Implications For School Psychologists Research Articles

Tootling: current research and future considerations for school practitioners

Tootling is an interdependent group contingency designed as an intervention to be implemented in classrooms in order to meet students’ vast behavioral and academic needs by increasing academically engaged behavior, decreasing disruptive behavior, and subsequently leading to increases in student academic achievement. Tootling supports a positive classroom climate by providing teachers with an opportunity to use classroom management strategies to address inappropriate student behavior. This article reviewed the available literature on tootling studies in order to determine gaps for future research. Next steps for school psychologists involving tootling research is discussed including future lines of tootling research and the importance of tootling for school-based practitioners. More research is necessitated to understand more about tootling and its implications for school psychologists.

A Model of Performative Racial Ally Behavior: Implications for School Psychology

Over the last several years, the field of school psychology as a whole has become increasingly focused on racism and antiracism. With this focus, many white school psychologists have turned their attention to the foundational research, practice, and advocacy work that School Psychologists of Color have been building for over a century; however, given white people’s inevitable complicity in racism, their engagement in these efforts presents opportunities for them to cause further harm. The purpose of this paper is to describe performative racial allyship (PRA) and its implications for school psychologists. Drawing from existing work by various Scholars of Color, we define, deconstruct, and interrogate PRA as a corrosive, counterproductive, and pervasive phenomenon in this field. We also introduce a model of PRA which locates, identifies, and compares performative and authentic ally behavior. We urge scholars and practitioners–primarily those who are white–to deeply introspect, authentically listen to Scholars and Activists of Color, and demand systemic change in service of racial liberation. Impact Statement In recent years, the field of school psychology as a whole has become increasingly focused on racism in schools. Building on the seminal works of many Scholars of Color, this article describes the nature of performative racial allyship (PRA) and its implications for disrupting progress toward racial justice in the profession and K-12 settings. Particular emphasis is placed on white school psychologists’ engagement in PRA, given their long history of inflicting racial harm in the U.S.

Associations between teacher stress and school leadership: A mixed methods study with implications for school psychologists.

School psychologists have the psychological and consultative expertise necessary to support teachers who are vulnerable to stress. Transactional theory offers a lens to guide such support, as it posits that each teacher's unique appraisals of their work demands and resources determine the degree to which they are at risk for stress. This study used a multiphase sequential mixed method design with a transactional theory lens to examine the association of leadership quality and stability with teachers' ratings of workplace conditions. The four phases consisted of (a) input from an expert panel, (b) scale development and validation, (c) interviews with key informants, and (d) multilevel modeling informed by all previous phases. Through key informant interviews, district-level administrators provided ratings of the quality and stability of school leadership. The researchers examined the associations between these ratings and teacher appraisals of classroom demands, classroom resources, job satisfaction, and perceived levels of instructional support collected via a district-wide climate survey. Multilevel models with key informant ratings and school characteristics at Level 2 (Nschools = 47) and teacher characteristics and perceptions at Level 1 (Nteachers = 1,850) demonstrated that the quality and stability of school leadership were associated with teachers' appraisals of their occupational demands and resources, job satisfaction, and ratings of instructional support. Findings show that the quality and stability of school leadership play an important role in the incidence of stress vulnerability, suggesting important pathways for school psychologists seeking to promote the occupational health of teachers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Perception of School Counsellors on Family Therapy as a Panacea to the Phenomenon of Empty Nest Syndrome in Southwest, Nigeria

This study examined the perception of school counselors on family therapy as a panacea to the phenomenon of empty nest syndrome in Southwest Nigeria. The target population of the study was all school counsellors in Southwest Nigeria. The sample consisted of 1200 school counsellors representing 200 from each of the six states of the Southwest Nigeria using the multi stage sampling approach. A questionnaire was self-developed by the researcher to collect data for the study. The content validity of the instrument was established and the instrument was subjected to reliability test using test retest approach in which Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient formula was used to establish the coefficient. The Coefficient of 0.75 was obtained for the instrument which was considered high enough for the instrument. Four hypotheses were raised to pilot the study and the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance. Data collected were analyzed using t-test statistics where two means were being compared while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze data where more than two means were being compared. The findings of this study revealed that there were significant differences in respondents’ responses on family counseling as an antidote to empty nest syndrome based on religion [F(2,1197)=8.61;P<.05], years of working experience [F(3,1196)=2.87;p<.05] and educational qualifications [F(3,1196)=3.32;P<.05], but there was no significant difference based on gender of respondents. The findings of this study have implications for school psychologists, school guidance counselors and educationists alike. It was therefore recommended that family therapy should be given a chance by practicing school counselors to help mitigate the effects of empty nest syndrome among parents in Southwest Nigeria. Keywords: School counselors’ perception, Empty nest syndrome, Family therapy.

