Implications For Consultants Research Articles

RTI, Equity, and the Return to the Status Quo: Implications for Consultants

ABSTRACTThe federal RTI policy came into effect in 2004, and saw widespread diffusion. The culture of policy framework explicates the design inherent to the life cycles of equity-oriented top-down policies – how they get made, spread, and mutate. In this critical qualitative inquiry, we interviewed six white teachers about RTI, and their experiences of using its principles to serve Black students. Using the culture of policy framework, we conducted theoretical thematic analysis of the interview data to understand the rituals and ideologies driving the local enactments of RTI. Main findings involved a compliance-driven RTI, and deficit-based interpretations of students’ poor responses to inadequate Tier 2/3 supports. Tiers became a typology for classifying students similar to special education labels. These findings provide a glimpse into RTI’s appropriation into the existing system. We discuss recommendations to help consultants develop transformative anti-oppressive practice.

Relationships Between Home Literacy Practices and School Achievement: Implications for Consultation and Home–School Collaboration

ABSTRACTIn a 5-year longitudinal study of typical literacy development (Grades 1–5 or 3–7), relationships were examined between (a) parental responses to questionnaires about home literacy activities and ratings of children’s self-regulation at home, both completed annually by the same parent, and (b) children’s reading and writing achievement assessed annually at the university. Higher reading and writing achievement correlated with engaging in more home literacy activities. Parental help or monitoring of home literacy activities was greater for low-achieving than for high-achieving readers or writers. Children engaged more minutes per week in reading than writing activities at home, but parents provided more help with writing and reported computers were used more for homework than for school literacy instruction. Parental ratings of self-regulation of attention remained stable, but executive functions—goal-setting, hyperactivity, and impulsivity—tended to improve. Results are translated into consultation tips for literacy learning and best professional practices.

Understanding the Socioemotional Worlds of English Learners: A Retrospective Study

ABSTRACTThis mixed-methods study examined the socioemotional experiences of 57 alumni of language support programs (i.e., English as a second language, bilingual education) to identify effects of being English learners (ELs). Findings revealed the need for multicultural sensitivity to ELs, bullying episodes, social exclusion, and not disclosing negative experiences. Participants valued opportunities to meet diverse peers, appreciated teacher support, and viewed negative experiences as a source of motivation to achieve. Participants with greater numbers of negative experiences were less connected to ethnic communities, were more marginalized by their ethnic peers, and had lower school belonging. School- based support was correlated with school belonging and overall perceptions of support. Years in ESL classrooms was correlated with negative affect. Support from school and family along with ethnic identity and sense of connection to ethnic community were significant predictors of positive affect. Findings have implications for consultation and professional development of personnel working with ELs.

Teacher Beliefs and Stress

The first of two studies provided validity data on the Teacher Irrational Belief Scale that measures a set of beliefs of teachers previous research has found to be associated with teacher stress. Employing a sample of 850 primary and secondary teachers in Australia, an exploratory factor analysis resulted in four distinct factors: Self-downing, Authoritarianism, Demands for Justice, and Low Frustration Tolerance. These four sub-scales demonstrated adequate internal reliability and correlated with self-ratings of stress occasioned by different teaching stressors. In a second study, 140 teachers and 26 teachers retired from teaching because of stress completed the Teacher Irrational Belief Scale and a measure of teacher stress. Teachers retired from teaching due to stress scored higher on sub-scales of Self-downing and Low Frustration Tolerance than teachers still teaching. These results are discussed in terms of Ellis’ theory of REBT and implications for consultants and teacher educators offering stress management programs and support for teachers.

Workplace diversity management in Australia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify Australian managers’ attitudes and understandings regarding workforce diversity management (WDM) and the practices and incorporation of WDM in organisations. Design/methodology/approach – Methodology is quantitative. A questionnaire in the form of a self-administered survey instrument was mailed to 650 managers (325 HR managers and 325 other managers) in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Findings – The research found that workforce diversity is not especially well understood or appreciated; especially by non-HR managers. Organisations appear generally not to prioritise WDM and levels of senior manager engagement with the topic are tentative. Statistical analysis highlighted considerable divergence of opinion across the surveyed group. Research limitations/implications – As an exploratory study, further research is encouraged to better understand cause and effect relationships pertaining to the findings. Practical implications – There are implications for HR managers or those in related roles who might design, implement and promote WDM initiatives. There are implications for consultants, employees and senior managers regarding education, awareness and support of diversity objectives. Originality/value – Addresses a gap in the literature by looking at contemporary attitudes and practices regarding WDM in Australian organisations. Provides the first empirical comparison between HR and other managers on the topic.

The 2002 Conference on the Future of School Psychology: Implications for Consultation, Intervention, and Prevention Services

In November 2002, the multisite Conference on the Future of School Psychology was sponsored by major professional associations of school psychologists. Conference goals included achieving consensus on current and future demands for school, conceptualizing the practice of school psychology in the face of diminishing numbers and increasing demand for services, and developing an agenda to use school psychology resources to maximize the benefits to the children and schools. Consultation, intervention, and prevention were major themes in all conference activities. The present article provides an overview of the conference and a summary of issues and outcomes from the conference that relate to educational and psychological consultation services.

