School Psychology Commons^™

A Brief Discussion Of The History, Role, And Function Of The School Psychologist In The Former Soviet Union And Russia, Todd W. Knutson

Masters Theses

School psychology in the former Soviet Union and Russia had its beginnings as the field of Pedology which thrived in the early 1900s in Europe and in the former Soviet Union. School psychological services, in Western psychometric sense, have been virtually dormant since Pedology's downfall following ideological conflicts with Communist leaders in 1936 when standardized testing was banned in the U.S.S.R. This paper sketches a brief history of school psychology in the former Soviet Union and Russia, outlines the educational system, reviews the Soviet research on mental retardation, and calls for the sharing of general information related to international school …

The Relationship Between Internship Training And Perceived Preparedness To Practice In School Psychology, Mary Patricia Krones

Masters Theses

The relationship between school psychologist internship training and perceived preparedness to practice was investigated. Ninety-two school psychologists who completed their internship in Illinois completed a survey asking them to rate their internship experience and indicate how well these experiences prepared them to be a school psychologist. Overall, participants reported they were moderately to well prepared to be school psychologists, although variability was noted among individual items. Intellectual assessment, report writing, academic achievement assessment and psychoeducational diagnosis received the highest mean ratings for exposure and adequacy. Psychologists felt most prepared for working with the kindergarten through high school age population, those …

Empowerment Versus Dependency Of Parents With Children In Special Education, Wendy J. Fisher

Masters Theses

This study attempted to determine whether parents of children receiving special education services are being empowered by the present special education system or growing dependent on it. A survey was constructed based upon the three criteria deemed necessary by social policy analyst Charles Murray to yield empowerment. The survey was administered by phone to 50 parents of children receiving special education services. Results indicated that primary source of income and expression of participation do not have an impact on degree of empowerment as measured by the Empowerment/Dependency Survey. Severity of handicap did not predict whether or not parents desired additional …

Gender Differences In Cognitive Ability Of Children With Hearing Impairment On The Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children-3rd Edition, Damian D. Jones

Masters Theses

This research thesis investigates possible gender differences of deaf children on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (3rd ed.). The Illinois School for the Deaf (ISD) in Jacksonville, Illinois collated the standard scores of the five standard WISC-III Performance scale subtests and the Performance IQ of 25 students attending ISD. To examine gender differences on the Performance scale subtests and the Performance IQ's, a series of oneway-analyses of variance was calculated. No significant differences were noted on any comparison. A hypothesis that gender differences would occur was not confirmed. The results are discussed with respect to the intellectual assessment of …

Graduate Bulletin, 1995-1996 (1995), Moorhead State University

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

Occupational Stress Among School Teachers : A Review Of Research Findings Relevant To Policy Formation, Oi Ling Siu

Centre for Public Policy Studies : CPPS Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Among Selected Personality, Identity Status, And Academic Achievement Factors Among Black Adolescents, Juliet P. Sayles

Dissertations

Problem. The academic performance of Blacks has been documented as being much below that of other racial and ethnic groups (Castenell, 1984; Jordan, 1981; Lee, 1985; Mboya, 1986; Mickelson, 1990; Herrnstein & Murray, 1994; White, 1984). This study attempted to determine the relationships among personality, the development of identity status, and academic achievement among Black adolescents. -- Method. A total of 136 Black adolescent students (64 males and 72 females) was used in this study. They were in the age range of 13 to 18 years and were members of classes from integrated middle, junior high, and high schools. The …

Toward An Objective Measure Of Moral Development For Children, Ruth S. Smith

Dissertations

Problem. Research on moral development in school-age children has been hampered by the lack of measurement tools based on a comprehensive model that includes moral cognition, moral emotions, and moral behavior. This study presents the first step toward the development of an objective measure of moral development for children in grades 3-6.

