Increasing teacher intervention implementation in general education settings through consultation and performance feedback.

Examined the treatment integrity with which general education teachers implemented a reinforcement based intervention designed to improve the academic performance of elementary school students. The intervention was implemented for 3 3rd graders who were referred for consultation services and were identified as exhibiting performance deficits based on prior assessment. Treatment integrity was assessed via permanent products produced by the intervention. Teachers maintained adequate treatment integrity for 2–4 days, after which, implementation began to deteriorate. Subsequent implementation of daily performance feedback by a consultant markedly improved treatment integrity, and intervention use improved student performance for 2 of the Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teachers' perceptions of control and preferences for consultative services.

Investigated the relationship between teacher feelings of control in dealing with common acting out, withdrawal, and academic types of student problems, and teachers' relative preference for consultation and referral services. 64 elementary school teachers responded to a modified Pupil Problem Behavioral Inventory. Higher feelings of control over student problems were significantly related to a preference for consultation rather than referral services. Results are consistent with prior research indicating that an internal locus of control is associated with increased efforts to obtain and utilize information. Implications for teacher use of and resistance to school-based consultative services are discussed. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A note to teacher: Improving student behavior through goal setting and feedback.

Examined the effects of goal setting and feedback applied to teacher behavior as a means of producing desired changes in students' behavior during consultation. Ss were 2 6-yr-old male students enrolled full time in a classroom for children with emotional disturbances. The classroom teacher: (1) identified up to 4 desired behaviors to increase for each student, (2) set a goal for the number of times she was to praise each student during a daily activity period, and (3) was given a feedback note each day listing the identified target behaviors as prompts and indicating whether she did or did not meet her self-imposed goal based on a classroom observation. The intervention was effective at increasing student behavior and was judged by the teacher to be acceptable. The implications of these results for incorporating teacher goal setting and feedback into consultation as a means of designing simple yet effective school-based interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of direct training and treatment integrity on treatment outcomes in school consultation.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 17(2) of School Psychology Quarterly (see record 2008-04568-001). The current study attempts to expand the empirical consultation research base by examining the effects of direct and indirect consultee training methods on treatment integrity and treatment outcomes. A multiple baseline design across consultation dyads was used to investigate the influence of these variables. The results suggest that direct consultee training led to higher treatment integrity. In addition, results for 3 of 4 consultation cases support the hypothesis that treatments implemented with high integrity lead to successful outcomes.] The current study attempts to expand the empirical consultation research base by examining the effects of direct and indirect consultee training methods on treatment integrity and treatment outcomes. A multiple baseline design across consultation dyads was used to investigate the influence of these variables. The results suggest that direct consultee training led to higher treatment integrity. In addition, results for 3 of 4 consultation cases support the hypothesis that treatments implemented with high integrity lead to successful outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Treatment integrity assessment in the schools: An evaluation of the Treatment Integrity Planning Protocol.

The Treatment Integrity Planning Protocol (TIPP) provides a structured process for collaboratively creating a treatment integrity assessment within a consultation framework. The authors evaluated the effect of the TIPP on the implementation of an intervention designed to improve the consistency of students' mathematics performance. Treatment integrity was assessed via permanent products and teacher self-report assessments resulting from TIPP completion. Results showed that (a) 3 teachers' treatment integrity declined within the first week of implementation and increased subsequent to completion of the TIPP, (b) teachers accurately reported their level of treatment integrity, and (c) the relationship between treatment integrity and student outcomes was unclear. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training professional psychologists in school-based consultation: What the syllabi suggest.

This article reports the findings from consultation syllabi from 25 American Psychological Association-approved school psychology programs (40% response rate). Most responding programs offered 1 consultation course and many programs' syllabi stated expecting students to conduct 1 consultation case. The analysis showed most syllabi listed training in multiple models of consultation, with almost all mentioning the problem-solving model. Almost all syllabi listed training in treatment, but fewer than half suggested that students would learn about the use of consultation to promote prevention. Most programs' syllabi mentioned considering others' culture in consultation, whereas fewer than half mentioned considering the impact of the consultant's culture in consultation relationships and even fewer mentioned social justice. The discussion addresses the need for a better understanding of school-based consultation preservice training, consultation training in a diverse and inequitable world, and how practitioners' cognitive appraisals of consultation services could inform school-based consultation training. Considerations for consultation syllabi design are given. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How to assess attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder within school settings.

Describes a 4-stage model for the school-based assessment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder that includes screening techniques, multimethod assessment, interpretation of results, and the development of a treatment plan. A behavioral assessment approach is followed by utilizing interviews with the child's parents and teachers, questionnaires completed by parents and teachers, direct observations of behavior, and academic performance data. The goals of the evaluation process are to establish the child's diagnostic status and to translate assessment data into a potentially successful intervention plan. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consultant and client outcomes of competency-based behavioral consultation training.

