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Melissa Clingersmith
Instant messenger name: CurlyQ502
Senior
Psychology major with a minor in school psychology
Interests: reading, exercising/fitness, cooking, movies, and shopping
I am most interested in child psychology and working with children. I have been a SABAH (Skating Association for the Blind and Handicapped) volunteer for many years and I find children to be very exciting to work with. I hope to continue my studies in this particular field or to attain my school psychology degree. Either way, my goal is work with and help children and adolescents.
PSY 498D
For the Fall 2006 semester, I will be involved in my school psychology practicum for PSY 498D. Since I live in Niagara Falls, I was able to attain a position with one of the Niagara Falls City School District school psychologists, Deanne Giambra. Mrs. Giambra works at both LaSalle Middle School and at Geraldine J. Mann Elementary School. I look forward to working with Mrs. Giambra and being able to see how a school psychologist functions at two different education levels.November 16, 2006
When I first arrived at LaSalle Middle School, Deanne was talking with the speech and language specialist. The parent of an eighth grade student had requested that the child receive speech, even though the student has not been hindered academically by any previous speech problems. Neither Deanne or the speech and language felt that the services were really necessary at this point.
Deanne then discussed with me another parent who had called in concerned that his/her child (8th grade) made have ADHD. The mother explained that she also has ADHD, and the student has been struggling in school for quite some time. Deanne said that in this situation, she would go and observe the student in his classroom, and have the teachers fill out a behavior form. She would then type up the results of her observations and the teachers' comments for the parent to take to the student's pediatrician for a possible diagnosis.
Deanne then received a letter from another parent. This parent wrote to Deanne requesting to meet with her, and to request testing (Woodcock Johnson) for her son. The letter was grammatically incorrect with many spelling errors. The student currently has a 504 plan for an anxiety disorder, specifically for test anxiety, thereby giving the student extra time for tests. However, the teachers have not witnessed nor reported any signs of this anxiety, and say that the student's low grades seem to be related to a lack of motivation rather than anxiety. After speaking with the school counselor, Deanne learns that the student is apparently failing all of his classes due to his own decision not to work as well as hanging around with the "wrong crowd." Deanne was concerned that the parent, who is also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, may be transferring some of her symptoms onto the child. Reading over the student's screening summary, the mother's behavior rating scale did not at all match that of the teachers. Furthermore, the report from the student's second grade teacher stated that the mother is overly stressed and concerned that her son may be dyslexic like her. Her concerns seemed to be causing added anxiety for the young boy. The stundent had also attended the monseignor carr clinic where children and adolescents work with social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists.
Later in the afternoon Deanne had some testing to get done for re-evaluations. She was only able to test one of the three students since the other two were in either math or language arts. Deanne mentioned that those 2 subjects are very important in the 8th grade year due to the mandatory state exams, and thus she tries to avoid pulling the students from those subjects. The one girl that Deanne tested was a sixth grade girl. Deanne used the VMI and the KBIT 2. During the testing, I noticed that the girl would giggle a lot if she didn't know the answer. Later on the girl admitted that she was guessing on the answers, which Deanne explained later to me can be a problem by actually creating lower scores than the student should've really attained. Deanne explained to the girl that the test is made for all age ranges and that she doesn't have to worry about getting each one correct. After this, the student refocused on the next section of the test. Throughout the test, it was also apparent that the student needed frequent repitition of the questions, and would then repeat the question to herself. Deanne feels that this need for repitition is due to the student's processing disorder, and the repitition gives the student extra time to process the question before answering.
One final situation that Deanne was faced with before the end of the school day was the request from a mother for her daughther to receive extra time in math due to the child's diagnosis of separation anxiety disorder. However, those normally diagnosed with SAD usually cry frequently and can't even make it to their first class. These symptoms have not been observed in this student. Furthermore, this diagnosis should be global and affect all aspects of her school work, not just her math class. Deanne already had already received a psych evaluation from a local psychologist, but told the mom that she would need an updated report from the therapist. The mother then sent the same report with the date whited out so Deanne needs to contact the therapist to see if the diagnosis still stands, and whether the student is even still seeing the therapist. However, the report that Deanna has fails to mention that the disorder is affecting the student's education. The report only states that her disorder is affecting her family and social interactions.
