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The Oklahoma School Psychological Association |
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No, this isn't another article about how to check your VCR and computer to determine whether they will still be working on January 1, 2000. As the 20th Century comes to a close is seems appropriate to look ahead and anticipate the demands the 21st century will place on children and families and do some self appraisal. Children today are different than 10, 20, or 25 years ago. Increasing numbers of children come from single parent homes. The child living with two biological parents is in the minority. The average child watches several hours or television per day and has more than 50 channels to choose from. This results in exposure to an incredible number of violent images. From the Cartoon Network to the evening news, violence is portrayed as a way of life. There is a plethora of extra curricular activities available for children after school and during the summer. The carefree days of childhood have given way to a constant rush from one activity to another and one care giver to another. Human contact is too often replaced by electronic babysitters. Is there any wonder that the needs for mental health services for children continues to increase. And, the School Psychologist is the most logical person to meet these needs. We are located on school sites, and the cost to parents is minimal both in terms of actual dollars and time necessary to access services. Are you ready? Answer these questions to yourself. Are you able to define current problem areas, strengths, and needs through assessment and measure the effects of the decisions that result from the problem solving process? Are you continually developing your skills in collaborating and consulting with at the individual, group, or systems level? Are you skilled at developing behavioral, affective, and developmental goals for students, implementing and monitoring progress toward those goals? Are you well versed on racial, cultural, ethnic, experiential, and linguistic backgrounds and their impact within the educational system? Do you have a good understanding of family influences on students wellness, learning and achievement and have skills in forming partnerships among families, school, and the community? Do you have a thorough knowledge of child development and psychopathology, prevention activities, and crisis intervention? Are you well versed in the ethical, professional, and legal standards which apply to School Psychologists? (Adopted from a Blueprint for Training and Practice II - 1999 NASP Annual Convention Program & Abstracts) If you answered NO to any of these question it is important that you begin to expand your skills so you won't take your place beside the 8-track tape, key punch machines, that old WISC-R kit, and the manual typewriter. Debby Wheat, OSPA President Many changes have occurred within the RESC network recently. Last spring two psychometrists were added: Diana Boydstun joined the Lawton RESC and Diane Chowning joined the Altus RESC. Brenda McGuire is a new psychometrist in the Durant RESC. Deborah Smith has recently joined the Anadarko RESC. Marla Russell is a new psychometrist at the Moore RESC. By the way, the Moore RESC has not yet established a new office since suitable office space has been really hard to find in Moore since the disaster. Kathie McCabe, formerly at the Moore RESC, is now at the Tecumseh Juvenile Center. Bebe Booher, psychometrist at the Moore RESC, left last spring Geneva Stroup, psychometrist at the Sallisaw RESC also left the SDE. Retiring from the RESC network are Agatha "Polly" Bell from the Ardmore RESC, Joyce Ringwald from the Anadarko RESC and Linda Loudakis from the Altus RESC. Susan Linde has moved from the Jenks Public School to the Broken Arrow Public Schools. Amy Gardner is newly employed as a School Psychologist for the Norman Public Schools. Gary Chronister, Ph. D., School Psychologist from Broken Arrow, was a member of the panel entitled "Support System Development: Improving Communication Between Treatment Providers and Schools" held during the 1999 Zarrow Mental Health Symposium: Planning to Prevent Youth Violence and Self-Destructive Behavior. Additional panel members were Kim Beair, The Brown Schools at Shadow Mountain, Kaylin Coody, Bixby Public Schools Director of Special Services, and Marti Friend, Tulsa Regional Medical Center. The Central Region would like to welcome our new employees. Nancy Goosen, who was previously the Oklahoma County RESC's Supervisor/Administrator, was recently selected as the new Special Services Director for the Edmond Public Schools. Nancy lives in Edmond and has a young son who attends school in Edmond. Marti Long, formerly with the Western Heights School District, is now working as a psychometrist for Edmond Public Schools. Marti lives in Oklahoma City. Mary Beth Cacy will begin working with the Mid-Del Public School the first of September. She comes to them with an extensive background in education and assessment from the Mid-America VoTech. She previously worked in Texas as an educational diagnostician. Amy Gardner, who lives in Norman, was recently hired as the 9th school psychologist in the Norman Public School District . The Oklahoma City School District welcomes two new employees: Debby Morton and Patricia Taylor. Nikki Roderick and Michaela Green-Mosely, both of whom joined OCPS at the end of the last school year, are returning for this year. Putnam City School District is pleased to report that Lissa Wright, formerly with the Moore Public Schools, is joining them this year. Congratulations to Dorothy Arney of the Prague RESC. On August 20 she celebrated her 21st year working for the State. She and Vickie are also both planning on taking the School Psychologist test October 20 and would appreciate your support. Employment opportunities continue to grow for school psychologists in the southeastern region of Oklahoma. The primary catalyst for the growth seems to be the need for behavioral observations and assessments. Southeastern schools continue to employ the use of private mental health firms to augment the work of the full time school psychological services staff. School psychology appears to be a growth industry in the southeastern region. Submitted by: Rich Putnam, Ph. D., Southeast Region Representative
