PRE-REFERRAL SCREENING
School Psychologist Special Education Assessment Pre-Referral Screening/RTI Process
Abstract
Children with special needs require specialized interventions that help them attain the desired educational and behavioral goals the same as other students. These desires attract different forms of interventions, most of which focus on the steps that should be followed to enroll students in special programs. The procedures constitute pre-screening and pre-referral. The two serve as the assessment tools to determine if children are absorbed in special education programs. School psychologists, parents, and other experts desire to adopt other mechanisms that enable students to achieve similar goals. However, special children fail the test in many cases, making them potential candidates for the program. The bottom line in these procedures is enrolling only those eligible and those whom other interventions fail to work. This paper concentrates on school psychologists' different special education roles and the various interventions used in supporting needy students.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction 3
Chapter 2: Methods 11
Chapter 3: Review of Literature 18
Chapter 4: Results and Discussion 35
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations 40
Annotated Bibliography 46
References 51
School Psychologist Special Education Assessment Pre-Referral Screening/RTI process
Chapter 1: Introduction
One of the critical roles of professionals in schools is to run activities related to children's placement and referrals under special education. In practice, school psychologists assume evaluating children to determine those who qualify for such special services. The process takes different directions depending on the perception. On many occasions, the nature of a teacher's perception determines the validity of the referral process. A common principle question is the standards that schools use to measure the referral process's effectiveness or whether it meets the threshold to proceed with the process. The response is within reports by teachers but again raises questions about the accuracy of the self-report. This matter causes mixed reactions (Vanderheyden, Witt & Naquin, 2003). This paper seeks to dissect all the issues related to pre-referral screening and the roles of school psychologists.
School psychologists offer numerous services that focus on helping youth and children achieve social, academic, emotional, and behavioral effectiveness. In doing so, they embark on mental health initiatives and educational services for youth and children. They also involve educators, parents, and different professionals who offer a supportive and social environment. Their role as psychologists requires that they apply their expertise during collaboration and consultation. During the process, psychologists guide decision-making by assessing the foundation of collected data. Their roles extend to engaging students in socialization, academic skills, learning, and mental health.
School psychologists help enhance competency in different children and families by promoting effective learning, offering secure learning environments, responding to crises, nurturing the right behavior, and improving collaboration. These services are based on proper considerations of diversity in learning and development, professional practices, research programs, and ethical and legal domains. School psychologists are approved by educational agencies bestowed with regulatory authority to assess the credentials of potential professionals. Psychologists work in private and public education and school contexts (National Association of School Psychologists, 2010).
The Referral Process
Every student begins a career journey with some needs. The most fundamental of all is professional guidance from educators to enable them to understand the surrounding world. Students often meet highly-qualified professionals during their first encounter in class. This is independent of their knowledge levels as there is always someone higher than them in terms of knowledge. However, children with special needs require a different set of professionals who understand their needs beyond what a standard classroom offers. During this phase, the educator, counselor, parent, or even selected educators witness challenges that special students face in their education acquisition journey. Appreciating the academic discrepancies that such students…
PRE-REFERRAL SCREENING
School Psychologist Special Education Assessment Pre-Referral Screening/RTI Process
Abstract
Children with special needs require specialized interventions that help them attain the desired educational and behavioral goals the same as other students. These desires attract different forms of interventions, most of which focus on the steps that should be followed to enroll students in special programs. The procedures constitute pre-screening and pre-referral. The two serve as the assessment tools to determine if children are absorbed in special education programs. School psychologists, parents, and other experts desire to adopt other mechanisms that enable students to achieve similar goals. However, special children fail the test in many cases, making them potential candidates for the program. The bottom line in these procedures is enrolling only those eligible and those whom other interventions fail to work. This paper concentrates on school psychologists' different special education roles and the various interventions used in supporting needy students.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction 3
Chapter 2: Methods 11
Chapter 3: Review of Literature 18
Chapter 4: Results and Discussion 35
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations 40
Annotated Bibliography 46
References 51
School Psychologist Special Education Assessment Pre-Referral Screening/RTI process
Chapter 1: Introduction
One of the critical roles of professionals in schools is to run activities related to children's placement and referrals under special education. In practice, school psychologists assume evaluating children to determine those who qualify for such special services. The process takes different directions depending on the perception. On many occasions, the nature of a teacher's perception determines the validity of the referral process. A common principle question is the standards that schools use to measure the referral process's effectiveness or whether it meets the threshold to proceed with the process. The response is within reports by teachers but again raises questions about the accuracy of the self-report. This matter causes mixed reactions (Vanderheyden, Witt & Naquin, 2003).…
PRE-REFERRAL SCREENING
School Psychologist Special Education Assessment Pre-Referral Screening/RTI Process
Abstract
Children with special needs require specialized interventions that help them attain the desired educational and behavioral goals the same as other students. These desires attract different forms of interventions, most of which focus on the steps that should be followed to enroll students in special programs. The procedures constitute pre-screening and pre-referral. The two serve as the assessment tools to determine if children are absorbed in special education programs. School psychologists, parents, and other experts desire to adopt other mechanisms that enable students to achieve similar goals. However, special children fail the test in many cases, making them potential candidates for the program. The bottom line in these procedures is enrolling only those eligible and those whom other interventions fail to work. This paper concentrates on school psychologists' different special education roles and the various interventions used in supporting needy students.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction 3
Chapter 2: Methods 11
Chapter 3: Review of Literature 18
Chapter 4: Results and Discussion 35
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations 40
Annotated Bibliography 46
References 51
School Psychologist Special Education Assessment Pre-Referral Screening/RTI process
Chapter 1: Introduction
One of the critical roles of professionals in schools is to run activities related to children's placement and referrals under special education. In practice, school psychologists assume evaluating children to determine those who qualify for such special services. The process takes different directions depending on the perception. On many occasions, the nature of a teacher's perception determines the validity of the referral process. A common principle question is the standards that schools use to measure the referral process's effectiveness or whether it meets the threshold to proceed with the process. The response is within reports by teachers but again raises questions about the accuracy of the self-report. This matter causes mixed reactions (Vanderheyden, Witt & Naquin, 2003). This paper seeks to dissect all the issues related to pre-referral screening and the roles of school psychologists.
