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Exploring School Psychologists’ Roles in Prevention and Intervention: Supporting Effective Service-Delivery for Students with Academic Concerns

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Abstract
The practice of school psychology has been primarily focused on evaluation for special education since the inception of the field (Fischetti & Crespi, 1999; Reschly et al., 1987; Walcott et al., 2018). However, school psychology training programs, professional organizations and best practice research shows that school psychologists should be engaged in a wider range of practices including prevention and intervention prior to determining students’ special education eligibility (Fuchs et al., 2003; Gansle & Noell, 2007; NASP, 2020, Reschly, 2005). Changes to special education law should have paved the way for changes in prevention, intervention, and assessment practices (IDEA, 2004). However, school psychologists still report that they spend most of their time on assessment for special education eligibility (Walcott et al., 2018). This calls into question the efficacy of school psychologists practice, as outcomes for students with high incidence disabilities have been poor (Fuchs et al., 2018; NAEP, 2017). This study aimed to create a measure of school psychologists’ engagement in solution seeking practices at the Universal/Tier 1, Pre-Referral/Tier 2, and Special Education/Tier 3 levels of service. This survey was developed using research in best practices for prevention and intervention using the problem solving model to support students with academic concerns. Evidence of content validity was collected through graduate students and expert panel focus groups and an item sorting task. The survey was then piloted with 154 school psychologists and school psychology interns currently practicing in school settings. Responses were used to conduct factor analyses as well as Hierarchical Cluster Analyses to better understand the internal structure of the survey. Confirmatory Factor Analysis suggests a four-factor structure comprising of Tier 1 Practices, Tier 2 Practices, and Tier 3 Problem Analysis and Tier 3 Intervention. Additional research questions focused on whether different professional characteristics may predict involvement at each of the four tiers. Results showed that years in practice and assessment caseload did not predict involvement at each tier. This study provides initial evidence of the validity of this survey as a tool for measuring best practices, as well as initial steps in better understanding school psychologists’ involvement in solution seeking practices.
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Dissertation (Open Access)
Date
2024-05
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Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
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