California School Psychologist Research Articles

The California School Psychologist Supports School Psychologists in Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Children and Youth

This is the first of two volumes of Contemporary School Psychology that will devote special sections to the key role school psychologists play in meeting the social and emotional needs of children and youth. In the past year, broad legislative changes have compelled many school districts in California to reexamine how they will deliver mental health services. Partnerships between County Departments of Mental Health and Local Education Agencies have shifted such that schools are fully assuming the legal and ethical responsibilities to provide counseling, case management, and parent education. Challenges in the provision of comprehensive mental health service delivery are far from statespecific, however. Several well-designed epidemiological studies have found that over the course of a calendar year; about 20% of children suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder (e.g., Burns, Costello, Angold, Tweed, et al., 1995; Costello, et al. 1989; Shaffer et al. 1996). While these data have flaws (Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA, 2005) and these risks are not evenly distributed across communities, even a conservative interpretation suggests that there are large unmet needs in any school across the nation. These needs invite us, as change agents, to critically examine current practices and consider alternative perspectives in supporting the social and emotional well-being of our students. The notion that systematic change invites both risk and opportunity is perhaps cliche but still fitting, as the transition away from clinic or community-based services toward school-based service delivery becomes more widespread. Many school districts believe they lack sufficient systems to coordinate these services and many school psychologists contend they do not feel adequately prepared to step into the role of mental health service provider. Perhaps the most significant risk in this transition is that children's needs will go unmet, leading to an even greater social and financial cost to families, schools, and society. Yet, we offer the interpretation this transition is also ripe with opportunity. As Adelman and Taylor point out in their introduction to the special section, schools provide an excellent point of access for students and families who may benefit from mental health services. Given this, one positive outcome is that more children will receive the services they need to be successful in school. Additionally, school psychologists are embedded in children's broader educational ecosystem. Their familiarity with children's educational needs, the services they receive to meet those needs and the people who work with those children provide a fundamental advantage in providing more integrated and responsive services. The California Association of School Psychologists (CASP) has argued that school psychologists have the training, expertise and legal authority to deliver these services (Beam, Brady, & Sopp, 2011). We would add to this argument that the broad training of school psychologists in consultation, behavioral interventions, and academic interventions, in addition to individual and group counseling, makes them uniquely qualified to provide mental health services in the schools. This issue of CSP demonstrates those unique qualifications and the breath of services provided by school psychologists. The special section on School Psychologists Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Children and Youth begins with a commentary by Howard Adelman and Linda Taylor from the Center for Mental Health in Schools. They argue convincingly that in addition to effective approaches to dealing with specific problems, mental health and psychosocial concerns need to be included in a comprehensive approach to school improvement. …

An overview and analysis of journal operations, journal publication patterns, and journal impact in school psychology and related fields

This article describes the results of three studies designed to understand better the journal operations, publishing practices, and impact of school psychology journals in recent years. The first study presents the results of a survey focusing on journal operations and peer-review practices that was completed by 61 journal editors of school psychology and aligned journals. The second study presents the results of review and classification of all articles appearing in one volume year for nine school psychology journals (i.e., The California School Psychologist, Canadian Journal of School Psychology, Journal of Applied School Psychology, Journal of School Psychology, Psychology in the Schools, School Psychology Forum, School Psychology International, School Psychology Quarterly, and School Psychology Review). The third study employed multilevel modeling to investigate differences in the longitudinal trends of impact factor data for five school psychology journals listed in the Web of Science (i.e., Journal of School Psychology, Psychology in the Schools, School Psychology International, School Psychology Quarterly, and School Psychology Review). The article addresses implications for authors, editors, and journal editorial teams as well as the status and impact of school psychology journals.

