Tyler L. Renshaw

Early Identification of Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Youth: Universal Screening versus Teacher-Referral Identification

Universal screening is one strategy to enhance the early identification of behavioral and emotional problems among youth. Although it appears to be effective, it is unclear if universal screening is more or less effective than current teacher referral practices. Thus, the purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a teacher-rated, universal screener and typical teacher-referral methods in identifying youth at risk for emotional and behavioral problems. Results indicated that of the 24 students identified as at-risk by the universal screening measure, only 11 were previously identified through current teacher referral practices — highlighting the potential benefit of universal screening to enhance early identification. Furthermore, results indicated that academic achievement and student engagement outcomes were significantly correlated with at-risk status by identification method. The strengths and limitations of this study, as well as implications for practice, are discussed.

Examining the Relationship Between Scores on the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System and Student Academic, Behavioral, and Engagement Outcomes: An Investigation of Concurrent Validity in Elementary School

Universal screening of emotional and behavioral problems among students warrants further consideration by school professionals. School-based universal screening may provide opportunities for early identification and intervention, ultimately preventing the development of more severe problems and promoting more positive outcomes in the future. The Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS) is a contemporary screening instrument that may be used to identify risk for emotional and behavioral problems in students from preschool to high school. The purpose of the present study was to examine the concurrent validity of the BESS in elementary school settings. Specifically, this study examined the relation between BESS ratings and report-card outcomes (i.e., academic, behavioral, and engagement marks). The results supported the hypotheses that students’ risk-level classifications were significantly related to school-based outcome criterions and that school-based outcome criterions were deemed to be effective discriminators of students’ risk-level classification. Limitations, future directions for research, and implications for practice are discussed herein.

Educational Psychology in New Zealand

The International School Psychology Survey (ISPS) was used to gather information about New Zealand educational psychologists’ characteristics, training, roles, activities, preferences, research interests and the challenges they experienced in their work. The results of this survey were considered in relation to the social and cultural context of educational psychology practice in New Zealand and were compared with the findings from ISPS surveys in other countries. The composition of the New Zealand educational psychology community resembled that found in previous surveys of school psychologists in other countries in terms of gender and level of qualifications. The educational psychologists indicated, as in most countries surveyed previously, that the greatest proportion of their work involved consultation with students, teachers and families. One point of difference between results of the New Zealand survey and previous ISPS studies was the predominance of contextual information over standardized measures in assessment.

Response to Intervention (RtI) in the Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Domains: Current Challenges and Emerging Possibilities.

As many schools move toward a three-tier model that incorporates a Response to Intervention (RtI) service delivery model in the social, emotional, and behavioral domains, school psychologists may provide leadership. The decision-making process for filtering students through multiple tiers of support and intervention and examining change is an area where school psychologists are encouraged to apply their expertise regarding assessment and evidence-based interventions. This paper describes an implementation of behavioral and social-emotional RtI in an elementary school setting. Issues and challenges related to measurement of change (i.e., responsiveness to intervention) and identification of students for additional supports as well as emerging possibilities of incorporating qualitative information in the process are discussed.

Educational Psychology in New Zealand Results of the 2006 International School Psychology Survey

The International School Psychology Survey (ISPS) was used to gather information about New Zealand educational psychologists’ characteristics, training, roles, activities, preferences, research interests and the challenges they experienced in their work. The results of this survey were considered in relation to the social and cultural context of educational psychology practice in New Zealand and were compared with the findings from ISPS surveys in other countries. The composition of the New Zealand educational psychology community resembled that found in previous surveys of school psychologists in other countries in terms of gender and level of qualifications. The educational psychologists indicated, as in most countries surveyed previously, that the greatest proportion of their work involved consultation with students, teachers and families. One point of difference between results of the New Zealand survey and previous ISPS studies was the predominance of contextual information over standardized measures in assessment.