Students' Perceptions of COVID-19 Stress and Internalizing Problems: Is Social Support a Buffer?

The current study investigated the associations among student perceptions of COVID-19 stress, internalizing problems, and school social support (teacher and classmate support) and how these relations differed across elementary/middle and high school students. Based on data from 526 4th- through 12th-grade students from a school district in the Northeast, we found that COVID-19-related stress was significantly related to internalizing problems for all students, regardless of grade level. We also found that teacher social support, but not classmate social support, buffered the positive relation between COVID-19 stress and internalizing problems. The results of the current study have implications for school psychologists, counselors, social workers, and other educators in alleviating COVID-19-related stress in students and associated symptoms of internalizing problems in students. As the pandemic unwinds, future research should examine the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for students with marginalized identities, and how teacher and/or peer support may play a role in buffering these stressors for students.

Supporting Indigenous Child Suicide Prevention Within Classrooms in Canada: Implications for School Psychologists and Educators

Indigenous young people in Canada are disproportionately overrepresented in suicide rates and alarmingly, young children are accounted for in these disparities. Since children spend much of their day at school, schools are a vital context for suicide prevention, identification, and intervention. However, research indicates that educators often report that they feel unprepared to address mental health challenges within the classroom. Indigenous communities are developing community driven responses to suicide that are culturally relevant and strengths based. It is critical that these models are considered when developing such suicide prevention within schools as they diverge from medicalized focused approaches and attend to broader social dimensions. It is imperative that educators and the education system are properly equipped with the training and resources to provide suicide prevention within schools and communities servicing Indigenous children. School psychologists can play an important role in providing this prevention leadership. Through interviews with educators, we learned about the types of supports that are needed within schools to address Indigenous child suicide, and in what ways school psychologists could enhance prevention efforts. Using a reflexive approach to thematic analysis, we identified four main themes related to support needed. Findings are discussed in conversation with the current state of child specific suicide and suicide prevention literature. Applied implications for suicide prevention within schools for Indigenous children, as well as future research and community-based recommendations are considered.

Cultural Adaptation of an Educator Social–Emotional Learning Program to Support Indigenous Students

Supporting Indigenous students’ social–emotional learning (SEL) is important given the systemic impact of colonialism that has contributed to their higher mental health and academic disparities compared to White students. One way to promote SEL is through professional development for educators, yet there has been little research on the development of SEL programs that are culturally responsive to Indigenous people and contexts. The purpose of this study is to highlight the process of culturally adapting a social–emotional program, Educators Navigating and Generating Approaches for Genuine Empowerment (ENGAGE), for educators at a school located in a tribal nation in the Rocky Mountain region. Driven by transformative SEL and tribal critical race theory, we coadapted ENGAGE with community members through community-based participatory research. Through thematic analysis, we examined the unique values and culturally responsive considerations that arose during the research process. Five themes emerged from the data: (1) Understanding resilience in the face of trauma; (2) Fostering culture and traditions; (3) Building Relationships, respect, and reciprocity; (4) Highlighting the core role of educators in SEL; and (5) Educators supporting each other. Implications for school psychologists, including considerations for decolonizing research and practice, are discussed. Impact Statement In partnership with an Indigenous community, this study highlights how to culturally adapt educator professional development programs to align with Indigenous students’ values and cultures. Results show the importance of integrating Indigenous community members’ voices and leveraging their cultural strengths in order to support their children in schools.

Management of narcolepsy at school: Implications for school psychologists

AbstractNarcolepsy is not a common disorder, with best estimates finding it affects only about .025–.05% of the population. Nonetheless, it is a vital disorder for school psychologists to be familiar with on the basis that its symptoms frequently first occur during childhood and adolescence. If undiagnosed, this disorder causes significant distress and disadvantage to the student as well as frustration and difficulty for school staff. It is surprising that narcolepsy has received almost no attention in the school psychology literature. This article provides school psychologists with an overview of the central features, causes, diagnosis and treatment of narcolepsy in young people. It then outlines school management of the disorder, with specific consideration of the role of the school psychologist.