A Bhutanese tertiary education consultancy case study: Introducing the institutional zone of proximal development

This paper identifies an overarching strategy that consultants can use to focus institutional level development work: the institutional zone of proximal development (IZPD). The paper explicates the IZPD concept following Vygotsky (1978). The case study of distance education course development in tertiary education in Bhutan illustrates the six processes within the IZPD that supported successful implementation. Evidence showed that the consultancy had contributed to the institutionalisation of change. Three implications for consultants using the IZPD are presented. The concept of the IZPD is new to the development literature.

Implementation as a Focus of Consultation to Evaluate Academic Tutoring Services in an Urban School District: A Case Study Example

This article describes a multiagency initiative to evaluate academic tutoring services by focusing on the processes that contribute to effective program implementation. Community-based tutoring service providers serving students in the Cincinnati Public Schools (OH) partnered to initiate a “Seal of Approval” process for promoting evidence-based practices among tutoring providers, assigning merit to effective programs, and eliminating or remediating ineffective practices. The consultant-driven process evaluation was designed to be fair and equitable among an array of tutoring service providers. This case example has implications for consultants, tutoring program directors, and school district administrators seeking to establish an accountability system for tutoring service providers.

Health Beliefs and Over-the-Counter Product Use

Pharmacists are often consulted as medical advisors. Given this case, customers and pharmacists should interact in a trustful way (eg, in terms of responding to customer's needs or recommending a different drug). Consideration of the health beliefs of the customer could improve the interaction between pharmacists and their clients and have a positive impact on medical adherence. To examine the health beliefs of pharmacy customers in Germany, the impact of those beliefs on over-the-counter (OTC) medication use, and associations with sociodemographic variables. By means of literature review and methodical surveys, a standardized questionnaire was designed that contained 68 items concerning health beliefs, habits of OTC product use, decision criteria that customers used when purchasing drugs, and information about the sociodemographic background of the participants. Main outcome measures were reliability (Cronbach's alpha) and correlations. A random sample of 58 pharmacies in Saxony, Germany (10 questionnaires per pharmacy), invited their customers to take part in our study. One hundred twenty-three questionnaires (response rate 53.48%) were completed and returned to us. The outcome suggests that there is a strong association between health beliefs and frequency of use or the type of OTC drug (eg, illness attributions: p < 0.05; preventive lifestyle: p < 0.05). There were no significant associations between sociodemographic variables and chosen drugs. Health beliefs, in terms of the general attitude toward health and illness, illness attribution, prevention, and the attitude toward treatment strategies, influence the kind of remedy (conventional vs complementary medication) that consumers seek. These results may have implications for consultations in pharmacies or for product marketing.

Training Teachers to Give Effective Commands: Effects on Student Compliance and Academic Behaviors

This study examined the effects of effective command training with teachers on students' compliance rates and academic engagement. Three target students were selected who were exhibiting compliance rates substantially below peers. The students' teachers were taught how to provide effective commands. Results indicated that students' rates of compliance increased with increased use of effective commands. When verbal praise was added contingent on compliance, students' rates of compliance increased even more. In addition, academic engagement was shown to increase as student compliance increased and disruptive competing behaviors decreased. Implications for consultation and intervention in the classroom to increase student compliance and academic behaviors are discussed.

Prevention Through Consultation: A Model to Guide Future Developments in the Field of School Psychology

The Invitational Conference on the Future of School Psychology held at Indiana University in 2002 had implications for consultation. It addressed projected shortages in school psychologists that provide a rationale for service delivery models integrating consultation and prevention. The conference discussed the need for effective work with children, families, and professionals from diverse cultures; success in fostering productive home-school connections; optimal and ethical use of rapidly changing technologies; and the use of empirical evidence to inform practice. This article presents a model of consultation and prevention informed by recent research in positive psychology as well as public health models. This model is discussed in the context of these and other important developments in the field of school psychology.

The 2002 Conference on the Future of School Psychology: Implications for Consultation, Intervention, and Prevention Services

In November 2002, the multisite Conference on the Future of School Psychology was sponsored by major professional associations of school psychologists. Conference goals included achieving consensus on current and future demands for school, conceptualizing the practice of school psychology in the face of diminishing numbers and increasing demand for services, and developing an agenda to use school psychology resources to maximize the benefits to the children and schools. Consultation, intervention, and prevention were major themes in all conference activities. The present article provides an overview of the conference and a summary of issues and outcomes from the conference that relate to educational and psychological consultation services.