Pivotal Response Treatment for Children With Autism: Core Principles and Applications for School Psychologists

During the past 2 decades, pivotal response treatment (PRT) has emerged as an evidence-based methodology for intervening with the behavioral, communicative, social, and academic impairments of children with autism. Unlike other highly structured behavioral interventions for autism, PRT emphasizes principles over procedures and focuses on enhancing childrens motivation to learn in natural environments. The purpose of the present work is to outline the core principles of PRT and discuss some school-based applications. Information provided herein provides school psychologists with a firm grounding in the basics tenets of this state-of-the-art intervention for children with autism, helping facilitate more effective direct and indirect services for such children at school.

A Summary and Synthesis of Contemporary Empirical Evidence regarding the Effects of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program (D.A.R.E.).

The prevention of drug abuse is an especially salient topic for school psychologists and other educational professionals. Schools are the primary setting for providing education and information aimed at the prevention of drug abuse. Previous meta-analyses (Ennett, et al., 1994; West & O’Neal, 2004) indicate that one of the nation’s most popular drug prevention programs, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program (D.A.R.E.), was not effective in reducing illicit drug use among youths. In 2003, D.A.R.E. was modified in an attempt to make it more effective. The purpose of this review is to summarize and synthesize the contemporary empirical evidence, which includes six studies focusing on the old D.A.R.E. and one study focusing on the new D.A.R.E., regarding outcomes associated with the modified D.A.R.E. program. Recent studies offer mixed evidence regarding the effectiveness of the new D.A.R.E curriculum, thus, further systematic investigation is warranted to better understand student outcomes associated with the new D.A.R.E curriculum. This information is particularly valuable for school psychologists, administrators, and other education professionals responsible for identifying empirically supported programs for use in schools.

A Controlled Study Assessing the Effects of the Impulse Control and Problem Solving Unit of the Second Step Curriculum

The development of social and emotional competence is crucial for students. Second Step is a curriculum designed to promote prosocial development and prevent violence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing one unit of the Second Step curriculum (Impulse Control and Problem Solving). A controlled, repeated measures design was utilized to assess the level of change in knowledge of social-emotional skills. Results indicated that change was evident from pre- to post-test for third and fourth grade students (N=149). Third grade students receiving the intervention demonstrated significantly more knowledge growth than third grade control students. Notably, fourth grade students receiving the intervention demonstrated a similar level of knowledge growth as the fourth-grade control students. Discussion, limitations, and implications related to these findings are addressed.

Examining Relationships Between Measures of Positive Behaviors and Negative Functioning for Elementary School Children

The positive psychology movement seeks to understand student strengths that may facilitate success or promote resilience. However, a positive psychology view is not intended to completely ignore negative factors that may be affecting children, so traditional assessments of mental illness remain important. As methods of assessment improve and enhance our understanding of student development, it is crucial to understand the interrelationship among strength-based and traditional — problem-based — measures. Utilizing a sample of third- and fourth-grade students, the current study examined the interrelationships between three measures of positive functioning, examining hope, life satisfaction, and school connectedness, and their relationship with a traditional, problem-based measure. Results demonstrated that the measures assessing positive constructs were significantly positively correlated with each other and negatively correlated with a measure of problem behaviors. Future directions for research, limitations, and implications for practice are discussed.

Solution-Focused Brief Counseling: Guidelines, Considerations, and Implications for School Psychologists.

The increasing emphasis on school-based mental health services is likely to increase the demand for school psychologists to provide counseling with students. Providing counseling in the school context can be challenging, especially given time constraints and limited number of sessions. Solution-focused brief counseling (SFBC) is an approach that warrants consideration for use with children at school. This synthesis provides a brief overview of the extant scholarship regarding SFBC, describes the guidelines for implementing this approach, explores considerations and implications for school psychologists who use this approach to provide counseling services, and recommends future directions for scholarship. Lessons learned through a university and school collaboration to provide student support services are also included.