Thomas N. Fairchild

Home‐school token economies: Bridging the communication gap

School token economy systems are being employed with a variety of children in a variety of settings. Although their utility has been proven, additional benefits accrue when home-school token systems are used. These benefits are discussed, as well as the steps necessary towards implementation of these systems. Two case studies of elementary children are shared as practical examples of implementing home-school token economy systems.

A Problem-Solving Strategy and Self-Esteem in Recovering Chemically Dependent Women

The primary purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of a problem-solving strategy intervention in raising the self-esteem of recovering women. An A-B-A single subject design was employed in the investigation. Self-esteem was measured by: pre-intervention and post-intervention administrations of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, the percentage of positive self-statements recorded in journal entries, and self-ratings of decision-making ability. Of the four subjects who participated in the study, three experienced an increase in self-esteem.

Development and Utilization of a Faculty Time Analysis System--An Aid to Accountability in Higher Education.

ABSTRACT This article describes the development and utility of a time analysis system for higher education faculty members interested in self‐evaluation. Although many higher education institutions employ various student, peer, and administrative evaluations, an analysis of the types of services performed by faculty staff and the amounts of time allotted to these services can provide very useful information to a faculty person interested in self‐evaluation. A model is described herein and an example is provided.

Self-evaluation Methods for School Psychologists

Self-evaluation is critical to the successful functioning of all school psychologists. This article discusses the rationale for self-evaluation, the evaluation process, types of data that may be collected, and the methods that can be employed to gather the data. Use of tabulation, time analyses, case-studies, interviews, observations, tests, expert opinions, rating scales, and questionnaire methods are briefly described, and a critical analysis of each method is provided. Although practitioners are cautioned about methodology, they are strongly encouraged to become involved in self-evaluation activities in order to assure that they are providing needed services, quality services and effective services.

Students First! Improving and Evaluating Faculty Responsiveness to Students: A Case Illustration.

This article provides a case illustration of a school psychologist trainer’s efforts to improve responsiveness to students and evaluate the success of those efforts. During the fall semester of the 2000-2001 academic year I developed, implemented and evaluated a policy entitled - Students First! The Students First! policy was developed in order to assure that I was being responsive to students. Responsiveness to students also implies being culturally sensitive. Policy goals highlighted the importance of timely, quality, helpful interactions with students during recruitment, advising and mentoring activities. The means by which I evaluated the effectiveness of the Students First! policy were through the use of the Interaction Monitoring Form and the Responsiveness to Students Survey. Use of the Interaction Monitoring Form facilitated recording the types of interactions with students and the timeliness of those interactions. Data indicated that I was timely in my responses to student requests for assistance. Feedback provided on the Responsiveness to Students Survey indicated that students perceived me as accessible, approachable and helpful. While grouped data revealed generally high scores, inspection of specific survey items by subgroups revealed several areas requiring attention. Overall, the data suggested that the Students First! policy was having the desired effect. Faculty interested in evaluating their responsiveness to students could create goals and strategies appropriate to their settings and cultural contexts.