School Psychology Commons^™

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

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

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 …

Increasing Above And Beyond Behavior Through Social Emotional Learning, Lars Olson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has demonstrated utility to schools. Research has shown how SEL programs can be used to improve behavior, academics, and school climate. However, SEL is most often utilized to improve behaviors that are necessary to function within the mores and norms of a classroom setting. These behaviors can be categorized as meeting expectations of the classroom climate; however, there is a lack of research demonstrating that the implementation of an SEL curriculum can also increase the frequency of behaviors that go above and beyond these basic expectations. In order to increase the frequency of behaviors that go …

The Use Of Problem Solving Skills Training To Treat Disruptive Behavior In Schools, Emma Larson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Disruptive behaviors in children are a class of behaviors that involve problems with impulse control, regulating emotions, compliance, aggression, and respecting the rights of others or societal norms (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Nelson, 1996). The presence of these disruptive behaviors take a negative toll on the environment including the education setting, criminal justice system, public health services, and families (Tolan and Leventhal, 2013; Cuffel, 1997). Meta-analyses have shown several evidence-based treatments for disruptive behavior with cognitive-behavioral therapy being an effective approach (Eyeberg, Nelson, & Boggs, 2008; McCart & Sheidow, 2016). One such cognitive-behavioral therapy that is effective for decreasing disruptive …

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

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

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 …

Trauma Responsive Elementary Schools In Virginia, Aleksa Putnam

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

School systems and personnel are beginning to recognize the immense impact that trauma has on their student populations and take initiative to address these factors within the school building using trauma responsive practices. School personnel are likely to encounter the effects of trauma on a regular basis in the management of behavioral concerns, which have a dose-response relationship to traumatic experiences. School principals are leaders in the school building and have a large influence on school-wide practices, thus are in the unique position to alter policy and practice. The current study examined Virginia elementary school principals’ level of trauma training, …

Supporting Student Mental Health During And After Covid-19, David Bryant Naff, Shenita Williams, Jenna Furman, Melissa Lee

MERC Publications

This report by the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) in the VCU School of Education offers a rapid review of research about supporting student mental health as they return to school during COVID-19. It pulls from literature on natural disasters like hurricane Katrina, the psychological impacts of quarantine, and emergent research on the mental health impacts of the Coronavirus. The report is structured to answer three overarching questions: 1) Why is it important to address the mental health needs of students in schools? 2) How can we expect COVID-19 to impact the mental health of students? 3) What are some …

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 …

Unveiling The Mask:Sexual Trauma's Impact On Academic Achievement, Behavior, And Self-Identity, Teshaunda Hannor-Walker, Sarah Kitchens, Lacey Ricks

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Sexual trauma is an unfortunate but a common and often masked experience for many students in America. While sexual trauma in itself is not a mental health disorder, it can become a risk factor for many academic and mental health problems. Trauma-informed schools can play an important role in helping students deal with the aftercare of a traumatic experience.

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

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

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 …

Trauma Sensitive Schools And The Psychoeducational Evaluation, Barbara Jordan

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Exposure to adverse childhood experiences, commonly referred to as ACEs, negatively impacts various physical and psychological aspects of the body and can result in a number of detrimental life outcomes including disease, mental health disorders, and even early death. The negative effects of ACE exposure begin long before adulthood, often resulting in academic and behavioral difficulties for school-aged children. Since school psychologists strive to advocate for the needs of all students, ensure correct special education categorization, and promote trauma-sensitive practices in schools, it is beneficial for them to have knowledge of ACEs and trauma that impact the students they serve. …

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

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

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, …

Bullying Of Linguistically Diverse Learners: Results From The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Jenna Woodarek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bullying is a serious phenomenon yielding significant consequences for youth who are victimized, often targeted due to their perceived level of difference from their peers. This “otherness” can often be amplified in minoritized populations, especially those which have multiple, cooccurring vulnerabilities to be targets of bullying. After a period of bullying rates decreasing in the US, special interest group inquiries found bullying rates to be on the rise again and reportedly motivated by ethnicity or race, immigrant status, and proficiency in the English language. The present research study aims to expand upon the existing pertinent literature base specific to the …

