Executive functioning is an umbrella term used to describe abilities that include self-monitoring, goal-setting, planning, organization, attention, and working memory. Broadband behavior rating scales are commonly used by school psychologists and the instruments often now include an executive functioning scale. It is unknown, however, how these scales, based on a few items, compare to more extensive rating scales that solely measure executive functioning. The current study examined the overall consistency between the executive functioning scale on one broadband instrument to another instrument that assesses multiple areas of executive functioning by having teachers complete both instruments at the same point in time. The comparisons revealed statistically significant correlations, but significantly different mean scores between the executive functioning CAB-T score and the overall BRIEF score. Furthermore, classification consistency (i.e., scores from the two scales are both in the average range or clinically significant range) only occurred approximately two-thirds of the time. Thus, concerns were raised about the use of the scale from the broadband instrument as a general measure of executive functioning.

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine school psychologists' use of evidence- based practices (EBP), in general, and more specifically in the area of social skills training (SST) for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Study participants, consisting of 498 school psychologists from across the nation, participated in an online survey that gathered information about their training, attitudes, and practices. The frequency with which specific EBP practices for social skills training for students with ASD was examined, as was prediction of use of these practices. Multiple-regression analyses revealed multiple independent variables that were predictors for overall use of EBP. Results indicated that over half of the participants provide SST for students with ASD. Although the majority of participants indicated that their graduate program included at least one course with information about ASD and EBP practices, in general, nearly half indicated that their coursework did not include any courses that directly addressed social skills training for students with ASD. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to determine the extent to which the data fit the factor model. Participants' perception of the importance placed on EBP by their school district, scores on the openness subscale of the Evidence Based Practices Assessment Scale, perception of how well their graduate program prepared them in the EBP process, perception of whether they were adequately trained in the area of SST for students with ASD, and having a caseload evenly divided among settings were significant predictors of overall use of EBP.

This diploma thesis deals with the professional identity of school psychologists. The aim of this thesis is researching of changing the profile of professional identity in last ten years and observing the other variables how and in what way they influence the professional identity of school psychologists. The thesis is divided in a theoretical part, empiric part and a discussion of the research results with the literature. The theoretical part deals with a school psychology at first - its determinations and relations to other disciplines, its historical evolve and also with present situation, the content of a work of a school psychologist and his role in relationship network at school. The next part deals with a profession and professional identity, at first through a general view and lately with a direct view on the professional identity of school psychologists. In the empiric part there are firstly introduced the aims of the research and its questions, used methods for gathering and data processing and it is introduced the research file. For the data gathering there were used interviews and questionnaires which examined the most frequent and the most difficult situations which are the school psychologist dealing with, the frequent clients and their orders, perceiving of their own self-image and...

Concerns relating to the management of externalising and internalising behaviour are prevalent within UK educational policy and practice and represent a key domain for Educational Psychologist (EP) support. EP practice has been subject to change over time, following shifts in legislative approaches to managing behaviour in schools and changes to the contexts and systems within which EPs work, such as increased service trading. A systematic literature review (SLR) sought to represent EP behaviour practices within the existing literature. 12 papers, published between 2000-2017 were identified using a PRISMA framework and evaluated for methodological quality, appropriateness and relevance of focus. An empirical investigation, utilising the Research and Development in Organisations (RADIO) model within a single-case design, was also conducted within a north-west local authority educational psychology service. A focus group with 5 EPs and the Principal EP (PEP), and an interview with the PEP, were carried out and thematically analysed. The SLR identified a range of behavioural practices at individual, group and organisational levels, exemplifying the core functions of the EP role. Single and integrated psychological paradigms were applied, within relational and social constructionist approaches. The empirical investigation identified a range of behavioural practices, and underlying psychological paradigms, alongside ideas for future developments in behaviour service delivery and the possible facilitators and barriers to achieving this were considered. Reflections on the utility and experience of EP involvement in action research were also facilitated, with content analysis findings presented. Links to theory and practice, and implications for future research are considered, including empirical investigation of EP practice within local contexts. The application of psychology within local contexts and service development processes, are also considered. Finally, following an exploration of the concepts of evidence-based practice and practice-based evidence, and their implications for practitioner psychologists, a dissemination strategy for sharing findings with participants and the wider EP community is proposed.

The landscape of education and the students served in schools has changed over the last few decades and is becoming more diverse (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017). Methods of special education evaluation in schools are also changing to meet the needs of a dynamic population. Best practices for specific learning disability (SLD) identification recommend the use of effective evaluation methods that inform educational decisions. Many models of SLD identification have been proposed throughout the history of SLD classification. Though many school psychologists have relied on the discrepancy model of learning disability identification, many alternative evaluation methods are coming into popularity. Best practices for SLD identification are changing to meet the needs of a culturally and linguistically diverse student population. Experts in administering culturally appropriate assessments for English language learners (ELLs) recommend that the areas of culture, language, and schooling be examined in order to ensure a valid and fair evaluation for this population (U.S. Department of Education, 2000). This study specifically examined current assessment practices of Utah school psychologists when assessing ELLs for learning disabilities by examining the most essential components of language proficiency, acculturation, academic skills, and intellectual functioning. This study additionally examined the barriers and recommendations of school psychologists when assessing ELLs. A sample of 84 Utah school psychologists completed a survey about assessment practices as part of assessing an ELL for a suspected SLD. Findings from this study indicate school psychologists' responses align with the guiding principles that surround the assessment of ELLs. Participants indicated the importance of standardized measurements when assessing all areas except acculturation. Additionally, participants identified time, lack of resources, incomplete assessment instruments, and limited training and competency as major barriers for professionals working with ELLs. Results from this study can be used to inform and improve practice based on the respondents' recommendations, which included more resources allocated to acculturation assessment and more training from school districts and university training programs in the areas of ELL assessment.

