<p> ADHD is a common disorder in youth, with core deficits that impair important areas of functioning, most notably academic achievement. Existing school-based interventions may not be as effective in improving long-term academic outcomes for adolescents with comorbid ADHD and internalizing disorders. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between ADHD and internalizing symptoms in adolescents and the impact of anxiety and depression symptom severity on their academic outcomes after engaging in a multicomponent school-based intervention (BEST Project). The BEST Project was implemented in several high schools, with 126 participants included in this study. All participants met DSM-5 criteria for ADHD, were 14-18 years old, and attended public high schools. </p><p> A multiple multivariate regression analysis was conducted to investigate if internalizing symptom severity predicts pre-treatment academic performance. Female students were found to have more academic problems. To examine whether pre-treatment internalizing symptom severity predicts post-treatment academic performance and moderates the relationship between the effects of the BEST project and academic performance, a second multiple multivariate regression analysis was conducted. Graphed interactions and Johnson-Neyman results suggest that once student&rsquo;s internalizing symptom scores are above the median, treatment effects on homework problems are stronger for those with anxiety symptoms and weaker for youth with depression symptoms. These findings suggest anxiety may serve as a protective factor in the context of a structured intervention. Limitations and future directions for research and practice are discussed.</p><p>

<p> This study compared the ratings of self-efficacy and burnout by traditionally-trained direct care staff in a residential treatment center with ratings by a group of direct care staff that were trained to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) with adults who have intellectual or developmental disabilities. Staff responses on measures of self-efficacy, using the <i>Teacher&rsquo;s Sense of Efficacy Scale</i> (TSES) and burnout, using the <i>Maslach Burnout Inventory</i> (MBI) were compared across the two groups: One group of staff was not exposed to PBIS training (traditional training only), whereas the other group was trained to implement PBIS. A total of 70 direct care staff members from a Residential Treatment Center (RTC) participated in this study. The mean differences of total scores on each measure were compared using <i>t</i>-tests to determine if there were significant between-group differences. In addition, as the measure of self-efficacy was originally designed for use with teachers and was slightly modified here for use with direct care staff, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted to examine the factor structure of the measure when administered to staff in an RTC. </p><p> The results indicate that the modified <i>TSES</i> has one factor, which differs from the three factors found when the <i>TSES</i> was administered to teachers who were implementing PBIS in schools. Additionally, significant differences were found in staff members&rsquo; sense of self-efficacy between the control and PBIS groups. However, staff members&rsquo; degree of burnout were not significantly different. The results must be interpreted with caution because of the study&rsquo;s small sample size. However, there are several implications for future research that are discussed to further examine the impact of implementing PBIS on direct care staff members in residential treatment settings.</p><p>

abstract: The current study investigates the relationship between school connectedness and academic achievement and whether this relationship is moderated by ethnic identity. Participants included 436 Mexican-origin youth attending a middle school in a southwestern U.S. state. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze whether school connectedness is predictive of academic achievement, measured as standardized test scores, and whether ethnic identity moderates the association in this sample of Mexican-origin youth. Findings revealed that after controlling for age, lunch status, generational status, and gender, school connectedness was a positive predictor of standardized test scores in reading and math. Results also indicated that ethnic private regard moderated the association between school connectedness and standardized test scores in reading. These findings underscore the importance of possessing a positive ethnic identity for Mexican-origin youth in predicting academic outcomes. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Counseling 2014

abstract: Students with traumatic brain injury (TBI) sometimes experience impairments that can adversely affect educational performance. Consequently, school psychologists may be needed to help determine if a TBI diagnosis is warranted (i.e., in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, IDEIA) and to suggest accommodations to assist those students. This analogue study investigated whether school psychologists provided with more comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations of a student with TBI succeeded in detecting TBI, in making TBI-related accommodations, and were more confident in their decisions. To test these hypotheses, 76 school psychologists were randomly assigned to one of three groups that received increasingly comprehensive levels of psychoeducational evaluation embedded in a cumulative folder of a hypothetical student whose history included a recent head injury and TBI-compatible school problems. As expected, school psychologists who received a more comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation were more likely to make a TBI educational diagnosis, but the effect size was not strong, and the predictive value came from the variance between the first and third groups. Likewise, school psychologists receiving more comprehensive evaluation data produced more accommodations related to student needs and felt more confidence in those accommodations, but significant differences were not found at all levels of evaluation. Contrary to expectations, however, providing more comprehensive information failed to engender more confidence in decisions about TBI educational diagnoses. Concluding that a TBI is present may itself facilitate accommodations; school psychologists who judged that the student warranted a TBI educational diagnosis produce more TBI-related accommodations. Impact of findings suggest the importance of training school psychologists in the interpretation of neuropsychology test results to aid in educational diagnosis and to increase confidence in their use. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Educational Psychology 2012

