Previous literature has evidenced that young African American males are experiencing less academic success than their Caucasian male and African American female counterparts (Davis, Williams, & Williams, 2004; Flores, 2007). The deceleration of achievement in this population has spawned some inquiry into the struggles of African American students. However, investigators have primarily examined differences in sex, school attributes, socioeconomic status, family structure, and other external factors. Previous research has also highlighted the unique obstacles young African American men face in education settings. While researchers have identified several external predictors of academic achievement among African American males, scant information relates to identity factors outside of racial identity that correlate to and help predict academic achievement. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the influence of identity components (racial identity, masculinity, and academic self-concept) on the academic achievement of young African American male high school students. The data used for this study were archival and obtained from an umbrella project entitled the African American Males in Education Project A.A.M.P.E.D. Participants were recruited from a predominately African American High School located in the Southeastern U.S. There were 156 participants, all of which were African American males between the ages of 13-19. The findings from the current study can be summarized in three key points (a) the independent variables (academic self-concept, racial identity, and masculinity) were each significantly correlated to GPA, (b) the combination of the aforementioned identity factors significantly predicted GPA, and (c) no moderation or mediation effects were present in regards to the relationship between racial identity and GPA. Specifically, the findings suggested that following the control variable of parental education level, masculinity is the largest contributor in predicting GPA. Results also highlighted new findings regarding the unique and changing relationship of young African American males and academic self-concept. The current findings raised crucial questions about the inclusion of this population in research and future study. In conclusion, results from this study support the need for further research using identity factors in reference to the academic outcomes of young African American male students.

The current study examined the links and mechanisms associated with intergenerational cultural conflict, psychological distress, and the intergenerational differences in acculturation and model minority stereotype (MMS) endorsement for South Korean immigrants. Specifically, Korean American adolescents’ (ages 12-19, M = 15.3, SD = 1.71) and their mothers’ (N = 209 dyads) acculturation difference and MMS endorsement difference were measured and analyzed as predictors of intergenerational cultural conflict and psychological distress for adolescents. Furthermore, the study analyzed intergenerational cultural conflict as a mediator in the acculturation gap-distress and the MMS endorsement-distress paths. Results indicated that when mothers and their adolescents differed in their acculturation, they also differed in their endorsement of the MMS. Next, as expected, the adolescents who had mothers who were not as acculturated to the American culture, experienced more cultural conflict with their parents and, in turn, felt more psychological distress. Furthermore, the adolescents who had mothers who endorsed the MMS to a greater degree, experienced more cultural conflict with their parents and, in turn, felt more psychological distress.

The accurate and timely referral and identification of twice-exceptional students remains a challenge. In a statewide study, the referral decisions for both special education and gifted programming evaluations made by four participant groups (i.e., general education teachers, special education teachers, gifted education teachers, and school psychologists) were compared. Participants were randomly assigned to read one of three identically described students in a vignette that differed only in the presence of a diagnostic label—autism spectrum disorder (ASD), specific learning disability (SLD), or no diagnostic label. In all, special education teachers made the most special education referrals, while gifted education teachers made the most gifted programming referrals, both regardless of the diagnostic label present. The students with diagnostic labels were recommended for special education referrals significantly more than for gifted programming, while this difference was not evident in the no diagnostic label condition. Moreover, the student with the ASD label was the most likely to be referred for evaluations for both special education and gifted programming out of all three vignette conditions. Overall findings indicated the importance of considering the referral source as well as how the presence of a diagnostic label might influence educational referral decisions, particularly in how this might influence overall multidisciplinary team decisions for these unique learners.

Transition plans and services can have positive benefits on post-school outcomes for students with intellectual disabilities (ID). School psychologists have much to contribute to the transition process, but previous studies have indicated they often have limited involvement in this domain. A national survey was conducted to assess school psychologists’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in regards to transition services for students with ID. Respondents included 176 practicing school psychologists from 21 states. Based on Ajzen’s (1985) Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the survey used in the study focused on school psychologists’ transition-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. To understand the role of school psychologists in transition services for students with ID, data collection and analyses addressed (a) the underlying factor structure of the transition survey; (b) the relationship between school psychologists’ frequency of involvement in transition services and their self-reported transition knowledge, attitudes towards transition activities, and background experiences; and (c) the relationship between school psychologists' perceived importance of transition tasks and their transition knowledge and background experiences. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to verify the survey’s factor structure, and three factors supporting the TPB framework were identified: Knowledge, Attitude, and Behaviors. Scores for the instrument and subscales demonstrated acceptable reliability. A backward multiple regression was conducted with transition involvement as the criterion variable and respondents’ self-reported transition knowledge and attitudes, and background experiences as predictor variables. Attitude, knowledge, and previous experience with the ID population were found to be significant predictors of performance of transition tasks, accounting for 63.9% of the variance combined. A backward multiple regression also was conducted with attitudes toward transition as the criterion variable and respondents’ self-reported transition knowledge and background experiences as predictor variables. Knowledge was found to be the only significant predictor of respondents’ attitudes, accounting for 26.9% of the variance. Implications for practice and policy include increasing school psychologists’ specific knowledge of transition services and transition needs of students with ID, evaluating graduate programs and school districts’ openness towards school psychologists performing transition tasks, and advocating for special education reform to modify the roles and responsibilities of school psychologists.