The California School Psychologist becomes Contemporary School Psychology: CSP Continues to Link Theory and Practice

This first volume of Contemporary School Psychology marks yet another important milestone in the efforts of the California Association of School Psychologists (CASP) to provide its members and the profession with timely and practical scholarship. As we celebrate this accomplishment, it is important to acknowledge that this inaugural issue builds on the significant accomplishments of The California School Psychologist and the work of past editors and associate editors Shane Jimerson, Michael Furlong, Brent Duncan, Stephen Brock, Kristin Powers and Marilyn Wilson. Their efforts have provided the foundation on which this inaugural issue of Contemporary School Psychology builds. In June of 2010, the current editorial team, Kelly Kennedy, Brian Leung and I, proposed that CASP change the name of The California School Psychologist to Contemporary School Psychology. The goal was to give the journal a name that would both reflect its breadth of scholarship - many authors outside of California have often contributed articles - and enhance the ability of the journal to attract high quality scholarship from a wider pool of authors. Ultimately, this is in service of the journal's prime goal of continuing to be, as Shane Jimerson put it in his introduction to the 2009 issue of the California School Psychologist, an "...invaluable resource for faculty, students, and practitioners in school psychology across the state of California." (Jimerson, 2009, p.3). Our new name communicates our commitment to continue this tradition and our aspiration to become a valuable resource for faculty, students, and practitioners nationwide. Contemporary School Psychology is devoted to current issues in school psychology with the goal of publishing high-quality articles that make explicit the connection between theory and practice. The journal seeks to provide a venue for articles that: (1) critically review research on topics of general interest to school psychologists nationwide, (2) report research relevant to practicing school psychologists, (3) present promising practices or programs that address the needs of children and youth, and (4) critically reflect on the profession of school psychology and the challenges faced by the profession. As before, the intent of the journal is to highlight the diversity of viewpoints in the field and of the students, parents, and communities we serve. This first issue of Contemporary School Psychology begins with a special topic section that includes five articles that address innovative applications of a public health approach to school psychology practice. These innovations include how directors of special education view Response to Intervention (RtI) at the secondary level, applications of RtI to promoting mental health and positive behavior, prevention and treatment of selective mutism, and applications of a problem-solving model to struggling readers who need intense interventions. …

The California School Psychologist Brings Science to Practice: University and School Collaborations to Promote student Success

This volume of The California School Psychologist is the last this decade that I will be responsible for in my service as Editor. Thus, prior to a synthesis of articles included in the current volume, it is essential to provide appreciation, commendation, and reflection on the recent volumes of The California School Psychologist. In addition, I will provide a brief summary of the history of The California School Psychologist. Accolades to All Who Have Contributed First and foremost it is essential to recognize and applaud those with whom I collaborated as editor, in particular those who have served as associate editors (Michael Furlong, Brent Duncan, Stephen Brock, and Kristin Powers), and co-editor (Marilyn Wilson, 2000) during the past decade, as their collective efforts have contributed to the quality of the articles published in The California School Psychologist. In addition, we are indebted to the many school psychologists (i.e., faculty, practitioners, and students) who have served on the Editorial Board and Student Editorial Panel during the past decade, as it is their reviews that inform necessary revisions and contribute to the quality of and editorial dispositions regarding each manuscript (each Editorial Board and Student Editorial Panel member is listed on the inside cover of each volume). The faculty and students at the University of California, Santa Barbara are to be commended for their incredibly generous support and contributions to The California School Psychologist, sustaining and enhancing the high quality of the journal through substantive as well as layout production during most of the past decade. Finally, sincere gratitude is expressed for the copyediting and recent formatting completed within the California Association of School Psychologists office, most notably Heidi Holmblad for ensuring the high quality of the publication. A Brief History of The California School Psychologist The California School Psychologist is an invaluable resource for faculty, students, and practitioners in school psychology across the state of California. For faculty, it represents an important venue for disseminating scholarship. For practitioners and students, the journal provides relevant, peer-reviewed information, bringing science to practice and thus contributing to continuing professional development to school psychologists across the state, as well as those who access the contents across the country and around the world, and emphasizing evidence-based prevention and interventions strategies to enhance student outcomes. The California School Psychologist was established by the California Association of School Psychologists (CASP) 1996 as a member service. The production and layout was completed at the University of California, Santa Barbara up until the 2008 volume, when the CASP office embraced these responsibilities. Leadership for the first three volumes of The California School Psychologist (1996, 1997, and 1998) was provided by Dr. Pauline Mercado, with Dr. Mike Furlong contributing as the associate editor. Dr. Marilyn Wilson served as editor in 1999 and 2000, with Dr. Shane Jimerson joining her as co-editor in 2000. In 2001, Dr. Jimerson continued as the editor, with Drs. Mike Furlong and Brent Duncan contributing as associate editors. In 2003, Drs. Stephen Brock and Kristin Powers joined as associated editors along with Dr. Furlong until 2007, with Drs. Jimerson (editor), Brock and Powers (associate editors) continuing through 2009. As of 2010 Dr. Michael Hass will provide leadership with Drs. Kelly Graydon and Brian Leung serving as associate editors. It has been both an honor and a privilege to collaborate with colleagues and students to contribute to The California School Psychologist. Since its inception, efforts have been made on an on-going basis to improve the quality and contributions of The California School Psychologist. Progress toward these objectives during the past decade includes: 1) refined and further enhanced the editorial board infrastructure, including the addition of a student editorial panel; 2) prepared, submitted, negotiated, and successfully included in PsycINFO database; 3) prepared, submitted, negotiated, and successfully included in ERIC database; 4) funding provided by a grant secured by the UCSB Center for School-Based Youth Development to further enhance the content, including added pages; 5) prepared a series of special topic sections (e. …