abstract: This dissertation study examines the coping methods and attributional styles of peer victimized children versus those who are not involved with acts of bullying. Data corresponding to elementary school children (n=317) over a period of four years from four public elementary schools in the Southwest United States was used in the present study. Latent class analyses and correlations were conducted to explore (1) whether externalizing versus internalizing or passive emotional reactions differentially influence the attributions children make regarding victimization, (2) whether externalizing types of emotional reactions differentially influence the coping methods victimized children utilize, and (3) whether children identified as "bullies" experience different types of emotional reactions than those identified as "victims." Findings revealed that children who identified as self-reported victims tended to report higher levels of internalizing feelings. However, contradictory to what was hypothesized, the victim group also reported higher levels of being mad. Specific patterns arose between the types of attributions that victimized and non-victimized children made, where the children who identified more frequently as being victims tended to report that they believed bullying took place due to reasons that were more personal in nature and more stable. Lastly, findings also revealed similarities in the ways victimized children coped with bullying. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Educational Psychology 2013

abstract: Current emphasis on adequate academic progress monitored by standardized assessments has increased focus on student acquisition of required skills. Reading ability can be assessed through student achievement on Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) measures. This study investigated the effectiveness of using ORF measures to predict achievement on high stakes tests. Study participants included 312 students across four Title 1 elementary schools in a Southwestern United States school district utilizing the Response to Intervention (RTI) model. Participants' ORF scores from first through third grade years and their third grade standardized achievement test scores were collected. In addition, information regarding reading interventions was obtained. Pearson product-moment correlations were used to determine how ORF scores and specific reading skills were related. Correlations were also used to assess whether the ORF scores from the fall, winter, or spring were most related to high stakes test scores. Additionally, the difference between computer-based versus instructor-led interventions on predicting high stakes test scores was assessed. Results indicated that correlation coefficients were larger between ORF and reading comprehension scores than between ORF and basic reading skills. ORF scores from spring were more highly related to high stakes tests than other times of the year. Students' ORF scores were more strongly related to high stakes tests when in computer-based interventions compared to instructor-led interventions. In predicting third grade high stakes test scores, first grade ORF scores had the most variance for the non-intervention sample, while third grade ORF scores had the most variance for the intervention sample. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Educational Psychology 2013

abstract: Structural equation modeling is potentially useful for assessing mean differences between groups on latent variables (i.e., factors). However, to evaluate these differences accurately, the parameters of the indicators of these latent variables must be specified correctly. The focus of the current research is on the specification of between-group equality constraints on the loadings and intercepts of indicators. These equality constraints are referred to as invariance constraints. Previous simulation studies in this area focused on fitting a particular model to data that were generated to have various levels and patterns of non-invariance. Results from these studies were interpreted from a viewpoint of assumption violation rather than model misspecification. In contrast, the current study investigated analysis models with varying number of invariance constraints given data that were generated based on a model with indicators that were invariant, partially invariant, or non-invariant. More broadly, the current simulation study was conducted to examine the effect of correctly or incorrectly imposing invariance constraints as well as correctly or incorrectly not imposing invariance constraints on the assessment of factor mean differences. The results indicated that different types of analysis models yield different results in terms of Type I error rates, power, bias in estimation of factor mean difference, and model fit. Benefits and risks are associated with imposing or reducing invariance constraints on models. In addition, model fit or lack of fit can lead to wrong decisions concerning invariance constraints. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Educational Psychology 2014

