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Full-Text Articles in School Psychology
School Psychologists Supporting Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Families Through The Evaluation Process, Jacqueline A. Oluoch
School Psychologists Supporting Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Families Through The Evaluation Process, Jacqueline A. Oluoch
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
This study examined factors that predicted higher cultural skills in practicing school psychologists, and if these skills could be improved through a professional development session. Participants were school psychologists who attended a cultural skills professional development workshop during the National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention 2024. A Mann-Whitney test was used to examine the change in cultural skills pre- and post-workshop. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to examine cultural skills by career stage and work settings. The results showed an overall increase in cultural skills post-workshop. Working in public schools or non-public schools was not related to higher cultural skills …
Closing The Gap: Culturally Competent Consultations In Schools, Kimmely Mechelle Williams
Closing The Gap: Culturally Competent Consultations In Schools, Kimmely Mechelle Williams
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
Poor academic achievement among minority students has historically been identified as one of the most pressing challenges of public education (Dorvil, 2011). However, even before the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) adoption, there has been a focus on what should be done to improve the academic achievement of the nation’s children. With each of its subsequent incarnations and legislative renaming, policymakers, educators, and researchers alike have sought to ensure that all children are afforded the opportunity to receive a high-quality education delivered by competent educators enabling them to reach predetermined but vaguely defined levels of proficiency. Despite best efforts, …
Exploration Of The School Mindfulness Project On The Executive Functions Of Elementary School Students, Jessica Brooke Savaiano
Exploration Of The School Mindfulness Project On The Executive Functions Of Elementary School Students, Jessica Brooke Savaiano
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
This study investigated the relationship between The School Mindfulness Project and the executive functions of elementary school students. Participants were teachers from an urban elementary school. Dependent t-tests were used to examine changes in executive functioning from pretest to posttest. The results did not show significant improvements in executive functions for the intervention group. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.
School Guidance Counselor Perceptions On Reintegrating Students To School After Mental Health Treatment, Maddie Roxandich
School Guidance Counselor Perceptions On Reintegrating Students To School After Mental Health Treatment, Maddie Roxandich
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
This study examined the perspectives of school guidance counselors to determine current and best practices in planning and supporting student returns to school after absences for mental health reasons. The literature review highlights the sharp decline in adolescent mental health over the years, the rise in hospitalizations for mental health concerns, and the need for attention to school practices that support student mental health when a student requires hospitalization. The intent of this study was to build upon previous literature that examined practices existing in schools to help reintegrate students after absences. It sought to investigate whether schools have a …
The Impact Of Teacher’S Understanding Of Childhood Trauma And Trauma-Informed Classrooms On Perceived Barriers And Comfort In Implementing School-Based Trauma Informed Practice, Alyssa Henry
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
The impact of trauma on children has become an area of increased awareness, as research has demonstrated the consequences of traumatic experiences on academic, behavioral, and emotional success. Teachers have a unique opportunity to support intervention and facilitate relationships with children, in order to reduce the impacts of trauma on later outcomes. Research has demonstrated positive outcomes of students when teachers are provided direct training in trauma-informed intervention; however, there is little research on the knowledge teachers have from their training programs and professional development related to trauma and trauma-informed educations and the impact on their attitudes and perceptions in …
Creating Sanctuary Schools For Students Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kerri Newton
Creating Sanctuary Schools For Students Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kerri Newton
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
The purpose of this project is to develop a Guidebook for school systems on how to help students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) feel most safe when they are integrated into and participate in classrooms providing general education. The Sanctuary Model provides a framework that can be applied to school communities to address the unique needs of students diagnosed with autism. As a framework, it can provide these communities with a blueprint of how to encourage participation from students with autism so they too can benefit from learning how to identify not only their feelings but the feelings of …
The Map Reading Probe’S Effectiveness In Predicting Performance Within An Rtiisystem, Richard J. Scherr Jr