The 2002 Conference on the Future of School Psychology: Implications for Consultation, Intervention, and Prevention Services

The 2002 Conference on the Future of School Psychology: Implications for Consultation, Intervention, and Prevention Services

The Internet and School Psychology Practice

ABSTRACT The Internet's potential impact on school psychology is assessed. Particular attention is given to e-mail, the most common method of communication on the Internet. Discussion focuses on implications for consultation, professional development, parent and teacher training, counseling, and assessment. Although research at present is limited, the Internet seems to hold the most promise for enhancing con sultation, professional development, and parent and teacher training. The relative absence of research and ethical guidelines should preclude widespread use of the Internet in assessment and counseling. Nonetheless, with the appropriate safeguards, online peer support groups might become a viable adjunct to counseling for older students. Guidelines for practice are offered and relevant ethical issues are addressed.

The Ottawa Mental Skills Assessment Tool (OMSAT-3*)

The purpose of the present study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Ottawa Mental Skills Assessment Tool (OMSAT-3), an instrument developed to measure a broad range of mental skills (Salmela, 1992). The OMSAT-3 was administered to 335 athletes from 35 different sports. An initial first-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that the model displayed an inadequate fit, which led to the postulation of a more robust version, the OMSAT-3*. A CFA on this latter version, which included 48 items and 12 mental skill scales grouped under three broader conceptual components—foundation, psychosomatic, and cognitive skills—indicated that the proposed model fit well the data. A second-order CFA assessing the validity of the three broader conceptual components also yielded adequate indices of fit. The OMSAT-3* significantly discriminated between competitive and elite level athletes and its scales yielded acceptable internal consistency and temporal stability. Implications for consultants, coaches, and researchers are discussed.

Acceptability of Rewards Among High School Teachers, Parents, Students, and Administrators: Ecological Implications for Consultation at the High School Level

Although rewards play a critical role in virtually all intervention plans generated by behavioral consultants, we have virtually no knowledge of which specific rewards and reward categories are acceptable to the various constituents of consultation services. A participant-generated survey was designed and administered to assess the acceptability of 90 different rewards from the perspective of persons occupying different positions in the ecosystems of high school students (i.e., high school teachers, parents, administrators, and students themselves). Findings of this exploratory study revealed that none of the seven reward categories that were studied were viewed as highly acceptable across all surveyed groups. With the possible exception of academic activities, which had reasonably strong support among all the participant groups, important differences were found across the reward categories when comparing the ratings of adults versus students. An examination of the individual survey items revealed only a small handful of rewards that received at least moderate support among all the constituent groups. Difficulties facing behavioral consultants in high school settings are discussed, along with the need for more research addressing persuasion and interpersonal influence as potential mechanisms for enhancing reward acceptability.

General education teachers' knowledge and self-reported use of classroom interventions for working with difficult-to-teach students: Implications for consultation, prereferral intervention and inclusive services.

General education teachers' knowledge and self-reported use of classroom interventions for working with difficult-to-teach students: Implications for consultation, prereferral intervention and inclusive services.

The Impact of Consultant Race and Student Race on Perceptions of Consultant Effectiveness and Intervention Acceptability

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of consultant race (African American and Euro-American) and child race (African American and Euro-American) on intervention acceptability and consultant credibility. Participants listened to an audiotape of a consultation session about a kindergarten boy who did not speak in class. After listening to the tape, the participants Completed questionnaires that measured their perceptions of intervention acceptability and consultant credibility. Results of two 2 x 2 multivariate analyses of variance indicated no significant effects for consultant race or child race. The results are discussed in terms of implications for consultants and clients of color.

Communication and Interaction Patterns in French Immersion Classrooms: Implications for Consultation

This observation study in French immersion elementary programs was carried out in six class rooms over an eight-week period. An observation grid was developed for use in order to determine the predominant language and the type of communication strategies used by teachers and students. The results indicated that: (a) communication in French was maximized in the whole-class classroom grouping; (b) the greatest variely of communication in both French and English occurred in student-to-student interactions; (c) the greatest number of student-initiated interactions occurred in the small-group classroom grouping; (d) student-initinted interactions predominated in discussing, social, and discipline/acting out communications; (e) French was the predominant language used for asking, telling, and discipline/acting out communications, while English was the predominant language used for social communications and both languages were used for discussing communications; (f) French was the predominant language in all subject areas. Study findings are discussed in terms of their implications for school psychology consultation practices that involve school psychologists and teachers.

Contributions of Developmental Psychology to Understanding Revision: Implications for Consultation with Classroom Teachers

Revision is an important component of the writing process, but many young writers find it difficult to make effective revisions to their work. The goal of this article is to review research from developmental psychology that has analyzed the nature of typical children's difficulties with the revision process during the elementary school years. Specifically, studies relying on the “error detection paradigm,” in which children are asked to review prepared texts containing embedded errors, have revealed that children tend to overestimate their own and others' comprehension of text, and that as a consequence of this tendency they do not identify the specific areas of the text that could benefit from revision. However, additional studies have found that once children have identified a potential problem for the reader they are generally able to revise the text successfully. In addition, training in strategies designed to encourage children to evaluate the comprehensibility of the text also has been found to enhance their ability to revise. Although this research has been conducted with typical students, the results have implications for the assessment and instruction of students with writing difficulties.