THE USE OF EVIDENCED‐BASED PRACTICES IN THE PROVISION OF SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER AMONG SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS

This study aimed to explore school psychologists’ use of evidence‐based practices (EBP), specifically in the area of social skills training, for students with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants were 220 school psychologists practicing in public school settings who provided social skills training to students with ASD. Participants were recruited through e‐mail solicitations and completed surveys administered on‐line. Results indicated that 47% of the participants reported that their graduate program did not provide courses including content addressing social skills training for students with ASD, and 58% did not receive training on the topic during their internship. The most and least frequently endorsed EBP reported were the provision of clear and measurable treatment objectives and regular communication with parents, respectively. Greater use of EBP was reported when school districts perceived implementing EBP as important. Implications of findings for training programs of school psychologists, school districts, and individual school psychologists are discussed, as well as implications for future research.     

高职学前教育专业学生顶岗实习刍议

顶岗实习是学前教育专业教学计划的重要组成部分,是学生在完成公共课、专业课以及实训课以后进行的实践性教学环节,是提高学生专业实践技能的重要途径。目前学前教育专业学生顶岗实习主要存在学生实习缺乏时效性、实习指导教师指导工作缺乏指导性、校外实习基地缺乏成效性等问题,高职学前教育专业学生顶岗实习工作。     

Youth at work: Adolescent employment and sexual harassment

ObjectiveAn examination of the frequency and impact of workplace sexual harassment on work, health, and school outcomes on high school girls is presented in two parts. The first compares the frequency of harassment in this sample (52%) to published research on adult women that used the same measure of sexual harassment. The second part compares outcomes for girls who experienced harassment versus those who did not.MethodsStudents in a small, suburban high school for girls completed a paper and pencil survey during class. A modified version of the Sexual Experiences Questionnaire (SEQ: Fitzgerald et al., 1988) was used to identify sexually harassed working teenagers. Work attitudes, assessments of physical health and mental health, and school-related outcomes were measured using standardized scales. Data were analyzed using difference of proportions tests, t-tests, and regression.ResultsThe percentage of harassed girls was significantly higher than the figures reported in most studies of working women. Girls who were sexually harassed were less satisfied with their jobs and supervisors, had higher levels of academic withdrawal, and were more apt to miss school than their non-harassed peers.ConclusionsSexual harassment significantly impacts employed high school girls’ connections to work and school. It not only taints their attitudes toward work but it also threatens to undermine their commitment to school. Educators, practitioners and community leaders should be aware of the negative impact this work experience may have on adolescents and explore these issues carefully with students who are employed outside of school.Practice implicationsTeenage students, stressed by sexual harassment experienced at work may find their career development or career potential impeded or threatened due to school absence and poor academic performance. In addition, the physical safety of working students may be at risk, creating a need for teenagers to receive training to deal with sexual assault and other types of workplace violence. Educators, practitioners, and community leaders should be aware of the negative impact this work experience may have on adolescents and their overall school experience and explore the issue of sexual harassment carefully with students who are employed outside of school.     

Common misconceptions of suspension: Ideas and alternatives for school leaders

The use of exclusionary discipline practices in schools has been well documented since the 1970s with the passing of the Safe Schools Act and implementation of zero‐tolerance policies. Despite research indicating the ineffectiveness of exclusionary practices, students continue to receive suspensions and expulsions at alarming rates. Additional research highlights that there may be misconceptions regarding the application of suspensions and their perceived functions and effectiveness on students and their families. The purpose of this article is to discuss common misconceptions regarding the effects of suspension and provide teachers, school psychologists, and administrators with proactive strategies for implementation in local systems to create positive school climates and optimize successful outcomes for all students and staff.     

CoRE: A conceptual model for incorporating conflict resolution into teacher education

Abstract

School districts throughout the United States have responded in different ways to recent acts of violence. Responses vary from external security measures, which include metal detectors, see‐through backpacks, and fences, to programs that train teachers and students to recognize potentially dangerous threats and behavior. Literature indicates that teacher education programs have generally failed to address this issue in preservice teacher education. The purpose of this article is to present a conceptual model for incorporating conflict resolution in preservice teacher education. The CoRE model offers teachers conflict resolution/ peer mediation skills in a four‐level approach: Foundational Knowledge, Integration, Contextual, and Implementation.     