The Efficacy Of School Implemented Cognitive Behavioral Therapy To Reduce Adolescent Anxiety, Madeline N. Michelsen

Selected Honors Theses

Adolescent anxiety is a growing problem which affects millions of children every year. There are a myriad of factors which produce adolescent anxiety such as excessive stress, adverse childhood experiences, and chemical imbalances amongst many other factors. An emerging therapy to treat mental health disorders, such as anxiety, is cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) which teaches participants how to correct maladaptive thought patterns to develop resilience. Cognitive behavior therapy has produced positive results for reducing symptoms of anxiety and other mental health disorders in both adolescents and adults. Due to its unparalleled student access, schools have the unique opportunity to develop …

Violence And Aggression In School Settings, Barbara Katic

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Violence and aggression continue to cause harm to American schools and communities, which has been visibly illustrated by the continual perpetration of school shootings. In order to prevent these situations for occurring again, the etiology of violent and aggressive behaviors must be studied. Utilizing an ecological perspective, both the risk factors and protective factors of violence and aggression, also known as a dual strategy approach, are examined within an educational context. Specific risk factors reviewed include weapons exposure and social rejection, while protective factors reviewed include school connectedness and pro-social relationships. Implications regarding the prevention of violent and aggressive acts …

A Review Of Survey Data Collected On The Use Of Applied Behavior Analytic (Aba) Based Instructional Strategies By Educators In Pennsylvania Schools, Eric J. Bieniek, Mike Monfore, Matthew Erickson, Ashlea Rineer-Hershey, Richael Barger-Anderson

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

This survey was initiated to explore the perceptions and daily practices of Applied behavior Analytic ABA) by educators supporting exceptional learners in public and private school settings in Pennsylvania. This survey explores the degree to which educators are trained, feel confident in and actually carry out a range evidenced based practices following an ABA approach. Results are also presented in regards to barriers that educators feel limit the delivery of ABA based approaches and undermine the fidelity of interventions once introduced in their professional settings.

The Effect Of Therapy Dogs On Children In A Learning Environment, Kimberly Ann Sheckler

Theses and Dissertations

Having a dog in school can seem exciting for many students, but can these furry companions actually help students attain higher levels of academic success? The benefits of therapy dogs in an educational setting can be seen in many research studies. Dogs in the classroom can be used to calm fears, relieve anxiety, and teach skills to students (Lessons Learned from Dogs in the Classroom, 1996). Even though there is much evidence of the positive benefits of therapy dogs in a school, many schools still choose not to have therapy dog programs. This thesis looks at the benefits of therapy …

School Social Work: Supporting Children’S Primary Education In The South West Of Western Australia, Karen Mcdavitt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In many countries, social workers play a role in the education of children. In Australia, this is evident in the state of Victoria which has a long history of school social work. However, it is not the case in Western Australia where there are very few government-funded social work roles in public schools. With the barriers to education rising for increasing numbers of students, the social work profession could be one component in a multi-disciplinary whole that supports students and the broader community so that each child has the best chance of reaching their full potential.

This thesis poses the …

You Live, You Lose: Supporting Youths On Their Journeys In The Land Of The Loss, Gary W. Mauk, M. Bruce Garris

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

As youths journey through life, they experience various personally significant losses and associated grief that can negatively impact their physical/mental health, developmental trajectory, and academic success. Framed in a broad-based perspective of loss, this presentation will acquaint participants with various loss-related constructs and events, potential associated physical, intellectual, emotional, and social effects of loss experiences, and supportive interventions and resources.

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

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, …

School Psychologists’ Training And Knowledge Of Tourette Syndrome, Leticia Cornejo

Educational Studies Dissertations

A web-based survey was conducted that included 97 practicing school psychologists in California. The results from the survey indicated that the majority (88%) of respondents were knowledgeable about Tourette Syndrome. Many respondents (28%) had never worked with a student with Tourette’s, 20% had at least one case, and 52% indicated that they had worked with more than two cases in their careers as school psychologists. The majority of respondents indicated that their school psychology program did not adequately train them to assess or counsel students with Tourette’s. The majority of participants also did not feel confident to work with students …