“I often have to explain to school staff what she needs”. School experiences of non-autistic siblings growing up with an autistic brother or sister

BackgroundRecent autism research has evidenced a shift from psychological outcomes to contextualised approaches to understanding the varying needs of non autistic siblings of autistic children across different systems. Yet, there is limited research exploring the lived experiences of siblings in their school context. MethodsFirst, a group of school aged sibling advisors worked with the first author to codesign research aims, methods and dissemination practices around the topic of the school experiences of siblings who grow up with an autistic brother or sister in the UK. Then, 28 school-aged siblings of autistic children completed adapted photo-elicitation interviews, to discuss their school experiences. A background questionnaire was also administered to their parents and carers. ResultsThematic analysis was employed. The master themes included: (i) Impact of home experiences in schoolwork, including limited personal time and sleep disruptions (ii) Siblings’ school interactions impact on overall school experience, including a wide range of both typical and difficult experiences such as school day disruptions, (iii) Varied perceived levels of support and understanding, including emotional and/or educational support by family members and a sense of connectedness with peers and teachers who are autistic themselves or connected to someone with a diagnosis of autism. ImplicationsThe results underline the ways home experiences can have an impact on school life of siblings, the positive contribution of the autistic school staff and/or staff who have an autistic family member and the need for an organisational culture of inclusivity and widespread acceptance and awareness around issues of neurodiversity. Our findings suggest several implications for school psychologists in core functions of the educational psychologists’ role including training, consultation, assessment, and whole school support. Data availability statementThe datasets generated for this study are not readily available because they include sensitive data (photos of siblings’ houses, family members, personal objects, and school timetables). Requests to access the datasets should be directed to corresponding author.

Gender and sexuality alliance advisors' perceptions of self‐efficacy and social emotional competency: An exploratory study

AbstractThe presence of a Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) reduces risk for sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth across a variety of domains, but little is known about the adult advisor‐level variables contributing to these observed benefits. This study explored relationships between advisors' tenure, receipt of professional development, self‐efficacy, and social emotional competencies (SECs). Participants (N = 167) completed an online survey measuring their own social‐emotional competencies and their perceived self‐efficacy as a GSA advisor. As hypothesized, results demonstrated relationships between advisor tenure and self‐efficacy and between advisor receipt of professional development and self‐efficacy. Further, advisor SEC significantly predicted self‐efficacy, and both receipt of professional development and SEC positively predicted perceived self‐efficacy, as well. Findings point to opportunities for providing training to GSA advisors, with a focus on SEC to increase their efficacy in working with SGM youth. Implications for school psychologists are discussed.

Hope as an engine mediating the relation between parental attachment and social problem solving skills in adolescents

Research has consistently supported the significance of parental attachment in behavioral development during adolescence. Based on the attachment theory and the engine of well-being model, the current study examined the mediating effect of hope in the relation between parental attachment and social problem-solving skills in Chinese early adolescents (N = 745, 6th to 8th grade, age range 11 to 15 years, mean = 12.76, SD = 0.74). Data were collected across two time points, with six months between each time. After confirming the measurement model, the structural equation modeling analysis results showed that hope fully mediated the relation between maternal and paternal attachment, respectively, and social problem-solving skills. The findings are consistent with previous research conducted in the United States showing the mediating role of hope in the relation between family resources and adolescents’ positive goal-directed behavior. These findings also support the application of the attachment theory and the engine of well-being model in Chinese culture and possibly Eastern culture in general. Implications for school psychologists and other mental health professionals to help parents understand how they influence adolescents’ social problem-solving skills (via hope), especially in the Eastern cultural context, are discussed.