JANET BOND, a psychometrist and licensed Professional Counselor, is employed by John W. Hickman, Ph. D., Clinical Counseling. She is also a graduate student in school psychology at NSU. Janet lives at 2318 WEST NEWTON COURT, TULSA, OK, 74127-3022. Her home phone is 918 583-0753 and work phone is 918 742-1136. DIANE CHOWNING, is a psychometrist with the SDE at the Altus RESC. She lives at 1709 HOLLYWOOD DR., ALTUS, OK, 73521. Her home phone is 580 477-2545 and her work phone is 580 482-4197. CINDY EAGON, is a psychometrist-supervisor with the SDE at the Burns Flat RESC. Her address is RT. 1, BOX 56, SAYRE, OK, 73662. Her home phone is 580 928-2014 and work phone is 580 562-3127. CLAR ALICE EFFINGER, works as a counselor at the Professional Counseling Center, Ada and is a graduate student at East Central University. She also is on the OSPA Executive Board as a student co-representative from ECU. She lives at RT. 4, BOX 482, ADA, OK, 74820. Her home phone is 580 332-8540 and work phone is 580 436-6430. SHELLEY GEYER. ED. D., is a school psychologist for the Sapulpa Public Schools. Shelley has served as OSPA President in 1982-83 and has also served on the OSPA Executive Board as President Elect/Membership Chair, Past-President and Northeast Representative in 1992-93. Shelley was honored as OSPA School Psychologist of the Year in 1995. Her address is 1429 E 38TH ST., TULSA, OK, 74105. Her home phone is 918 712-2033 and work phone is 918 224-3400. NANCY GOOSEN, is the Director of Special Education for the Edmond Public Schools. Nancy was employed by the SDE in the RESC network and last served as supervisor for the Oklahoma County RESC. Her address is 2709 W. JULIE'S TRAIL, EDMOND, OK, 73003. Her home phone is 405 348-5227 and work phone is 405 840-2848. ALLEN H. HALLMARK, is a long time school psychologist working in the Oklahoma City Public Schools. He lives at 1917 CEDAR MEADOWS LANE, EDMOND, OK, 73003. His home phone is 405 330-2767 and work phone is 405 297-6545. BETH PUGH, Associate Director, Special Education Services of the SDE, lives at 904 SEQUOYAH TRAIL, NORMAN, OK, 73071. Her home phone is 405 364-7984 and Beth can be reached at work at 405 521-4990. JENNIFER RANDLEMAN, is a School Counselor and Psychometrist in the Cottonwood Public School, a dependent school near Coalgate. Jennifer is a graduate student at East Central University. She also is on the OSPA Executive Board as a student co-representative from ECU. Her address is 2416 S. MONTE VISTA, ADA, OK, 74820. Her home phone is 580 310-0051 and work phone is 580 927-3907. WILLARD SPRADLIN, is Principal and School Counselor for the Peggs Public School near Tahlequah. His address is RT. 2, BOX 134, HULBERT, OK, 74441. His home phone is 918 456-0544 and work phone is 918 598-3412. DIANNA STIEBER, is serving as a Psychometrist for the Child Service Demonstration Center in Cushing. She previously was a Psychometrist at the Cushing RESC. She lives at 6603 COVENTRY, STILLWATER, OK, 74074. Her home phone is 405 624-0559 and work phone is 918 225-1882. MARY L. SWEET-DARTER, PH. D., is Assistant Professor in Psychology at Northeastern State University. She returned to Oklahoma after completing a Leadership in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities post doctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Previously she was a member of the School of Education tenured faculty of Phillips University of Enid. Her mailing address is P. O. BOX 491, TAHLEQUAH OK, 74465. She can be reached at the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at NEU at 918 456-5511x3020. MARJORIE TYTENICZ, School Psychologist for the Yukon Public Schools, also served in the same capacity for the Norman Public Schools. She has been a member of OSPA from 1984-94, 1997 and 1999. She lives at 3621 BRIDGEPORT ROAD, NORMAN, OK, 73072-1766. Her home phone is 405 364-5269 and her work phone is 405 350-1341. VICKI WALKER, is employed by the SDE, Prague RESC as a Psychometrist. She lives at RT. 1, BOX 125, OKEMAH, OK, 74859. Her home phone is 918 623-9203 and her work phone is 405 567-4935. The demographics of OSPA membership are as follows:
NASP has been very busy the last year. At delegate assembly many items were considered including governance structure, election process and the alliance or partnerships with several organizations. Two such alliances are ASPIIRE and ILIAD. These are both partnerships to implement and advocate for idea practices. Some cooperating organizations include CEC, Department of Education, NASDE, and parent organizations. This is exciting new groundbreaking progress. Other information included decisions about who could run for president of NASP and how to elect delegate representatives. In order to run for president of NASP you must be a member in good standing, not work for the organization and be nominated. The Delegate Representative will be elected from the sitting delegates. Along with the budget and other business the 2004 convention site was selected and it will be in Dallas. That will be a close location for Oklahomans. Several Position Statements were discussed and two were passed, " The Early Childhood" and "Violence Prevention." Look for the final copies at our next convention. The National Convention this year will be in New Orleans. That is also close to home and we look forward to seeing you there. Please stay alert to the local certification requirements to become a School Psychologist. I have been alerted that you may simply take a test and become a School Psychologist. If this is true, we must notify our legislators and certification office of what a danger this would be to the students of Oklahoma. Please stay vigilant to this matter and be proactive for your profession and the students you serve. Have a great school year and we will see you at the OSPA fall conference. Submitted by: Joyce Lowrey, NASP Oklahoma Representative