“Orange is the New Black” Comes to New Jersey’s Public Schools: Black Girls and Disproportionate Rates of Out-of-School Suspensions and Expulsions

This paper explores out-of-school suspensions and expulsions among Black females, who have often been ignored in the extant educational research literature. More specifically, the authors explore the question of whether Black females have been overrepresented in out-of-school suspensions and expulsions in New Jersey public schools. Using data from the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), the authors found that Black females in New Jersey have in fact been overrepresented in both, out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. The extent of that overrepresentation of Black females has not only worsened over time but could also be considered graver in New Jersey than in the rest of the United States. The authors additionally contend that these school push-outs increase the likelihood that Black girls will enter the school-to-criminal justice pipeline. After discussing the study findings in detail, the authors provide several recommendations that are designed to help better comprehend and address the various discipline-related issues impacting Black girls in the New Jersey public school system and that could potentially have broader implications for all of the nation’s schools.

     

Skills‐Based Training and Counseling Self‐Efficacy

The authors studied the effectiveness of the skilled counselor training model (SCTM). Counseling students who completed the SCTM demonstrated greater gains in skills acquisition and counseling self‐efficacy than counseling students who did not receive the training. At pretest, the counseling students in both groups, doing self‐appraisals, rated their performance of counseling skills significantly higher than trained raters assessed the students' performance of counseling skills. At posttest, members of the control group continued to overestimate their skills levels when compared with the ratings given by the trained raters, whereas, in comparison, students who received SCTM training underestimated their performance.     

Examining the utility of a train-the-trainer model for dissemination of sexual violence prevention in schools

Rates of childhood sexual abuse are unacceptably high, with potentially long-lasting consequences for those who have been victimized. Currently, there are a number of sexual violence prevention programs that have been developed to lower rates of victimization, increase awareness, and connect victims with resources. Within this area of research, there has been less focus on effective methods of program dissemination. For example, school-based sexual violence prevention programs have had positive outcomes; however, little is known about how these programs are disseminated. The train-the-trainer model of dissemination utilizes master trainers to equip others to implement programs, thereby allowing more adults to teach and subsequently more children to receive the program. This study used survey data from teachers and other school personnel (n = 127) to analyze the utility of a train-the-trainer model of dissemination for a sexual violence prevention program in the state of Hawai’i. Through responses of people who were trained to implement the program (59.8% of whom did implement), aspects of the training, the program itself, and factors affecting whether a person implemented the program were explored. Results suggest that time spent in training, job position, and time in that position predicted whether a person trained to implement the sexual violence prevention program followed through with teaching the program to students. Additionally, 54.7% of people who did implement the program had at least one student disclose sexual violence to them, indicating the importance of sexual violence prevention programming and dissemination of these programs.     

The Skilled Counselor Training Model: Skills Acquisition,Self‐Assessment,and Cognitive Complexity

The authors evaluated the effectiveness of the Skilled Counselor Training Model (SCTM; M. H. Smaby, C. D. Maddux, E. Torres‐Rivera, & R. Zimmick, 1999) in teaching counseling skills and in fostering counselor cognitive complexity. Counselor trainees who completed the SCTM had better counseling skills and higher levels of cognitive complexity than did counselor trainees who did not receive the training. Before training, both experimental and control group participants overestimated their skills performance. The control group persisted in this overestimation after training, whereas students who completed the SCTM had a much more accurate self‐assessment. Results suggest that skills‐based training may improve counseling skills and cognitive complexity in counselor trainees.     