Method. One-hundred-twenty-one items covering different theorized determinates of moral development were administered to 187 children enrolled in grades 3-6. Either cluster or factor analysis was applied to determine the scales. Reliability was appraised by item analysis and validity was assessed by: (1) parent, teacher, and self ratings of …

The Identification Of Individuals With Disabilities In National Databases: Creating A Failure To Communicate, Kevin S. Mcgrew, Bob Algozzine, James E. Ysseldyke, Martha L. Thurlow, Amy N. Spiegel

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to analyze similarities and differences in how students with disabilities are identified in national databases. National data collection programs in the United States Departments of Education, Commerce, Labor, Justice, and Health and Human Services, as well as databases from the National Science Foundation, the American Council of Education, and the College Board, were examined. Nineteen national data collection programs were selected as being potentially useful in the extraction of policy-relevant information on the educational status and performance of students with disabilities. Among these 19 programs there was significant variability in the disability categories used. …

Prediction Of Wisc-Iii Scores From The Iowa Tests Of Basic Skills And The Cognitive Abilities Test In Order To Predict Premorbid Cognitive Functioning In Children With Traumatic Brain Injury, Kent A. Riley

Masters Theses

The present study examined the relationship of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, Form J (ITBS-J) and the Cognitive Abilities Test, Form 4 (CogAT-4) with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Third Edition (WISC-III) in order to establish a better method for predicting premorbid intellectual functioning in children with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) aged 6 through 11 years. The subjects included 73 children in grades one through six from four elementary schools within a rural city in southeastern Illinois. The results of the study supported all six hypotheses: The CogAT-4 and ITBS-J significantly predicted the variability observed in WISC-III scores; …

Treatment Acceptability By Label And Role, Larry D. Fairbanks

Masters Theses

This study examined differences in ratings of treatment acceptability among groups of individuals who are often involved in the recommendation, selection, implementation, and evaluation of behavioral interventions in the educational setting; teachers, school psychologists, and school social workers. An analogue-type study was conducted, utilizing a written case description of a 3rd grader exhibiting a problem behavior, a written case description of an intervention applied to that problem behavior, and a 15-item instrument utilized in rating treatment acceptability (IRP-15) . Also varied in the study was a label (LD, BD, ADD) placed on the student in the vignette, and intervention type …

Effects Of Labeling Bias On Prognostic Outlook For Children With Behavior Problems, Julie D. Fox

Masters Theses

Labeling bias refers to biases that might occur toward a person who has a particular label. This study investigated the effects of labeling bias on prognostic outlook for children as a function of diagnostic labels. School psychologists, regular and special education teachers, and introductory psychology students read a vignette that described a child with behavior problems. The vignette was held constant for all participants, but one of four labels (conduct disordered, socially maladjusted, serious emotionally disturbed, no exceptionality) was varied at the end of the vignette. Respondents then estimated the child's likelihood of future success in interpersonal relationships, the likelihood …

Math Anxiety, Coping Behavior, And Gender, Sandra Joy Grossmann

Dissertations and Theses

Non-math majors enrolled in lower-division math courses at an urban university were surveyed on their math attitudes, coping behaviors, and math anxiety (MATHANX). The Revised Ways of Coping Checklist (RWCC), Revised Math Anxiety Rating Scale, and other questions were presented to 30 men and 32 women. Hierarchical regressions showed that after controlling for attitudinal covariates, emotion-focused coping behaviors (EMOTFOC) were strongly associated with MATHANX (F(5,54)=18.66, 12 < .0001), but problem-focused coping behaviors (PROBFOC) were not. The RWCC subscale most highly correlated with MATHANX was Wishful Thinking (r = .70, p < .0001). Ss were then dichotomized on PROBFOC and EMOTFOC, providing four behavioral groups. An ANCOVA controlling for attitudinal covariates showed behavioral group membership significant with respect to MATHANX (F(3,58)=6.07, p < .001), and an ANOVA revealed that students who reported high EMOTFOC coupled with low PROBFOC experienced the greatest MATHANX (,E(3,58) = 12.66, p < .0001).

Males and females reported virtually identical MATHANX (M=36.30 for males, 36.44 for females), and the only significant gender difference was for avoidance coping, which was used more by males (F(1,60) = 5.43, p < .03]. Results from this study suggest that fewer gender differences may exist in MATHANX and coping than have been found in the past. Additionally, this study identifies the need for future research to determine whether EMOTFOC is the behavioral component, or one of the determinants, of math anxiety.