PUBLIC EDUCATION HB 1759, the omnibus education reform bill could well be as far reaching as HB 1017 enacted in 1990. This bill revised the high school graduation standards, provided for Charter Schools in 13 districts with 5,000 of more Average Daily Membership (ADM), and established open transfer. When the state average per pupil expenditure reaches 90% of the regional average (region includes Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas), the bill provides for: (1) two-year college scholarships; (2) before and after school care; (3) counselors and alternative education programs in inner city elementary schools; (4) remediation in grades 3-8 to end social promotion and (5) full day kindergarten. NOTE: This 90% rule is tied directly to the averages for the 1998-99 school year reported in the Digest of Education Statistics, which will not be published until the year 2001, so all of these provisions will be delayed at least three years. During the five years of dedicated funding provided through HB 1017, Oklahoma averages were actually above the regional average. However, when the dedicated funding ended in 94-95, Oklahoma's average expenditures dropped 4%, and are expected to keep dropping . The latest reported (95-96) expenditures for Oklahoma were $4,881, whereas the Texas level was $5,473, and Kansas was $5,971. CHILD HEALTH AND SAFETY SB 495 creates a Joint Legislative Task Force on the Expansion of Health Insurance Coverage to develop recommendations for providing coverage for uninsured, low-income individuals and families not currently eligible for Medicaid, and whose incomes do not exceed 250% of the federal poverty line (FPL), i.e., $34,700 for a family of 3, with a cost-sharing component. HB 1054 puts into Oklahoma statutes the Health care Authority expanded Medicaid coverage to all children up to 18 years of age, whose family incomes do not exceed 185% of FPL. CHILD ABUSE ISSUES HB 1280 creates the Child Welfare System Review Committee to undertake a thorough study of the policies, procedures and statutes governing Oklahoma's child welfare system, and to make recommendations for revision. Deletes the provision for a national fingerprint based criminal background check for adoptive parents. Provides protection for children abandoned in the custody of a relative. HB 1049 authorizes DHS to work with the Child Abuse Training and Coordinating Council to seek ways to access Medicaid funds for the work of a Child Abuse Multidisciplinary Team. MENTAL HEALTH SB 2 requires health insurers to provide the same coverage for severe biologically based mental illness that they provide for physical illness. Groups with less than 50 employees are exempted. HB 1748 creates a Statewide Behavioral Health Task Force to develop a plan for cooperative and coordinated delivery of services, including a system of care for children. EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION SB 493 creates a new category of child care facility: the large family child care home. Current law limits a family child care home to 7 children. The new category will allow certain homes to care for up to 12 children, providing they maintain appropriate teacher-child ratio. Implementation of the new law is projected to begin in April, 2000. HB 1595 provides for school districts needing classroom space for kindergarten classes, or desiring to provide early childhood programs, to contract with a licensed public or private child care provider for the needed space. SUBSTANCE ABUSE HB 1203 doubles the size of "drug-free" school zones, forbidding possession of drugs with intent to distribute to within 2,000 feet of a school, park or housing project. JUVENILE JUSTICE HB 1843 brings the Office of Juvenile Affairs into compliance with the Federal Adoption and Safe Families Act, providing for termination of parental rights when children have been in OJA foster care/institution for 15 of the last 22 months. Redefines Community Intervention Center (CIC) as a short-term reception facility to hold juveniles for whom detention is inappropriate or unavailable. Provides for CICs to conduct assessments of juveniles in order to develop recommendations to correct behavior, to divert the juvenile from further progression into the system, to determine if the juvenile is in need of mental treatment and to determine if the juvenile is the victim of violence. ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION HB 1284 requires Alternative Education Teachers and those teaching in residential or treatment facilities to be licensed. Provides financial incentives. Requires districts to expend the same or more on students participating in Alternative Education as they do on all other students. Source: The Child Advocate , Special Issue: July, 1999. A publication of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy
