NASP is pleased to present these virtual posters presentations. These posters have been selected for their quality and offer a new way to engage with the latest exciting School Psychological research.
Current Group: December 2024
Childhood Trauma Interventions: Support Amidst a Growing Mental Health Crisis
Childhood trauma is increasingly prevalent and may result in catastrophic consequences for the psychological, physical, and educational wellbeing of children and youth. Many trauma-exposed children report a wide array of affective, behavioral, educational, and functional challenges, especially when they do not receive proactive, effective treatment. It is exceedingly clear that trauma has adverse effects on children’s wellbeing and education. The current study presents a meta-analysis that examines which interventions have the greatest effect in decreasing PTSD symptoms for children. The search was conducted in October 2022 and included a 29 studies with 8,198 child participants. Studies that did not use CBT had a greater overall effect size than those that used CBT. Although CBT treatment models have been widely used and validated, the findings of this study support an array of new and varied treatments including EDMR, mind/body therapy, and play/art therapy.
[read more]
Targeted Word Reading Fluency Support for 2nd & 3rd Grade Students
This study aimed to look at improvements on WRF for students below their same-grade peers based on an intervention match. Four practicum students identified second- and third-grade students with skill deficits in WRF following benchmarking procedures using the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). Although the students had the same foundational skill deficit, they responded differently when administered the same interventions. A BEA was conducted to determine the most effective intervention for each student. This process assessed the effectiveness of three different WRF interventions from the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR). The purpose and importance of this study was to better determine effective WRF interventions for students in a critical literacy developmental period. Specifically, these data can assist other practitioners to make data-based decisions for students in need of WRF interventions and helping to expose what interventions may be more helpful than others.
[read more]
Successful School Psychology Faculty Searches: A Survey
The field of school psychology faces a significant shortage of practitioners and educators, which poses challenges in meeting the diverse academic, behavioral, and mental health needs of students. This shortage extends to graduate programs where there is a lack of faculty essential for training new school psychologists to support the increasing student population. To address these issues, this presentation discusses the results of a survey conducted to examine various program and position characteristics of training programs that were actively recruiting for open positions from the 2021 to 2023 academic years. The survey aims to identify key factors that differentiate successful and unsuccessful recruitment efforts in filling these critical roles.
[read more]
School Psychologists’ Gendered Perceptions of Special Education Eligibility Categories
The underrepresentation of girls within special education can be examined through a “gendered person-position fit” perspective. This conceptual framework asserts that job candidates are assessed via how closely their gendered characteristics match those typical of a given job (Hall et al., 2015). The present study extended this framework to special education by examining the gendered characteristics of eligibility categories. Masculine perceptions would suggest that school psychologists may be operating under a gendered person-position fit perspective when making eligibility recommendations. Interestingly, the results indicated that school psychologists perceive the majority of special education eligibility categories to be feminine.
[read more]
The effects of background music on student engagement
This study examined the relationship between background music and students’ time-on-task behavior during an after-school math intervention. Played quietly, background music may be implemented in many classrooms without detracting from teacher-led instruction or independent seatwork. Additionally, with new streaming services that make music accessible immediately and for free, background music may be an accessible and simple intervention that can be easily and immediately implemented in many classrooms. This study demonstrates how background music may be an effective way to increase time-on-task behavior for students without decreasing time-on-task behavior for others.