School psychologists offer numerous services that focus on helping youth and children achieve social, academic, emotional, and behavioral effectiveness. In doing so, they embark on mental health initiatives and educational services for youth and children. They also involve educators, parents, and different professionals who offer a supportive and social environment. Their role as psychologists requires that they apply their expertise during collaboration and consultation. During the process, psychologists guide decision-making by assessing the foundation of collected data. Their roles extend to engaging students in socialization, academic skills, learning, and mental health.
School psychologists help enhance competency in different children and families by promoting effective learning, offering secure learning environments, responding to crises, nurturing the right behavior, and improving collaboration. These services are based on proper considerations of diversity in learning and development, professional practices, research programs, and ethical and legal domains. School psychologists are approved by educational agencies bestowed with regulatory authority to assess the credentials of potential professionals. Psychologists work in private and public education and school contexts (National Association of School Psychologists, 2010).
The Referral Process
Every student begins a career journey with some needs. The most fundamental of all is professional guidance from educators to enable them to understand the surrounding world. Students often meet highly-qualified professionals during their first encounter in class. This is independent of their knowledge levels as there is always someone higher than them in terms of knowledge. However, children with special needs require a different set of professionals who understand their needs beyond what a standard classroom offers. During this phase, the educator, counselor, parent, or even selected educators witness challenges that special students face in their education acquisition journey. Appreciating the academic discrepancies that such students face and their uniqueness in emotions, behavior, and other elements enable the educators to determine required support (Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities, 2013).
Some of the challenges students face with special needs can be solved through persistent engagement between the parents and the teachers. One method is by formulating a plan of action that incorporates the best strategies to measure a child's progress. Nominated teachers compile work samples by students and keep relevant assessment data for students who display unique needs. The documentation process is vital because it enables the teacher to monitor the progress of the student. The pre-referra.......strategies. These interventions refer to the documentation gathered from a classroom setup. Problems must first be identified before proceeding to special education. It is a formal process that first offers to give temporal accommodation to students. The Student-Centered Team carries out Pre-referral interventions. These groups are known by different names such as a student support team, instructional support team, intervention assistance team, teacher assistance team, or early intervention team. The team comprises guardians/parents, teachers, administrators, nurses, and counselors. Other participants who take part in the education process of the student are also allowed. First, the general education teachers present to the team all relevant information concerning the student. After that, the group proceeds to develop potential solutions.
RTI offers three intervention levels to students facing problems, Level 1, often referred to as Tier 1, uses general education instructions and only captures high-quality information from the curriculum. RTI projects that approximately 80 percent of the student population positively responds to behavioral systems and the core curriculum. This leads to the second level (Tier 2), which gives the target group remediation or instructions to enhance performance. This level theorizes that Tier 2 leads to an improvement of about 15 percent of the students. If no notable improvement is recorded in the second stage, the students proceed to the third level with in-depth and personalized interventions. The principal goal of the process, be it RTI or pre-referral program, is to enable students to attain excellence without joining a special education program. If all the preliminary initiatives fail to achieve the student's desired outcomes, they are assessed for possible enrollment in the special education program.
Interventions in the general classroom are intended to help determine the student's abilities and potential candidates for special education. Students only proceed into the program if they show no signs of improvement or when school personnel recommends the kids for evaluation. Referrals to make these determinations are governed by:
The opinion so the nominated school personnel, including counselors, teachers, and other key players.
The decision by the legal guarding or parent
The view of other key players active in the life or education of the child.
The official process of referral starts by determining eligibility. Once a referral is granted, the school proceeds to seek consent from the parents and then gets into the active referral evaluation process. It is recommended by IDEA that the evaluation process must be nondiscriminatory and multi-factored. The report should be presented to the school district 60 days after the referral date. The report is then examined by a multidisciplinary group of experts who give their diverse opinions for evaluation. Standard team members include:
Educational Diagnostician commonly referred to as Psychometrist. In some instances, the officer takes the name of the School Psychologist: They have the skills to conduct educations assessments such as behavior, achievement, and intelligence quotient (IQ).