Competencies for Licensure and Certification SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST The candidate for licensure and certification: *Understands and integrates into practice the principles of professional school psychology, including: -ethical conduct and legal issues -confidentiality -role and function of the school psychologist -service delivery models -professional issues/standards -history and foundations -continuing professional growth/development *Demonstrates knowledge and skills in a comprehensive range of assessment, diagnosis, evaluation and eligibility or intervention determination within the multidisciplinary team process, including - for children with disabilities who may require special education, early childhood intervention services, or other exceptional needs -assessment for interventions - collection of assessment data for infants through school-age children, including the selection, administration, accurate scoring, reporting , and interpretation of instruments and procedures appropriate to the areas of concern -the adequacy, appropriate use, and limitations of assessment and evaluation instruments and procedures to be used by the school psychologist -nondiscriminatory assessment strategies for culturally and linguistically diverse children. *Demonstrates knowledge and skills in prevention, intervention, consultation and counseling, including: -behavioral and social skills -cognitive/intellectual -child developmental -academic learning/instructional -mental health needs -crisis prevention/intervention *Demonstrates knowledge and skills in effective communication and collaboration, including -consultation for interventions and problem solving -recommendations and decision making concerning educational and mental health needs of children -working with families, children, professionals, and other service systems *Demonstrates knowledge and application of statistics, research methodologies/designs, measurement and program evaluation. *Understands and integrates into practice, basic psychological foundations, including: -biological bases of behavior (developmental, neuropsychological physiological, and other biological influences on behavior) -social bases of behavior (social psychology and development) -cultural diversity and cultural bases of behavior -child and adolescent development -human exceptionalities and individual differences -human learning. *Understands and integrates into practice educational foundations, including: -education of the exceptional learner -instructional and remediation techniques/intervention methods -organization and operation of the schools -the educational and alternative service delivery systems NOTE: Competency for School Psychologist certification may also be verified by the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential Representation of the development committee: school psychologists, school psychometrists, public school administrator, university professors/instructors, representatives of the Oklahoma School Psychological Association, regional director and Oklahoma delegate to the National Association of School Psychologists, psychometrists, administrators and associate director of the Regional Education Service Centers, and special education executive director of the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Sources: *National Association of School Psychologists, Nationally Certified School Psychologist Application and Information/ Standards for Training and Field Placement Programs in School Psychology and for Credentialing of School Psychologists (1994) *Iowa School Psychologists' Role and Functions *Redesign of Licensure of Kansas Educators-School Psychologists State Board Approval: 1-23-97
Competencies for Licensure and Certification PSYCHOMETRIST; EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSTICIAN The candidate for licensure and certification: *Understands and integrates into practice the philosophical, historical, and legal foundations of special education applicable to the role of the psychometrist/educational diagnostician, in the following areas: -laws, regulations, and policies/procedures related to special education assessment, placement and due process. *Demonstrates knowledge, understanding, and application of ethical issues and standards of professional practice within the educational setting, in the following areas: -ethical conduct and legal issues of the profession -role and function of the psychometrist/educational diagnostician; -confidentiality -professional issues/standards -training standards for particular instruments and procedures -continuing professional growth/development. *Demonstrates knowledge and skills in assessment, diagnosis, evaluation and eligibility determination within the multidisciplinary team process for children with disabilities who may require special education services or early childhood intervention services, as follows: -collection of assessment data for infants through school-age children, including the selection, administration, accurate scoring, and reporting of instruments and procedures appropriate to the areas of concern, such as basic academic skills, cognitive/intellectual, developmental, perception, language, adaptive behavior, and classroom behavior -the adequacy, appropriate use, and limitations of assessment and evaluation instruments and procedures to be used by the psychometrist/educational diagnostician for educational purposes and recommendations -nondiscriminatory assessment strategies for culturally and linguistically diverse children. *Has knowledge and skills in effective communication and collaboration within the multidisciplinary team process, in the following areas: -consultation for instructional interventions and problem-solving -educational recommendations and decision-making. *Understands and integrates into practice basic psychological foundations, including -cultural diversity -child and adolescent development -human exceptionalities -learning/educational psychology. *Understands and integrates into practice psychological foundations, -education of the exceptional learner -instructional and remedial techniques -the educational service delivery system. Representation of developmental committee: school psychologists, school psychometrists, public school administrator, university professors/instructors, representatives of the Oklahoma School Psychological Association, regional director and Oklahoma delegate to the National Association of School Psychologists, psychometrists, administrators and associate director of the Regional Education Service Centers, and special education executive director of the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Sources: *Council for Exceptional Children Knowledge and Skills Needed by Educational Diagnosticians *National Association of School Psychologists, Nationally Certified School Psychologist Application and Information/Standards for Training and Field Placement Programs in School Psychology and for the Credentialing of School Psychologists (1994) State Board Approval: 1-23-97
