School Psychology Commons^™

Autism Interventions In Educational Settings: Delivery Within A Response To Intervention Framework, Caitlin E. Gilmartin

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Monitoring the progress of and delivering services to students with Autism present a unique challenge. Numerous interventions exist without a common, mandated progress monitoring system or service delivery system. The current study examined the principles of Response to Intervention (RTI) programs in the context of service delivery for students with Autism. An innovative service delivery system, the Autism Response to Systematic Intervention (ARTSI), was designed utilizing these principles. Outcomes of the study included a manual for the program, as well as forms and necessary materials to provide initial program implementation. Initial comment from stakeholders, future directives, and limitations are also …

Trauma And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In Therapeutic Day School Students: Prevalence In This Population And Effective Treatment Programs, Monica Roberts

Dissertations

This survey-based, comparative study investigated the percentage of students at a suburban Chicago therapeutic day school who meet criteria for clinically significant levels of PTSD as compared to students in a general education setting. The directional hypothesis was that students placed at therapeutic day schools have a higher prevalence of PTSD than a general population of students. The method used was a survey assessment called the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) given to 16 students at a suburban Chicago therapeutic day school. These CPSS scores were analyzed and statistically compared to CPSS scores of an already published study with students …

Identifying Emotional Disturbance: Implications For Consistent Practice, Ramona L. Patillo

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Determining eligibility for special education services under the educational classification of Emotional Disturbance (ED) has historically posed difficulties for school psychologists. The federal law provides vague eligibility criteria and a clear exclusion for students with Social Maladjustment (SM). This study evaluated the results of an online survey that required participants to identify behaviors that are most commonly associated with the constructs of ED and SM. This study further proposed to assess levels of comfort in determining eligibility based on a constellation of behavioral symptoms presented in short case vignettes. The study sought to reveal any differences in symptom identification based …

Teachers' Awareness And Skills In Addressing Students With Anxiety Symptoms, Looyee Figueroa

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study explored teachers' awareness toward students who may have mental-health needs, specifically with anxiety issues. This study also examined whether the teachers' training backgrounds, acquired degrees, stress levels, and years of teaching influenced their awareness and use of strategies in addressing students with attitudinal and behavioral issues and anxiety issues. In addition, this study examined teachers' perceptions on the importance of building relationships with students who have behavioral and attitudinal issues and anxiety issues. Results from the study found that teachers' awareness levels were inconsistent when teaching students who may have anxiety issues, and they were more consistent in …

Using Math Curriculum Based Assessments To Predict Student Performance On The Pennsylvania System Of School Assessment Math Test, Joseph H. Lucas

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Today, a considerable emphasis is placed on students’ performance on state-wide achievement tests. In light of the mounting pressure for accountability for student academic achievement on state-wide tests, the use of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) methods for monitoring student progress, identifying students at risk for failing state tests, and identifying skill deficits to be addressed through interventions to increase student performance could prove beneficial. This study examined the relationship of the Measures of Academic Progress Math CBM (MAP) to performance on the Pennsylvania System of School Achievement (PSSA) with correlational analysis and the calculation of sensitivity and specificity indices and kappa …

Identification Of Specific Learning Disability Profiles: Consideration Of Patterns Across Cognitive, Academic, Socio-Emotional, And Executive Variables, Amanda M. Garrett

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

During recent years, there has been a growing urgency and a heightened demand for increased accountability for all students to demonstrate academic success in school, as required by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB; 2002). An integral part of helping students to meet success in school includes providing them with a free and appropriate education; this also includes those students who have educational disabilities, through the provision of specially designed instruction and supports. In the past, SLD had been studied as a homogenous classification (Rourke, 1999). However, as more recent research has evolved, it has become clearer that students …

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 …

Executive Functions In The Schools: What Do Teachers Know About Executive Functions And How They Impact Student Progress?, Larissa Morgan-Borkowsky

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The current study surveyed middle school teachers on their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and expectations regarding executive functions in relation to students’ academic success. The results of this study indicated that teachers perceived themselves as knowledgeable of executive functions. A disconnect was found between teacher responses to an open-ended question regarding abilities and skills required for academic success and their endorsements of specific questions regarding executive functions. Motivation, problem-solving, and basic academic skills were indicated as being most important for success, but two of these are considered capacities students possess intrinsically. When asked about specific executive functions however, they rated them …