The Map Reading Probe’S Effectiveness In Predicting Performance Within An Rtiisystem, Richard J. Scherr Jr
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
Public-school districts nationwide are utilizing student progress toward proficiency on state-wide achievement assessments as their means of monitoring student achievement. Of late, the three-tiered system of reading instruction and intervention (RtII) has shown the most promise to increase reading proficiency levels schoolwide. However, little research exists to support the use of the MAP reading probe within an RtII framework for advancing reading achievement. This study provides a statistical analysis of the use of MAP as a predictor of reading performance on statewide assessments in a suburban K-5 elementary school currently utilizing RtII as a means of advancing student achievement in …
The Role And Implications Of Executive Functions During The Transition To Middle School, Susan Niznik
The Role And Implications Of Executive Functions During The Transition To Middle School, Susan Niznik
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
The current study analyzed the relationship between executive functions and academic performance in middle school. In particular, this study analyzed the relationship between BRIEF Index and Scale scores that were compiled on a group (N = 54) of seventh graders by two seventh-grade ELA teachers and the students’ final grades in ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies. The results showed statistically significant correlations between most of the BRIEF Indexes and Scales and the final grades, with the Metacognitive Scales showing the highest correlations. In contrast, the results showed much higher incongruence index values than expected, given the high correlations that …
School Psychologist Self-Care Practices And Burnout Symptoms, Mary Jean Rainsford
School Psychologist Self-Care Practices And Burnout Symptoms, Mary Jean Rainsford
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
School psychologists face a host of responsibilities and stressors in their profession. Burnout is a common issue among school psychologists and other helping professionals. Self-care has been noted as a preventative measure against burnout, but there is little extant research on its relationship to burnout. A survey was conducted with currently practicing school psychologists in the United States to find a connection between the presence and frequency of self-care practice and burnout symptoms. The survey found considerable differences in burnout scores between school psychologists who reported practicing self-care, compared to those who did not. Moreover, significant inverse correlations were found …
Predictability Of Curriculum-Based Reading Measures For Statewide Test Performance, Rebecca Sarah Mark
Predictability Of Curriculum-Based Reading Measures For Statewide Test Performance, Rebecca Sarah Mark
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
National legislation has led to an increasing need for school districts to demonstrate student reading progress using performance on statewide achievement tests as indicators of growth. This study added to previous research on the effectiveness of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) in predicting success on statewide reading achievement tests and determining whether a student is at-risk for poor performance on statewide tests. The current study analyzed the relationship between a CBM tool for assessing reading progress, the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), and a statewide reading assessment, the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA). This study compared the predictive …
Student Participation In School Sponsored Extra-Curricular Activities At The Elementary School Level And The Impact Of Student Engagement, Kirsten D. Myers
Student Participation In School Sponsored Extra-Curricular Activities At The Elementary School Level And The Impact Of Student Engagement, Kirsten D. Myers
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
Getting students involved in their day to day educational processes is often challenging and, in some schools, systems appear almost unrealistic. Students in school do not often see the value of or make the connection with the importance of education. Students see movie stars such as Jennifer Lawrence drop out of school at fourteen, singers, rappers and others in the entertainment industry who are successful and make millions without an education. The potential of a YouTube posting, turning someone into a star looms in their imaginations and they think it could happen to them. Students today are even more enticed …
Describing The Impact Of Low Socioeconomic Status On School Performance, Barry Linden Cropp Ii
Describing The Impact Of Low Socioeconomic Status On School Performance, Barry Linden Cropp Ii
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
This study used archival school data compiled during the 2017-2018 school year to analyze the impact of family income, as determined by student eligibility for free- or reduced-lunch benefits, on several measures of school performance. This study was based upon an investigation of the effects of income on three dependent variables: academic performance, school attendance, and need for behavioral management interventions. Participants included 165 male students in third through fifth grade who attended a single elementary school in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Indicators of school performance were derived from data routinely collected and maintained in students' cumulative …
Parental Availability As A Predictor Of Academic Success Among Students Of A Private Residential School, Lesley Kubisiak Logan
