School Psychology Forum
Practice and Policy in School Psychology
Volume 7, Issue 3 (Fall 2013 )
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Analysis of State Laws and Policies Following the Implementation of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act
pp. 50-64
ABSTRACT: The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act was implemented in 2008 (P.L. 110-351) in an effort to meet the needs of youth in foster care, including issues related to educational stability, educational services to support stability, and transition into higher education or the workforce. This article examines the written laws, regulations, and policies that exist from across the 50 states and the District of Columbia since the Act took effect. Although findings support that the majority of states and the District of Columbia have existing legislation or revised statutes and policies that adhere to the components of the federal law regarding educational stability (n = 43), services to support stability (n = 33), and transitioning (n = 47), many jurisdictions have not addressed all components or adequately addressed factors such as educational services. Additional educational services and advocacy are needed in order to ensure positive educational experiences and outcomes for youth in foster care.
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Teacher Concerns Pertaining to Response to Intervention
pp. 65-75
ABSTRACT: This article examines teacher concerns during the implementation of response to intervention at a small, rural elementary school. The Stages of Concern Questionnaire (George, Hall, & Stiegelbauer, 2008) was administered three times over the course of the academic year to 46 teachers and school staff. The hypothesis was that teacher concerns would follow the concerns predicted by the Concerns- Based Adoption Model and that concerns would change over time. Results supported the hypothesis that teacher concerns change over time, and concerns reflected a nonuser and inexperienced user profile, as predicted by the model.
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K-12 Online Learning and the Training Needs for School Psychology Practitioners
pp. 76-88
ABSTRACT: K–12 online learning is growing at an exponential rate in the United States and around the world. Students and teachers are entering and embracing the K–12 online learning environment. Thus, it becomes imperative for school psychologists to follow. In order to offer the most productive learning environment for all students, the services provided by the school psychologist in the traditional face-to-face school setting are still relevant and necessary within the medium of online learning. However, school psychologists must be aware, prepared, and trained to deliver those services in a new environment that both poses challenges to and offers opportunities for expansion of service delivery. This article describes the status of K–12 online learning and the training needs of practitioners to effectively address assessment, consultation, intervention, counseling, and cyberbullying prevention.
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