Student Facilitated Anti-Bully Program, Ashley Kiefer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Minnesota law currently states that each school district should have a policy that addresses all forms of bullying but allows each district to create their own. This past year, the state of Minnesota has begun to scrutinize this legislation with the purpose of studying the extent of bullying in Minnesota schools and developing policies to stop it. Many schools in the state have unfortunately experienced the negative effects of bullying; some such as the Anoka-Hennepin Schools have experienced investigation and lawsuits due to suicides related to bullying (Post, 2012). At Byron Middle School, there has been limited student involvement in …

Stereotype Threat And Minority Students' Academic Achievement, Clédicianne Dorvil

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This action oriented research project presents a manualized program that can be used in the school setting to remediate stereotype threat. A meta-analytic review was conducted in order to identify evidenced-based interventions that intervened on stereotype threat effects. The findings from the meta-analysis were utilized to create the manual for the Study Skills Group. A pilot study was conducted with middle and high-school aged individuals to evaluate the efficacy of the program. Pre and post program evaluation forms were utilized to monitor change during the course of the program. The Study Skills Group manual received positive ratings for the session …

The Role Of Esl Teacher Support In Facilitating School Adjustment In English Language Learners, Mary Sharp-Ross

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Immigrant students are the fastest growing sector of the US school population.These students are English Language Learners (ELLs) who enter our schools with a constellation of social-emotional risk factors that predispose them to psychological disorders, as well as undermine their learning and educational outcomes. English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESL) teacher support is indicated to be a primary protective factor for ELLs facing the pervasive task of acculturation to a new society and school culture. This study surveyed 200 ESL teachers in Pennsylvania in order to gather information regarding their beliefs about the social-emotional and acculturation needs of their …

The Implications Of Executive Function And Prototypical Student Performance In Middle School, Sabrina Anne Hartman

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Over the course of the past 25 years, “executive functions” have been investigated more and more frequently in relation to cognitive functioning across the lifespan. Within that time frame, researchers have examined various changes that are specific to the adolescent brain. The research has begun to elucidate the relationship between executive functioning and the developmental period of adolescence. Previous studies have examined the utility of using specific rating scales as a means to assess executive functioning across the lifespan, with most of these utilizing scale level analyses. Given the lack of specificity regarding what elements exactly comprise “executive functioning,” the …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Elementary School Students' Performance On Progress Monitoring Measures Of Oral Reading Fluency And Reading Comprehension To The Pennsylvania System Of School Assessment, Elana E. Weinstein

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

National education legislation has mandated school district accountability for demonstrating student reading progress. As a result, Response to Intervention models promote benchmark assessments to identify at-risk students and promote proficiency on state assessments. The current study examined third and fourth grade students’ Response to Intervention data and standardized assessments from a suburban school district to determine if Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) and reading comprehension benchmark assessments (4Sight assessments) have utility in predicting performance on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA). Results from the current study expanded prior research by analyzing individual benchmark assessments with yearly state assessments. Analyses identified …

Group Dynamics, Donelson R. Forsyth

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Engagement-elevating activities used in a course such as group dynamics fall into two broad categories: topic-focused short-term activities and problem-focused, longer-term projects. Topic-focused activities are, in most cases, deliberate applications of a concept or process in a group-based experience and are typically tied to the content of the course in a direct way. For example, when students study group decision-making they may meet in small groups to make a series of decisions. Afterwards, they examine their group’s decisions, and gauge for themselves the extent to which their group reacted as theory and research would suggest. Problem-focused projects, in contrast, ask …

Teachers' Understanding Of Components Of Response To Intervention (Rti) In Pennsylvania, Gabrielle Wilcox

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Since recent regulations allow the use of response to intervention (RTI) for specific learning disability determination, many districts have implemented RTI. This study surveyed a stratified random sample of 2,000 teachers in Pennsylvania with 141 usable responses. The purpose of this study was to ascertain teacher understanding of components of RTI in districts using and not using RTI and to determine if district implementation procedures impacted perceived effectiveness. Overall, the groups were similar in understanding and perceived importance of RTI components; however, there were small but notable differences. Respondents with higher levels of perceived effectiveness indicated greater support from a …

Curriculum-Based Measures Of Reading And Student Performance On State-Wide Achievement Tests, Brian L. Dorshimer

