on the implementation of SWPBIS in schools has displayed positive effects related to decreasing the …

A Review Of A School Psychologist's Roles In The Implementation Of An Rti System, Leigh Ann Thul

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

As schools continue to move into this era of accountability, they must consider system level changes that will address the needs of students as a whole. Using the problem solving model through a system of Response to Intervention (Rtl), schools can use data to monitor discrepancies between expectations of learning and actual student outcomes. Not only can individual student data be used to problem solve about students but also, aggregated data as a whole can help inform system level decision making to reach accountability goals.

Moving to a system of Rtl takes many system level changes that can be daunting …

Asking School Psychologists How Job Satisfaction Can Be Increased, Justin S. Janssen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

School psychology faces retention issues due to a current and projected shortage of school psychologists and the large number of baby boomers getting ready to retire. Meeting this need becomes vital in order to prevent negative effects of the shortage from continuing. Research has supported a link between job satisfaction and retention in the school psychology research as well as in job satisfaction research in general. Much of the current literature on the job satisfaction of school psychologists, however, focuses only on the identification of correlates with job satisfaction and largely avoids asking practitioners how their job satisfaction can be …

School Uniforms, Nicole Waytenick Reuter

Graduate Research Papers

The need for education reform is evident in public schools across the nation. Researchers, school officials, parents, and teachers have been looking at different ways to promote a better learning environment that will allow students to feel safe, equal, and free to express themselves in different ways within the classroom. In recent years, many of these same people have contended that implementing school uniform policies within schools is the way to create that kind of learning environment.

Within this paper, a closer look at the issues surrounding school uniform policies will be examined. Both sides of the issues will be …

Performance-Based Assessment Of School Psychology Interns : Analysis Of Problem-Solving Skills As Demonstrated In Comprehensive Case Examinations, Kimberly Suzanne Hansen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

School psychologists are integral partners in the facilitation of the problem solving process, especially when the process is embedded within a tiered service delivery system incorporating response to intervention philosophies. Therefore, it is important that new school psychologists entering the field be competent in the skill areas needed to produce positive student outcomes. It is important for school psychology training programs to assess these competencies to improve individual student competencies as well as to improve the training provided by the program in the future. Comprehensive case studies are performance-based assessments that can be utilized to evaluate individuals, as well as …

Promoting Resilience In School-Aged Children, Sherry Rizzuto

Graduate Research Papers

This paper reviews the literature related to resilience in children who are considered at risk. The purpose of the paper is to describe common risk factors that put children at risk, what defines resilience, and what protective factors and processes develop resilience in these at-risk children. The paper concludes by examining interventions for school counselors to promote resilience in school-aged children.

Character Counts! Incentive Program : Implementation And Evaluation, Julie A. Rouse

Graduate Research Papers

In order to better serve the school population, the school counselor is often called upon to deliver the counseling curriculum to all students. Data often drives the curriculum the counselor will present to the students. As a result of a program audit and perception data, a school counselor at West Elementary chose to implement a character education piece to the curriculum. Furthermore, an incentive program was added to encourage positive behavior and to recognize student achievement. Due to the age of accountability, the school counselor created a survey to assess the program. In addition to the survey, other sources of …

A Solution-Focused Approach To School Counseling, Holly Dawn Honey

Graduate Research Papers

Solution-focused brief therapy has only recently been discovered as an effective counseling strategy in a school setting based on its time-limited, positive approach to work with students. Though this approach has not been researched in depth, there have been several studies documenting its effectiveness with school age children. This paper will provide an overall view of solution-focused brief therapy as well as some specific techniques for all levels of school counseling.

School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports : An Evaluation Of An Elementary School Program, Lisa Andreasen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The outcomes of a school-wide positive behavior support program at a rural elementary school were evaluated to determine the effects of a school-wide program on the behavior of students. A program evaluation was conducted using student office referrals that were collected over a six year period. The results indicated that student office referrals significantly decreased from Year 1 to Year 6 and that specific behaviors of aggression and inappropriate language also decreased significantly from Year 1 to Year 6. Data were investigated to indicate trends in total office referrals by gender, grade, month, location, and problem behavior.

The Implications Of Anger And School Violence, Ronda Hilbert

Graduate Research Papers

A series of highly publicized school shootings in the Untied States generated the misperception of an epidemic of school violence. Fears of school violence stimulated an ill-advised expansion of zero tolerance school discipline policies and the widespread distribution of profiles or warning signs of potentially dangerous students for use by school administrators. This paper presents that little is known about student threats of violence, although students in special education tend to commit disciplinary violations at a higher rate than regular education students according to some studies. Threats of violence pose a dilemma for educators, who must balance federal requirements, the …

Addressing Peer Mediation : Conflict Resolution In Schools, Amy Junkermeier

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to review existing literature and research on peer mediation ip schools. A critical review is necessary due to the increasing popularity of peer mediation programs despite limited empirical evidence to support their usage. Examining the strengths and weaknesses of previous research is an important part of establishing program effectiveness and overcoming barriers to successful implementation. A critique of the research and implications for future research are also provided.

Effective Multidisciplinary Team Problem Solving : A Review Of Literature, Debra S. Meyer

Graduate Research Papers

The historical legislation mandating multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) in schools is well known, yet relatively little attention has been directed toward either evaluating systematic processes that would lead to the desired outcome of better services to all students or educating team members in problem solving content and process. The purpose of the study was to examine the factors that influence problem solving outcomes and other aspects of service delivery in MDT settings, including the changing role of school psychologists.

Results indicated much variability and little consensus in several areas: clarity of role expectations, family involvement, interdisciplinary collaboration, continuing educational training, and …

Applications Of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy In The School Setting, Joanne M. Nelson

Graduate Research Papers

As a result of the many demands, as well as lack of time, school counselors need to work with an effective short-term theory. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) fits this description because the general goal of REBT is to attain positive mental health within the least amount of time and with minimal expenditure.

Because of its efficiency, and its applicability to individual, small group, classroom, and adults, school counselors should consider using REBT in the school setting. The preventative and self-help focus of REBT, and the teaching materials developed around this theory fit well into the school setting. By applying …