Taking Responsibility for Ending Social Promotion: A Guide for Educators & State & Local Leaders The Department of Education has released "TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR ENDING SOCIAL PROMOTION: A Guide for Educators & State & Local Leaders." This 72-page guidebook is designed to help schools find ways to end social promotion. The guidebook answers questions such as: What is social promotion, how widespread is it, and what are the costs to students and society? Most of the guide is devoted to *strategies* schools and communities may want to consider. Examples of schools & communities using those strategies and an "inventory of resources for ending social promotion" are offered in the booklet. The full text is at <http://www.ed.gov/pubs/socialpromotion/>. In a Department press release, Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley states, "This guide will help schools put comprehensive measures in place to ensure that all children learn and succeed in school." He adds, "Neither passing students on when unprepared, nor retaining them in the same grade are good options." Riley reminds us that the Clinton Administration's proposal to reauthorize the ESEA, the Educational Excellence for All Children Act of 1999, would require states to provide children with comprehensive educational services to end social promotion within four years. "Our ESEA proposal builds on efforts like these that give children the support and extra help they need to succeed in school . . . Holding schools publicly accountable and providing help where it is needed are critical to success. Putting a stop to social promotion requires tough decisions and strong actions from schools and communities." The report notes that to end social promotion, schools must above all focus on improving classroom instruction -- and direct resources toward that goal. It highlights various strategies to achieve this, including to identify student needs early and apply appropriate instructional strategies; to develop transitional and dropout prevention practices; and to hold schools accountable for performance through reports on school performance, rewards for school improvement and intervention in low-performing schools. NASP Communiqué Editor, Andrea Canter, fears that "Too many schools will adopt the end result (retention) without adopting the strategies to end failure." NASP can readily support strategies to "end school failure" which much of the guide addresses, but she comically suggests that the guide would be more aptly named, "Guide to Help Schools Serve Kids Better Regardless of Grade Placement" She adds, "Ending social promotion is simple. Ending the reasons for retention is another matter." NASP will continue to work with the Administration and Congress to ensure that effective strategies for preventing student failure are developed and implemented in all schools. Information contact: Libby Kuffner, Director of Public Policy, lkuffner@naspweb.org
Look It Up on the WEB: Practical Behavioral Support Information Michael B. Ruef & Cindy Higgins Excerpt from article in Teaching Exceptional Children (March/April, 1999) The following web sites were evaluated and recommended by a four-person panel representing teachers, family members, researchers, and communication specialists. All panel members are frequent WWW users and knowledgeable in the area of behavioral support. GENERAL INFORMATION ON BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT *Guidance and Discipline (http://www.nncc.org/Guidance/guide.disc.page.html) This site, established by the National *Network for Child Care, offers over 85 briefs on appropriate behavior, emotions, self-esteem, social skills, and others topics related to behavior. *CEC Special Web Focus; Discipline: Behavior Intervention (http://www.cec.sped.org/bk/focus/specfic.htm). This special focus section of The Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC) Web site offers downloadable access to articles on discipline and behavior from several CEC-related sources. Safeguarding Your Children (http://www. pta.org/programs/sfgrdtoc.htm) This National PTA and Allstate Foundation-sponsored site provides an annotated list of resources for families, schools, and communities to help plan and implement violence-prevention programs. *Does My Child Have an Emotional or Behavioral Disorder? (http://www.pacer.org/articles/articles.htm). This article, from the PACER Center, includes suggestions of what to look for, assessments, influencing factors, and cultural considerations. *Behavior Analysis Internet Resources (http://www.taba.org/publications.htm). This site provides a jumping-off point for a number of behavior analysis Internet resources. In addition, it provides an opportunity for users to participate in live chats on themes relating to behavior analysis. *Responding to Crisis at a School (http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/resource.htm). This resource aid packet from the UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools is one of a variety of downloadable packets/articles available from this site. Many other links and resources are also available. POSITIVE APPROACHES TO BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT *Inclusion: School as a Caring Community (http://www.quasar.ualberta.ca/ddc/incl/intro.htm#top) This site contains