[read more]
SWPBIS Implementation in High Schools: A Systematic Review of SET Fidelity Reporting
Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is an evidence-based, system-wide, preventative framework that emphasizes five key elements to support student success: equity, implementation systems, data based decision making, evidence-based practices (EBPs), and measurable outcomes (Center on PBIS, 2023). Through SWPBIS, services are organized at multiple levels (e.g., school-wide, classroom, non-classroom, and individual student) and a continuum of behavior supports are provided that are universal (Tier 1), targeted (Tier 2), and intensive (Tier 3) in scope (Sugai & Horner, 2002). Estimates suggest that as of June 2018, more than 26,424 schools were implementing SWPBIS nationwide (Lee & Gage, 2020). As demonstrated by multiple experimental studies, SWPBIS has been implemented with fidelity in elementary and middle schools with positive impacts on student outcomes and school culture (e.g., Bradshaw et al., 2010; Horner et al., 2009). Foundational work postulated that the impact of SWPBIS would likely be the greatest at the elementary level given both the student developmental level (i.e., early intervention) and systemic structures in place (Walker et al., 1996). Indeed, much of the research examining the effects of SWPBIS has been conducted in elementary settings. Therefore, much less is known about SWPBIS implementation in high school settings, resulting in a far less robust evidence base. Even so, there has been an observed increase in the number of high schools implementing SWPBIS; as of July 2017, it was being implemented in at least 3,367 high schools compared to roughly 1,000 in 2010 (Flannery et al., 2018). This demonstrates growing momentum of implementation in high schools for a framework that was primarily designed for and evaluated with elementary schools.
[read more]
Depression Severity and Psychosocial Perceptions in High School Students
In this study, we examined the link between depression severity and high school students’ thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs about school. Depression and students’ thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs have been found to be significantly related in the research literature, but there is currently a gap in detailing how this relationship changes with varying degrees of depression severity. In a sample of 457 (68.7% female) high school students , we examined how the students’ thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs were related to their depression scores. A correlation analysis revealed a negative relationships between depressive symptom severity and the academic psychosocial perceptions investigated (i.e., academic motivation, academic self-efficacy, hope, self-concept, belonging, and academic importance). A Pearson’s correlation coefficient was computed to assess the relationship between a depression severity of a student and the student’s perceived academic psychosocial perceptions. There was a statistically significant correlation was found between the depression severity and all academic psychosocial perceptions. The student’s academic psychosocial perceptions appeared to be associated with their depression severity ratings. These results highlight the significance of depression in adolescent students. This study contributes to research aimed at understanding the mental health of adolescents. In conclusion, potential implications of this research suggest identifying potential intervention and prevention programs to help students, cultivate a supportive and positive environment for students and staff, and help schools identify at-risk students through screening.
[read more]
Program Evaluation of an Innovative Mindfulness-Based Intervention in Schools
We developed an innovative school-based MBI that combines SEL and yoga practices to work together synergistically to improve student mental health and well-being. The need for a formative evaluation was supported because logistical barriers resulted in fewer classes or only being able to teach the yoga or SEL portion, imposing limits on effectiveness. By 2nd semester, the CC program was overall well implemented with fidelity and engagement.
[read more]
Perceptions of Trauma-Informed Care Training for Teachers in Early Childhood Education Settings
The maltreatment of children is currently a global health priority (Chamberlain et al., 2019). By the age of 16, over two thirds of children report having experienced at least one traumatic event (Toof et al., 2020). Exposure to childhood trauma can negatively impact brain development, leading to problems functioning across community, home, and school settings (Burke Harris, 2018). In response, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration developed a framework for trauma- informed care to address the significant impact of trauma on individuals (Loomis, 2018). However, few studies exist that explore the use of trauma-informed care practices in early childhood education settings (Bartlett, 2021). Further, to our knowledge, the Utah State Board of Education does not offer any trauma-informed care trainings designed specifically for early childhood educators. Considering the benefits linked to early intervention and trauma-informed care practices, it is important to address the lack of research and training surrounding trauma-informed care within the context of early childhood education. A Multiperspectival Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employed for this study in order to explore Utah early childhood educators’ experiences with trauma-informed care training.
[read more]
Keeping All Schools Safe: Reviewing the Charter School Safety Research
This poster reviews previous research conducted on school safety initiatives in charter schools. With a rise in high-profile school safety related events, stakeholders are increasingly interested in initiatives aimed at enhancing school safety. Previous reviews have focused on school safety initiatives primarily within the public-school sector. This poster aims to summarize the existing literature addressing school safety in charter schools including the scope and depth of studies conducted, along with an overview of the types of research designs employed. Lastly this poster aims to identify gaps and need for growth in research.
[read more]
