Development of the Multidimensional School Anger Inventory for malesSmith, Douglas C.; Furlong, Michael; Bates, Michael; Laughlin, John D.
doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1520-6807(199801)35:1<1::AID-PITS1>3.0.CO;2-Upmid: N/A
Drawing upon research which conceptualizes anger as a multidimensional construct including three associated components—anger experience (affective anger), hostility (anger cognitions), and anger expression (aggression, assertion, and withdrawal)—the preliminary development of a Multidimensional School Anger Inventory (MSAI) for adolescents is described. This scale is a modification and extension of the School Anger Inventory and was developed to assess the affective, cognitive, and expressive aspects of anger using items having school‐relevant content. Data were collected through personal interviews of 202 males from three different schools: School 1 included general education students in a parochial school in grades 6 through 12; School 2 included students attending general education or mainstreamed special education classes at a public intermediate school; and School 3 included students participating in a public day treatment program for youths with serious emotional disturbance. Scale development is discussed focusing on item development and scale refinement through item and factor analyses. Four factors were identified that accounted for 43.3% of the common variance. Anger Experience, Cynical Attitudes, and Anger Expression were identified as major clusters with the anger expression items bifurcating into Destructive Expression and Positive Coping components. The resulting 31‐item scale has strong psychometric qualities and appears to have promise for use in research, treatment planning, and outcome evaluations. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Validity of self‐ and parent‐report scales in screening students for behavioral and emotional problems in elementary schoolHowells Wrobel, Nancy; Lachar, David
doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1520-6807(199801)35:1<17::AID-PITS2>3.0.CO;2-Rpmid: N/A
The comparative validity of the child‐report Classroom Screening Scale (CLASS) from the Personality Inventory for Youth (PIY), and the parent‐report Adjustment Scale (ADJ) from the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) was examined. The subjects were 111 children from fourth‐ through sixth‐grade regular education classrooms. Children were classified as positive or negative for risk status on each screening scale using a cutoff of 60T. Parent description identified a higher proportion of children as at risk. Those identified as “at risk” by either parent or child report were more likely than others to have clinically elevated scores on both the PIC and PIY clinical scales. High scores on CLASS were more likely to have clinically significant elevations than were high scorers on ADJ. Parent report appeared to be sensitive to overt behavioral problems, while self‐report was sensitive to mood disturbances and withdrawal. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Curriculum‐based assessment of reading skills: Considerations and caveats for school psychologistsPeverly, Stephen T.; Kitzen, Kathleen R.
doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1520-6807(199801)35:1<29::AID-PITS3>3.0.CO;2-Ppmid: N/A
General dissatisfaction with commercial norm‐referenced tests and global ability measures and the need for more specific achievement measures due to changes in special education have led to an increased interest in the curriculum‐based assessment of reading. We argue that a curriculum‐based assessment (CBA) of reading provides relevant information for instructional interventions only if the content of the curriculum and instruction are grounded in the cognitive skills underlying the domain of reading. If CBA is based on valid cognitive constructs, it may assist greatly in the identification of younger readers at risk for reading problems, older students with reading problems, and provide the most sensitive measure of continuous progress. We discuss the implications of our review for the training of school psychologists and for consultation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The Blueprint I revisited: Training and practice in school psychologyWoody, Robert Henley; Davenport, Jennifer
doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1520-6807(199801)35:1<49::AID-PITS4>3.0.CO;2-Ppmid: N/A
In 1984, the National School Psychology Inservice Training Network (NSPITN) published School psychology: A blueprint for training and practice (Blueprint I), which recognized that America's public schools were troubled and focused on how school psychology could help with a transformation; the role of school psychologists was divided into 16 practice domains. In 1997, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) published a successor, School psychology: A blueprint for training and practice II (Blueprint II), which credits the first edition with having “driven much of the progress in school psychology.” To better understand the impact of the Blueprint I, this study analyzes responses from Nebraska and Iowa school psychologists about it, finding that doctoral‐level respondents believed that they were more competently trained than subdoctoral school psychologists in the research domain; quality of training was rated higher by respondents receiving degrees after 1984 in class management, classroom organization and social structures, interpersonal communication and consultation, legal/ethical and professional issues, multicultural concerns, parental involvement, research, and systems development and planning. Analyses revealed numerous areas of congruence and dissonance between training and practice. Respondents reported a preference to decrease the amount of time spent in assessment and increase the time spent in all other domains (except basic academic skills). The relevance to the Blueprint II and the implications for school psychology training and practices are discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The ADHD Classroom Kit: A whole‐classroom approach for managing disruptive behaviorAnhalt, Karla; McNeil, Cheryl B.; Bahl, Alisa B.
doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1520-6807(199801)35:1<67::AID-PITS6>3.0.CO;2-Rpmid: N/A
In this article, an inclusive treatment package for children with ADHD, The ADHD Classroom Kit (Kit), is described. Components of the Kit are categorized in three areas: consequences for appropriate behavior, consequences for inappropriate behavior, and peer‐mediated interventions. The empirical rationale for each component of the Kit is discussed. Also, a case study of a 6‐year‐old girl (Carol) with reported disruptive behavior problems is presented as preliminary data supporting the Kit's effectiveness. An A‐B‐A reversal design was used in Carol's classroom. Mean frequencies of appropriate behavior were 61.3% (baseline), 78.5% (Kit), and 70.7% (reversal). In addition, mean frequencies of on‐task behavior were 76.2% (baseline), 87.8% (Kit), and 82.5% (reversal). Implications for future research and practice with the Kit are addressed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The effect of methylphenidate on teachers' behavioral ratings in specific school situationsWodrich, David L.; Kush, Joseph C.
doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1520-6807(199801)35:1<81::AID-PITS7>3.0.CO;2-Xpmid: N/A
Fifty‐seven students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were treated with 5 and 15 mg of methylphenidate (MPH) twice a day, and ratings of their behavior were compared to placebo on the School Situations Questionnaire (SSQ). SSQ ratings improved with MPH treatment in all situations related to task performance (i.e., arriving at school, during individual seat work, small group activities, and lectures) but less so in non‐task or unstructured situations. Many change scores were large enough to be clinically meaningful. Use of SSQ by school psychologists was discussed as a means of efficiently providing contextual information not available from ADHD dimensional rating scales. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.