useful information for teachers. *LRE for LIFE Project Behavior Full-Text Articles (http://Web.ce.utk.edu/Ire/index.htm). This site includes worksheets and guidelines for Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Support Plans. *Addressing Student Problem Behavior: An IEP Team's Introduction to Functional Behavioral Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plans (http://www.air~dc.org/cecp/cecp.htm). This 1998 document overviews the 1997 Discipline Amendments to IDEA. It can be downloaded and includes many topics. *Positive Behavioral Support: A Bibliography for Schools (http://nichcy.org). This bibliography from the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities includes many materials on many topics. *Barkley Memorial Center Paraeducator Self-Study Program (http://para.unl.edu/ServedDocuments/TrainingIntro.html). Courtesy of the University of Nebraska, this Web site provides paraeducators with an introductory program and includes a unit on behavior management. Submitted by: Mary Ellen Jones, OSPA Executive Editor FBAs AND BIPs: FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT BASED INTERVENTION PLANS I recently developed the following short presentation for a special education inservice on the use of functional behavior assessment in the development of Behavior Intervention Plans. It proved effective in providing a brief overview of the rationale and the process. IDEA Section 614 (d)(2)(B) requires the IEP team "in the case of a child whose behavior impedes his or her learning or that of others [to] consider, when appropriate, strategies, including positive behavioral interventions, strategies and supports to address that behavior." Though the reference to Functional Behavior Assessment is in the discipline section of the law (required for suspensions of greater than ten days), our attorneys (Sapulpa Public School) strongly recommend that all behavior plans be based on an FBA. The concept of functional assessment-based behavior intervention plans represents a paradigm shift from behavior management plans that focus on applying consequences to plans that focus on interventions that modify the environment and teach replacement behaviors to the student. The functional behavior assessment consists of: *Identifying environmental factors prompting or supporting the behavior (with whom, when, where, time of day, activity/task, etc.). Look for a pattern. *Identifying the function the behavior serves, i.e.. what is the student trying to communicate through the behavior. All behavior communicates something *Using information obtained from the FBA, the Behavior Intervention Plan addresses: Alternative positive replacement behaviors (what do you want the student to do instead?). Environmental modifications and supports (includes changes in instructional techniques, staff, etc.) Teaching of new behaviors Shaping, modeling, and cueing the new behaviors Reinforcing the new behaviors The goal of behavioral support is the enable the student to fulfill the function in new ways or to eliminate the need. Thus, the most important aspect of the process is the development of the interventions and identifying supports for the student (based on the results of the functional behavior assessment). Interventions are best developed with teachers and other staff who will be responsible for implementing them. This increases the chances that the plan will be implemented as written. Note: In our district, the school psychologist conducts the FBA and develops the plan through consultation with the IEP team. In my experience so far, the most difficult (and most important) aspect is finding the right interventions. As noted above, an essential component in many cases is the teaching of new skills to the student. This may involve social skills training, anger control training, teaching coping skills, etc. in a counseling setting. Thus, the school psychologist may be needed to provide this service as part of the BIP. The following handout on "Behavior Functions and Interventions" was provided at the inservice. It was pointed out that the function of behavior generally falls under the three categories listed. Sample interventions associated with each function are given. The bottom half of the handout gives intervention categories that are included on the BIP. The plan should consist of 75% proactive/positive strategies and 25% reactive (or negative). Social communicative functions Protest or Escape -- Teach other forms of protest for student use, remove the need to protest by changing the environment, allow acceptable escape Seeking attention -- Teach other ways of getting attention, make the need for attention less by increasing independence skills, increase frequency of positive attention for appropriate behavior Request/attempt to get something -- Teach other ways of getting requested items/activities, teach delay gratification, change the environment to facilitate independence and choice making Self Regulatory function/Sensory Teach more adaptive ways to modulate arousal, structure and define acceptable places or methods of self-regulation, remove need for arousal modulation (boredom, overstimulation, etc.) Self Entertainment/Play Teach more acceptable ways to entertain oneself, ways to initiate, sustain or end play; provide an environment with more interesting entertainment options. Intervention Strategies (Categories for BIP) Proactive Strategies (75% of plan)+ Reactive Strategies (25% of plan) Environmental Changes Consequences Settings Crisis intervention/emergency plan Interactions, Instructional Methods Instructional Goals Environmental pollutants (noise, crowding) Number and characteristics of other people Teaching Strategies General skills Functional equivalent Functional related Coping/Tolerance Reinforcement Submitted by: Mary Ellen Jones, OSPA Executive Editor The Criteria of Emotional Maturity
William C. Menninger, M.D.