The California School Psychologist Provides Valuable Information to Promote Reading Success Among Students

This volume of The California School Psychologist provides valuable information to promote the reading success of students, as well as many other informative articles addressing response-to-intervention; the education of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning (LGBTQ) students; and school-based interventions for students with autism. Each of these articles provides valuable information for school psychologists and other professionals working in the schools, and also contributes to the literature and scholarship that aims to promote the educational success of all students. Previous articles published in The California School Psychologist, including the recent volumes addressing a) school engagement, b) strength-based assessment, c) response to intervention (RTI), d) autism, and e) students with emotional or behavioral disorders, are available on-line at www.education.ucsb.edu/school-psychology and at www.casponline.org (CASP members only). The first article (Christo & Davis, 2008), shares the results of a study that examined the relationships between the cognitive processes of rapid naming, phonological processing and various literacy skills, using data from 65 students in grades two through five. This study used multiple measures, including; phonological processing, rapid naming, reading comprehension, isolated and nonsense word reading, and spelling. Regression analyses revealed that rapid naming was a stronger predictor of word reading, reading comprehension and spelling, relative to phonological processing. Decoding skills were found to account for the largest amount of variance in word reading and spelling. The authors discuss the importance of considering these results when assessing and designing interventions with reading disabled children. Based on the results of this study, the authors emphasize that psychologists should assess underlying processes of rapid naming and phonological processing to better understand the student’s skills, and inform intervention strategies. A guide for school psychologists to use in the consultation process when working with teachers to address students’ reading difficulties is provided in the second article (Lilles, Griffiths, Lee, Cardenas, Chacko, & Jimerson, 2008). This article details important facets of instructional consultation and important considerations to take into account including: a) entering the consultation relationship, b) effectively identifying the problem and underlying cause, c) identification of the appropriate intervention, monitoring implementation integrity, and d) the termination of the consultation relationship. This article also provides information regarding possible effective intervention strategies, resources to obtain additional information, and a valuable checklist for school psychologists. The authors encourage school psychologists to use a consultation process to contribute resources and support to teachers to improve student reading ability, and prevent negative outcomes associated with poor reading skills. The third article (Huang, Nelson, & Nelson, 2008) reports the results of a study designed to investigate increases in reading fluency following a research-based tutoring method using repeated reading, which was implemented with two second-grade students. This study involved two high school students who trained to be the tutors to provide the directed repeated reading experience. In addition, one parent and one

