Shaping the Future of School Psychology

School psychologists have beenjaced with an increasing need to document the effectiveness ojthe psychological services they provide. Despite this growing interest in accountability, few specific guidelines are available in the professional literature regarding practice m this area. In this article some important aspects of accountability will be presented. These dimensions then will be related to a problem-solving framework that can be used to plan and implement these procedures. Finally, a case illustration in which the model is applied will be presented.

Section: Dimensions Of Accountabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conversely, accountability addresses itself to qualitative questions, to the effectiveness of services. It attempts to document outcomes and benefits (Monroe, 1979;Grimes, 1981). An example might be a measure of a child's time spent on task following a specified intervention designed to increase this behavior.…”

Section: Dimensions Of Accountabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

A scientific problem-solving approach to developing accountability procedures for school psychologists.

Zins¹

1984

“…Some cooperative service areas have responded to this problem by assigning a psychologist to a specific part of the service area in which he or she lives. Grimes (1981) offers several possible solutions including the following:…”

Section: Effective Use Of Scheduling and Time Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Issues in the delivery of psychological services in rural school settings.

McLeskey¹,

Cummings²

1984

An overview of the barriers associated with the effective delivery of school psychological services in rural areas is presented. There barriers are grouped into three categories: geographic-terrain-population density, social-cultural, and professional problems. Based on a review of the relevant literature in special education, community, clinical, and school psychology, strategies for overcoming or ameliorating each of the above barriers are offered. Finally, a brief comment is included regarding some of the advantages of practicing school psychology in a rural setting.According to Pagan (1981), "Rural America constitutes one of the remaining frontiers in the field of school psychology" (p. 1). Although great amounts of time, energy, and resources have been invested in programs to improve the plight of children from various cultural backgrounds who live in the nation's cities, little attention has been given the problems faced by the one third of America's children who reside in rural areas.The circumstances existent in rural areas tend to exacerbate the problems that currently confront the nation's schools. These problems are especially extreme with respect to the delivery of appropriate services to handicapped children (Helge, 1981 a). Identification and programming for these children require specialized services that are often difficult to deliver with the limited resources in most rural areas. Other characteristics of many rural areas cause further difficulty in delivery of these services, including such factors as terrain, climate, population density, community values and attitudes, and problems in obtaining and retaining qualified staff. Hassinger (1978) notes several characteristic tendencies of rural people when compared to those in urban areas that may influence the delivery of special services. He contends that rural people are more authoritarian, isolationist, uninformed, and intolerant of new ideas than are their urban counterparts.Distinctive characteristics of rural areas necessitate specialized skills if school psychologists are to function effectively. Problems encountered in the delivery of psychological services in rural areas may be grouped into three areas: geographic characteristics and population density, social and attitudinal characteristics within rural communities, and professional practice issues. The influence that each of these issues may have on the practice of school psychology in rural areas is reviewed. Following the delineation of each problem area, a section on alternative solutions for alleviating or circumventing the problems is presented. Geographic-Terrain-Population Density: ObstaclesRural areas are frequently characterized by widely scattered populations, poor roads, and hazardous terrain. Surveys of psychologists and special educators indicate that travel between schools in sparsely populated areas is a major concern (Helge, 1981a;Trenary, 1980). Helge (198la), in a survey of State Education Agency personnel on the impact of P.L. 94-142 in rural areas, found frequently ex...

“…Of significant long-term consequence to practicing school psychologists may be the perceived peripheral nature of many of the current role functions of school psychologists (Grimes, 1981;Keough, 1981;Lambert, 1981;Miller, Witt, & Finley, 1982). Many direct-service functions, such as tester-diagnostician, which often account for a large proportion of the school psychologist's functional role, are frequently perceived as supportive of, rather than as central or integral to, a school system.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

System intervention and the school psychologist: Maximizing interplay among roles and functions.

Hannafin¹,

Witt²

1983

School psychologists face unique challenges in the determination of professional roles and responsibilities. Although many popularly accepted roles have been endorsed by members of the profession, insufficient alien lion has been directed toward system influences and the effects of such influences on the functions of school psychologists. The purposes of the present article are to present a conceptual framework for understanding systems and to present a model for affecting system-level interventions. School psychologists are encouraged to consider the broader implications of their roles and responsibilities within educational systems and to maximize the value oj traditional roles by seeking both individual and systemlevel change.