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This study evaluated the perceptions of graduates from a master's level teacher education program on the effectiveness of their program that incorporated evidence-based practices (EBPs). Specifically, the study explored how the newly revised teacher education curriculum assisted them in becoming qualified in their certification areas. Seventeen graduates participated in the study. Using a checklist graduates indicated their use of various EBPs in three categories in classrooms with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. They also engaged in a mini-focus group to discuss their perceptions of the educational experiences they participated in. The results revealed that the revised curriculum equipped graduates with necessary evidence-based tools to meet the learning needs of diverse learners, particularly CLD students. Results also indicated that their perceptions of the teacher education program were generally favorable and that the majority of graduates used various EBPs in their CLD classrooms regularly. Overall, the study provides insight into how the broad spectrum of EBPs can be systematically implemented into the curriculum and how such efforts can positively impact pre-service teachers who are prepared for urban diverse classrooms.

The main goal of this paper is to illustrate recruitment efforts, strategies, and challenges in the process of training bilingual school psychologists to serve diverse schools. First, we address the acute and chronic shortage of bilingual school psychologists in the United States, particularly in urban schools where student populations are increasingly diverse. Then we provide a review of strategies and efforts to recruit and retain bilingual graduate-level learners in one school psychology program in an urban university. Quantitative data regarding recruitment and retention efforts are discussed. We identify challenges and future directions to increase diversity in the field of school psychology.

The current study evaluated the effects of a multicomponent function-based intervention on students with other health impairment (OHI) for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a private special education school. The focus of the intervention was to prevent problem behaviors and to increase academic engagement by modifying classroom activities, teaching replacement skills, and changing behavior consequences. Data using a multiple-baseline design across academic subjects revealed that target problem behaviors decreased and academic engagement increased in reading, writing, and mathematical activities for students. Social validity with the classroom staff indicated that the intervention process and outcomes were highly acceptable and effective. In conclusion, this study provides strong evidence that a multicomponent function-based intervention can be successfully applied to students with both ADHD and problem behaviors.

Being in a caregiver role for a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) brings a unique set of stressors and challenges to the entire family unit. This study examined a model hypothesizing that (a) parenting stress and the parenting style used by the parents of a child with ASD are correlated; (b) ASD severity, parenting stress, and parenting style uniquely explain the variance in the presentation of internalizing and externalizing symptoms among children with ASD; and (c) parenting style moderates the association between ASD severity and the presentation of internalizing and externalizing behaviors after controlling for specific demographic variables. A group of online participants were recruited through personal contacts, social media, and Amazon's Mechanical Turk. The group of subjects, made up of 70 primary caregivers of children ages 3 to 18 years diagnosed with ASD, completed a self-report measure. Statistical analyses revealed that ASD severity and parenting style contributed to externalizing behaviors but did not have a significant impact on internalizing behaviors. Parenting stress was the primary predictor of both internalizing and externalizing child behaviors. Parenting style was not related to the stress level of parents of children with ASD and was not found to moderate the relationship between ASD severity and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed, highlighting the importance of reducing parenting stress and providing parent training to promote positive parenting styles for children with ASD.

This study evaluated the effects of a training package on the implementation of incidental teaching by instructors and on targeted initiations of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Four instructors were introduced to incidental teaching through a 1-hr individualized training session. Specific feedback was provided for each incidental teaching session post training. Following initial training, increases in correct implementation of incidental teaching were consistently observed across instructors. The impact of training and feedback effects were measured using a multiple baseline design across participants. Findings showed that the training package increased the correct implementation of incidental teaching as well as student initiations, and produced generalized results.

The aim of this paper is to discuss the need for high-quality professional training of bilingual school psychologists and to describe the structure of a bilingual training program housed at Fordham University in the US. This paper discusses the shortage of school psychologists at national and local levels in the United States and then addresses the acute shortage of bilingual school psychologists in culturally and linguistically diverse urban schools. The article provides a review of relevant research and practice for bilingual school psychologists through the perspective of Fordham University's curriculum, competencies, fieldwork, and internship. The authors identify challenges and potential opportunities to enhance culturally and linguistically responsive training of school psychologists. Applications for global school psychology practice are discussed, and limitations are addressed.