School Psychologists as Instructional Consultants in a Response-to-Intervention Model

The 2004 authorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act affords an opportunity to shift the classification of Learning Disabilities (LD) from a “refer-test-place” to a Response-to-Intervention (RtI) service delivery model. As a result, there are implications for the professional activities of school psychologists. School psychologists, who historically devoted much of their time to testing struggling learners for learning disabilities, will need to engage in a different type of practice, specifically providing instructional consultation in a tiered assessment and intervention model. This article describes instructional consultation skills and knowledge school psychologists must possess to promote the learning outcomes of students with achievement deficits, including students with disabilities. Survey data collected from 249 California school psychologist practitioners highlight the need to modify school psychology pre-service training and on-going professional development to enable school psychologists to become effective instructional consultants.

The California School Psychologist Provides Valuable Information to Promote School Success Among Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

This volume of The California School Psychologist provides valuable information to promote the success of students with emotional or behavioral disorders, as well as other informative articles. These articles provide valuable information for school psychologists and other professionals working in the schools, and also contribute to the literature and scholarship that aim to promote the educational success of all students. Previous articles published in The California School Psychologist, including the recent volumes addressing a) school engagement, b) strength-based assessment, c) response-to-intervention (RtI), and d) autism are available on-line at www.education.ucsb.edu/school-psychology. The first article (Re stori, Gresham, Chang, Lee, & Laija-Rodriquez, 2007) reports the results of a study using functional assessment-based interventions to support fifth-grade students at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Students whose behavior was found to be functionally related to either task-avoidance or attention-seeking were randomly assigned to a treatment strategy that was primarily either antecedent or consequent-based. This study reports the results of an ABAB single-case design to examine the effects of treatment strategies. This study also conducted a comparison of treatment strategies that were primarily antecedent or consequent-based. The authors highlight that antecedent-based treatment strategies (i.e., self-monitoring and task-modification) were more effective than consequent-based treatment strategies (i.e., differential reinforcement) for increasing academic engagement and reducing disruptive behavior. They also discuss the implications for using functional assessment strategies. The second article (Muyskens, Marston, & Reschly, 2007) shares the results of a study that examines the validity of a screening instrument to identify students at risk for behavior problems. Within a Responseto-intervention framework, the authors discuss using a screening measure (a 12-item behavior screener completed by the teacher for each student in the Fall) designed to identify students at risk for behavior difficulties and targeting these students for early intervention. This study included 22,056 kindergarten through 8th grade students from the Minneapolis Public Schools. Results revealed that teacher-completed Fall scores on this measure were significantly correlated with suspensions, achievement scores, and attendance data over the course of the school year. The authors emphasize that providing teachers with a tool which in less than a minute can help them identify students likely to present significant behavioral or academic concerns over the course of the school year warrants further consideration. The third article (Fisher, Doyon, Saldaria, & Redding-Allen, 2007) discusses a comprehensive assessment of emotional disturbance, advocating cross validation procedures, and using the RIOT approach (Review, Interview, Observe, Test). The authors advocate that using all four RIOT processes together allows for comprehensive assessment for emotional disturbance. The authors also encourage school psychologists to consider a student's strengths, cultural factors, and the interaction between the student and the environment when interpreting the results of assessments. Using the multi-faceted information yielded through a comprehensive assessment, school psychologists may provide recommendations to help remediate areas of weakness and promote social and cognitive competence. The fourth article (Lambros, Culver, Angulo, & Hosmer, 2007) describes a collaborative intervention model for promoting mental health and positive social adjustment for youth with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD). The mental health intervention team (MHIT) includes a collaborative partnership between the Mental Health Resource Center (MHRC) and the Emotional Disturbance Program (ED) and also includes research and evaluation consultation from the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC). …