Steven R. Shaw, Ph.D., Department of Pediatrics-The Children's Hospital, Greenville, South Carolina Using cutting scores for special education program eligibility is a common, yet unpopular aspect of special education decision making. Thus, a routine practice in educational decision making is the use of the standard error of measurement (SEM). The South Carolina special education regulations (Redbook) codify the use of SEM in educational decision making. I would argue that the use of SEM for eligibility decisions is a misguided policy. The use of SEM leads to poor decisions and minority over representation in programs for Educable Mentally Handicapped programs. We all learned that obtained test scores consist of true score and error (in classical test theory). Any interpretation of test scores must consider the role of error. Yet, by definition, error is random. That is, error is equally as likely to make an obtained score higher than the true score as it is to lower it. This has ramification for clinicians who insist on routinely stating that test scores are a "minimal estimate" or "underestimate" and never write that test scores are "an overestimation" on a child's true ability, although both are equally likely. Nonetheless, accounting for error is an important component of test interpretation. Time to get technical. Think of the obtained score (X1) as the mean on a normal distribution. This normal distribution is a hypothetical distribution of possible true scores about the obtained test score. The SEM is the standard deviation of that error distribution. Therefore, there is about a 68% probability that the true score is within one SEM of the obtained score. There is about a 95% chance that the true score is within two SEMs. And so on. Despite codification in the South Carolina special education regulations Redbook, there is nothing special about 1 SEM. Why not use +2 or +3 or +1.654 SEM? More to the point, once you understand error distributions, for any given obtained score it is easy to figure out the probability that the true score is 70 or less (the cutting for EMH) given any obtained score. Let's work out an example. If a ten-year-old child obtains a WISC-III Full Scale Score of 71 (above the cutting score), then most of us would choose to recommend this child for an EMH setting using the SEM (if all other data met criteria). This means that we are saying the child's true score is 70 or less, and the obtained score is higher due to test error. What are the chances that the child's true score is 70 or less given an obtained score of 71? This is easy to calculate. The SEM for a ten-year-old is 3.0. We set up a Z-score, Z-X1-X2/SEM, where X is the obtained score (or mean of the distribution), and X2 is the cutting score. so Z=71-70/3. This equals .3333. It takes little effort to find this in a table of Z-scores and figure that there is a .3707 probability that the true score is 70 or less given an obtained score of 71. In other words, there is about a 377 chance that the child's true score is less than 70 (EMH range) and a 637 chance that the true score is greater than 70. Another way to say this is that there is a 37% chance that you are correct in placing the child in an EMH setting and a 63% chance that you are wrong. If the obtained score is 73, then there is a 15.87% chance that you would be correct. Things get much worse from there. If you use SEM for children that do not exactly meet criteria, than the chances are that you are making a bad decision. The usual response to this logical argument is, "Yes, but....yes, but I am doing everything to get the child services." There is minimal evidence that EMH classes improve academic and social skills as much as general education classes for this population. "Yes, but I am using my professional judgment." Test error and professional judgment are unrelated constructs. Also, evidence is crystal clear that actuarial models of educational decision making are far superior to any method of clinical judgment no matter the education and experience of the clinicians. Thus, do not stray too far from your data. "Yes, but I must consider a number of different data sources in making my decision." Of course, but this has nothing to do with test error. Use of SEM is not just a theoretical psychometric faux pas, it has pernicious repercussions. The use of SEM is one factor creating minority over-representation in EMH classes. If we use SEM, then in essence, we are simply raising the cut-off score from 70 to 73. For whatever reasons, there is an approximately 12 point difference between whites and blacks on the WISC-III. The percentage of whites with intelligence test scores between 70 and 73 is 1.3%. The percentage of blacks with intelligence test scores between 70 and 73 is 4.37. so, if you use the SEM routinely, then black children are over three times more likely to be affected by this faulty practice and placed in EMH classes than white children. It is worth noting that Judge Edenfield, in Marshall v. Georgia , wrote that the use of SEM is an insidious practice adversely affecting minority over-representation. Thus, there is legal precedence for noting the problems of using SEM. An administrative problem is that the use of SEM increases the percentage of children in EMH settings in the average school district from approximately 2% of the population to about 3.5% of the population or about a 75% increase. Such numbers can easily lead to overcrowded and ineffective EMH program