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.

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Children and adolescents transitioning from partial hospitalization programs-to-schools have both mental health and educational needs. As the leading mental health experts in schools, school psychologists are uniquely suited to address the needs of these students. However, their role in this transition process has yet to be explored. This study begins to fill the gap in the empirical literature by investigating the actual role and function of school psychologists in partial hospitalization program-to-school transitions, the perceived barriers to successful transitions, and the school psychologist characteristics that predict involvement in the transition process. In addition, school psychologists' perceptions of the sufficiency of their training and the effectiveness of their current transition procedures were explored. Seventy-one school psychologists practicing around the country who had at least one student on their caseload attend a partial hospitalization program during the previous two years participated in an anonymous, internet-based survey. Results indicate that school psychologists had high levels of involvement in partial hospitalization program-to-school transitions, most frequently engaging in activities related to special education services (i.e., IEP meetings, psychoeducational assessments) and consultation with teachers. School psychologists with smaller caseloads had significantly higher levels of involvement than those with larger caseloads. The strongest barrier to successful transitions was insufficient communication among schools and partial hospitalization programs. School psychologists who served on a team specifically designed to address the needs of students transitioning from a hospital-to-school setting perceived their procedures to be more effective than non-team members. Overall, school psychologists perceived their training to transition students from partial hospitalization programs-to-school to be moderately sufficient; however, they perceived their current procedures to be moderately ineffective. Recommendations to improve the effectiveness of partial hospitalization program-to-school transitions are provided. / School Psychology

Ο σκοπός της παρούσας έρευνας ήταν η διερεύνηση των απόψεων Ελλήνων εκπαιδευτικών και φοιτητών - υποψηφίων εκπαιδευτικών ως προς 1) τις δραστηριότητες, που θεωρούν ότι αντιστοιχούν στο ρόλο του ΣΨ, 2) τη σημασία, που αποδίδουν σε 13 δραστηριότητες του ΣΨ, 3) την επιθυμητή μορφή συνεργασίας ΣΨ- εκπαιδευτικών, 4) το πόσο αναγκαία, θεωρούν, την παρέμβαση του ΣΨ για τη διαχείριση συγκεκριμένων προβλημάτων, των μαθητών και της σχολικής κοινότητας, εν γένει, 5) το χώρο των συναντήσεων ΣΨ - εκπαιδευτικών και 6) το χρόνο παραμονής του ΣΨ στο σχολείο. Το δείγμα της έρευνας αποτέλεσαν 136 εκπαιδευτικοί πρωτοβάθμιας και δευτεροβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης σχολείων του Νομού Αχαΐας και 136 φοιτητές του Τμήματος Επιστημών της Εκπαίδευσης και της Αγωγής στην Προσχολική Ηλικία του Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών. Οι συμμετέχοντες συμπλήρωσαν αυτοσχέδια ερωτηματολόγια. Τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν, ότι και οι εκπαιδευτικοί και οι φοιτητές αναγνωρίζουν τις συμβουλευτικές υπηρεσίες του ΣΨ, τη συνεργασία ΣΨ και εκπαιδευτικών εντός του σχολικού χώρου, για 2-3 ημέρες ανά εβδομάδα, διαχειριζόμενος κυρίως συναισθηματικά προβλήματα και προβλήματα συμπεριφοράς των μαθητών. Η έρευνα μας συμβάλλει στην προώθηση των αναγκαίων νομοθετικών ρυθμίσεων για το ρόλο του σχολικού ψυχολόγου μέσα στη δημόσια ελληνική εκπαίδευση. / The purpose of the present survey was the investigation of teachers’ and student teachers’ perceptions of: 1) the actual activities, that school psychologist, have, 2) the importance they attribute to 13 activities of the school psychologist, 3) the desired type of cooperation between SP (school psychologist) and teachers, 4) the necessity of the intervention of SP in a series of problems, concerning students and the whole school community 5) the desired place for meetings between SP and teachers and 6) the preferred time of school psychologist working per week at school. The sample of the study was consisted of 136 teachers at elementary and secondary schools of Achaia and 136 student teachers of University of Patras. The participants completed self-rated questionnaires. The findings showed that both teachers and student teachers acknowledge the counseling services of SP, the cooperation of teachers and SP within the school settings, for 2-3 days per week, in dealing mainly with students’ emotional and behavioral problems. Our study contributes to the promotion of the necessary legislative regulations of the role of school psychologist in the Greek public education.

This diploma thesis deals with influence of Feuerstein's method of Instrumental Enrichment on didactics of elementary school teacher. The Instrumental Enrichment method is a very sophisticated strategy for developing individual cognitive structures. A person who helps develop cognitive structures acts as a mediator. These mediators are most often parents or teachers. So, according to Feuerstein, the teacher is not merely a knowledge builder, but he tries to develop his / her thinking and teaching potential. The aim of my work is to deepen the general knowledge of the influence of this method on teachers' didactics from the perspective of those teachers who work with it. To clarify in which areas didactics teachers perceive the impact of this method and how concrete changes are reflected. The theoretical part of the thesis introduces the author of the method, Professor Reuven Feuerstein, and the theoretical starting points from which his method is based. In addition, Feuerstein's Instrumental Enrichment Program is introduced, which is an application of mediated learning to pedagogical practice. It further defines the concept of didactics. The last part deals with available research on the influence of the method on teachers' didactics. In the empirical part, which is based on qualitative research...