Public schools are continually pressed to meet the demands of an increase of a culturally and linguistically diverse population, compounded by the pressures exerted by the No Child Left Behind legislation and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Indicated is a need for multicultural understandings in courses and field experiences within teacher education programs. The Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey was administered to 56 preservice teachers in a 39-credit program infused with multicultural content courses and experiences in either urban or suburban field contexts. The results revealed that the participants significantly increased their multicultural awareness at the posttest, administered during the last semester of the 2-year program. The results also revealed that multicultural awareness of suburban participants was equivalent to that of their urban peers at the posttest, suggesting that field contexts did not differentially affect preservice teachers' multicultural attitudes.

In this study, a multiple baseline design across three young children with autism was used to assess the impact of individualized behavior support, implemented through family-school collaboration, on the children's appropriate and problem behaviors and adult-child interactions. A positive behavior support process was used to promote family-school collaboration and to design the individualized intervention. Data indicated that the children's target behaviors improved with the intervention during circle time at school and play time at home, and their behaviors generalized to nontargeted center time at school and play at the community playground. Teacher and mother positive interactions with the children increased while negative interactions decreased. Social validity indicated that the interventions provided through family-school collaboration were acceptable and effective. (Contains 4 figures.)

This study explores the psychometric properties of data drawn from the Korean translation of the full "Scales of Independent Behavior--Revised" (SIB-R). In addition, semantic, content, conceptual, and technical equivalence are examined. The participants include 2,763 typically developing children and 406 children with intellectual disabilities residing in South Korea. The results reveal that data from the Korean SIB-R were reliable and could be used for valid decisions. This study provides empirical evidence that the Korean SIB-R is a useful assessment tool to measure adaptive behavior skills of children in South Korea. (Contains 5 tables.)

This study explored the extent to which mothers experienced depressive symptoms associated with having a child with a disability and if journal writing would reduce maternal distress. Thirty-eight Korean-American mothers of children with disabilities filled out pretest data using CES-D (Radloff, 1977) and IES-R (Weiss & Marmar, 1997). Based on the results of CES-D pretest data, the participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental or the control group. Journal writing was implemented with the experimental group while the control group was placed on a waiting list. After a four-week post intervention, the participants filled out posttest data using the same assessments. The results revealed that approximately one-half of the participants experienced clinically depressive symptoms and that journal writing did not reduce maternal distress. The discussion focuses on several effective strategies for future research to consider in implementing journal writing with mothers of children with disabilities in Korean and other Asian cultures. (Contains 2 tables and 3 notes.)

Schools in New York City are continually pressed to meet the demands of an ever-increasing multicultural population, compounded by the pressures exerted by the No Child Left Behind legislation and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Indicated is a need for multicultural understandings within teacher education programs, emphasizing teacher attitudes. The Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey, a 20-item inventory, was administered to 61 intern/teaching fellows in a 39-credit initial teacher education program infused with multicultural content and urban field experiences. Using a single-group, pre-post design, significant differences at p less than 0.004 were found for White and culturally diverse intern/teaching fellows. For White intern/teaching fellows only (n = 41), significant differences were noted at p less than 0.0001. For culturally diverse intern/teaching fellows only (n = 20), no significant differences were noted. Empirical data informed the differential value of the multicultural content infused within Fordham University's Intern/Teaching Fellows Teacher Education Program. (Contains 1 table.)

Twenty Korean-American mothers of children with disabilities participated in interviews concerning perceptions of the expertise, attitudes, and behavior of social and educational service providers, differences in cultural values and communication styles, and the need and use of translation services. Mothers reported satisfaction with the availability of services and expertise of professionals. Mothers were dissatisfied with repeatedly requesting services, dealing with professionals who disenfranchised and marginalized them, and in managing Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings; difficulties to which differences in cultural values and communication styles substantially contribute. Mothers reported on concerns about translators and suggested some attributes that a qualified translator should possess. Sensitivity and respect for parents' emotions, requests, and need for support from service providers are essential, especially for providers who aim to nurture parental engagement and promote a positive educational experience for children and their families of diverse cultural backgrounds.

