Strategy for selecting organization development interventions for schools.

Organization development (OD) is viewed increasingly as an appropriate function for school psychologists. OD interventions provide school psychologists with useful methods of influencing school climate and adaptability, regardless of whether the interventions are used in the context of a large-scale program or as limited, circumscribed OD efforts. Estimates of the frequency of OD in schools, however, remain low. We think that OD efforts in the schools will increase when school psychological practice incorporates the complete range of OD interventions. To this end, we present a four-step strategy for selecting among the broad range of OD interventions applicable in schools. In developing this strategy, we adapted existing classification schemes for OD interventions to serve as our selection criteria. The four steps in the selection strategy include consideration of (a) target group size and complexity, (b) breadth of organizational domains targeted for intervention, (c) depth of interventions, and (d) time requirements of interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Formal schooling for four-year-olds? No.

Examines the recent movement toward enrolling 4-yr-olds in academic programs. The research base and political forces that guided the direction of the movement are considered: remedial intervention programs for economically disadvantaged children, the need for change in decaying school programs, and the urgent need for increased day-care services. It is determined that the research base does not demonstrate that early schooling will be beneficial to middle-class children who constitute the majority of 4-yr-olds. It is suggested that early schooling may be an inappropriate solution to the current crisis in child care for working parents and that children's development may suffer if limited educational funds are expended on nonfunctional programs. Developmentally appropriate care programs carried out in school buildings by specialists in early childhood development are suggested as an alternative. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychoeducational interventions in the schools.

Reviews the book, Psychoeducational interventions in the schools edited by C. A. Maher and J. E. Zins (see record 1987-98600-000). This book was written as a sourcebook of procedures and approaches appropriate to school and related educational settings. As such, it is designed for two major groups: (a) school-based practitioners working to facilitate the psychological and/or educational needs of one or more students in a variety of settings and (b) applied researchers in the area of education. A basic premise of this book is that psychoeducational intervention should be a fundamental element of every school system and should not be limited to any group of individuals or to any particular type of strategy. Rather, psychoeducational interventions should be evident through the many types of activities and services that are provided within a school system. The book takes a practical view by accepting that the school-based practitioner's involvement may range from a consultative role in certain situations to the role of direct service provider in others; it merely focuses on the mechanisms, issues, and considerations relevant to a specific problem. Practitioners are thus able to apply the information provided in the manner most appropriate for their situation. Although the book as a whole should be considered a valuable resource, some limitations should be mentioned. On a conceptual level, Maher and Zins's attempt to provide a framework for the book lacked clarity of presentation and seemed incomplete in its development. On a more technical level, attention to the details of editing was inadequate. Limitations notwithstanding, Psychoeducational Interventions in the Schools manages to bring together many topic areas of great relevance to the school-based practitioner and to offer some excellent perspectives for work in these areas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Promoting successful school completion: Critical conceptual and methodological guidelines.

Conceptual issues related to dropping out, student engagement, and school completion are raised. Thirteen criteria are described as guidelines for designing, evaluating, and documenting programs to enhance successful school completion for all students. The status of the current intervention research is summarized relative to the specified criteria. Recommendations for future research and practice include implementation of interventions, systematic application of criteria in evaluating interventions, focus on school completion across school years, and capturing students' experiences and using the information to develop contextualized interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Continuing education needs in school psychology.

A continuing education survey sent to 250 school psychologists in upstate New York investigated interest in professional development programs, appropriate formats for continuing education, and opinions on topical priorities. Results from 138 respondents show that 95% of them would attend a continuing education institute if it were in an area of interest. Practitioners' specific format preferences for professional development programs are outlined. The topic priorities appear to conform to skill needs created by federal legislation affecting special education, thus supporting the contention that continuing education needs in school psychology may be a widespread phenomenon. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Funding patterns for exceptional children: Current approaches and suggested alternatives.

Hypothesizes that categorical funding strategies have restricted school psychologists from delivering a full range of services to schools. An alternative approach is presented that includes (a) a move away from categorical labeling, (b) the distribution of special education funds to school districts on a lump-sum basis, and (c) the provision of reinforcers to appropriate school personnel for successful remedial interventions. (58 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Primary prevention of school maladjustment.

Discusses 2 categories of programs for the primary prevention of maladjustment in elementary school children: (1) child-oriented interventions that seek to promote competency in schoolchildren directly and (2) ecological studies that attempt to influence students indirectly through environmental manipulations. Although several programs have promise, definite conclusions cannot be made regarding the immediate and long-term preventive impact of current programs. Research is needed to determine which competencies mediate school adjustment, to develop reliable methods of identifying students who are at risk for different problems, and to investigate important person–environment interactions occurring in school settings. Another research challenge is to isolate and define the active treatment ingredients of current programs in order to improve the power and efficiency of prevention-oriented services. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Monitoring high school drinking patterns and influences: A preliminary focus group interview approach.