The California School Psychologist Contributes Valuable Knowledge to Promote Student Success

This volume of The California School Psychologist includes several articles regarding "autism spectrum disorder" as well as other informative articles on topics ranging from California's First 5 Initiative, to school crisis teams, classroom sociograms, and projective assessments. These articles provide valuable information for school psychologists and other professionals working in the schools, and also contribute to the literature and scholarship that aims to promote the educational success of all students. Previous articles published in The California School Psychologist, including the recent volumes addressing (a) school engagement, (b) strength-based assessment, and (c) response to intervention (RTI), are available on-line at www.education.ucsb.edu/school-psychology. The first article (Akshoomoff, Corsello, & Schmidt, 2006) reports the results of a national survey examining autism diagnosis practices among school and clinical psychologists. The role of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) was a particular focus of this study. The results of this study revealed that both school psychologists and clinical psychologists were similar in following best practice guidelines for screening, diagnosis, and assessment. Both school psychologists and clinical psychologists were found to typically include a parent interview and a developmental history in their assessment. It was also found that school psychologists were more likely to include a home observation or teacher report, relative to clinical psychologists. Perceived merits of the ADOS included the standardized structure for observation and capturing behaviors specific to autism spectrum disorder. The authors emphasize that more research is needed on how practitioners interpret the various diagnostic criteria and the impact of different practices and level of expertise on classification and service utilization. The second article (Carlson, Brinkman, & Majawicz-Hefley, 2006) provides valuable information regarding the use of biomedical treatments with school-aged children diagnosed with autism. Noting the increasing prevalence of autism and the increased frequency of pharmacological interventions, this article provides a synthesis of research informing the outcomes and risks associated with psychotropic medications. No medications are currently PDA-approved for treating autism; however, such interventions are often implemented as an adjunct to behavioral, social, and educational interventions. The authors identify specific domains where pharmacological treatments demonstrate promise in treating specific symptoms commonly associated with autism, including aggression, anxiety, agitation, cognitive inflexibility, overactivity, self-injury, and stereotypic behaviors. School psychologists are in a critical position to monitor the effects of various interventions, including medications. Moreover, it is important that school psychologists be knowledgeable of the effects of pharmacological interventions. The third article (Brock, 2006) examines the changing rates of autism in special education using data from the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education included "Autism" as a specific special education eligibility category beginning in 1991, whereas previously students with ASD who required special education assistance were identified as eligible by meeting other eligibility category criteria (e.g., mental retardation, speech/language impairment). This article explores whether classification substitution may be an explanation for increases in the number of students found eligible for special education using the autism criteria. The trends illustrate that as the rates of autism classification have gone up, the classification rates of mental retardation (MR), emotional disturbance (ED), and specific learning disability (SLD) have gone down. The author concludes that it is possible that the increased numbers of students found eligible for special education using autism criteria are at least in part a function of IEP teams being increasingly more willing and able to use autism criteria instead of MR, ED, and SLD criteria. …

The California School Psychologist Provides Valuable Information Regarding Response- to-Intervention Approaches to Support Early and Sustained Success for All Students

The California School Psychologist Provides Valuable Information Regarding Response- to-Intervention Approaches to Support Early and Sustained Success for All Students

The California School Psychologist Provides Valuable Information Regarding Strength-Based Assessment, Youth Development, and School Success

This issue of The California School Psychologist includes important information regarding strengthbased assessment in facilitating youth development and school success. This collection of articles provides valuable insights that will inform contemporary school psychologists working in the schools, as well as contribute to the foundation and future direction of scholarship in the field of school psychology. Previous articles published in The California School Psychologist, including those in the recent volume addressing school engagement, are available on-line at www.education.ucsb.edu/schoolpsychology.