This study investigated the appropriateness of the Self-Report of Personality (SRP) of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) with a sample of Korean American adolescents. The study further explored the extent to which Korean American adolescents experience social and emotional difficulties and how these difficulties might be related to acculturation status. Participants were 51 second-generation Korean American adolescents in sixth to twelfth grade in public schools. Results indicated that the SRP was moderately reliable for this sample of Korean-American adolescents. Furthermore, their average scores were similar to the norming sample on all but two of the SRP scales. One fifth or more of the participants scored in the at-risk or clinically significant range on four subscales, indicating the presence of social and emotional distress. Finally, acculturation status showed a strong positive correlation only with the Self-Reliance subscale. This study provides information to help teachers, counselors, and administrators improve their understanding of the social, emotional, and academic adjustment of Korean American adolescents. (Contains 4 tables.)

A study examined the variables that exacerbated or buffered the impact of child problem behaviors and/or physical differences on 16 Korean mothers and 16 Korean American mothers of children with disabilities. Overall findings from data analyses were consistent with qualitative findings that Korean mothers experienced more difficulties than their immigrant counterparts. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

A comparison of the adaptation of 16 Korean and 16 Korean American parents to their children with developmental disabilities found both groups experienced a process of transformation in regard to their feelings about their children. Differences in public policy, social services, and available resources suffused parental accounts of their individual experiences. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Disclosure of stressful life experiences is described here as a potential means of stress reduction and as a potential indicator of available support. This study compared reports of the disclosure of college experiences by college freshmen (N = 1,539). Using a student survey conducted at four universities across the country, disclosure by first-generation student status was compared. The targets of students' disclosure, including family, friends from home, friends at school, and professionals at school also were examined. Differences by first-generation status were found in disclosure and the targets of disclosure. Implications include first-generation college students' need for increased opportunities to disclose stressful college-related experiences to others., In this paper we assert that the college experience is a potentially stressful life event that for many, requires a relevant social network to successfully navigate (Bandura, 2004; Brown, Ganesan, [...]

Being in a caregiver role for a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) brings a unique set of stressors and challenges to the entire family unit. This study examined a model hypothesizing that (a) parenting stress and the parenting style used by the parents of a child with ASD are correlated; (b) ASD severity, parenting stress, and parenting style uniquely explain the variance in the presentation of internalizing and externalizing symptoms among children with ASD; and (c) parenting style moderates the association between ASD severity and the presentation of internalizing and externalizing behaviors after controlling for specific demographic variables. A group of online participants were recruited through personal contacts, social media, and Amazon's Mechanical Turk. The group of subjects, made up of 70 primary caregivers of children ages 3 to 18 years diagnosed with ASD, completed a self-report measure. Statistical analyses revealed that ASD severity and parenting style contributed to externalizing behaviors but did not have a significant impact on internalizing behaviors. Parenting stress was the primary predictor of both internalizing and externalizing child behaviors. Parenting style was not related to the stress level of parents of children with ASD and was not found to moderate the relationship between ASD severity and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed, highlighting the importance of reducing parenting stress and providing parent training to promote positive parenting styles for children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to discuss the need for high-quality professional training of bilingual school psychologists and to describe the structure of a bilingual training program housed at Fordham University in the US. This paper discusses the shortage of school psychologists at national and local levels in the United States and then addresses the acute shortage of bilingual school psychologists in culturally and linguistically diverse urban schools. The article provides a review of relevant research and practice for bilingual school psychologists through the perspective of Fordham University's curriculum, competencies, fieldwork, and internship. The authors identify challenges and potential opportunities to enhance culturally and linguistically responsive training of school psychologists. Applications for global school psychology practice are discussed, and limitations are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the appropriateness of the Self-Report of Personality (SRP) of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) with a sample of Korean American adolescents. The study further explored the extent to which Korean American adolescents experience social and emotional difficulties and how these difficulties might be related to acculturation status. Participants were 51 second-generation Korean American adolescents in sixth to twelfth grade in public schools. Results indicated that the SRP was moderately reliable for this sample of Korean-American adolescents. Furthermore, their average scores were similar to the norming sample on all but two of the SRP scales. One fifth or more of the participants scored in the at-risk or clinically significant range on four subscales, indicating the presence of social and emotional distress. Finally, acculturation status showed a strong positive correlation only with the Self-Reliance subscale. This study provides information to help teachers, counselors, and administrators improve their understanding of the social, emotional, and academic adjustment of Korean American adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]