Conducted 4 focus group interviews, each with 5–6 11th- and 12th-grade high school students, to explore in-depth perceptions of alcohol consumption patterns, influences on consumption, and appropriate interventions. Findings corroborate and extend previous results (e.g., of the 1st 2 authors [1986; see also PA, Vol 75:20370]) from a large scale empirical survey of high school drinking patterns and suggest that alcohol education programs should include material that teaches students how to (a) identify intoxication in themselves and others, (b) intervene when peers they don't know are going to drive drunk, (c) explore values regarding alcohol that go beyond simply saying "no" in order to identify patterns of responsible consumption, and (d) address the role that parents may play in preventing alcohol abuse and impaired driving among their children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

David Powell Weikart (1931-2003).

Obituary for David Powell Weikart (1931-2003). Among other things the obituary notes that Dave Weikart worked for the Ypsilanti (Michigan) public schools from 1957 to 1970, first as special services director and school psychologist, then as research and development director. He founded the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation in 1970 as an independent, nonprofit research and development organization in Ypsilanti and served as its president and board chairman until he retired in 2000. The High/Scope Foundation is well known for its educational model in which both teachers and students take initiative and responsibility for learning and in which children engage daily in High/Scope's plan-do-review process of intentional learning. Dave first developed this model in his summer camp for adolescents. In the United States and in other countries, he then applied the High/Scope model to preschool programs, home visit programs for infants and toddlers and their mothers, elementary schools, and programs for adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Working with families: A practitioner's perspective:.

Suggests that school psychologists face a challenge to provide assessment and intervention within a family context. Comments are provided on a discussion by J. C. Hansen et al (see record 1990-18461-001) of the types of ethical dilemmas school psychologists are likely to face in providing services to families. The key to providing appropriate and ethical interventions with families will depend on the development of sound policies, professional awareness, and supervision. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-help interventions: The reported practices of school psychologists.

School psychologists sometimes wonder if, and when, to use self-help intervention programs in the treatment of school-aged children. The authors collected survey information from 178 school psychologists about how self-help treatments are used and what outcomes are observed when using self-help interventions with school-aged children. A majority of school psychologists reported having used self-help interventions to help a child. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Early childhood intervention: A promising preventative for juvenile delinquency.

Programs to reduce or prevent juvenile delinquency have been generally unsuccessful. Apparently the risk factors that make a child prone to delinquency are based in too many systems, including the individual, the family, and community networks, to make isolated treatment methods effective. Surprisingly, longitudinal studies of some early childhood intervention programs suggest they may help to reduce future delinquency. These programs take an ecological approach to enhancing child development by attempting to promote overall social competence in the many systems impacting on children. Not engaging in criminal acts is one indicator of competence that is related to others, such as being successful in school and in personal relationships. Evaluators must gather more data to confirm this unanticipated benefit of comprehensive interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Homework: A natural means of home-school collaboration.

Discusses the value of homework in terms of the emerging interest in the development of effective home–school partnerships. Specifically, a review of the homework literature is provided with attention to parent-, teacher-, and child-mediated programs. Several homework programs that have received empirical support are described. It is concluded that the school psychologist can adopt various roles in developing, supporting, and monitoring homework programs. Specifically, the school psychologist can assess homework difficulties, train teachers and parents, and serve as a liaison between home and school. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence-based parent and family interventions in school psychology: A commentary.

Do the authors provide us with convincing evidence that parent and family interventions change children's behavior and learning at school? The answer is not a simple or straightforward one. First off, there appears to be more support for interventions that are part of a multi-component program, that are highly focused in scope, and that entail active collaboration between parents, students, and the schools; hence, more support appears to be available for family/parent consultation and family-school collaboration/partnership programs than for the more unidirectional and limited parent education and parent involvement programs. Second, although 100 studies are examined, it is readily apparent that the studies reported on in the various reviews are characterized by numerous methodological shortcomings that compromise their scientific integrity and the conclusions we can safely draw from them. Third, it is evident that nearly all of the efficacious treatments are behavior or cognitive-behavioral ones. Fourth and finally, it will be important to begin to identify the students, families, and schools that are most likely to benefit from the various interventions and to examine the specific mechanisms of change in each of the proposed interventions. In sum, it seems safe to conclude that evidentiary support for the effectiveness of parent and family interventions in school psychology is mixed at best. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Empirically supported interventions: Announcing a new standing section of School Psychology Quarterly.