November 14, 2006
Today at G.J. Mann was another day filled with annual review meetings. When I arrived at the elementary school, Deanne was already in one CSE meeting so I waited outside for the meeting to finish. It was very apparent that there was a much greater level of parental involvement at the elementary level. Having a parent present at each meeting appeared to be the norm rather than the exception, as at the middle school level. Most of the parents were very concerned with the progress that his/her child was making academically and socially. One parent, who had twin boys, stressed his desire for the special education services to be gradually decreased as to prevent his sons from using the services as a "crutch." Ultimately, his goal for his children was for them to be able to function on their own without any special education services. The students' tests scores, and the teacher's opinion, made it apparent that this goal was close at hand.
The next parent that came in was the mother of a student who had been sent to G.J. Mann to receive special educational services from a different local elementary school. The mother had to write a letter to the superintendent in order to get special permission to send her son here. The regular teacher and the consultant teacher ranted and raved about the progress that the boy was making in the third grade. The possibililty of declassifying the student also came up. The student has average and above average test scores, but was considered speech impaired, however his progress may reclassify him as language learning disabled. The mother thought it best to keep him at this school due to his success academically and socially. Deanne discussed with me how declassification, although not altogether common, does happen a lot more frequently at the elementary level than the middle school level. The rest of the meetings went very smoothly, and the programs for these students were to remain the same.
November 9, 2006
Deanne's day was booked with 13 annual review meetings. The first meeting that I got to sit in on included Deanna, the student's parent, a regular education teacher, and a consultant teacher. It was apparent that both the parent and the teacher were well aware of the fact that the young girl that we were meeting about was struggling emotionally and academically. As Deanna had previously made aware to the girl's father, there was discussion about transfering the girl to another local middle school to place her in a 15-to-1 classroom that might better meet her needs socially and academically. The parent was very understanding and supportive of the idea. Furthermore, Deanna and the father made arrangements with the new school for him to meet with the girl's new teacher. As a very involved and understanding parent, he was also asked if he would be interested in acting as a parent advocate for future CSE meetings. The district has a group of parents who volunteer to sit in on CSE meetings and provide insight and advice from an outside, parental viewpoint. The father seemed flattered and consented with the offer.
Another parent showed up for the second meeting that I got to sit-in on. It was great to see such active parents, since the first couple meetings that I had sat-in on earlier in the school year did not include many parents. The teachers had glowing reports about the student, a young boy currently in a 15-to-1 program with a consultant teacher. The main disability that the boy needed to continue working on was his language skills. Although the boy is extremely quiet, it was made known that he was selected as student of the month, to the father's surprise.
The next couple of meetings simply involved Deanne, the consultant teachers, and regular education teachers. Most of the students appeared to be progressing well, and the decision to keep their IEPs remained. A little later in the afternoon, another parent showed up for her son's annual review. The mother was informed that her son very rarely completed his homework, and was constantly falling asleep in class and/or looked extremely tired at all times. The mother stated that she works evenings and doesn't get home until 11 pm, and that her son is usually still up watching tv when she gets home. She decided to remove the tv from his bedroom and to try to make sure he got more rest. The teachers also suggested possibly taking him to his pediatrician to make sure his fatigue wasn't a medical condition.
The last annual review meeting that I got to sit-in on was very interesting. This meeting involved an advocate for one of the special education students. Deanne informed me that the mother was trying to pull the student from the school, while the student had a desire to be declassified. This particular student has been an academic and behavioral problem for the school. Deanne also said that he had run the gamet of special education services. He is currently in a 15-to-1, but has also been in the ALPs program at the Academy, has been declassified, has had a consultant teacher, among other interventions. The student continues to pose problems for the district, and is currently suspended from the school for fighting. The debate was whether to place the student in the alternative school where he would have a consultant teacher, or whether to place him in a more restrictive setting, which would require sending the student out of district, a very costly decision. The head of the CSE board also was present at this meeting, along with the school counselor, principle, special education teacher, advocate, parent, and student. The student was very stubborn to any suggestion, often giving attitude to his mother. The advocate comforted the disgruntled student, who insisted on being declassified. However, after reviewing his test scores, it was made aware that this eighth grade student was reading at a third grade level. The mother and the advocate kept stating that the student's ultimate goal was to pass the school year and move on to high school next year. After much debate and reviewing of options, the decision was made to send the student to the alternative school within the city of Niagara Falls. Furthermore, the more restrictive school was also to be contacted for possible future placement. Due to the small class sizes at the restrictive school, there is a long wait list, and thus a request well in advance is necessary for consideration. This last meeting was especially interesting, and I was really glad that I got to see how the school psychologist functions with other professionals on the board.