Burnout And Job Dissatisfaction Among Practicing Illinois School Psychologists, Kathryn M. Niebrugge

Masters Theses

Survey materials including a Maslach Burnout Inventory, a School Psychologists Stress Inventory, and specially designed demographic and job satisfaction questionnaires were completed by a random sample of members of the Illinois School Psychologists Association (N=139). Results suggested that symptoms of burnout frequently occur among this group of professionals. Although job related stressors (e.g. lack of resources, time management) were related to burnout, demographic factors (e.g. satisfaction with supervision, case discrepancy index) were found to be the best predictors of burnout. Results suggest that supervising psychologists are considered to be primary figures in resistance to burnout. Further research could aid in …

Community Adjustment Of Young Adults With Mental Retardation: Overcoming Barriers To Inclusion, Richard F. Ittenbach, Brian H. Abery, Sheryl A. Larson, Amy N. Spiegel, Robert W. Prouty

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Movement of persons with mental retardation out of institutions and into community settings is occurring at an ever-increasing pace (Amado, Lakin, & Menke, 1990). State and federal laws have legitimized the basic rights of persons with mental retardation to live, work, and participate in typical community settings. Yet, physical integration is not synonymous with full community inclusion. Numerous barriers remain that serve as obstacles to successful assimilation into community life. For instance, successful social integration depends on attitudinal changes of persons without mental retardation—families, friends, service-delivery professionals, and the general public—toward persons with mental retardation. The way young adults with …

Technical Adequacy Of The Lap-D & Dial-R Motor Scales, Mary Mcquaide

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The researcher examined the relationship between the motor scales of the Learning Accomplishment Profile-Diagnostic Revised Edition (LAP-D) and the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-Revised (DIAL-R) motor scales. Specifically, the strength of the relationship and the consistency of identification between the motor scales of these two measures were examined. The sample consisted of 29 children ages 38-67 months selected from the LAP-D normative sample which was stratified for gender and race. Children were administered tests in random order. The study results revealed the following: 1) the LAPD and DIAL-R motor scales were significantly and positively correlated; 2) LAP-D and …

Concerns Of Young Adolescents As They Transition From The Elementary School To The Middle Level School, Kenneth L. Brighton

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Major changes in life can be problematic for individuals at any age. But for young adolescents who suddenly discover that almost every aspect of their being is in a state of flux, the transition from the elementary school environment to the middle school setting can be an additional source of anxiety. This study identified the specific concerns that young adolescents held as they anticipated promotion to the middle level, the validity and longevity of those concerns, and the differences in how sixth grade students cope with the transition compared to seventh grade students making the same transition to the middle …

The Test-Retest And Inter-Rater Reliability Of The Teacher Rating Of Academic Achievement Motivation, Rachel P. Pitcher

Masters Theses

The Teacher Rating of Academic Achievement Motivation (TRAAM) is in development as a measure of academic achievement motivation. To examine the scale's test-retest and inter-rater reliability, teachers rated 90 third through sixth grade students. Results indicated that the TRAAM, in general, is reliable. The test-retest reliability coefficient for the TRAAM Total Score was .96. The four factor scores of the TRAAM were also found to be consistent over time with reliability coefficients ranging from .85 to .93. Inter-rater reliability of the TRAAM was also found to be adequate for the Total Score (r=.77). The inter-rater reliability coefficients of the factor …

Community Adjustment Of Young Adults With Mental Retardation: A Developmental Perspective, Richard F. Ittenbach, Sheryl A. Larson, Amy N. Spiegel, Brian H. Abery, Robert W. Prouty

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The community adjustment of young adults with mental retardation remains a crucial issue for all human service providers. No longer does adjustment imply simply the physical integration of persons with disabilities into community settings. Rather, it refers to the adjustment and integration of the whole person into community life. Whether one describes community adjustment as a process, an outcome, a philosophy, or a multidimensional concept (Bachrach, 1981), community adjustment has become synonymous with the term quality-of-life, a quality that depends in large part on one’s happiness and success in socially sanctioned, age-appropriate tasks.

An Investigation Of The Exclusion Of Students With Disabilities In National Data Collection Programs, Kevin S. Mcgrew, Martha L. Thurlow, Amy N. Spiegel

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

This investigation examined the extent to which students with disabilities are involved in a select sample of national data collection programs that are playing a pivotal role in the measurement-driven educational reform movement. Nine data collection programs that are receiving significant attention in current educational reform initiatives were reviewed. The results suggest that approxi-mately 40% to 50% of school-age students with disabilities are excluded from some of the most prom-inent national educational data collection programs. In contrast, students with disabilities are included to a greater degree in noneducational data collection programs that do not require partici-pation in direct assessment activities. …

Children Of Alcoholics And Group Counseling In The Schools, Melissa E. Valtierra

Masters Theses

Alcoholics are not the only persons in the family affected by alcoholism. It has been estimated that four to six out of every twenty-five children in any given classroom are children from alcoholic homes. Children often learn dysfunctional patterns of behavior in a home affected by alcoholism. A smaller number of children have also been found to learn patterns of behavior that make them resilient and appear to protect them from psychological damage.