One barrier to the systematic provision of consultation services in the schools may be the lack of applied training provided to preservice individuals in graduate preparation programs. A model of behavioral consultation training which extends previous competency-based progams is presented. Five doctoral students in school psychology were trained in behavioral consultation procedures using written manuals, videotape models, behavioral rehearsal, performance feedback, self-monitoring, and generalization training. Following university-based practice with trained consultees and student teachers, consultants were assigned consultation cases with teachers who presented actual cases. Behavioral consultation services were effective at remediating behavioral and academic difficulties in 4 of 5 target clients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral conceptions and applications of acceptability: Issues related to service delivery and research methodology.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 16(1) of School Psychology Quarterly (see record 2007-17958-001). In Table 1, the following errors appeared for the Colton and Sheridan (1998) entry: the information should be "3" (case scenarios), "naturalistic" (experimental design), "multiple baseline" (experimental methods), and "postassessment" (assessment interval).] Reviews conceptual, methodological, and paradigmatic issues related to the acceptability of school-based practices from a behavioral orientation. First, the authors provide an overview of the acceptability construct from a behavioral perspective including (a) the historical development of the construct of acceptability, (b) the behavioral conceptualization and definition of the construct of acceptability, and (c) the prevailing conceptual models of acceptability. Second, the authors illustrate the methodology typically used when examining consumers' acceptability of school-based practices from a behavioral perspective using a cross-source, cross-method approach. A review of empirical studies examining the acceptability of consultation, assessment, and intervention practices using a variety of school-based consumers (e.g., school psychologists, parents, teachers, children) is conducted. The importance of examining the acceptability of school-based practices from this perspective is discussed. Third, the authors discuss important methodological issues that need to be considered in conducting acceptability research. Finally, the advantages and limitations of examining acceptability within a behavioral context are reviewed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Variables that distinguish elementary teachers who participate in school-based consultation from those who do not.

Examined variables that distinguished elementary teachers who participated in consultation from those who did not. 352 female elementary teachers completed questionnaires: 186 of the Ss reported they had participated in consultation with a school psychologist, and 166 reported that they had not. A stepwise discriminant function analysis using 8 teacher response variables found 5 variables that significantly distinguished the 2 groups: school psychologist offering help, teachers' scores on the Problem Solving Inventory, perceptions of psychologist training in problem solving, years of teaching experience, and perceptions that a school psychologist's training is different from that of a teacher's. Suggestions are offered to school psychologists for increasing teacher requests for consultation services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The cat vertebral column: stance configuration and range of motion

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether clinical-teaching skills could be improved by providing teachers with augmented student feedback. METHOD: A randomized, controlled trial in 1994 included 42 attending physicians and 39 residents from the Department of Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine who taught 110 students on medicine ward rotations for one-month periods. Before teaching rotations, intervention group teachers received norm-referenced, graphic summaries of their teaching performances as rated by students. At mid-month, intervention group teachers received students' ratings augmented by individualized teaching-effectiveness guidelines based on the Stanford Faculty Development Program framework. Linear models were used to analyze the students' mean ratings of teaching behaviors at mid-month and end-of-month. Independent variables included performance ratings, intervention status, teacher status, teaching experience, and interactions with baseline ratings. RESULTS: Complex interactions with baseline performance were found for most teaching categories at mid-month and end-of-month. The intervention-group teachers who had high baseline performance scores had higher student ratings than did the control group teachers with similar baseline scores; the intervention group teachers who had low baseline performance scores were rated lower than were the control group teachers with comparable baseline scores. The residents who had medium or high baseline scores were rated higher than were the attending physicians with comparable baseline scores; the performance of the residents who had low baseline scores was similar to that of the attending physicians with comparable baseline scores. CONCLUSION: Baseline performance is important for targeting those teachers most likely to benefit from augmented student feedback. Potential deterioration in teaching performance warrants a reconsideration of distributing students' ratings to teachers with low baseline performance scores.     

Evaluation of the effects of feedback associated with a problem-solving approach to instruction on teacher and student behavior.

Conducted 2 experiments with 36 nonpermanently certified teachers to determine if feedback related to problem-solving competencies would result in changes in both teacher and student behavior. Results of Exp I (36 Ss) indicate that teachers who received in-class feedback for 2 specific teacher competencies were more effective than control teachers in (a) controlling their own behavior, and (b) reducing learner inattention. Results of Exp II (21 Ss) indicate that teachers who received in-class feedback for a 3rd specific teacher competency were more effective than control teachers as measured by their abilities (a) to attempt to diagnose more often, (b) to employ appropriate diagnostic procedures, and (c) to assist students ultimately in mastering previously missed questions. Thus, both experiments demonstrate that predicted changes in teacher and student behavior occur if teachers receive feedback associated with a problem-solving approach to instruction. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Talk is not cheap.

Calls for a critical evaluation of talk as commonly used in school-based consultation and intervention activities. The article first critically reviews 3 fallacious assumptions about talk: (1) that there is a correspondence between saying and doing, (2) that talk is an effective way to change the behavior of other professionals, and (3) that talk is a method for obtaining accurate information. The benefits of talk for both practitioners and researchers are next reviewed. Finally, suggestions are made for evaluating the effectiveness of talk as a means of influencing the behavior of others. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Behavioral conceptions and applications of acceptability: Issues related to service delivery and research methodology": Errata.