November 2, 2006
When I arrived at LaSalle Middle School, Deanne had several calls to make to other local school psychologists. The topics of her conversations ranged from dyslexia and possible interventions, to the possible placement of two students into self-contained classrooms. She then informed me of the trip that she would be taking tomorrow (Friday) to Niagara Academy. This particular school houses both the 6-1-1 classes, as well as the ALPs (Alternative Learning Program). I learned that the 6-1-1 classroom is six students to one teacher and one teachers-aide. These classes are for special education students with severe behavioral and learning problems that need more focused attention. Deanne was scheduled to test a 14 year old male who is currently in the ALPs program, and was considering to move him into the 6-1-1 classroom. This young male had visited Bridges four times and had been diagnosed as bipolar with conduct disorder. Bridges is a ward in the psych center specifically for children and adolescents. I was invited to come with Deanne for the testing/classroom observation, but due to my class schedule I will not be able to attend. I would've really enjoyed seeing the different learning environments so I regret that I had to miss this opportunity.
Later in the afternoon, Deanne tested a sixth grade consultant student, using the WISC-IV-R. This student had just transferred to LaSalle Middle from another school district, and her new teachers indicated that she had low functioning. Deanne performed the testing in order to gain a better picture of the student's level of functioning, which would then allow her to provide her teachers with better instruction techniques to assist the student. The testing would indicate whether the student would be eligible for such services such as more time, or whether such techniques such as direct instruction would benefit her.
After the testing, Deanne spoke with the speech and language teacher to talk about the progress of several of her students.
My visit next week to LaSalle Middle will involve 13 annual review meetings. I look forward to experiencing the many different meetings and hearing the topics discussed in each meeting.
October 31, 2006
I wasn't at G.J.Mann very long today due to Halloween. The students were much too excited to participate in any testing, and thus observations wouldn't really be a good idea either! While I was there, Deanne got a call about a student from the middle school. The student's mother and consultant were both requesting for the student to be taken out of the district. Deanne contacted the main office for a CSE meeting to be arranged. This student has both academic and behavioral problems. Lastly, before leaving, Deanne informed me about possibly accompanying her to the alternative school (ALP) in order to observe and test a specific student. We both felt that it would be interesting to see the different environments that she is exposed to as a school psychologist. More plans for this visit will be discussed during my visit on Thursday.
October 26, 2006
Today was a very interesting day at LaSalle Middle. There was a sixth grade student that was recently diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. The teachers of this boy were very concerned with his level of inattentiveness and had brought their concerns to Deanne. Deanne gave me the opportunity to observe this student and come up with my own observations. Deanne provided me with a the classroom observation form that she uses when making classroom observations. This form included filling in the type of lesson, the type of instruction (i.e. small group, large group, or independent work), the classroom arrangement, a behavior checklist, a description of affect (posture, gestures, voice quality, facial expressions, etc.), academic performace level, and any additional information/comments, which is where I wrote up my own detailed observations.
Upon arriving to his language arts classroom, the young boy was curled in a ball on his seat with his sweatshirt over his mouth. This made is easy to Deanne to point him out without making it obvious that I was there to observe him. From the moment the lesson began, the student's inattentiveness was very apparent. Eventually, with the teacher's guidance, the student begain to work on the class assignment, but it was clear that he was far behind the other students. The teacher then told me after class, that today was the most work the student has done all year. Upon returning to Deanne's office, we discussed everything that I had written down. We also dicussed teaching methods that Deanne has discussed with the student's teachers that have been shown to be effective in keeping the student on task. Most important is for the teacher to walk around the classroom, make contact with the student, or point out where they are in the text (if reading). Even just touching the student's shoulder helps him refocus his attention. Deanne also mentioned how the teacher can apply this method to the other students in the classroom so as to not single out the one student. This is just good teaching practice that should be utilized whether there are students with disabilities in the classroom or not.
Later in the afternoon, Deanne had to administer the WISC-IV-R to a new student who had just transferred from South Carolina. The student had just gotten into a fight with another student, and was about to be suspended. Deanne made sure to get the test in before he was suspended, so it would be completed in time for his annual review. After he completed his testing, the student was sent to the disciplinarian. The student defended his position to Deanne and appeared to be making good progress in school, as was noted by both himself and his teachers.
With only one period left in the afternoon, I went up to observe my mother's classroom and her method of teaching. I quickly noticed how my mother moved about the room and made sure that everyone was on task and on the same page. Her and I discussed the different methods that she uses to address the different learning styles and needs of her students.