School bullying has become an international source of concern. The media has captured the attention of the public with coverage of incidents such as the Columbine massacre. On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked through their school, shooting particular students they found. One victim asked why they were doing it. They said it was a dream come true and “payback” for being ostracized by their peers (Kalish & Kimmel, 2010). Until such devastations acted out in schools, bullying was considered a rite of passage. For the most part, parents and faculty did little to prevent it. In recent years psychological research studies have confirmed that bullying can be detrimental to the emotional, physical, and mental health of developing adolescents. This program evaluation was completed to determine whether or not the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports bully prevention intervention implemented at an elementary school in Kentucky was effective by creating a more positive school climate, increasing the amount of bystander participation during bullying incidents and decreasing the number of times students felt they had been treated disrespectfully. Analyses indicated the intervention was unsuccessful. Student ratings were very positive prior to the implementation of the intervention and were similarly positive after the intervention that been implemented. Data provided by the school indicated there was not a bullying problem within the school prior to implementing the intervention.

The learning style theories, specifically the styles of auditory, visual, and kinesthetic, can have a significant influence on boosting the overall academic performance of students across the globe. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the qualities and implications of each style, whether positive or negative, on the individual achievement of each learner. Although much evidence has pointed to the importance of its application in the classroom, there has been research on the significance of other factors, such as neurological aspects, external influences, and controllable disciplinary actions. There is still much research to be done in regards to educational development, but one important takeaway for practice is the ability of an individual to realize their learning style in the classroom, ultimately allowing for the successful translation into various actions on daily life.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 2004. / Title from title page screen, viewed March 21, 2005. Dissertation Committee: Paul Baker (chair), Mary O'Brian, Lucille Eckrich, Joseph Pacha. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-161) and abstract. Also available in print.

abstract: This study investigated the role of broad cognitive processes in the development of mathematics skills among children and adolescents. The participants for this study were a subsample of a nationally representative sample used in the standardization of the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities and the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement, Normative Update (Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2007). Participants were between 5 years old and 18 years old (N = 4721; mean of 10.98 years, median of 10.00 years, standard deviation of 3.48 years), and were 50.7% male and 49.3% female. Structural equation models supported the theoretical suggestion that broad cognitive processes play significant and specific roles in the development of mathematical skills among children and adolescents. Implications for school psychology researchers and practitioners are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Educational Psychology 2012

Vivemos atualmente no Brasil um massivo incremento da Educação profissional, científica e tecnológica, especialmente representada pelos Institutos Federais. Este incremento prevê, além da expansão da rede, criando centenas de novas unidades, também um grande investimento de recursos financeiros e contratação de milhares de profissionais. Assim, é crescente o número de psicólogos e psicólogas que estão começando a atuar na educação profissional. Além de um momento de expansão, a educação profissional também está sendo repensada, tomando a forma de uma política pública, prevendo a formação profissional de setores historicamente marcados por desvantagens sociais e econômicas. Este trabalho busca especialmente conhecer o diálogo que está se dando entre estes objetivos colocados atualmente à educação profissional com a prática dos psicólogos nestas instituições. Traça-se então uma pesquisa-intervenção, onde foi tecida uma rede entre alguns psicólogos atuantes na educação profissional e que colocaram-se disponíveis a iniciar a construção deste debate instalado em uma margem entre concepções da Educação Profissional e da Psicologia Escolar. / Nowadays, we live in Brazil a massive increment of professional, scientific and technological education, especially represented by Federal Institutions. This increment predicts, besides the chain's expansion, creating hundreds of new unities, also a great investment of financial resources and hiring of thousands of professionals. Therefore, the number of psychologists starting to work on the professional education is increasing. Besides a moment of expansion, the professional education is also being re-thought, taking the shape of a public policy, predicting the vocational training of sectors historically marked by social and economics disadvantages. This paper searches especially to know the dialogue that is happening between these objectives put currently to the professional education with the psychologists practices in these institutions. We draw one intervention-research that was build a chain between some acting psychologists in the professional education and that put themselves available to start the construction of this debate installed in one room between Professional Education's concepts and School Psychology.

Aim of this thesis is to look at the problematics of function of the school psychologist on primary school and show how the school psychologist get on with individual teachers. School psychology, pedagogic psychology and their history will be explained in the theoretical part of the thesis. Then we look at the history of function of the school psychologist on primary school in the Czech republic and Slovakia. We look at its cooperation with other entities - parents, students or other institions. Practical part of this thesis consist of interview with school psychologists and teachers. The aim is to analyse relations between them and determine whether is a school psychologist respected figure.