<p> The research objective is to assess the possible gender differences in teachers, as it pertains to working with children and adolescents diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This study will hopefully ensure that the literature on ADHD and its effectiveness is evaluated in context with improvement of learning strategies. The study will refine and improve existing theory on effective ways of teaching children with ADHD by comparing effectiveness of teacher awareness on ADHD and reducing teacher frustration levels. The research explored the questions: 1. Is there a correlation between teachers&rsquo; gender and knowledge of ADHD? 2. Is there a correlation between teachers&rsquo; ethnicity and knowledge of ADHD? In order to get answers to the research questions, a quantitative, correlational research design will be used. Teachers were recruited 60 (30 men and 30 women) Kindergarten through 12th grade through a sample of convenience in the Southern State County district. The data analysis consists of the researcher who will only handle the collected data in order to ensure that it is not tampered with. Raw data was organized in an accurate and consistent manner in order to provide basis for inferences and conclusions. The result of the data analysis demonstrated the correlation between the teachers&rsquo; gender and knowledge of ADHD. Further, the analysis portrayed the possible impact of teacher training on ADHD and the results of how teachers&rsquo; strategies affect ADHD classroom management. </p>

<p> While broad attempts have been made to investigate values undergirding school choice (Bosetti &amp; Pyryt, 2007; Zeehandelaar &amp; Northern, 2013), research has yet to employ a means for subjectively and holistically investigating parents&rsquo; values for the education of their children across multiple school contexts. Q methodology was used with 29 parent participants who rank-ordered 40 statements aligned with the four-quadrant model of human development and holistic education: cognitive, social and emotional, psychomotor, and intuition and creative. Results yielded a three-factor solution interpreted along with interview data and field notes to be <i>Reverence in Tradition, Diversity in Experiences</i>, and <i>Morality in Decisions. Reverence in Tradition </i> reflects a priority of spiritual development. <i> Diversity in Experiences</i> emphasizes autonomous student growth through diverse interactions and ideas. <i>Morality in Decisions</i> emphasizes respectful and positive interaction with others. Three conclusions emerge from this research: there are three ways that parents who enroll their children in public, private, or homeschools express the priorities for the educational needs of their children; a four-quadrant model of education assists in understanding parents&rsquo; subjective views related to the educational needs of their children; and school setting serves as an interesting role in understanding priorities for the developmental needs of children. Of interest is the finding that all three academic contexts were represented in each of the three viewpoints; however, some parents may place children in school contexts that align with preferences, such as most <i>Reverence in Tradition</i> were home or private schools, the other two parent groups favor public schools. Findings from this research can assist policymakers, administrators, and teachers who want to understand parents&rsquo; values for the education of their children. </p><p>

<p> The significance of this study was to examine if adolescents in a juvenile detention center in St. Louis City could self-adjust, cope, or adapt to their levels of stress. There was a great deal of literature available supporting the notion of utilizing affective tactics in combating stress levels among various age groups. However, there was very little information provided on at-risk adolescents in a juvenile detention center confronted with dangerous levels of stress. The importance of understanding how these detained adolescents, between the ages of 12 and 17, approached dealing with their stress was not just beneficial to them, but also to the institution responsible for providing adequate care. It further provided a unique view into the mindset of detained adolescents&rsquo; resiliency under such adverse conditions, which could encourage future research on the matter. </p><p> Therefore, this study analyzed adolescents&rsquo; prior stress levels before detainment and once admitted, determining if there was any potential statistical correlation among the 32 participants&rsquo; views of their own stress levels and their stress management activities. The participants were equally surveyed on a range of topics to determine their initial approach used in addressing stress while in detention and what methods appeared to provide a greater level of success. The survey also measured the significance of programming and if institutional recreational activities provided substantial amounts of relief or decrease in adolescents&rsquo; stress levels. <u></u>The results outlined what adolescents found to be beneficial and helpful, not an indicator of the operational functions of the institutional programs. Furthermore, one of the initial goals of this study, in collaboration with the participants and the institution, was to gain insightful information, which could potentially serve as an interventional tool or resource for adolescents under stress. The results categorized the importance of self-adjusting opportunities or methods applied in dealing with stress among detained adolescents. In addition, the institutional benefits involved a greater recognition and well-conceived opportunities for adolescents to have options in confronting their stress, from an individual or group atmosphere, which could minimize future conflicts. Therefore, the gravity of this research implies how significant it is in finding resourceful tools for all, directly in contact with some of the most difficult and challenging groups; further, encouraging and enhancing adolescents with the ability to successfully adjust to their levels of stress.</p><p>