Parental Availability As A Predictor Of Academic Success Among Students Of A Private Residential School, Lesley Kubisiak Logan
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
A private residential school in the northeast United States provides a cost-free coeducation to qualifying pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade students. One of the most important application factors is need, which is measured by a scale for parental availability. For a parent to be considered unavailable, any or all of the following areas could be present: limited physical capacity to effectively parent the child, limited mental capacity to effectively parent the child, active abuse of drugs or alcohol or ongoing substance abuse history, inadequate supervision, chronic neglect, incarceration, death, no contact or sporadic contact (e.g., not on a regular basis or …
How African American Men From Challenging Backgrounds Beat The Odds And Graduated From College, Valisha Terry
How African American Men From Challenging Backgrounds Beat The Odds And Graduated From College, Valisha Terry
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
While Bettis and Sternod (2009) asserted the notion of boys being in crisis as not a new phenomenon but a historically cyclical one, present research contends that African American men are one of the most at-risk groups in the United States. School and criminal-justice systems show similar results. African American men continue to lag in terms of graduation rates and college enrollment, while being overrepresented in victim violence and the criminal justice system. They also lead the nation in homicides as both victims and perpetrators. Despite these obstacles, many at-risk African American men graduate from college and excel in life. …
A Survey Of Teacher Receptiveness Regarding Inclusive Education Within A New Jersey Urban School District, Tammy Hobbs-Ginsberg
A Survey Of Teacher Receptiveness Regarding Inclusive Education Within A New Jersey Urban School District, Tammy Hobbs-Ginsberg
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
The inclusion model is being implemented on a national scale in response to the United States Department of Education’s mandate that all pupils with special needs be integrated into the general education classroom. For the inclusion model to yield adequate yearly progress for all pupils, it must be appropriately applied. Research has indicated that an important factor in adequate implementation is an understanding of teachers’ initial attitudes concerning inclusion. The propose of this study is to survey the receptiveness of kindergarten through high school special and general education teachers in an urban New Jersey school district concerning inclusion. More specifically, …
Effect Of A Brain Based Learning Program On Students' Use And Recognition Of Self-Advocacy Skills, Megan Maynard
Effect Of A Brain Based Learning Program On Students' Use And Recognition Of Self-Advocacy Skills, Megan Maynard
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
Students' abilities to employ self-advocacy skills have a wide research base; however, the research behind the use of students' self-advocacy skills used in conjunction with brain-based learning theory has not been widely explored. This is also true when one considers the population of children who have been studied; it is particularly true about those who have been diagnosed with language-based learning disabilities. This study, conducted using archival data at an independent school in the Philadelphia suburbs, used a variety of statistical methods to determine whether or not a brain-based learning self-advocacy program would increase students identified with a language based …
Behavior Speak: Does Use Of Behavior Jargon Affect Teacher Acceptability Of Positive Behavior Interventions?, Katie Shemanski
Behavior Speak: Does Use Of Behavior Jargon Affect Teacher Acceptability Of Positive Behavior Interventions?, Katie Shemanski
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
The purpose of the present study was to examine acceptability and usage among elementary school (kindergarten through sixth grade) teachers of a positive behavioral intervention described in jargon terms and in nonjargon terms during the process of behavioral consultation, as measured by the Usage Rating Profile – Intervention Revised (URP–IR). Specifically, the study evaluated whether elementary school teachers’ acceptability and usage ratings differed on a positive behavioral intervention described in jargon versus nonjargon terms. In addition, this study assessed whether differences in acceptability and usage existed when considering type of classroom (i.e., general education, special education, or specialized [e.g., art, …
Visual Efficiency And The Relationship Between Reading And Behaviors Indicating Difficulties In The Classroom In Elementary School-Age Children, Patricia A. Broadbent
Visual Efficiency And The Relationship Between Reading And Behaviors Indicating Difficulties In The Classroom In Elementary School-Age Children, Patricia A. Broadbent
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between visual efficiency, reading levels and behaviors indicating difficulties in the classroom. The sample consisted of thirty–three school-aged children, from four elementary schools. Visual efficiency was measured through a multi-step vision screening process, the Visual Efficiency Rating (VERA) software program. Behaviors indicating difficulties in the classroom were measured using the Behavioral Indicator Checklist, Indicators of Visual Performance Difficulties. This behavior checklist is part of the VERA process and is completed by the classroom teachers. The students’ reading levels were reported by the participating schools. The students were …