Counseling can help children of alcoholics who need help in dealing with their alcoholic homes. This type of intervention helps children vent and explore feelings, share experiences …

Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of Early Childhood Ability Measures Within A Model Of Personal Competence, Richard F. Ittenbach, Amy N. Spiegel, Kevin S. Mcgrew, Robert H. Bruininks

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The present study tested Greenspan’s model of personal competence with data obtained from the Early Screening Profiles, a nationally standardized preschool screening battery designed to measure the general functioning level of children 2–7 years of age. Of the five models tested (three a priori and two a posteriori), three models produced results indicative of a good fit. These findings support the use of Greenspan’s model of personal competence as a framework for understanding the nature of developing abilities in young children as well as for the improvement of classification and diag-nosis of children with special needs.

A Curriculum For Dealing With Anger As An Emotion In The First-Grade Classroom, Marlene B. Cafferky

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Graduate Bulletin, 1991-1993, Moorhead State University

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Performance Feedback And Goal Setting On The Productivity And Satisfaction Of Clerical Workers, Leslie Ann Wilk

Dissertations

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Performance Management (PM) intervention designed to improve the productivity and job satisfaction of clerical employees in a university admissions department. During the first phase of the intervention, supervisors applied a PM program which included an individualized daily goal setting and verbal feedback program. During phase two, graphic display of individual performance levels was added to the goals and verbal feedback program. Productivity was measured via daily self reports of tasks completed. Job satisfaction was assessed by taking measures prior to and following the intervention using the Work …

Parent Handbook For Surviving Adolescence, Kay Fuson

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to gather information for a parent handbook for Sterling Middle School, which spoke to the following issues: 1) general characteristics, 2) parenting skills, 3) communication, 4) study skills, 5) parent concerns, and 6) community resources. These six areas were determined with input from parents after looking at parent handbooks from middle schools across the state. Research was done in the area of adolescent development and material was compiled for a comprehensive handbook for parents of adolescents.

An Overview Of Bibliotherapy And Its Applications In The Elementary Classroom, Kerry Sue Abernathy

All Graduate Projects

Bibliotherapy has been used for many years as an aid to the healing process. The concept of using literature to promote mental health has been increasingly accepted as a valid therapeutic method in recent years. Bibliotherapy has, in the past, been used primarily with adults. This study will focus on recent developments to help children grow and develop a positive self-concept through literature. Book lists have been compiled from the many children's books available on the subjects of death and dying, illness, divorce, fears, handicaps, blended families, single parents, friendship, physical development, family relationships, attitudes and values, emotions and feelings, …

The Early Motor Profile: Correlation With The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test Of Motor Efficiency1, Amy N. Spiegel, Kathleen M. Steffens, John E. Ryders, Robert H. Bruininks

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

A correlational study of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and the Early Motor Pro-file with 109 kindergarten children showed a significant relation between these two measures of mo-tor abilities. These results support use of the latter profile as a measure of motor development in preschool age children.

The Effectiveness Of Three Study Aids As Measured By Immediate Examinations And Delayed Examinations, Yousef Abdulwahab Abuhmaidan

Dissertations

Two experiments were performed to examine the effectiveness of three study aids: (1) information maps, (2) behavioral objectives, and (3) the students' own strategies in reorganizing written material. A training workshop was given prior to the first experiment to teach the students appropriate skills to use to read research articles (e.g., generating and answering questions, filling out and generating information maps). Eighteen undergraduate students participated in the study. In the first experiment, students were randomly assigned to three groups. The researcher provided students with a research article every week for three weeks, together with either an information map, a set …

Developing Self-Esteem: A Search For The Missing Element, Douglas Mack

Masters Theses

Educators have long known the impact a child’s self-esteem, or self-concept, has upon his or her ability to perform in the classroom. This paper explores the variables involved in developing self-concept both in theory and the research. The roles of teacher feedback, student failure and success, and difficulty of task are examined and their impact upon student self-esteem assessed. Learning theories such as constructivism and the use of teams in the classroom are also presented and discussed. Self-esteem does not come about simply as a result of prior success. It develops 1) as a child experiences success at tasks he …