October 17, 2006
This morning at G.J. Mann I got to sit in on a START meeting. Deanne runs the START meetings every other week. Present at the meeting was the school psychologist, Deanne Giambra, the Pupil Service Assistant, Special Education Consultant teacher, and the school counselor. The meeting begins by looking over new students who were referred to START by their teachers. This week, there was one new referral for behavioral reasons. A background of the student's beahvioral and social history was provided and all present read it over. Different interventions were then discussed. It was decided that the student would start off working with the school counselor in one of her behavioral intervention groups that she runs throughout the day. After discussing this new student, there was a review of on-going cases from the previous weeks. The progress, or lack of, was discussed. Lastly, students with upcoming CSE reviews were dicussed. There were 4 students that would reviewed within the next week. Other topics discussed at START meetings, but not particularly at this meeting, are recent suspensions and students with attendance issues. Possible causes or concerns for inattendance would be discussed in such situtations. If any students were to be dismissed from the START program, their progress and reason for dismissal would also be discussed amongst the group. The meeting ends with an open level of communication on any other issues that should be brought to the group's attention, and then a final summation of what was discussed at the meeting. It was clear that these meetings are extremely beneficial and help keep all of the school faculty on the same page. Open communication and discussion within a school is imperative for progress to take place.
Upon returning to Deanne's office, Deanne began working on paperwork and let me read some of the IEPs and psych reports that she had completed so that I could see the amount of work that goes into them. She has also received a request for testing on one of the preschool students, who she planned on going to observe later in the week. Lastly, Deanne contacted the mother of a new student from Alaska in order to obtain his social history. While the student had been tested in Alaska, Deanne was going to retest the young boy to see which class would be most beneficial for him.
October 10, 2006
Today was another half day at G.J. Mann due to parent-teacher conferences. Upon arriving to the school, Deanne informed me about a new dilemnia that had arisen that morning. A new student has shown up from a different elementary school within the city. The student was supposed to be placed in a 15-to-1 classroom. The problem was that the student was too young for the older 15-to-1 class, but too old for the younger class. According to state law, the students within each 15-to-1 class should not be more than 6 months apart in age. Deanne attempted to contact the main office to help decide where to place this child. Her two options were to try and find a different 15-to-1 class within the city that would be a better match, or to make an appeal to the state. This appeal would grant permission for the school to violate the rule on the age range. However, Deanne was also concerned that perhaps the other elementary school had sent the wrong student. The transfer student also had a younger sibling who was to be placed in a 15-to-1 classroom.
A little later in the morning the speech and hearing teacher brought one of her students over to speak with Deanne. Apparently, the student was acting unruly and misbehaving during his lesson with the other students. Deanne talked to the young boy about why he acted out that way he had, and what he could have done instead of acting aggresively. The child is a member of the older 15-to-1 classroom that I had oberserved my first day the G.J. Mann. After calming the student down and offering suggestions on how to better handle the situation, Deanne had me escort the student back to his classroom. The greater student interaction that Deanne has at the elementary level is what I like most about this level.
October 5, 2006
Today at LaSalle Middle School, Deanne was booked with annual review meetings all day. When I arrived, Deanne was already in the midst of a meeting, so I waited outside for the next meeting to take place. Present at the first meeting that I got to observe was Deanne, the student's mother, the occupational therapist, and one of the student's teachers. The student was currently a sixth grade student at LaSalle Middle School. Last time I had worked with Deanne at LaSalle Middle School, she allowed me to read the neuropsych report of this particular student. The mother talked about the car accident that this boy had been in, causing him neurological damage. The student has made tremendous progress, but still has tremors, for which he works with the occupational therapist. Following the accident, the boy had very limited motor skills. The mother discussed how he had to relearn everything, from his ABCs to using toilet training. The mother also told the teacher that her son was supposed to wear weighted glove and use a weighted pencil when he was in school inorder to strenthen his motor skills and reduce the tremors. The teacher noted that she had not observed the student using these aids, and the mother said that her son will often hide them for he is embarrassed (and has been picked on by other students). Other than his motor disabilities, it was evident that the student was a hardworking, conscientous student, as stated by both the mother and the teacher. The mother seemed to very involved in her son's education and treatment, and was more than cooperative with the school faculty.
The other annual review meetings that I got to observe did not involved any other parents. The rest of the meetings were more informal than the one I had observed in the morning. For each meeting, the assigned teachers came down and discussed the students' IEPs with the school psychologist. Whether or not the student was on task with the criteria in his/her IEP was discussed. However, due to the fact that it is so early in the school year, the students' progress was hard to gauge. It was decided for each student to continue on with their IEPs and to make observations a little later in the school year to determine the plans' effectiveness.
