Identifying Critical Cross-Cultural School Psychology Competencies

The purpose of this study was to identify critical cross-cultural competencies for school psychologists. This study used a Delphi procedure to bring together the expertise of a national sample of cross-cultural experts, including school psychology practitioners, faculty, and supervisors/administrators of whom 62% represented a racial/ethnic minority group member. To identify the competencies, we conducted an extensive literature search about cross-cultural school psychology competencies then used a questionnaire to ask expert panelists to rate the importance of the literature based competencies and to delineate additional competencies not represented in the integrated literature but based on expert opinion. The literature yielded 185 competencies and the panelists generated 75 additional competencies. Following the second questionnaire round, 102 competencies were identified as critical cross-cultural competencies. The 102 competencies cover 14 major domains of professional activities and practices for school psychologists (e.g., Academic Interventions, Assessment, Consultation, Counseling, Culture, Language, Laws and Regulations, Organizational Skills, Professional Characteristics, Report Writing, Research Methods, Theoretical Paradigms, Working with Interpreters, and Working with Parents). Implications for research and training are discussed.     

晚清广东学者的经学研究探析

梁启超曾将清代学术的演变分为四个阶段,而将康有为和他本人归入第三期。然而广东学术的发展并不符合这一轨迹。广东学术在道光以前,宋学占主导地位;随着学海堂的创建,汉学成为广东显学,并成为晚清中国经学研究的重镇。道光以前,广东虽治经学的不乏其人,但以《四书》为主,兼及《五经》。学海堂创建后,广东学者以《十三经》为其治经范围,且颇具乾嘉遗风。学海堂创建后,在晚清广东学坛上出现了东塾学派和九江学派．两者既有共同点,也有不同点。九江学派后来又分化出康有为一系和简朝亮一系。康有为走向今文经学,简朝亮则与朱次琦的治学精神一脉相承。     

The Heart of the Reformation Faith

Abstract: This historical and theological study of Reformation theologians, principally Martin Luther and John Calvin, examines three dimensions of faith: (1) faith as belief; (2) faith as trust; and (3) faith as the indwelling presence of Christ. To the question, “how does faith justify?,” the answer is found in the third, the indwelling of Christ, wherein the justness of Christ is present in the sinful person.     

Practice Guidelines in school psychology: Issues and directions for evidence-based interventions in practice and training

Practice Guidelines have become increasingly popular at the national and international level. Practice Guidelines are a natural extension of the “evidence-based intervention” movement, and could be a mechanism to promote the use of evidence-based interventions within the field of school psychology practice and training. In this paper we review the use of Practice Guidelines in other fields and the promise and potential pitfalls associated with the development and application of Practice Guidelines within the field of school psychology. Recommendations for how to avert some of the difficulties faced by other disciplines in the development and application of Practice Guidelines are discussed. Suggestions for next steps in the profession and future research are noted.     

The role of the school psychologist in the inclusive education of school-age children with autism spectrum disorders

Two independent trends are impacting school psychologists with regard to their involvement in the education of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs): increasing prevalence estimates of ASDs and an emphasis on the inclusion of students with special needs in regular education classrooms. In light of these trends and growing awareness of the need for evidence-based practices in the field, school psychologists can expect to be involved in the educational programming of students with ASDs and should be knowledgeable about empirically supported strategies relevant to inclusive education of these children. The purpose of this review is to familiarize school psychologists with currently available intervention techniques by describing each strategy and outlining the degree of empirical support for each. Strategies for managing disruptive behaviors, promoting learning, and facilitating social integration are reviewed.     

Behavioral predictors of changes in social relatedness and liking school in elementary school

Normative trends and behavioral predictors for three dimensions of social relatedness were examined in a 6-month longitudinal study of 383 students in Grades 3, 4 and 5. Student reports of social relatedness (teacher supportiveness, school supportiveness, loneliness) and liking school indicated that students in each of the grades felt less positive about the school environment and liked school less in the Spring compared to the Fall. Girls reported higher levels of teacher supportiveness and school supportiveness. Reports of school supportiveness were lower among students at higher grade levels. Teacher-rated aggression predicted declines in students' perceptions of teacher supportiveness, increases in their sense of loneliness, and decreases in reports of liking school across the school year. Teacher-rated closeness predicted the maintenance of student perceptions of high levels of relatedness. Peer social preference predicted increases in loneliness. A path model indicated that the association between aggressive behavior and liking school was mediated by the association between aggressive behavior and perceptions of teacher supportiveness.     

A large-scale examination of the nature and efficacy of teachers' practices to engage parents: Assessment, parental contact, and student-level impact

As schools move forward with comprehensive school reform, parents' roles have shifted and been redefined. Parent-teacher communication is critical to student success, yet how schools and teachers contact parents is the subject of few studies. Evaluations of school-change efforts require reliable and useful measures of teachers' practices in communicating with parents. The structure of teacher-parent-contact practices was examined using data from multiple, longitudinal cohorts of schools and teachers from a large-scale project and found to be a reliable and stable measure of parent contact across building levels and localities. Teacher/school practices in contacting parents were found to be significantly related to parent reports of school contact performance and student academic adjustment and achievement. Implications for school improvement efforts are discussed.     

Shades of disengagement: high school dropouts speak out

The purpose of this study was to describe how dropouts navigate their educational journeys. Eighty dropouts participated to individual interviews which were recorded and transcribed. The data analysis yielded three broad categories in answering the research question. Setting the stage in the family and the school, the dropouts described their teetering between in and out of school contexts and proceeded to explain how they ended their educational journey. For 20 dropouts, family turmoil represented a pervasive force negatively influencing their schooling. For 24 dropouts, problems in school set the stage for dropping out. Teetering represented juggling strategies to prolongand to sabotage the journey, while the end of the journey occurred as a result of a pivotal moment (48%) or a gradual fade out (52%) from the school context.

Implementation and Utilization Characteristics of a Rural,School-linked Mental Health Program

We examined variables associated with treatment engagement in a real-world therapeutic setting. The model of care examined involved school-linked mental health care for children and their families in a rural county. Service utilization characteristics, as well as child- and treatment-specific variables were examined in relation to their impact on therapy length, missed appointments, and treatment outcome. A total of 168 students and their families participated in therapeutic services over a period of approximately 4.5 years. Overall, children who had less psychopathology and a higher level of clinician-rated functioning (GAF) at the start of therapy were more likely to successfully complete treatment. Parental involvement in therapy was associated with a longer course of therapy, as well as more missed appointments. Barriers to treatment and treatment engagement, as well as future directions of study, are discussed.     

Parental Engagement and Barriers to Participation in a Community-Based Preventive Intervention

This study examined parent characteristics and barriers to participation in a community-based preventive intervention with a sample of 201 parents from low-income and predominantly ethnic minority backgrounds. Person-centered analyses revealed five subgroups of parents who demonstrated variability in their parent characteristics, which included psychological resources and level of parental involvement in education. Group membership was associated with differences in school involvement and use of the psychoeducational intervention at home, after accounting for the number of barriers to engagement. For the intervention attendance variable, greater number of barriers was associated with decreased attendance only for parents in the resilient subgroup and the psychologically distressed subgroup. Attendance remained constant across levels of barriers for the other three subgroups of parents. The results of the study inform theory and practice regarding how to tailor preventive interventions to accommodate subgroups of parents within populations that experience barriers to accessing mental health services.