Special Educators are qualified to evaluate behavior and achievement together with informal observations.
General Educators provide relevant documentation regarding the status of each student.
Legal guardians or parents play a critical role in the personality and behavior of students. They also influence how they interact with their environment.
Associated service providers such as therapists, audiologists, and mobility specialists. They are instrumental in providing specific information about the condition being assessed.
Medical doctors, including optometrists, psychiatrists, and ophthalmologists. They determine the level of disability hence the eligibility to join special education (Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities, 2013).
The Role of School Psychologist in the RTI Process
The Responsiveness to Intervention (RTI) entails a comprehensive approach that includes providing services and adapting interventions for learners' challenges. RTI can be employed in the decision-making process for special education, seamless systems, and compensatory interventions guided by data outcome. RTI requires identifying behavioral requirements, collaborations, inputs by teachers, and resources to ensure that students progress education. RTI is best applied in general education settings. RTI can be used by school personnel to categorize struggling and disabled children. For this, unique intervention and assessment procedures are required in general education. When applying collaborative methodologies, it is essential to realize that it depends on the experiences and the environment of the involved parties. Additionally, parents with a proper understanding of the RTI system can guide their children and gather important information about special education (National Association of School Psychologists, 2006).
RTI incorporates the following activities and conditions:
It enhanced behavioral and instructional support.
Scientific and research-based initiatives that are guided by professionals who understand difficulties in students.
Constant student progress monitoring.
Maintenance of documentation that is based on student data.
Structured documentation ensures that interventions are executed with integrity, fidelity, and with the necessary intensity.
Collaborative decision-making by school staff. The staff ensures proper reviews and evaluation of available data and information.
Interventions that address students' difficulties and the necessary degree of required intensity based on the personnel and available resources.
Written documentation that describes the essential structure and components needed by relevant parents and professionals.
Parent announcements and associated documentation.
Since RTI plays a preventive role in schools, it covers students' dynamic instructions to enhance their behavior and academic skills. The education system must deploy collective resources to meet the requirements of students. These interventions help prevent possible broader issues that may arise if the present challenges are not arrested at the right time. Common problems include behavioral and learning challenges. The efforts require the support of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004), which provides financial flexibility, especially to the local education agencies (LEAs). Early Intervening Services (EIS) aid in the minimization of unnecessary referrals and excess identification. LEAs can commit more than 15% of IDEA resources to offer behavioral and academic supports to prevent early identification among learners. LEA enjoys significant flexibility and can utilize 50% of received federal funding to promote its activities. The funds are routed in developing non-special professionals and RTI activities (National Association of School Psychologists, 2006).
Research indicates that students who fail to achieve even under high levels of instruction could exhibit disability. RTI can help in ruling out cases of learning disabilities instead of applying the discrepancy model for identification. The method was approved by IDEA in 2004 and offered the following provisions:
a. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) can utilize students' responses to design scientific instructions that can be used in the evaluation.
b. In identifying a disability, LEAs are expected to verify where the children show any signs of discrepancies between intellectual and achievement abilities (National Association of School Psychologists, 2006).
The U.S. population distribution gives the challenges that school psychologists face regarding cultural responsiveness and prevention of behavior, health, and academic problems. The issues arise due to increased diversity, which requires psychologists to create awareness, skills and develop knowledge to serve the dynamic population. Challenges do not occur because diversity in itself exists. Realization of these challenges is essential considering the role psychologists play in preventing growing and diverse populations. nytime psychologists adopt primary prevention measures on diverse populations to fix problems, a preventive framework should address issues that need prevention measures. The preventive platform applied in MTSS provides school psychologists with ideal opportunities to serve the community and schools. The support helps establish programs that promote children's interaction with the environment (Proctor & Meyers, 2014).
The creation of programs using the MTSS platform offers existing programs with additional features such as database-oriented decision-making, universal screening, and procedural problem-solving programs. Awareness of the psychologists and their knowledge in handling multicultural challenges enable the facilitation of cultural practices when deploying primary prevention for diverse populations. These cultural considerations include input gathering, reading programs, development of programs based on traditional concepts, use of culturally relevant interventions, adoption of inputs from stakeholders, and application of recursive methods to modify data with the desire of meeting cultural relevance. The multicultural knowledge and skills among the school psychologists give them a powerful position to enable them to lead in the deployment of prevention programs in communities and diverse schools (Proctor & Meyers, 2014).
In an educational environment, school psychologists often face practical barriers and administrative problems not common in research settings. Even when experts are informed about possible empirical evidence that supports different procedures and techniques, they may fail to put them into practice. The probable reason they are hesitant is the resources and time required to execute (Kratochwill & Shernoff, 2004).
Chapter 2: Methods
The principal objective of a school psychologist is founded on service delivery to families and children. The provision of services to adolescents and children to succeed in emotional, social, behavioral, and emo