The View From Across The Table: A Qualitative Study Of Parent Experiences With The School Psychologist During Initial Evaluation Feedback Conferences, Katherine Scipioni
The View From Across The Table: A Qualitative Study Of Parent Experiences With The School Psychologist During Initial Evaluation Feedback Conferences, Katherine Scipioni
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
This qualitative study focuses on the experiences of 11 parents whose child received an evaluation at school by the school psychologist. By using a semi-structured interview, the author examined the initial evaluation process, or the first time a parent had his or her child evaluated by a school psychologist. A special focus was placed on the meeting in which the parent received results from the school psychologist. The results indicated that there is a lack of connection between parents and the evaluation process. This disconnect becomes wider over the course of the evaluation and at the end of the process, …
Anxiety Disorders And School-Based Treatments: Assessing School Pyschologists' Knowledge And Perceptions, Kelly A. Myhasuk
Anxiety Disorders And School-Based Treatments: Assessing School Pyschologists' Knowledge And Perceptions, Kelly A. Myhasuk
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
Anxiety disorders are common in children and youth. Despite high prevalence rates, most children with anxiety disorders do not receive treatment. In fact, for the few children who are receiving treatment, schools are the primary source of mental health care. When left untreated, children experience significant disruptions in their academic, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Therefore, it is important for those working in schools to recognize and treat children with anxiety disorders. The present study surveyed school psychologists (n = 178) to assess their knowledge about anxiety disorders and about empirically supported school-based treatments. Also, this study sought to investigate …
Exploring Perceived Benefits Of And Barriers To The Use Of Pet Therapy Dogs In A Private School For Children With Special Needs, Sarah Wodder
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
Evidence-based psychotherapy is becoming an increasingly accepted way for individuals to manage a variety of clinical disorders and psychosocial stressors. Complementary therapies are designed to support, facilitate, or enhance existing treatment strategies. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is one such complementary treatment, in which animals are deliberately included in psychotherapeutic treatment plans in order to facilitate pre-designed treatment goals. Current literature suggests that AAT could have a multitude of benefits for both adults and children for an array of disorders and disabilities. Currently, there is a limited understanding of how AAT might contribute to learning and development for children with special needs. …
Factor Analysis And Predictive Ability Of A Teacher-Completed Autism Rating Scale In An Urban School Setting, Dana Milakovic
Factor Analysis And Predictive Ability Of A Teacher-Completed Autism Rating Scale In An Urban School Setting, Dana Milakovic
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
Autism screening tools have not traditionally been developed for use in an urban setting with students of minority status or from a low SES home. Scales have also traditionally lacked a focus on school behaviors. The Social Communication Screener for Schools (SCSS) was developed in order to assist school psychologists in an urban school setting in referring students who, following a full evaluation, were most likely to qualify for an educational diagnosis of Autism. The goal of the scale was to focus on using teacher ratings of language-based behaviors in the school setting to assess behaviors linked with Autism. The …
Instructional Technology Usage And Implications For Student Academic Achievement And Further Success, Bradley D. Petry
Instructional Technology Usage And Implications For Student Academic Achievement And Further Success, Bradley D. Petry
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
The digital divide was once a term used to indicate disparity between socio-economic classes and access to digital devices. The digital divide may now more accurately indicate differences in the types of usage between members of different socio-economic classes. Differences in usage among the middle school student population may play a role in the development of critical thinking and collaborative communication. The Maryland results of the 2010 Speak Up survey – a national student survey regarding the usage of technology - were used in comparison with student respondent school district differentiation and were also compared with student state standardized test …
Program Evaluation Of An Executive Functions Intervention At A Middle School Setting, Minu S. Poulose
Program Evaluation Of An Executive Functions Intervention At A Middle School Setting, Minu S. Poulose
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
Executive functions play an important role in children’s cognitive, academic and social functioning. The present study investigated the changes in executive functions in students who were enrolled in an academic support period everyday for forty-five minutes. Participants included twenty-six eighth-grade students eligible for Special Education and Related Services in a suburban middle school in New Jersey. The study used archival data consisting of items from the 44-item Executive Functions (EF) Rating Scale, a questionnaire that was completed by middle school special education teachers. To examine differences within groups, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to examine teacher ratings …