Associations between school-related factors and mental health among transgender and gender diverse youth

Transgender and gender diverse youth (TGD) report high rates of mental health concerns. However, there is reason to expect that among TGD youth there is variation in mental health experiences related to specific aspects of gender identity. Furthermore, although certain school characteristics are related to improved mental health for sexual minority youth, it is unclear whether the same school characteristics are associated with improved mental health for TGD youth and whether gender identity moderates the associations between school characteristics and mental health. Using baseline data from Project AVANT, a longitudinal study of TGD youth ages 14–18 years in the United States (N = 252), we report on several mental health outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, nonsuicidal self-injury, and PTSD), with attention to differences by gender identity. Secondly, we examined associations of three protective school-related factors (i.e., school-connectedness, presence of a Gay-Straight or Gender-Sexuality Alliance [GSA], and state mandated protections for sexual and gender minority students) with TGD youth mental health. TGD youth reported elevated levels of anxious and depressive symptoms, with nonbinary youth assigned female at birth reporting higher mean depressive symptoms relative to transgender females. Among the aggregate sample of TGD youth, 69.9% reported clinically significant anxiety, 57.9% reported clinically significant depression, 56.7% reported nonsuicidal self-injury, and 46.4% met screening criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder. Despite a small effect size, greater school-connectedness was significantly associated with fewer mental health concerns and gender identity moderated the association between school-connectedness and number of anxiety symptoms. Gender identity also moderated the association between presence of a GSA and number of anxious symptoms, depressive symptoms, and clinically significant depression, respectively. No significant associations of state-level protections and mental health outcomes were detected. Findings highlight the importance of improving mental health and fostering GSA-engagement and school-connectedness among TGD youth. Implications for school psychologists are discussed.

Teaching Emotion Regulation: K-12 Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices across the Curriculum

Students can gain a range of skills and knowledge from interactions in schools, including emotional competencies such as regulation of emotions. Teachers are positioned to support students’ development of emotion regulation in the social context of school. We sought to determine K-12 teachers’ sense of responsibility, preparation, engagement, comfort, and approach to teaching students emotion regulation. The quantitative and qualitative data we gathered from 155 general K-12 classroom teachers revealed a sense of responsibility, low preparation, varied engagement, and low to moderate comfort. We found differences by grade levels, school location, and teacher education level. There was moderate alignment between how the teachers regulate their emotions and the emotion regulation processes they teach their students. We share implications for school psychologists and suggest multiple directions for future research.

School psychologists’ decisions regarding bullying as related to research and professional development

• School psychologists identified student conflicts as more severe when they include a power imbalance and repeated harm. • Conflicts were identified as bullying, more severe, and requiring intervention when they included repeated harm and a power imbalance. • Degrees of professional development did not seem to impact identifying bullying or degree adult intervention was required. This aims of this study were to understand if school psychologists use research literature to guide their conceptualizations of bullying and necessity of adult intervention and whether professional development aids in this conceptualization. A sample of 151 school psychologists read conflicts between students and rated the degree to which the conflict was bullying, how severe the conflict was, and the degree to which adult intervention was necessary. Conflicts were either reflective of bullying as defined within the research (causes harm, is repetitive, and has a power imbalance) or a variation of these features and therefore reflective of a non-bullying conflict. Bivariate analyses indicated that participants that correctly identified bullying scenarios rated these scenarios as more severe. Paired sample t -tests indicated that school psychologists adhere to the research-based definition of bullying for both conceptualization of bullying and determining adult intervention. Finally, mixed ANOVAS indicated that professional development was unrelated to school psychologists’ decision making. Implications for school psychologists are discussed.

School Psychologists as Preschool Consultants: Scaling up Classroom-Based Program-Wide Positive Behavior Supports

ABSTRACT Implementation of multi-tiered frameworks for supporting staff behavior in preschools requires collaboration with skilled professionals. Given their training and skillset, school psychologists are uniquely equipped to fill this role; however, limited existing research guides practitioners in maximizing their potential as systems-level consultants in preschools, specifically through the application of systems-level behavioral consultation (BC). This paper provides a detailed description of how two school psychologists applied systems-level BC to address the needs of one preschool, resulting in the implementation of a classroom coaching intervention. Coaching, which focused on staff’s use of Pyramid Model practices in the classroom, consisted of systematic observations and performance feedback across 10 classrooms. Three skills were targeted for improvement: Teaching Expectations, Praise, and Teaching Social Skills. A multiple baseline design showed increases in staff’s skill implementation, and consultees found systems-level BC acceptable. Implications for school psychologists’ role as consultants in preschools are discussed.

