Contractual school psychological services: Prevalence and practices

This study investigated the prevalence and practices of contract school psychological services in public schools. A survey was sent to all 121 school districts in a southeastern state, with 111 surveys completed for a response rate of 92%. Results indicated that most school districts did not believe that contracting is cost effective. The primary service provided by contractual service providers was triennial reevaluations. The administrator most often charged with the hiring and supervision of contract providers was not a school psychologist. The credential most often required of a contracting psychologist was a State Board of Psychology license, with only a few requiring documentation of relevant coursework or experience. The results of this study indicated that the most pressing concern for the profession of school psychology regarding contractual services is ensuring that contract services are provided and monitored according to appropriate standards of practice. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A social neuroscience perspective on physical activity

The objective of this investigation was to examine the cognitive characteristics of individuals who demonstrate successful and unsuccessful self-regulation of physical activity behavior. In Study 1, participants articulated 1-week intentions for physical activity and wore a triaxial accelerometer over the subsequent 7 days. Among those who were motivated to increase their physical activity, those who were most and least successful were administered an IQ test. In Study 2, a second sample of participants completed the same protocol and a smaller subset of matched participants attended a functional imaging (fMRI) session. In Study 1, successful self-regulators (SSRs) scored significantly higher than unsuccessful self-regulators (USRs) on a test of general cognitive ability, and this difference could not be accounted for by favorability of attitudes toward physical activity or conscientiousness. In Study 2, the IQ effect was replicated, with SSRs showing a full standard deviation advantage over USRs. In the imaging protocol, USRs showed heavier recruitment of cognitive resources relative to SSRs in the anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortex during performance of a Stroop task; SSRs showed heavier recruitment in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.     

Examining the impact of capital on academic achievement

While a growing body of literature on education production looks at the impact school inputs have on academic achievement, virtually no research is examining the impact capital is having on academic achievement. In this study, we take an initial step towards that end. By using school districts' level of bond indebtedness as a proxy for capital, we find evidence that capital stock does affect academic achievement. In light of these findings along with the general lack of research on capital inputs, we conclude that capital expenditures should be given greater attention in future research.