classrooms. The key word for test interpretation is humility. We need to be humble because our tests have error. We need to be even more humble because our education, judgment and experience do not seem to ameliorate that error and when used unwisely tend to compound error. First, do not harm... Originally printed in the December, 1997, issue of Psych Scene , the newsletter of the South Carolina Association of School Psychologists. FALL CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS Sept. 15, 1999 Suicide Prevention for the Crisis/Support and Resource Association. Southeastern Oklahoma State University's Russell Bldg., Durant, OK. Contact Dr. Hugh Fant, 580-924-0121 ext. 2735. Sept. 28-29 Safeguarding Our Schools: What Helped at Littleton, Colorado. Clarion Hotel, Oklahoma City. Contact: Sandy Wisley 405 524-1191. Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 1999 Council for Children with Behavior Disorders: Linking Yesterday and Today with Tomorrow: Making It Work for Children/Youth with Challenging Behaviors. Dallas (Irving), TX. Contact: Contact: Lyndal Bullock, Univ. of North Texas, FAX: 940 565-4055; e-mail: bullock@tac.coe.unt.edu or phone: 940-565-3583. October 4-5, 1999 Classroom Management: Practical Ideas that Really Work . Presenter: Dr. Kathleen Fad. OU College of Continuing Education, 1700 Asp Ave., Room 202 Norman, 73072. For further information, contact Darlene Long 405 325-1964 , FAX 325-0860 or e mail dlong@ou.edu. October 8, 1999 OSPA Fall Conference. Neuropsychology Assessment in Children. Presenter Ray Dean, Ph. D., Ball State University. Southern Hills Marriott, Tulsa. For further information contact Debby Wheat, OSPA President, 918 241-8739 or OSPA Executive Secretary, 405 307-0846. October 18-19, 1999 Anger Management . Presenter: Dr. Leonard Ingram. OU College of Continuing Education, 1700 Asp Ave., Room 202 Norman, 73072. For further information, contact Darlene Long 405 325-1964 , FAX 325-0860 or e mail dlong@ou.edu. October 20-21, 1999 Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy. Annual Fall Forum on Children's Issues : Working Together to Prevent Violence . University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond. For further information, contact OICA 405 236-KIDS. October 21-22, 1999 Oklahoma Education Association Convention, Tulsa. For further information, contact Bill Guy 405 528-7785. October 25, 1999 Making Sense of the New IDEA Regulations . Presenter: Perry Zirkell, Esq., Professor of Education and Law at Lehigh University. Westin Hotel, Oklahoma City, OK. For further information contact LRP Publications, Michael McNutt at 800/727-1227x505, FAX 703 739-0489 or http://www.lrp.com/Conferences/fal_reg.htm November 1-2, 1999 Developing Literate Learners Today: Building Leaders for Tomorrow . Presenter: Dr. Ernestine Rigg. OU College of Continuing Education, 1700 Asp Ave., Room 202 Norman, 73072. For further information, contact Darlene Long 405 325-1964 , FAX 325-0860 or email dlong@ou.edu. November 4-6, 1999 CEDS 1999 Topical Conference, "Assessment." Menger Hotel, San Antonio, TX, Contact: Sandra Latchford, 60 Surrey Crescent, Fredericton, NB E3B 4L3, Canada, 506-4453-3515, FAX 506-453-4765, e-mail: sandral@unb.ca. November 15-16, 1999 Autism: Diagnosis, Assessment & Treatment. Presenter: Dr. Peter Nicholas. OU College of Continuing Education, 1700 Asp Ave., Room 202 Norman, 73072. For further information, contact Darlene Long 405 325-1964 , FAX 325-0860 or e mail dlong@ou.edu. December 6-7, 1999 Early Intervention & Prevention with Aggressive Children. Presenter: Dr. Michael Bloomquist. OU College of Continuing Education, 1700 Asp Ave., Room 202 Norman, 73072. For further information, contact Darlene Long 405 325-1964 , FAX 325-0860 or e mail dlong@ou.edu. Dec. 9-12, 1999 DEC International Early Childhood Conference on Children with Special Needs "Crossing Boundaries: Visions for the 21st Century". Hilton Washington and Towers, Washington, DC. For information call 1 407-628-3602 or send e- mail to: mandy@regmaster.com for registration information. January 17-18, 2000 Motivating Children in the Classroom. Presenter: Dr. LaWanda Gladney. OU College of Continuing Education, 1700 Asp Ave., Room 202 Norman, 73072. For further information, contact Darlene Long 405 325-1964 , FAX 325-0860 or e mail dlong@ou.edu. February 3-4, 2000 Crisis Intervention Strategies. Presenter: Dr. Russ Koch. OU College of Continuing Education, 1700 Asp Ave., Room 202 Norman, 73072. For further information, contact Darlene Long 405 325-1964 , FAX 325-0860 or e mail dlong@ou.edu. February 14-15,2000 Violent Children. Presenter: Dr. Kathryn Seifert. OU College of Continuing Education, 1700 Asp Ave., Room 202, Norman, 73072. For further information, contact Darlene Long 405 325-1964 , FAX 325-0860 or e mail dlong@ou.edu. March 28-April 1, 2000 NASP Annual Convention. Celebrating Our Success ! Sheraton, New Orleans, LA. For further information contact: NASP: 301 657-0270. April 28, 2000 OSPA Spring Conference. Subject TBA. Moore Norman Vo-Tech School. For further information contact Debby Wheat, OSPA President, 918 241-8739 or OSPA Executive Secretary, 405 307-0846. July 13-17, 2000 23rd Annual International School Psychology Colloquium. Many Languages...One Voice for Children. Durham, New Hampshire, For more information, contact: Peter Whelley, Co-Chair, P.O. Box 500, Moultonborough, NH 03254-0500; ptw@moultonborough.k12.nh.us
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