Later in the afternoon, one of the special education consultant teachers came into Deanne's office. The two of them discussed what to do with one particular student. Deanne had just had the student's annual review meeting that morning, right before I arrived. From meeting with the student's mother, Deanne learned of several family problems that may be the cause of behavioral issues that have arisen recently. It was noted by the consultant teacher that the student refuses services and is extremely uncooperative. The teacher suggested ending services so she could focus more on other students who are more receptive to the treatment. Scores indicate that the student is about average intelligence, and the teacher feels the problem is more of a motivational issue than a lack of intelligence. Deanne, on the other hand, feels that it would be unwise to take away services while the student seems to be wrestling with several family issues. Deanne later discussed with me the stress of working with the wishes of the teachers, and determining what is truly best for the child academically.
I was really glad that I had to opportunity to observe two different annual review meeting styles, one including a parent, and one with just faculty. The insights from the teachers and parents is crucial in determing the effectiveness of a particular IEP, as is open communcation between all school personnel.
October 3, 2006
With many of the annual reviews just around the corner, Deanne was extremely busy with the preparation that is necessary. Mrs. Giambra was busy working on and reviewing IEPs, and scheduling testing times for students that would need updating. The special education consultant teacher came into Deanne's office and the two started to dicuss on first grade classroom that the teacher was concerned about. The first grade teacher was worried that there were many children with reading skills that were below what they should be at that level. Deanne and the consultant teacher came up with a plan to administer the Dibels (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early LIterarcy Skills) to the class to see what the current level of each student is, and to help identify students that may be struggling in literacy, or are at risk of falling behind in this area. Various reading/literacy interventions would then be implemented by both Deanne and the first grade teacher in order to address the problems highlighted by the test. Deanne felt that it would be a good experience for me to become involved in both the testing, and the reading intervention program. She provided me with a copy of the test and instructions. While Deanne worked on paperwork, I read over the instructions, and the test background information. Deanne has allowed me to take a copy home so that I may become familiar with the administration of the test, and perhaps to practice administering it to a family member so that I become comfortable. I really look forward to becoming invovled in this project, and learning about the different interventions and determining what works and what doesn't work. After applying the interventions, we will readminister the Dibels to see if any progress was made, and determine whethere the interventions were or were not effective. I will discuss this program in more detail once we begin!!
September 26, 2006
Today I returned back to G.J. Mann. When I arrived, Deanne was in a meeting with a concerned parent. I waited outside of her office until the meeting was over. After the parent left, Deanne informed me that the parent was concerned about the learning environment of the 15-to-one class that her son was in. The parent expressed interest in trying to integrate her son into a regular kindergarden class. Deanne provided me with the historical and medical history of the child, as well as let me read his IEP. While Deanne was willing to slowly intergrate the child into the regular class, she was extremely concerned with how he would adjust. According to his test results, his level of functioning was significantly below the average range of other children in his age group.
Due to the fact that annual reviews are coming up, Deanne did have several students that she needed to test. She administered the Mini Achievement Battery to a second grade girl. The only documented disability that the young girl had was in speech and language. This disability was evident in several of her responses to the test. Deanne works very well with the children that she tests, explaining that this is a test that is different then the kinds of test they take in the classroom; they cannot pass but cannot fail, and that it's just important for them to try their best. Her friendly demeanor allows for a good repoir with the students.
September 19, 2006
Today was my first day at the elementary school, G.J. Mann, with Deanne Giambra, where she works every Monday and Tuesday. Working closely alongside Deanne was the Pupil Service Assistant, who was on IEP Direct when I came in. Deanna had just received a list of some students that teachers wanted her to observe. Unfortunately, all of the students that were supposed to be observed were absent on this particular day. However, Deanne did want to introduce me to some of the teachers in the building, as well as let me see some of the different types of classrooms. We first went into a 15-to-1 classroom. We observed a math lesson, and then Deanna spoke to the substitute teacher about one of the students who was absent. Apparently, according to the student's IEP, he was supposed to wear a box with headphones that was connected to a microphone that the teacher was supposed to wear. This device (unfortunately, I do not know the name), is supposed to help the student pay better attention in class. This device was not being used in the lessons and both Deanne and the teacher felt that the device might serve as a distraction for not only this student, but the other students in the class. It was agreed that the usefulness of this device would be assessed at the annual review meeting. After some time in this class, we crossed the hall to another 15-to-1 classroom, with a younger age group. The students took turns reading a story with the teacher and teacher's aide and then had to practice their writing skills in relation to the story. Deanne and I observed the different students, and then walked around to see their progress on the task.