The California School Psychologist Provides Valuable Information Regarding School Engagement, Youth Development, and School Success

The California School Psychologist Provides Valuable Information Regarding School Engagement, Youth Development, and School Success

The California School Psychologist as a Quintessential Resource

The California School Psychologist is a quintessential resource providing valuable information to promote the academic success and facilitate the developmental trajectories of diverse students. Articles published in The California School Psychologist enhance knowledge, science, and practice related to school psychology. Each year over 4,000 volumes of The California School Psychologist journal are distributed directly to school psychologists and other educational professionals. In addition, many professionals seek out manuscripts published in The California School Psychologist upon revealing articles of interest in searches of international electronic literature databases (e.g., ERIC, developed by the US Department of Education and PsycINFO, developed by the American Psychological Association). Other professionals access the contents of The California School Psychologist on the world-wide-web at www.education.ucsb.edu/school-psychology. Articles in this volume provide important information addressing an assortment of important is- sues in the field, including: the translation and validation of four nonverbal subtests of the Differential Abilities Scales (DAS) for use with Spanish speaking students; applied research examining family- centered practices in an ethnically diverse elementary school; consultation, collaboration, and support for new teachers; a longitudinal study providing further insights regarding the association between grade retention and school dropout; a synthesis of best practices in assessing kindergarten readiness; and the use of a formative program portfolio process to enhance graduate school psychology training. The following highlights from each article provide an overview of the topics addressed in this volume. The first article (Sandoval, Antunez-Bellatin, & Lewis, 2002) provides a summary of the transla- tion and validation of the (DAS) nonverbal scales for use with Spanish-speaking children. The exi- gency of appropriate assessments of cognitive skills for Spanish speaking children is increasing as individuals of Latino descent has grown by sixty percent nationally. Moreover, in States such as California and Texas, Latino youth are emerging as the majority, growing sixteen percent faster than any other group during the past decade. This article begins by describing procedures that may be used to translate test directions of a test from one language to another. This study includes administration of the Spanish translation version of the four nonverbal DAS subtests to a referred population of 97 Spanish speaking children. In addition, students were assessed with the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (TONI), the Comprehensive Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (CTONI), and the Woodcock-Munoz Lan- guage Survey. The analyses yield preliminary evidence of internal validity, concurrent validity, and construct validity. The authors suggest that the Spanish translation of the DAS nonverbal subtests may provide a more standard administration of this assessment to Spanish-speaking students. Finally, the authors encourage further research exploring the Spanish translation of the DAS nonverbal subtests. The second article (Ho, Robinette, & Gonzales, 2002) examines family-centered practices in an ethnically diverse elementary school. Considering the current context of education policies advocat-

The California School Psychologist as a Catalyst for Change

The California School Psychologist as a Catalyst for Change

The California School Psychologist in the 21st Century

The California School Psychologist in the 21st Century

Affective Variables and Mathematics Education

to general feelings such as liking/disliking of mathematics, nor is it meant to exclude perceptions of the difficulty, usefulness, and appropriateness of mathematics as a school subject. There are several ways affective variables are related to mathematics learning. It is likely that a student who feels very positive about mathematics will achieve at a higher level than a student who has a negative attitude toward mathematics. It is also likely that a high achiever will enjoy mathematics more than a student who

Teachers' Reported Practices of Parent Involvement: Problems and Possibilities

added by over 1,000 teachers to a survey of teachers' practices. Results of the survey of 3,700 teachers in about 600 schools in Maryland are described in Becker and Epstein (in this issue). The teachers' comments reflect the variation in years of experience and in the number and types of contacts individual teachers have had with parents. Each theme can be viewed from two perspectives-there are potential advantages, but there are also potential problems, with any parent-involvement technique. Teachers' comments reveal their contrasting opinions on the benefits expected from parent assistance at home and on the organizational structures used to conduct parent-involvement activities. Some teachers are very positive about parent involvement; others have been discouraged by their attempts to communicate and work with parents.