School Psychology Commons^™

The Caterpillar Game: A Classroom-Wide Behavior Intervention, Angela L. Boyle

Masters Theses

The Caterpillar Game, which was developed specifically for this study, is a classroom-wide behavior management system that uses reinforcement principles. The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of the Caterpillar Game on first grade students' disruptive behavior. A concurrent multiple-baseline across settings was used to evaluate this intervention. Changes in disruptive behavior and teacher praise were evaluated through live classroom observations. Results suggest that the Caterpillar Game decreased student disruptive classroom behavior and increased teacher praise. Teacher satisfaction for the Caterpillar Game was also positive.

Assege HaileMariam

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

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

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

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

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

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

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

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

Exploration Of Gifted Subtypes Differentiated Across Standardized Cognitive Variables, Bridgette M. Vecchio

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The field of gifted education has evolved through the 20th century, with legislative efforts by the federal government providing the framework necessary to highlight the needs of gifted learners. Gifted and talented learners are not a homogeneous group, to the contrary, they are varied and unique (Reis & Sullivan, 2010). Ideally, researchers and educators could collaborate to compile a conclusive list of characteristics of gifted learners, which could guide identification, teaching strategies, and curriculum selection for this population (Reis & Sullivan, 2010). Little is known about the cognitive profiles of gifted children. This study will review the utilization of the …

Integrated Health Care Collaboration And Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated With Streptococcal Infections: A Working Model For Case Consultation, Tara M. Habecker-Tumilty

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Historically, integrated health care, often referred to as interdisciplinary health care, has been an approach characterized by a high degree of collaboration and communication among health care professionals. While numerous researchers have explored the benefits of including clinical psychologists as team members, a limited body of research has explored the partnership between school psychologists and physicians, even though school health services can be an effective venue for integrating psychosocial care and education with medical care. As more chronically ill children are reintegrated into school, school psychologists must be prepared to work with these children at school. Children
diagnosed with complex …

An In Depth Analyses Of Specific Language Impairment As Compared To Other Developmental Disorders, Adam W. Stein Mr.

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Specific language impairment (SLI), defined as a disproportionate difficulty in learning language despite having normal hearing, intelligence, and no known neurological or emotional impairment, has been shown to share similar cognitive characteristics with individuals with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). However, little research has investigated the dissimilarities in these two different developmental disorders. Children with SLI also show many similar symptoms with individuals diagnosed with dyslexia. The aim of these studies is to get a better understanding of cognitive differences between SLI and ADHD, and the cognitive similarities between SLI and dyslexia. Tests of both verbal and non-verbal measures of …

Teacher's Knowledge And Attitudes Regarding Grade Retention As An Intervention, Timothy G. Snodgrass

Masters Theses

Despite the research demonstrating that grade retention is ineffective for improving students' academic and social-emotional functioning, this practice continues to be used prevalently in schools. This correlational study investigated teachers' knowledge and attitudes regarding grade retention. Additionally, this study attempted to understand teachers' past retention practices based on attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control as specified by the Theory of Planned Behavior. Participants included 129 teachers. Results showed that teachers had limited knowledge of research and positive attitudes toward retention. Retention practices for the last three years were predicted by the Theory of Planned Behavior, but these variables accounted …

Relational Aggression: The Relationship Between Parents' Perceptions And Adolescents' Perceptions And Actions Involving Relational Aggression, Mallory Foster

Masters Theses

Relational aggression, best defined as behavior that is meant to harm or significantly damage another's friendships, has been shown to peak in adolescence. Additionally, the parent-adolescent relationship has been shown to be related to relational aggression in adolescents' relationships in several ways. The purpose of this study was to examine adolescent relational aggression and how such behaviors are related to the parent-adolescent relationship. Specifically, this study assessed whether parent perceptions of relational aggression were similar to adolescent perceptions of the same behaviors. Moreover, the study examined whether there was a relationship between parent perceptions of relational aggression and whether or …

University Students Diagnosed With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study Of Challenges And Successes, Vickie Johnston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This hermeneutic phenomenological study inquired about the challenges and successes of eight university students diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at a university in the southeastern United States. The data collection methods involved documentation, questionnaires, focus groups, and individual interviews. The analysis of data involved open coding and in vivo coding; conversational interview methods through member checks were employed at the end of each interview. Several themes emerged from the data regarding the factors in academic success and challenges, the environments and learning styles most conducive to learning, individual factors that contributed to academic success, and the reading and study …

Integration Of School Psychology And Neuropsychology: An Inquiry, Megan Colleen Moerke

All Master's Theses

A state level survey was conducted to examine interest regarding the integration of a neuropsychological perspective into school psychology practice among practicing school psychologists in Washington State. Potential respondents were contacted through e-mail and invited to participate in the original survey developed by the author. The 25 question survey sought to answer questions regarding neuropsychological training, attitudes and beliefs toward the incorporation of a neuropsychological perspective, current professional practices, interaction with neuropsychologists through referral and consultation, and potential barriers to the incorporation of a neuropsychological perspective. A total of 433 school psychologists completed the online survey for an approximate response …