We are delighted to introduce a new standing section of School Psychology Quarterly entitled "Empirically Supported Interventions" (ESI). This section will be devoted to publishing (a) reviews of the empirical literature on prevention and intervention; (b) reports of original empirical work that enhance our knowledge of empirically supported programs; (c) empirically supported practice parameters or best practices guidelines aimed at improving the clinical behavior of school psychologists and related professionals; (d) methodological approaches or technologies for advancing empirically supported interventions; and (e) scholarly analyses of criteria used to identify empirically supported interventions. The inauguration of the ESI section of School Psychology Quarterly represents a new era in research for our profession that we hope will usher in advancements for both the science and practice of school psychology. The former will be addressed by applying rigorous empirical standards to evaluate intervention research. For the latter, we hope to provide research data that are directly relevant to the application of psychology in school and community settings, thus strengthening the ties between science and practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence-based interventions using home-school collaboration.

Home-school collaboration refers to the relationship between families and schools where parents and educators work together to promote the academic and social development of children. Eighteen empirical studies of home-school collaboration interventions that also measured a school-based outcome were identified and evaluated according to guidelines outlined by the American Psychological Association's Division 16 Task Force on Evidence-Based Interventions in School Psychology. Based on the results of coding, it is concluded that home-school collaboration interventions are effective in helping achieve desired school outcomes for children, including changes in academic performance and school-related behavior. The most effective interventions are those where parents and school personnel work together to implement interventions utilizing a two-way exchange of information (e.g., parent-teacher action research teams), and those involving communication between school and home (e.g., daily report cards, school-to-home notes). Methodological strengths and limitations of home-school collaboration studies, as well as recommendations for future research, are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Building the capacity of schools to improve the health of the nation: A call for assistance from psychologists.

During the past several years, about two dozen major reports have called for the nation to reconceive and regenerate its school health programs. Proposals to reform health, education, and social services have included means to improve such programs. This article (a) identifies the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the United States, (b) delineates 6 categories of behavior established during youth that contribute to these causes, (c) outlines ways in which a modern school health program might prevent such behaviors and address critical health and social problems among students, (d) describes practical research and development strategies that are being established to help schools implement effective school health programs, and (e) suggests how psychologists might help improve these programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

School psychology graduate training: A comprehensive analysis.

Describes a comprehensive study of the nature of graduate training in school psychology. A historical perspective is presented. Demographic information on current trends in school psychology training at the master's, specialist, and doctoral levels is provided. A discriminant analysis of the curriculum for doctoral, master's, and specialist programs at 211 institutions is examined, and conclusions are drawn with regard to the relation between the content at these 2 levels of training. It is concluded that school psychology training has advanced significantly in the past 10 yrs and is moving gradually to the doctoral level. A discussion of the implications of these data for professional psychology is provided. Suggestions are made for organizational changes that will facilitate the accreditation of school psychology programs and ameliorate the historical concern regarding the appropriate entry level for practice. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nonwhite Students in Counseling Psychology: A Closer Look.

Thirty-three doctoral programs responded to a survey assessing the racial/ethnic composition of doctoral students and student applicants. Different conclusions were drawn from four methods that were used to calculate the representation of the racial/ethnic groups in the applicant pools and enrollments in American Psychological Association (APA) and non-APA-approved counseling psychology programs. The data suggest that underrepresentation of nonwhites in our graduate programs is not due to the differential utilization of admissions standards for nonwhites, as opposed to other applicants, but rather to the small number of nonwhite students who apply. Although most programs design activities to recruit nonwhite applicants, few programs do as much as possible. Suggestions are presented for making psychology in general, and counseling psychology in particular, more attractive to undergraduate blacks. More nonwhites must view psychology as an appropriate major if the potential pool of graduate school applicants is to increase. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Accreditation of graduate programs in psychology: An analysis.

Accreditation refers to the process by which an organization or agency formally recognizes that a college or university, or a program of instruction in a college or university, has met certain qualifications or standards. The purpose of this system is to maintain quality among the accredited institutions or programs. It is basic to an understanding of the unique accrediting function in psychology to recognize that psychology is the only discipline within the traditional graduate school of arts and sciences which has, thus far, attempted formal accreditation of the PhD degree. In order better to understand the issues as well as the present status of accreditation in graduate education in psychology, we will review briefly the historical development of accreditation and will sketch the current operational procedures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)