It was a half day for the students today so, after discussing some of the concerns about the new students that Deanna was to observe, I left the school. I really enjoyed spending the day at the elementary school. The young children were much more receptive to Deanne and their teachers compared to the middle school level. I look forward to working at this school with Deanne.
September 14, 2006
Today was my first day working with Deanne Giambra. On Thursdays, Deanne works at LaSalle Middle School. When I first arrived to Deanne's office she was on the phone with another local school psychologist from Hyde Park Elementary School. The two women were discussing a student that would be transferring to G.J.Mann, and what her specific placement should be. The school that this child was transferring from has requested that she be placed in a 15-to-1 classroom, which Deanne informed me was a class with 15 students to one teacher. However, once Deanne looked at the child's scores on her cognitive tests, she was considering having this child placed in a "trainable" classroom at a different school. Trainable classrooms are for students with low cognitive abilities and it focuses on teaching the students neccessary life skills. This specific child did have very low IQ scores, indicating that she may be MR.
Deanne indicated to me how busy the start of the school year is. At the current time, Deanne was busy organizing a list of all of the students at LaSalle Middle School that would need their annual reviews, and by what date they would be needed. She also had a list of which students were up for reevaluations, which take place every three years. Deanne explained that more testing doesn't always occur during these reevaluations, unless, of course, the parents request it. Reevaluations just suggest the possibility of additional testing if the student is showing significant improvements or weaknesses in their skills. Furthermore, Deanne must also develop new IEPs for students who transfer to her school from another district. Deanne showed me an extremely helpful website, IEP Direct, that allows her to access the IEPs of every student in the district. This is a very helpful tool for allowing the school psychologists around the city to communicate with one another, especially when seeking advice or collaborating. The importance of e-mail was also stressed, especially since Deanne has to work with so many different people at two different schools. She is constantly e-mailing teachers, other school psychologists, speach pathologists, occupational therapists, and many others.
While I was with Deanne in her office, the school's occupational therapist came in to discuss the progress of one the students. Apparently, the child has been showing a sudden increase in anxiety -related behaviors. The child also seems to have ADHD and displays many Asperger-related behaviors. One of the student's new teachers indicated that the student went into a rocking fit and continually bit his hand. The O.T. indicated that the child was overly stressed, and she and Deanne discussed how the teacher could better accomodate the child's sensitivity.
Later in the day, one of the school's guidance counselors came into Deanne's office to discuss a problem that she faced that morning. One of the students had to be taken home due to hygiene problems. This is not the first time that the school had to make a home visit, and apparently the living conditions in this home are disgusting and unclean. Social Services have already been over, but since the child's basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter are being met, there was nothing else that could be done. The two then discussed Focus on Families, which often addresses more hygiene-related issues. The main problem is that the family does not own a washer or dryer to do laundry. Hearing about the child's living situation was very upsetting.
I found my first day working with Deanne to be very informative. She is extremely open and friendly and I really look forward to working with her the rest of the semester. The next time I visit Deanne she will be working in the elementary school, which should be an interesting comparison to the middle school.
PSY 370
Annotated Bibliography
5/03/06
Today I have just added the finishing touches to my annotated bibliography. As intimidating as this assignment seemed in the beginning, I feel that I have learned a lot from this assignment. I am much more fluent in performing searches on electronic databases, and honing in my search for articles that are most relevant to my topic. I am also much more comfortable in reading empirical articles. Lastly, and most importantly, I learned a great deal about the implications of anti-bullying prevention programs, and the different avenues that schools can take. Unfortunately, great results from these interventions, like that in the Olweus study, have yet to been replicated consistently and for long periods of time, but current research does indicate the components that appear to be necessary for these programs to succeed, such as full school support, and teacher motivation. Many of the studies focused on identifying common characteristics of the victims, and to work on altering their behaviors that tend to make them easy targets for bullies. It was also noted that it is very difficult to change the behaviors of the bullies, but that bullies are often motivated by their peer group, so by changing the response of the by-standers, ultimately the attitudes and behaviors of the bullies will be affected. These studies did prove to have several positive gains. However, each of these studies did note that it is important not to ignore the behaviors of the bullies, despite their difficulties, and to attempt to further positive growth and change in their behaviors as well.