A Prospective Study Of Differential Sources Of School-Related Social Support And Adolescents' Global Life Satisfaction, James D. Siddall

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the cross-sectional and prospective relationships between three sources of school-related social support (parent involvement, peer support for learning, and teacher-student relationships) and early adolescents’ global life satisfaction. The participants were 597 middle school students from one large school in the Southeastern United States who completed measures of school social climate and life satisfaction on two occasions, five months apart. The results revealed that school-related experiences in terms of social support for learning contributed substantial amounts of variance to individual differences in adolescents’ satisfaction with their lives as a whole. Cross-sectional multiple regression analyses of the differential contributions …

Cognitive And Academic Profiles Of Gifted And Talented Students, Debora Buzinkai

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Global scores such as the FSIQ have been routinely utilized in decision making for special education eligibility. Over time, the use of the FSIQ in making important educational decisions has been replaced by a subtest analysis approach, because the FSIQ was not able to differentiate individual gifted traits, which led to heterogeneity in the gifted and talented population. In the ipsative approach, emphasis is placed on the interpretation of student performance at the subtest level rather than at the level of the global score, the latter of which can obfuscate important individual characteristics. In this sample of data drawn from …

A Self-Regulated Learning Approach For The Remediation Of Behavioral Issues In Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Richard G. Allen

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Behavioral-based interventions have long been demonstrated to be effective for
addressing behavioral difficulties for children with ADHD; however, such interventions do not always include explicit procedures to develop self-regulated learning. This is surprising, considering the strong evidence-based literature related to behaviorally-based self-management interventions. Considering the neurocognitive basis of ADHD, current assessment and intervention practices should emphasize the identification of self-regulatory deficits and evidence-based interventions to build such capacities. The current outcome study examined archival data from 12 cases to determine the clinical effectiveness of a function-based self-management intervention model for children diagnosed with ADHD in a community behavioral health program. …

Religious Cognitive Belief, Emotional Attachment, And Behavioral Commitment And Its Relationship With The Self-Regulation Of Adolescents, Leslie M. Chaundy

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Research indicates that religion has played a vital role in the founding of the American nation as well as the American education system. However, over the years, religion has been taken from the educational realm and is no longer considered an important variable in impacting educational outcomes. This study examined the National Study of Youth & Religion dataset to further explore what was the most important component of religiosity (religious cognitive beliefs, emotional attachment, or behavioral commitment) in impacting academic and behavioral success. This study found that religious cognitive beliefs (belief in God and belief in moral absolutes) did not …

Assessing Intern Impact Factors For Program Evaluation And Improvement, John Brady, Randy T. Busse, Jeanne Anne Carriere, Michael Hass, Kelly S. Kennedy

Education Faculty Articles and Research

We present the results of a program evaluation system for examining school psychology interns' impact on the academic and behavioral functioning of children. Outcome data from a variety of single-case problem-solving interventions conducted from 2008-2012 indicated overall moderate, positive effects. Global supervisor ratings indicated strong perceptions of the interns' positive impact on the children they served.

An Analysis Of The Re-Education Philosophy And The Applicability To Individual And Group Therapy, Psychoeducation And Skills, Sarah Manthei

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

An evaluation was conducted of the Re-Education philosophy, current practices of individual and group therapy, skills training, and psychoeducation for Level IV special education students diagnosed with an emotional behavioral disorder and/or mental health diagnosis. An assessment of current evidenced based practices for school-based mental health services was integrated. This provided the foundation for recommendations that are congruent with the Re-Education philosophy and for an evaluation tool to measure student success in learning and comprehending the skills curriculums.

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 …

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 …

A Preliminary Investigation Of The Validity Of Time-Based Measures Of Sustained Attention For Children, Michael R. Kulfan

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This study is a preliminary investigation of the validity of using time-based measures to quantify sustained attention in children ages 6-12. Problems with sustained attention negatively affect childhood learning and development. The prevalence of disorders known to impact sustained attention performance continue to rise in the United States. Currently, commercially available, objective measures of sustained attention use normative comparisons that provide limited information about the effect such problems have on child performance in natural settings. We reviewed test data from 290 charts of children ages 6-12 referred for neuropsychological evaluation. The Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch) is an …

A Look Into The Lived Experiences Of College Students With Asperger's Disorder, Joshua Bryan Lafortune

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Currently there is confusion about how to meet the educational needs of students diagnosed with Asperger's Disorder (AD). This is a growing concern for schools where there has been a significant increase in the use of this diagnostic category (Barnhill, 2001). This research project was developed to investigate the lived experiences of college students with a previously identified diagnosis of AD. The aim of this study was to gain a greater understanding of how these students managed the academic and social demands of middle school and high school. Of particular importance were the transitional years during adolescence, where social competence …