Gender minoritized students and academic engagement in Brazilian adolescents: Risk and protective factors

Gender minoritized students experience unique challenges in their school environments that may have consequences for their educational outcomes, including academic engagement. The goal of the current study was to understand the association between gender identity and academic engagement among adolescents attending public high schools in Paraná, Brazil (N = 10,828). In particular, student perceptions of student-teacher relationships, school rule fairness and clarity, school-wide academic engagement, and peer victimization were examined as four facilitator/barrier factors that may account for lower levels of academic engagement for gender minoritized students as compared to their cisgender peers, and these processes were tested for differences across race/ethnicity. Public high school students (ages 12–18 years) completed an in-class survey assessing their gender identities, perceptions of the school environment, and academic engagement. Gender minoritized students reported significantly lower levels of academic engagement as compared to their cisgender peers. They also reported less clear and fair school rules, lower levels of school-wide academic engagement, and higher levels of victimization. These facilitator/barrier variables partially accounted for the lower levels of academic engagement reported by gender minoritized students. No significant differences were observed for gender identity according to race/ethnicity. These findings suggest that facilitators/barriers that account for academic engagement for students in general partially explain gender identity-related disparities, and the implications for school psychologists are discussed.

There's no place like home: Exploring sexual and gender diverse youth's outcomes related to urban/nonurban settings, opted consent procedure, and social support

AbstractThis study uses the minority stress model to examine the relationship between sexual and gender diverse youth's (SGDY's) emotional and peer problem outcomes with their school setting (i.e., attending school in an urban or nonurban setting) and consent type (i.e., parental/guardian or waived consent). The study also explores how social support can alter these relationships as a protective factor. The instruments used to collect data were self‐report and included the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Results indicated that more youth in nonurban settings experienced emotional and peer problems compared to those in urban settings, and youth who opted for waived consent endorsed fewer emotional and peer problems compared to youth who opted for parental/guardian consent. When controlling for social support, the consent procedure and school setting variables lost significance. Implications for school psychologists are reviewed.

Understanding Protective Factors for Suicidality and Depression Among U.S. Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents: Implications for School Psychologists

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth experience higher rates of adverse mental health outcomes, most notably suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). The current study examines risk and protective factors for STBs and depression among 1,078 youth in high schools. We examine these outcomes through an intersectional lens, and we extend the use of the minority stress theory framework by focusing on resilience and protective factors and argue that bias against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth should be addressed at the systemic, rather than the individual, level. Our findings suggest that family support is a notable factor protective of depression and suicide-related behavior among LGBTQ youth. Additionally, peer support, help-seeking beliefs, access to medical and counseling services, engaging in healthy activities, spirituality, and having trusted adults are protective factors for some groups. The nuanced findings in this study offer suggestions for school psychologists and professionals to promote healthy and safe school environments. Impact Statement The present study addresses the prevalence of suicide among LGBTQ adolescents and protective factors that may buffer their heightened risk. LGBTQ students are not inherently at risk because of their identities, but because of stigmatization they may face in society. As such, recommendations are provided to guide school psychologists and other professionals to foster a safe and inclusive environment for this population to reduce suicide risk.

Analysis of Safety Policy Making: Implications for School Psychologists

Despite data indicating that schools are safe, and safer today than they were 20 years ago, it is not uncommon for both the general public and school policymakers to exaggerate safety threats following high-fatality school shootings such as the attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Often this leads to reactionary policies not supported by science. This paper reviews current school safety policy making efforts, with special attention directed to a policy analysis conducted by the Education Commission of the States, reviews the literature surrounding school safety approaches, and draws contrasts between the two. Implications for school psychology practice and for school safety advocacy are discussed.

Tipping Point: Effect of the Number of In-school Suspensions on Academic Failure

There is extensive evidence suggesting that school suspension is correlated with poor academic performance. However, many studies examining the association between school suspension and achievement focus on the effects of out-of-school suspension specifically. While in-school suspension is offered as a less harmful alternative consequence to out-of-school suspension, the effects of in-school suspension on academic achievement are largely unknown. This article examines the association between in-school suspensions and academic failure on standardized achievement tests. The study utilized secondary data from two cohorts of 380,826 ninth-grade students enrolled in Texas public schools to investigate how many in-school suspensions result in failure on a state standardized achievement test. Our results show that a single in-school suspension is predictive of significant risk for academic failure (greater than 25% chance of failure) on a state-wide standardized test controlling for a host of individual and school characteristics. We also find that this relationship between discipline and risk for standardized test failure is more pronounced for students of color. The implications for school psychologists in terms of curtailing the potential negative impact of in-school suspension on student achievement are discussed.