Foundations Flashcards
What must school psychologists have to serve diverse populations of public school students?
Preparation and expertise in the psychology of individual differences
This includes applying knowledge to develop interventions based on individual characteristics.
List the diverse backgrounds that school psychologists must be sensitive to.
- Linguistic
- Cultural
- Racial
- Ethnic
- Socioeconomic
- Biological
- Gender-related
- Personal individual disabilities and abilities
What are the essential skills school psychologists need to promote student learning?
Identifying specific learning needs and developing instructional strategies
This includes assessing various skills such as sensorimotor, cognitive, emotional, social, and academic performance.
True or False: Ethical principles for school psychologists include respect for human dignity.
True
This includes non-discrimination and fairness in interactions.
What trend in public school demographics was reported by the US Department of Education from 2000 to 2010?
A shift from 61% to 52% white and from 16% to 23% Hispanic
The proportions of ELL students also increased during this period.
What risks are associated with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students in public schools?
- Increased risk of school failure
- Overrepresentation in special education
- Lowest scores in academic achievement
- Highest risk of dropping out
What is the significance of including CLD samples in school psychology research?
Avoids incorrect generalization of results and inappropriate interventions
Studies without CLD samples can lead to ineffective practices for these groups.
What roles do cultural brokers fulfill in school settings?
- Liaisons
- Cultural guides
- Mediators
- Catalysts for change
What knowledge areas must cultural brokers have?
- Community’s educational beliefs, values, and practices
- Educational system navigation
What are the two key elements required for cultural brokers to effectively serve as mediators?
- Establishing and sustaining trust with communities
- Dedicating time to develop meaningful relationships
How can cultural brokers support school crisis prevention?
By understanding cultural value systems and involving community groups in crisis management
This includes civic associations, social clubs, and nonprofit advocacy groups.
What did Vygotsky and Luria discover about cultural bias in educational assessment?
Inherent cultural bias in judging problem-solving strategies
Evaluators often reflected their cultural frame of reference rather than the children’s cognitive abilities.
Fill in the blank: To reduce classroom cultural bias, teachers should engage in _______.
[self-reflection]
What teaching style is associated with improved experiences for diverse students?
Warm demander teaching style
Combines affection with authority and mutual respect.
What did Arne Duncan characterize education as in his 2010 lecture?
A civil rights issue
He emphasized the need for education reform as a fight for social justice.
What is the impact of placing students in failing schools according to Mullenholz?
Undermines their human dignity
It limits their preparation for higher education and future choices.
What does social justice in education entail according to Mullenholz?
Preserving core values of solidarity and equality while protecting human dignity.
What is the consequence of placing students in failing schools?
It undermines their human dignity and limits their choices in life.
What is the main reason for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)?
Reaffirming the human dignity of American students and their civil rights.
How does the author equate the American dream to students?
The dream of American students is equated to the American dream described by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
What are the four elements for empowering educational entities according to Downes?
- Autonomy
- Diversity
- Openness
- Interactivity
What does the PISA find about countries that address social inequities?
They achieve better student learning outcomes.
What is the role of national attitudes in educational equity?
Attitudes of ‘we’re all in this together’ promote educational equity.
What are the four properties educators should seek in evaluating educational research?
- Educational relevance
- Objective, systematic, rigorous methodology
- Enough detail for replication
- Independent expert review
What is the significance of random assignment in educational research?
It enhances the validity of the study by ensuring participants are randomly selected.
True or False: Validity means a test measures what it claims to measure.
True
What are the four thematic questions guiding science-based school psychology practice?
- Is there a problem, and what is it?
- Why is the problem occurring?
- What can we do about the problem?
- Did the intervention work?
What does educational problem identification often define?
A discrepancy between teacher expectations and student performance.
What is the focus of problem-solving in education?
The discrepancy, not the behavior itself.
What is the first step in planning educational interventions?
Operationally defining the educational problem.
What is involved in progress monitoring?