Reports an error in "Behavioral conceptions and applications of acceptability: Issues related to service delivery and research methodology" by Tanya L. Eckert and John M. Hintze (School Psychology Quarterly, 2000[Sum], Vol 15[2], 123-148). In Table 1, the following errors appeared for the Colton and Sheridan (1998) entry: the information should be "3" (case scenarios), "naturalistic" (experimental design), "multiple baseline" (experimental methods), and "postassessment" (assessment interval). (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2000-00107-002.) Reviews conceptual, methodological, and paradigmatic issues related to the acceptability of school-based practices from a behavioral orientation. First, the authors provide an overview of the acceptability construct from a behavioral perspective including (a) the historical development of the construct of acceptability, (b) the behavioral conceptualization and definition of the construct of acceptability, and (c) the prevailing conceptual models of acceptability. Second, the authors illustrate the methodology typically used when examining consumers' acceptability of school-based practices from a behavioral perspective using a cross-source, cross-method approach. A review of empirical studies examining the acceptability of consultation, assessment, and intervention practices using a variety of school-based consumers (e.g., school psychologists, parents, teachers, children) is conducted. The importance of examining the acceptability of school-based practices from this perspective is discussed. Third, the authors discuss important methodological issues that need to be considered in conducting acceptability research. Finally, the advantages and limitations of examining acceptability within a behavioral context are reviewed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The impact of perceived interpersonal functioning on treatment for adolescent depression: IPT-A versus treatment as usual in school-based health clinics.

Objective: Aspects of depressed adolescents’ perceived interpersonal functioning were examined as moderators of response to treatment among adolescents treated with interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (IPT-A; Mufson, Dorta, Moreau, & Weissman, 2004) or treatment as usual (TAU) in school-based health clinics. Method: Sixty-three adolescents (12–18 years of age) participated in a clinical trial examining the effectiveness of IPT-A (Mufson, Dorta, Wickramaratne, et al., 2004). The sample was 84.1% female and 15.9% male (mean age = 14.67 years). Adolescents were 74.6% Latino, 14.3% African American, 1.6% Asian American, and 9.5% other. They came primarily from low-income families. Adolescents were randomly assigned to receive IPT-A or TAU delivered by school-based mental health clinicians. Assessments, completed at baseline and at Weeks 4, 8, and 12 (or at early termination), included the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (Hamilton, 1967), the Conflict Behavior Questionnaire (Robin & Foster, 1989), and the Social Adjustment Scale–Self-Report (Weissman & Bothwell, 1976). Results: Multilevel modeling indicated that treatment condition interacted with adolescents’ baseline reports of conflict with their mothers and social dysfunction with friends to predict the trajectory of adolescents’ depressive symptoms over the course of treatment, controlling for baseline levels of depression. The benefits of IPT-A over TAU were particularly strong for the adolescents who reported high levels of conflict with their mothers and social dysfunction with friends. Conclusions: Replication with larger samples would suggest that IPT-A may be particularly helpful for depressed adolescents who are reporting high levels of conflict with their mothers or interpersonal difficulties with friends. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Initial impact of the fast track prevention trial for conduct problems: II. Classroom effects.

This study examined the effectiveness of the universal component of the Fast Track prevention model: the PATHS (Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies) curriculum and teacher consultation. This randomized clinical trial involved 198 intervention and 180 comparison classrooms from neighborhoods with greater than average crime in 4 U.S. locations. In the intervention schools, Grade 1 teachers delivered a 57-lesson social competence intervention focused on self-control, emotional awareness, peer relations, and problem solving. Findings indicated significant effects on peer ratings of aggression and hyperactive-disruptive behavior and observer ratings of classroom atmosphere. Quality of implementation predicted variation in assessments of classroom functioning. The results are discussed in terms of both the efficacy of universal, school-based prevention models and the need to examine comprehensive, multiyear programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family Involvement Questionnaire: A multivariate assessment of family participation in early childhood education.

The study developed and evaluated the Family Involvement Questionnaire (FIQ), a multidimensional scale of family involvement in early childhood education. The FIQ was guided by theory and coconstructed with parents and teachers in preschool, kindergarten, and 1st-grade programs in a large urban school district. Demographic and FIQ data were collected from 641 parents. Factor analyses revealed 3 involvement constructs: school-based involvement, home-school conferencing, and home-based involvement. Multivariate analyses of demographic and program differences in these constructs revealed that parents with education beyond high school were engaged in higher levels of school-based involvement and home-school conferencing than parents with less than high school education. There were higher levels of home-school conferencing and home-based involvement in 2-parent families than in single-parent households. Head Start evidenced the highest levels of school-based involvement activity. However, higher school-based contact was not associated with higher levels of home-school conferencing or home-based involvement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)