Development and evaluation of a screening instrument for cooperating teachers

Abstract

In order to recruit, retain, and train quality cooperating teachers, a 35‐item instrument was devised to screen for attitudes toward systematic supervisory behavior, perceptions of factors that impact supervision, and beliefs about preferences for and styles of supervision. After pilot testing, the instrument was completed by 76 physical education cooperating teachers who supervised various field‐practicum students for a large southwestern university. Employing MANOVA followed by ANOVA, differences between groups of cooperating teachers were noted for one subscale: cooperating teachers who coached, taught at the high school level, or did not possess a postgraduate degree had less favorable attitudes toward systematic supervisory behavior. Gender and experience supervising did not differentiate subscale responses. Explanations for noted differences are presented as functions of teacher/coach role conflict, exposure to supervisory training, and the status of secondary physical education. Suggestions for refining the measurement instrument and using it to screen potential cooperating teachers are offered.     

Using critical policy analysis to examine competing discourses in zero tolerance legislation: do we really want to leave no child behind?

The increasing use of zero tolerance discipline policies in the USA has led to a ‘discipline gap,’ in which minoritized students receive harsher and more frequent suspensions and expulsions than their peers from dominant cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Though disciplinary decisions are made by educators at the school level, mandates regarding the disciplinary infractions that must result in exclusionary discipline are made at the federal and state levels. Using a theoretical framework that distinguishes the discourse of safety from the discourse of equity, this critical policy analysis examines how state-level zero tolerance legislation portrays educators, students, and school discipline and reflects neoliberal influence. Findings show that these policies narrowly define schools’ roles as developing academic, but not behavioral, skills. Students are portrayed as rational actors who deserve the punishment meted out by educators when students choose to behave disruptively; and educators have absolute power and their decisions regarding student discipline are reflected as being consistent and objective. Nevertheless, legislation in some states also acknowledges students’ needs for a more holistic approach to their education and mandate continued education and support services to help them after they are removed from school. An example from one California district illustrates findings and demonstrates how both discourses are inadequate in challenging neoracism.     

"Somebody Else Making Somebody Else Fight": Aggression and the Social Context Among Urban Adolescent Girls

This study explored episodes of social and physical aggression among members of a low-income, urban sample of adolescent girls. Thirty African American, Hispanic, and Latina girls were interviewed about recent episodes of conflict, disagreement, or fighting in their grade. The study explored (a) the relationship between episodes of physical aggression and social aggression, (b) the importance of group alliances during aggressive episodes, and (c) the resolution of social and physical aggression. Episodes of social aggression frequently led to episodes of physical aggression among these girls, with group alliances solidified in the process. Adults intervened to resolve episodes of physical aggression (using suspension from school), whereas precipitating episodes of social aggression remained unresolved. Adolescents reported that suspension was an acceptable form of conflict resolution.     

Computer-Assisted Instruction on Study Skills

The study investigated the effectiveness of a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) study skills program on students’ behaviors and attitudes. The subjects were 88 students (experimental group) who completed the CAI program and 67 students (control group) who did not have access to the program. All subjects responded three times during the semester to the Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes inventory. Trend analyses revealed that during the semester the scores for the experimental group increased significantly and the scores for the control group decreased significantly. The findings showed that the CAI program can effectively present the information on effective study skills and how to develop such skills.     

The effectiveness of teaching a life skills program in a physical education context

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of a life skills training program taught as part of physical education lessons. Seventy three, seventh grade students were assigned either in an experimental or in a wait-list control replication group and received an abbreviated version of GOAL, a school-based intervention designed by Danish and colleagues to teach life skills. The program focused on setting goals, making plans for achieving goals and on positive thinking. Students were assessed on physical fitness tests, knowledge about life skills, and beliefs about effective use of life skills. Results showed gains and retention on physical fitness, knowledge and self-beliefs regarding goal setting. These results show that life skills training can be effectively implemented within a school physical education context.     

Learning the Fundamentals in the Activity Curriculum

Little is known about how students go about learning in out-of-school settings, how they self-regulate their learning in these settings, and whether school learning affects out-of-school learning. Research on these questions is important because a major purpose of schooling is to enable students to learn on their own in the world beyond school. In the present study, high school students were surveyed to determine their out-of-school activities, use of learning strategies in these activities, engagement in school-prompted interests, and self-efficacy for out-of-school learning. Students reported low rates of using learning strategies in their out-of-school pursuits. Students who became so interested in a topic in school that they learned more about it outside of school (i.e., a school-prompted interest) did not have greater self-efficacy for learning or higher grades, but they did report greater use of out-of-school learning strategies, a higher number of out-of-school activities, and greater likelihood of having done a large project on their own. African American and White students were equally likely to have experienced a school-prompted interest, but Whites were more likely to have done projects. These findings suggest the need for more school instruction in learning strategies that encourages their transfer to the out-of-school domain.     