Establishing a process for monitoring and evaluating intervention effectiveness.
What distinguishes quantitative research from qualitative research?
Quantitative research measures findings numerically; qualitative research describes phenomena in more depth.
What is the purpose of random sampling in research?
To ensure every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected.
What does the independent variable represent in an experiment?
The presumed cause that affects the dependent variable.
What is the purpose of control groups in experiments?
To compare outcomes against those receiving the new intervention.
What are confounding variables?
Variables that interfere with or confuse experiment results.
What is a longitudinal design in research?
A design that compares effects on the same group over time.
Fill in the blank: The best problem analyses use students’ actual school situations and materials for the most valid performance assessment through _______.
operationalizing current environmental performance demands.
What should be included in intervention components?
- Antecedents
- Alternative skills instruction
- Instructional consequent strategies
- Reduction-oriented consequent strategies
- Long-term prevention strategies
- Team member support
What are confounding variables?
Confounding variables interfere with/confuse experiment results by also affecting the dependent variable
For example, getting more sleep/eating better could improve medical symptoms/student achievement instead of the new drug/instructional intervention.
How do researchers control for confounding variables?
Researchers control for confounding variables by making experimental conditions as equal as possible and applying statistical procedures.
What is a longitudinal design in research?
Longitudinal designs compare effects on the same group over time, typically years.
What is a cross-sectional design in research?
Cross-sectional designs compare effects between/among different groups concurrently.
What do cross-sequential designs combine?
Cross-sequential designs combine longitudinal and cross-sectional methods, testing different age cohorts at different times.
What is a normal distribution?
A normal distribution is graphed as a bell-shaped curve, with the largest number of scores/values falling in the center.
What does a positively skewed distribution look like?
A distribution with many low scores and a few unusually high scores.
In a negatively skewed distribution, how do the mean and median compare?
In negatively skewed distributions, the mean is smaller than the median.
What are measures of central tendency?
Measures of central tendency include the mean, median, and mode.
What is sampling error?
Sampling error is the difference between the values obtained for the sample and values of the same variable(s) for the corresponding population.
What is a random sample?
A random sample is selected by chance, assuring every population member an equal possibility of being chosen.
What are confidence intervals?
Confidence intervals are statistical percentages showing how often the researchers will be incorrect in predicting population results from sample results.
What does statistical significance indicate?
Statistical significance indicates whether an experiment’s result is due to chance or to a relationship between/among specific variables.
According to NASP, what practices permeate all aspects of service delivery?
Making measurements, collecting data, analyzing data, accountability, and using technology resources.
What approach do school psychologists use for professional activities?
School psychologists use a problem-solving approach.
What is treatment fidelity?
Treatment fidelity refers to evaluating how correctly educators have implemented the interventions recommended by school psychologists.
What is the purpose of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)?
AYP requires schools to show that their students have learned and achieved enough during each school year to meet mandated standards.
How do schools document AYP?
Schools document AYP by submitting figures showing student scores on high-stakes standardized testing instruments.
What happens if a school cannot demonstrate accountability for AYP?
If a school cannot demonstrate accountability for AYP, it must develop and implement a School Improvement Plan (SIP).
What is the range in statistics?
The range is obtained by subtracting the smallest score from the largest score.
True or False: A negatively skewed distribution has more high scores than low scores.
False.
Fill in the blank: A distribution with many high scores and a few unusually low ones is _______.
negatively skewed.
What role do school psychologists have in evaluating programs?
School psychologists use valid, reliable, and systematic procedures for collecting data to evaluate program effectiveness.
What technology resources do school psychologists use for data collection?
School psychologists utilize computer programs and spreadsheet programs for data analysis.
What is the impact of larger sample sizes on sampling error?
The larger the sample selected, the smaller the amount of sampling error.
What role do school psychologists play in instructional support?
They develop and implement evidence-based instructional strategies to improve student achievement based on assessment data
This includes promoting student-centered learning and collaborating with staff.