4/30/06
Toady I finished reading through the rest of my journal articles. While reading the articles, I took notes on what I felt were key components of the article. After reading through so many interesting studies, I feel much more comfortable with the format of these empirical articles. Also, thanks to the Advanced Statistics Seminar that I took this semester, I felt that I was able to understand the statistics discussed in the results sections of the vast majority of the studies. I also felt that I had a good grasp on the statistical measures that the researchers used, as well as the strengths and weaknesses behind each of the assessments.
4/29/06
Today I began reading through my journal articles. Upon reading these articles, it became very apparent that most the research has been performed in other countries, other than the United States. Furthermore, almost all of the articles make reference to the most famous study on in-school intervention for bullying, the anti-bullying intervention program carried out in Norway by Olweus. This intervention program has reported the greatest amount of success, and not many other programs have yet been able to match the success of this program. One feature that was key in this intervention program that most other studies have tried to replicate is the whole school model, thus incorporating the whole school in the intervention. It been found that without the full support of the school, most interventions will not succeed.
4/25/06
I have now completed my search for my empirical journal articles. I used the library database, PsychInfo. I first began my search by using the thesaurus in order to narrow down my search terms. I first did a search for the word "bullying." This term did have an exact match. I was then curious to see what kind of results would come up if I did a search for articles merely on bullying. After entering "bullying" into search prompt, 1378 articles came up as a match. Looking along the left side of the screen, I saw that you could narrow your search down by topic. School Based intervention was one of the subjects that I could choose. I then clicked on that link in order to narrow down these extensive results. After clicking the subject, my search was narrowed down to 112 articles. I then search through the articles that remained in order to find ones that I felt best fit my area of interest.
I must comment, it was more difficult than originally expected to find empircal research on school interventions. Many of the articles, while scholarly, were not empirical, but rather more of an opinion or suggestion of the author. However, I was able to find ten very interesting articles that I could use for my annotated bibliography. After searching for quite some time, I feel much more comfortable using the Ebscohost database in searching for journal articles. Also, after Dr. Bayer showed the class the thesauraus tool, I feel more comfortable knowing that I can get search ideas when I am at a lost.
4/10/06
I selected the topic of bullying and school based intervention programs for my annotated bibliography. I have selected this topic because I was a victim of bullying when I was in grade school and have witnessed countless other students go through similar experiences. I feel very strongly about creating intervention programs in schools to end this problem.
Interview Appointment:
I will be meeting with school psychologist Deanne Giambra of the Niagara Falls City School District on February 14th at 12:30 p.m. I look forward to our discussion and what I will learn from it.
Interview Summary:
My interview session with Mrs. Giambra was extremely informative. Deanne was more than helpful and willing to share her knowledge about the field and her experiences with me. What I found to be the most interesting was listening about the many different tools of assessment that Deanne uses on a daily basis. It seems that assessment is one of her largest roles in the school, as well as collaborating with teachers. Learning about the different issues at different age levels was also very interesting.
Interview Questions for the School Psychologist:
Dr. Bayer's Questions:
1) Which providers of services in the community do you use for outside referrals?
Mrs. Giambra tends to rely on two outside services, including the Monsignor Carr Clinic and the East Amherst Psychiatric Group. She tends to utilize the East Amherst Psychiatric Group for students who need a more in depth neurological assessment than the school system can provide. For times when a crisis arises, such as the death of a parent, the school may call upon Niagara Hospice counselors for grief counseling and additional support. Social services are also utlized for cases of abuse or neglect.
2) What special intervention services do you offer in your buliding(s) that you think are particularly effective?
Academically, there are several intervention services that have been very beneficial to the students. Two of these programs are computer based and are focused on reading skills. One program, Fast Forward, concentrates of phonetics. The other program, Read 180, focuses more on the comprehension of reading material. Academic Intervention Service (AIS), which is an extended period for class, enhances and reinforces what a student has learned in class. Also, most of the teachers are willing and available to stay with their students afterschool for additional help.
The school, LaSalle Middle School of Niagara Falls, also has two full-time counselors who are very active in helping students with academic weaknesses, making referrals and home visits. Just recently, the school hired a social worker, funded by the district, to further improve the home-school connection.
3) What outside agency educational programs does the district use? Any impressions on their strengths and weaknesses?
Although this district doesn't particularly use too many outside agencies, they are very active with Niagara University. Through two programs, Learn and Serve and the Liberty Program, Niagara University students come in and tutor students who need help.