More than Manners: Conflict Resolution in Primary Level Classrooms

A diverse sample of kindergarten and 1st grade students participated in a social-emotional literacy and problem solving program. Students and their teachers participated in seven one-hour training sessions which included concrete activities designed to increase affective vocabulary and social problem-solving. Effective communication strategies such as I-messages and paraphrasing were also introduced and practiced. Pretest data and responses to the activities revealed that students could easily articulate inappropriate and disrespectful behaviors prior to training; however they were unable to articulate behaviors that would be helpful in resolving conflict. Although students had been extensively exposed to manners curricula which emphasized respectful behavior, the posttest results indicate that the social-emotional problem solving curricula offers a distinct set of skills which enable students to constructively manage conflict, manifested through statistically significant decreases in verbal and physical aggression. Teacher and staff posttest surveys corroborated the student findings.     

Encountering Violence in Field Work

Abstract

The increase in violence in our society has been well documented in the media as well as in professional journals. Social workers experience a particularly high incidence of physical and verbal violence. This article presents a current review of the literature on violence, describes a Risk Reduction Model for social work practicum education, and discusses implications for further study. The literature review includes reported incidence, the professional response, and the impact on social work education. The Risk Reduction Model addresses school policy and procedures, a school based teaching module, training for field work instructors, and consultation to agencies regarding their safety policies, procedures and training.     

Technology training for older job-seeking adults: The efficacy of a program offered through a university-community collaboration

ABSTRACT

Many older adults who lose their jobs face challenges in finding new employment due to fundamental limitations in their technology skills. While training could give them the skills they need, older workers often have less access to training programs than younger workers. This study examined the feasibility of using an e-learning training program developed for older job-seeking adults lacking the requisite technology skills to find employment. Implementation of the training program was based on a partnership established between university researchers and a community organization. Thirty-five participants aged 50–71 years provided data regarding their previous work histories and problems that they encountered while seeking employment. They completed 12 hours of training in Microsoft Excel and were given multiple-part problems to assess what they had learned. They also provided evaluations of the program. Participants who enrolled in the training had limited computer skills; after a relatively short amount of training, many were able to perform Excel functions such as entering data and using formulas. Most participants indicated that the training they received was very beneficial, and that they had a basic understanding of Excel. Overall, this project demonstrated that academic-community partnerships can provide an effective strategy for delivering training to older adults.     

Effectiveness of a Conflict Resolution Training Program in Changing Graduate Students Style of Managing Conflict with their Faculty Advisors

We investigated the conflict management preferences of graduate students with their faculty advisors and assessed the effects of participating in a conflict resolution workshop on those preferences. One hundred and twenty-one graduate students completed the pre-workshop surveys, and 69 participants completed the post-workshop surveys after seven workshops conducted over a 3 year period. Nineteen subjects participated in three post-workshop focus groups. The quantitative pre-workshop data showed that avoidance and accommodation styles for managing conflict were preferred among participants. Participants showed a trend towards a statistically significant increase in the collaborating score post-workshop relative to pre-workshop levels. The qualitative data indicated that students applied skills taught during the workshop, including interest-based principles, when interacting with faculty.     

Physical education for deaf students

An ideal physical education program would be one that focuses on aspects leading to lifelong participation in and enjoyment of physical activity accompanied by appropriate fitness levels. Often, physical education classes are the only physical activity that many children receive throughout the day, and without them, an even greater number of children, including those who are deaf, would be prone to aspects associated with sedentary lifestyles. Schools need to involve their students in daily physical education classes. The emphasis of such a program should be placed on promoting physical fitness and developing skills that lead to a lifelong enjoyment of physical activity and healthy lifestyles. This paper reviews the literature on the state of physical fitness among deaf students and describes an exemplary physical education program that was implemented at a school for deaf children.