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

With increasing pressure and accountability for schools to produce higher scores on statewide achievement tests, the use ofCurriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) methods for monitoring student progress, identifYing at-risk students for failing state tests, and providing appropriate interventions to increase student performance could prove to be very beneficial (McGlinchey & Hixson, 2004). Research has indicated that CBM can be an effective tool in predicting success on state-wide reading achievement tests (Shapiro, Keller, Lutz, Santoro, & Hintze, 2006; Wood, 2006; Hintze & Silberglitt, 2005; McGlinchey & Hixson, 2004; Barger, 2003; Shaw & Shaw, 2002; Stage & Jacobsen, 2001). Determining whether or not a …

Breaking The "Sound" Barrier To Fluent Reading: An Evaluation Of A Middle School Reading Intervention, Kimberly Simmerman

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The failure to read efficiently accounts for nearly 80% of the children who meet the criteria for a specific learning disability in America. Moreover, many of those children do not receive instruction that is sufficient to improve their reading achievement to within the average range. The current study examines the Breaking the “Sound” Barrier to Fluent Reading program by comparing pretest and posttest scores on individually administered and group statewide tests of reading achievement. The impact of IQ on progress is evaluated and discussed. Students’levels of reading proficiency preintervention and postintervention, as determined by the criteria set forth by the …

An Analysis Of Survey Data On Student Perceptions Of Adolescent Counseling Needs, Jane Ellen Santo

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The school counseling needs of adolescents have often
been assessed through the perceptions of school personnel
and other adults. This study provides an alternative
perspective and reports the results of a mental health/life
stress counseling needs’ assessment, conducted directly
with middle school and high school students’ grades 7
through 12. The results of this student-centered survey
are reported with relation to literature pertaining to the
potential counseling needs of adolescents and the
deleterious consequences of not meeting these needs. Data
pertaining to each area of the survey: awareness of
counseling services, participation in counseling services,
perceived counseling needs, and perceived …

Asg Student Social And Emotional Health Report, Michael. E. Bernard, Andrew Stephanou, Daniel Urbach

Wellbeing

This report presents the results of sophisticated Rasch measurement analysis and multi-level modelling to validate and support the use of the ACER Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) student and teacher surveys for reporting on the social and emotional well-being of students from the early years of schooling through to senior secondary school levels. It describes the social and emotional well-being of over 10,000 students attending 81 schools across Australia. Among the more important findings of this research are the characteristics of students with low levels of social and emotional well-being compared with students with higher levels of social and emotional …

A Study Of Self-Concept Of Hearing-Impaired Students As Compared To The Self-Concept Of Normal-Hearing Students, Wayne K. Wright

Dissertations

Problem

One of the important problems for the handicapped child is whether he can develop an adequate self-concept. This is a significant problem for the hearing-impaired child in a regular school setting. If the development of self-concept is contingent upon the ability to express needs, wants, and desires, what is the self-concept of a child who cannot describe his feelings? The present study attempts to measure the self-concepts of the hearing-impaired students and to compare them to the self-concepts of the hearing students.

Method

The Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale was used to evaluate the self-concepts of 926 students of the …

A Comparison Of The Academic Achievement And Social Adjustment Of Mentally Retarded Students, C. Thomas Musgrave

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Public awareness of the problem of mental retardation is relatively new. Professional services in this area are less than one hundred and fifty years old in America. In essence, the treatment of the mentally retarded since ancient times has been very harsh. The Spartans from ancient Greece left all defectives exposed to the elements to die. They were treated with aversion and subjected to many indignities.

An Analysis Of The Achievement Gains Made By Students In Ability-Grouped Vs. Random-Grouped Classroom Units, Luan H. Ferrin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Because of the rapid advancements being made in the field of knowledge, educators, as well as those in other fields, must periodically take inventory. Current practices, policies, and methods must be carefully scrutinized to determine if they are the most effective. The group or class method of instruction is one such area.

A Comparison Of Aspiration Levels Of Students In Ability-Grouped And Randomly-Grouped Schools, George Aaron Jeffs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Grouping students with in the school setting has long been a concern to all those associated with the educative process. Much investigation has been devoted to the position of level of aspiration as influential motive forces for educational, occupational, and social achievement. Many avenues of grouping have been investigated and some very thoroughly. However, research concerning grouping in relation to level of aspiration in the school setting appears to be extremely limited. This study is designed to further investigate this issue. It might be said that this study consists of essentially two phases: (1) the development of instruments for measuring …