The school also has an outside occupational therapy service, OTAS, come in to service the students and provide in-service training to the school psychologists. For example, OTAS trains the psychologists on how to handle problems with inner sensory integration and fine motor skills. The psychologists can then make suggestions to teachers on how to incorporate these techniques in their classrooms.
Student Questions:
1) What do you do each day? Can you describe a typical day for you?
One of the things that I love most about my job is that each day is different. Typically, I come in to school and check my e-mail to see if there are any new issues or resolutions from the teachers and staff. I then check through the re-evaluations. As the district tester, some days are spent going to different schools for outside testing. Assessment is very prevalent in my job. Also, about 3-4 times a month I attend CSE meetings, such as annual review meetings (for IEPs). I'm in charge of coordinating and setting up the meeting, as well as running it. These meetings generally take an entire school day. I also get to make visits to classrooms where I get to make observations of students. From these observations, I help teachers and students create strategies for the student to better function in the class. I feel that this is one of the most effective means of intervention. Occasionally, I also get do some counseling.
2) What are your hours like? Is it a normal 8-4, or is there a lot of outside work to do?
Generally, my hours mimic a typical teachers, 7:30-2:30. On days where I am the district tester my days tend to follow the hours of the elementary schools. I have done assessments at several elementary schools, as well as some preschool programs, including a Head Start program. Having a family doesn't leave me with much time to spend after school like I could before having children, but I look forward to becoming more involved once my children are a little older.
3) How else can school psychologists get involved with the students?
There are many different ways for school psychologists to become involved with the students. It all depends on the amount of time that you have available during your workday and after school. School psychologists can hold after-school tutoring sessions, as well as self-esteem or social issue groups. Due to the heavy amount of testing and report writting, it is often times difficult to make time during the day for such activities.
4) What type of assessment tools do you use? Which do you prefer, and why?
The types of assessment tools that I use really depend on the needs of the student and the referral that was made for the student. Usually, I first test cognitive ability to see where the student stands. Most often, I use the WISC-IV because it tends to be the most reliable as well as practical. In situations in which there may be a language problem, I use nonverbal assessments, such as the UNIT (Universal Non-Verbal Intelligence Test). For times when I may need a quick re-evaluation or back-up assessment, I may use the Kauffman Brief Intelligence Test, or the K-Bit II. I would never use this test alone for an assessment because due to its briefness, I find it rather limiting. In the field of achievement, I often times use the Woodcock-Johnson III, which focuses on particular academic areas such as reading, writting, math, and academic fluency. Within these topics are sub areas, for example reading can be further broken down into decoding, comprehension, and fluency. For a brief assessment, I use the Woodcock-McGrew-Werder Mini Battery of Achievement. There are also several different Processing tests. There is a test for visual-perceptual skills, which measures visual processing. There is also a test for auditory processing and a developmental test of visual-motor integration, which links visual input with fine motor skills. In the field of social-emotional/behavioral testing, there are two prominent tests that I use. The first is a teacher's report form, which is more broad in assessing problems such as anxiety, depression, or oppositional behavior. The second test is the Conner's, which is very good for assessing children with ADHD. Both of these tests are completed by both the teachers and the parents in order to see if there are differences/similarities in school and home behavior. Lastly, I use the Vineland test to measure adaptive skills (communication, motor skills, social skills, and daily living skills), especially for students labeled MR (mentally retarded).
5) What are the most common problems that you encounter, and are there differences between the different age levels that you work with?
I'd have to say that most of the problems that I experience day to day are pretty consistent throughout the different age levels. Academic and behavior problems are prevalent at all levels, as well as attendance issues. One problem with the younger children is their inability to verbalize or communicate their needs and feelings, while at the older level there are more motivation issues. Also at the older level you have to deal more with peer pressure, fitting in, and lack of respect towards adults.
6) Do you normally work with other school psychologists in your district?
Yes, we meet about 4-5 times each year, as coordinated through our central office. Meeting with each other is critical for moral support and keeping up to date with different proceedures to make sure we're all in agreement. There are 9 psychologists and 3 interns in this district. The central office is responsible for notifying us about changes in regulations and proceedures.
7) How often do you collaborate with teachers and school administration? Explain.
Constantly. Collaboration is necessary in order to be effective. Administration must always be informed, and it's necessary to have the teachers' support. I correspond with the teachers the most often. On the district level, I often collaborate with the CSE personel on issues with programs, as well as family and behavioral issues. On the school level, the counselors, psychologist, administration, and people service assistants have a group called Start Team. We meet every other week and dicuss any progress or new issues for all students with any type of need.
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