Evaluating The Mindfulness-Based And Cognitive-Behavior Therapy For Anger Management Program, Brett Pellegrino
Evaluating The Mindfulness-Based And Cognitive-Behavior Therapy For Anger Management Program, Brett Pellegrino
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
Problems related to adolescents who present with extreme anger, disruptive behavior, and aggression is an ever increasing concern for school officials (Christner, Friedberg & Sharp, 2006). There continues to be a need for effective interventions that can be utilized within the school setting to assist adolescents with anger management difficulties. This study examined changes in anger management difficulties and mindfulness for four high school students who participated in the Mindfulness-Based and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Anger Management Program (Kelly, 2006). The data were generated through pre and post assessments with the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory, Second Edition Child and Adolescent …
The Relevance Of Executive Functions In Academic Production In Middle School, Norina Bobik
The Relevance Of Executive Functions In Academic Production In Middle School, Norina Bobik
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
The present study investigated the role that executive function plays on academic production in middle school from a prototype perspective. It was hypothesized that middle school teachers' prototypical ratings of the executive function capacities of middle school students who are academically successful would differ significantly from these same middle school teachers' prototypical ratings of the executive function capacities of middle school students who are academically unsuccessful. The study used archival data consisting of items from the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), a questionnaire that was completed by middle school teachers during a professional in-service workshop at four large …
School Psychologists' Knowledge Of Tourette Syndrome Characteristics And Awareness Of Appropriate Interventions, Jesse Usher Glassman
School Psychologists' Knowledge Of Tourette Syndrome Characteristics And Awareness Of Appropriate Interventions, Jesse Usher Glassman
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder consisting of multiple involuntary motor tics and one or more vocal tics. The duration of the disorder is at least one year and not more than three consecutive tic-free months (APA, 2000). The tics associated with TS are frequently more severe than other tic disorders on the spectrum. There are varying degrees of severity of TS disorder, requiring maximum to no treatment. Children and adolescents diagnosed and who are showing signs of TS are referred for school evaluations in order to identify various learning difficulties and /or emotional issues which are often associated …
School Refusal:Characteristics, Assessment, And Effective Treatment: A Child And Parent Perspective, Lydia D. Brill
School Refusal:Characteristics, Assessment, And Effective Treatment: A Child And Parent Perspective, Lydia D. Brill
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
The present study, using shelf data, described a quantitative research project which attempted to propound and answer questions about the nature of school refusal in a Pennsylvania school district. The study analyzed shelf data that surveyed 40 students and parents in grades 2 through 11th who missed more than ten percent of 2007-2008 school year. Using shelf data collected by the GNA school district which consisted of parent and student surveys, this study investigated the different reasons why students refuse to attend school. Furthermore, this study also examined common characteristics found among school-refusing students in the Greater Nanticoke Area School …
The Relationship Between Student Outcomes And Parental Involvement In Multidisciplinary Iep Team Meetings, David M. Poponi
The Relationship Between Student Outcomes And Parental Involvement In Multidisciplinary Iep Team Meetings, David M. Poponi
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that each special education student has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) developed at least once every year. In addition to school staff, regulations require that parents be invited to the IEP meetings. This study retrospectively reviewed the records of 270 students with educational disabilities in grades six through twelve. Demographic and descriptive data were gathered for each student and were separated according to whether the parent did or did not attend the IEP meeting. End-of-year information was examined regarding final report card grades, absenteeism, and cumulative days of detentions and suspensions. Of these …
Use Of Kindergarten Screening Assessments For The Identification Of At-Risk Readers, Kathryn S. Gipe
Use Of Kindergarten Screening Assessments For The Identification Of At-Risk Readers, Kathryn S. Gipe
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
Early identification of students at-risk for reading problems has become a national priority. At the present time, the most commonly used kindergarten screening methods are self-made by local districts and are not considered effective methods of early detection for at-risk readers. This retrospective study involved third, fourth and fifth grade students enrolled in a suburban elementary school during the 2007-2008 school year. The first research question examined the relationship between at-risk status determined with the Kindergarten Screening measure prior to entry into kindergarten and at-risk status determined by Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills measures administered in the fall …