Marty Sapp

Irrational beliefs that can lead to academic failure for African American middle school students who are academically at-risk

This article describes how rational emotive behavior therapy and other cognitive-behavioral therapies can be used to improve the achievement of academically at-risk African American students at the middle-school level. Definitions of at-risk and a review of relevant literature are provided. This article offers an outline of several main irrational beliefs that can lead to academic failure for African American students at the middle-school level. This author suggested that escalating preferences for justice, acceptance within the African American community, and acceptance by European Americans are at the core for causing academic failure for many of these students. The author describes empirical data which show that once these students learn a realistic philosophy of life—to be more rational, tolerant, nonutopian, and nondemanding—the students improve in their academic self-concept and achievement.

African American Males and Capital Muerder: A Death Penalty Mitigation Strategy.

This paper outlines an alternative, contextual framework for analyzing capital murder cases involving young Black males. To illustrate the utility of the framework, we draw upon the findings of rec...

Utilizing the PK scale of the MMPI‐2 to detect posttraumatic stress disorder in college students

This study investigated the utility of the PK scale of the MMPI-2 with college students. Results indicated that the PK scale, when combined with DSM IV criteria, does discriminate between college students who obtain a score of 65 or higher and those who score below 65.

Segregation Indexes Are Invalid

This article examines the statistical validity of segregation indexes. Special attention is given to the Taeuber Index, the most used index and the standard of comparison for other indexes. The mathematical formulas of segregation indexes are tested against appropriate inferential test statistics. Fi nally, this article demonstrates that the mathematical formu las of segregation indexes do not measure segregation or racial balance.

Understanding Test Anxiety and the Multicultural Learner

With the increasing enrollment of multicultural students in public schools, it is necessary to understand how to provide appropriate services to students from diverse backgrounds. Testing situations are also increasing with the addition of the No Child Left Behind Act. In order to accurately assess whether students are performing poorly due to not understanding the material or whether their poor performance is due to test anxiety, three different assessments show promise: The Test Anxiety Scale for Children (TASC), the Lie Scale for Children (LSC), and the Defensiveness Scale for Children (DSC). These assessments will help to determine the level of test anxiety and whether or not children are being defensive or lying when they take the TASC. If test anxiety exists in the classroom, the classroom teacher can provide treatment in conjunction with the school counselor. In this article, we discuss how to assess test anxiety and how to apply several cognitive-behavioral techniques for addressing it for more effective multicultural learning and teaching.

Understanding B.F. Skinner: Building Emotional Competence in Students with Diverse Learning Needs.

Abstract Not all children and youth will respond the same way to scripted interventions. Children and youth require intervention strategies that are designed to meet their wide-ranging needs in order to be successful during and after school years. Yet, educators and counselors apply behavior strategies to promote prosocial behavior without exploring whether, and to what extent, social thinking caused the behavior itself. This article provides a historical overview on behavior- and emotion-based principles and discusses implications for using strategies that are based on developmental and learning theories that recognize human variance and facilitate emotional competence.

Understanding the Power of Words in Multicultural Education

Historically, words are powerful! In many cases, they are used appropriately when we value people and used inappropriately when we hate them. As a result, they have become powerful tools in multicultural education and interactions. In todays changing world with demographic shifts in power and paradigm, the society is bombarded with words that hate and words that love. As it appears, words are used to satisfy jaundiced and myopic views, and they are constructs that frequently lead to labels, stereotypes, and illusory generalizations. While we do not advocate policing or legislating words, we advocate words that can help individuals to maximize their fullest potential in our multicultural society. In this article, we advance this premise and suggest ways to increase multicultural education in schools and communities.

Group Hypnotizability Of Inpatient Adolescents

Abstract This study investigated group hypnotizability in 167 adolescents (ages 13-17) in an inpatient behavioral healthcare setting through use of the Waterloo-Stanford Group Scale, Form C. It also investigated the influence of hypnotic inductions on group hypnotizability. Adolescents were randomly assigned to either a group session of hypnosis (n = 84) with a hypnotic induction or a comparison “no-induction” group (n = 83) that received identical suggestions without a hypnotic induction. Adolescents’ imaginative absorption and dissociation were measured to examine their influence on hypnotizability. A between-group comparison showed the induction condition had a significantly higher score than the no-induction group on both behavioral and subjective measures of hypnotizability.

Reliability, Validity, Effects Sizes, and Confidence Intervals in Multicultural Teaching and Learning Research and Scholarship.

Abstract Like many journals within education, for Multicultural Learning and Teaching, this writer found little written on measurement, effect sizes, and confidence intervals; therefore, the purpose of this article is to address these factors. The effect of not addressing these issues is that a basic foundation of science cannot be established without them (Thompson, 2002). It is hoped that researchers and scholars can adapt these concepts to their multicultural learning and teaching research and scholarship. Reliability, validity, effect sizes, and confidence intervals are necessary for multicultural learning, teaching, research and scholarship. Reliability and validity are the pillars of good research, and effect sizes allow one to determine the degree to which the null hypothesis may be false. Also, effect sizes are point estimates and they describe sample data, while confidence intervals describe what happen within populations through repeated sampling or repeated testing. This article describes reliability, validity, effect sizes, confidence intervals and how to calculate them using the SPSS statistical software. Individuals who understand multicultural issues will be able to apply these ideas to their research and scholarship. Finally, to aid understanding, few formulas are used, but narratives are used to aid in presenting these ideas.

Diagnosis and Classification

Diagnosis and classification are processes of using tests and other measures to assess the educational needs of children with special needs. Unlike assessment in general education, assessment of children with special needs is different for each child and must be an intra-individual process for each child’s needs. Finally, diagnosis and classification can be modified to fit the unique needs of children requiring special education, and this is the premise of this article.