Courtenay A. Barrett

Systematic Review of the Check-in, Check-out Intervention for Students At Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

The purpose of this systematic literature review was to summarize outcomes of the Check-in Check-out (CICO) intervention across elementary and secondary settings. Twenty-eight studies utilizing both single subject and group (experimental and quasi-experimental) designs were included in this review. Median effect sizes across the eight group studies were small (median d = .37; range, -.15 to .60) for studies reporting Cohen’s d or similar effect sizes and large (.23; range, .13 to .32) for studies reporting R2 type effect sizes favoring the implementation of CICO. For single subject design studies, the overall median PND across 20 studies was 68% (range, 0 to 100%), indicating CICO is questionably effective but approaching the effectiveness criterion ( ≥ 70% PND) suggested by Scruggs and Mastropieri (1998). Implications for practice are discussed along with suggestions for future research.

Training School Psychologists to Identify Specific Learning Disabilities: A Content Analysis of Syllabi

Abstract. Approximately 2.4 million children receive special education services for specific learning disabilities (SLDs), and school psychologists are key contributors to the SLD eligibility decision-making process. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) enabled local education agencies to use response to intervention (RTI) instead of the prevailing ability–achievement (Ab-Ach) discrepancy method for SLD decision making. In this study we examined the degree to which school psychology graduate programs train different methods of SLD decision making by analyzing syllabi (n = 123) from courses in school psychology graduate programs (n = 78). Syllabi were coded by (a) Ab-Ach discrepancy training, (b) RTI training, (c) special education (e.g., law or the referral process), (d) communicating assessment results, (e) ethics, and (f) multicultural assessment considerations. Variations existed between training programs, across courses within training programs, and across regions of the country. Implications for training are discussed and address areas for future training and research.

Training confident school-based consultants: The role of course content, process, and supervision.

Consultation competency is a critical component of health services psychology training, as consultation permeates all aspects of service delivery. Despite the increasing importance of consultation as a form of service delivery, school-based preservice-level consultation training has historically lacked rigor. Many components of training may contribute to psychology graduates’ confidence to consult in schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of specific consultation training components (i.e., coursework, competencies included in training, field experiences, supervision, and models) to the development of confidence to consult in early career school psychology practice. Data were collected as part of a larger study on early career school psychologists’ consultation training and practices (n = 262). Bivariate correlations, repeated-measures analysis of variance, and a multiple regression model were estimated to fulfill the purpose of the study. Results indicated (a) exposure to given consultation models were positively correlated with confidence consulting with different types of consultees, (b) respondents had varying levels of confidence consulting with different types of consultees, and (c) quantity of coursework, supervision strategies, and exposure to formal consultation models emerged as significant predictors of confidence to consult at graduation. Recommendations for consultation training include (a) coverage of systems-level consultation and team-based consultative problem solving, increasingly common contexts for consultation in contemporary schools; (b) implementation of applied experiences and supervision in tandem for the development of consulting confidence; and (c) inclusion of formal models of consultation in consultation training. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Large-Scale Implementation of Check-In, Check-Out A Descriptive Study

Check-In, Check-Out (CICO) is one of the most widely implemented Tier 2 behavior interventions in a school-wide system of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Much literature has documented implementation of CICO across individual schools or districts. The Illinois PBIS Network, currently known as the Midwest PBIS Network, has provided extensive training and technical assistance (TA) on CICO with more than 400 schools in more than 125 districts. The purpose of this descriptive study was to detail the training process for implementation of CICO across 441 schools, evaluate student success based on Daily Progress Reports (DPRs), and document fidelity and implementation on a subset of 41 elementary and 13 middle schools. Results indicated more than 80% of students earned at least 80% of their DPR points, the majority of schools implemented CICO with more than 70% fidelity, and schools were able to support between 7% and 12% of student population on CICO. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are included.

Early-Career School Psychologists’ Perceptions of Consultative Service Delivery: The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

ABSTRACT School consultation is practiced in rapidly changing educational settings, including increasing student diversity and the implementation of a multitiered system of supports. This changing context may shift the boundaries of what it means to consult and how best to achieve change through consultation. The purpose of this study was to explore how early-career school psychologists (ECSPs) defined and implemented consultation and what barriers and facilitators influenced their perceived ability to achieve change through consultation. Triangulated quantitative and qualitative data from a national survey of 262 ECSPs indicated gaps between historical, aspirational views of consultation in school psychology and what these practitioners reported is happening in the field. Tensions in the data are explored with consideration given to implications for consultation practice in current school contexts and in the early career.

Conducting Rigorous Survey Research in the Study of School-Based Consultation.

ABSTRACT The evidence base for school-based consultation practice and training is limited by a small number of studies, possibly due to unique challenges in researching consultation. For example, there are myriad variables to measure and idiosyncratic cultural and contextual factors to account for when investigating what works, for whom, and in what circumstances. Survey methodology offers one means for conducting consultation research. This article proposes a process for rigorous survey research in school-based consultation training and practice, which addresses some potential concerns regarding survey research. Specifically, issues of survey development, survey validation, sampling, and data collection are addressed. These processes are illustrated through the design and administration of an online survey of 262 early career school psychologists; preliminary data analyses suggested strong scale reliability, minimal item response bias, and population representativeness. Recommendations for future consultation survey research are provided.