Culturally Responsive Interviewing Practices

As communities and school populations continue to become more culturally, economically, and linguistically diverse, the need for comprehensive training and explicit guidelines for culturally responsive school mental health practices also grows. School Psychologists are both expected and ethically responsible to competently assess and serve diverse student and family populations, regardless of potential language or cultural barriers. The current article is focused on describing background and rationale for culturally responsive interviewing practices as they pertain to the roles and responsibilities of School Psychologists. Building on the guidelines and principles of the Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI), developed by the American Psychiatric Association, authors describe the potential applicability of the interviewing format for use with culturally and linguistically diverse students and families. Practical implications for use of culturally responsive interviewing strategies and culturally competent communication skills are discussed

Cultivating a Professional Culture of Peace and Inclusion: Conceptualizing Practical Applications of Peace Leadership in Schools

Beyond the role of educating students across all academic domains, school leaders are tasked with the monumental responsibility of creating positive, engaged systems and cultures that embrace the growing cultural, economic, linguistic, and cognitive diversity in the United States landscape. With collective goals to create peaceful learning environments with capacity to serve diverse learners, many school leaders have embraced school-wide prevention and intervention efforts, such as Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for social-emotional and behavioral development of students. Unfortunately, due to the inherent complexities and fragmentation of such efforts, many school leaders have continued to experience significant barriers to sustainable systems change. Throughout the following discussion, the authors argue that the school-wide programs most commonly utilized in schools lack the explicit organizational structures for integrating culturally responsive practice, leadership development, and collaborative community building processes that are essential to sustainable implementation. Therefore, this conceptual paper aims to explore the possibilities for practical applications of the Integral Perspective of Peace Leadership (IPPL, McIntyre Miller and Green, 2015) within school systems change efforts by shifting focus from direct student skill development toward a more integrated and systems-oriented approach aimed at strengthening culture and capacity within communities of educational leaders. The IPPL can “connect the dots” and provide a strong foundation through which school-wide change is possible and more sustainable. By challenging individuals, schools, communities, and organizations to examine and include Innerwork; theories, behaviors and practices, or Knowledge building; Communities of practice; and Environment work, such as systems and global thinking (McIntyre Miller and Green, 2015), the implementation of the IPPL may “challenge issues of violence and aggression and build positive, inclusive social systems and structures” (McIntyre Miller, 2016, p. 223). The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, there is a discussion of how the elements of the IPPL connect to school culture and system change. Second, specific examples, such as character development, mindfulness, school-wide positive behavior supports, social-emotional learning, professional learning communities, home-school connection, systems thinking, and distributed leadership, will demonstrate how school leaders might engage, using consultants and an implementation team, in the work to create positive, equitable school cultures

Are Deficit Perspectives Thriving in Trauma-Informed Schools? A Historical and Anti-Racist Reflection

Mental health research concerning adverse childhood experiences and neurocognitive trauma has prompted many school districts to pursue the development of trauma-informed schools that attend specifically to the emotional and instructional needs of affected students. Researchers and practitioners are fast proliferating trauma-informed professional practices. Given research findings indicating disproportionate impacts of trauma on students of color and those living in poverty, in this article, we examine the risks of trauma-informed educational programs reanimating cultural deficit theories from the 1960s about marginalized students and families. Educators are challenged to thoughtfully fortify trauma-informed schooling by increasing awareness of deficit perspectives and incorporating critical anti-racist, equity-focused practices

Nurturing Cultural Humility and Responsiveness Through Restorative Pedagogy In Graduate Education

In an increasingly diverse world that is characterized by significant social and educational inequities, the development of educators and leaders who embody cultural humility and culturally responsive practices is necessary and transformational. Moving beyond individual and deficit-centered models of student support systems towards ecological and relational paradigms of education are critical to the goals of equity and justice. In order to make progress on these goals, training programs must prioritize and embed the values of cultural humility and culturally responsive practice as foundational constructs for future educators. This multi-authored reflective paper describes the use of Restorative Pedagogy, an approach grounded in Restorative Justice and Practices, as a vehicle to facilitate the development of these important qualities. Key concepts and activities used within a graduate level course designed for students studying to be school counselors, school psychologists, and school leaders are described throughout. Limitations and implications for this pedagogical approach are also included

Educator Perceptions of Adult-Student Relationships, Racial Climate, and Associated Discipline Techniques

The overuse and misuse of exclusionary and punitive discipline practices in schools have been consistently linked to social and educational inequities across the globe, particularly for students of color. However, there is an ongoing need for a greater understanding of how school climate factors (e.g., adult-student relationships, racial climate) relate to the types of discipline approaches observed, particularly from the viewpoints of educators. The current study used hierarchical multiple regression analyses to investigate teacher, administrator, and staff (N = 168) survey responses from four junior high schools where discipline disproportionality for Latinx students had been previously established. Analyses explored how perceptions of adult-student relationships were associated with the perceived use of punitive and positive discipline practices and the potential moderating effect of racial climate. Results suggest that perceptions of more positive adult-student relationships were associated with less punitive discipline, but not meaningfully related to positive discipline approaches (i.e., social-emotional instruction, positive reinforcement). Additionally, racial climate was a significant moderator in the relation between adult-student relationships and punitive discipline techniques, enhancing the inverse relation between positive adult-student relationships and punitive discipline. Implications for theory, research, and practical application are discussed

Supervising Psychoeducational Assessment

The supervision of pscyhoeducational assessments is challenging because competent psychoeducational assessments require an extraordinarily broad set of knowledge and skills, which can include, but are not limited to, knowledge of typical and atypical child development, models of cognitive and academic development, and legal definitions of disability found in educational law and regulations. In addition, practitioners must have a thorough understanding of psychometrics, including validity, reliability, the meaning of different scores, and test interpretation. Last, it requires that practitioners understand how to integrate information from various assessment methods and sources to come to an understanding of a child\u27s strengths and limitations, as well as how to develop, implement, and evaluate interventions.https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/education_books/1151/thumbnail.jp

Creating Restorative and Affirming Classrooms for LGBTQ+ Students

It is critical that educators gain an understanding of the lived experiences of queer college students and to develop inclusive practices (e.g., restorative practices) to make college classrooms more affirming. In this chapter, we describe the research on the lived experiences of queer college students. In particular, we focus on sexual and gender minority stress theory to show that LGBTQ+ college students are vulnerable to mental health issues and other negative outcomes, while also showing the LGBTQ+ community\u27s unique capacity to be resilient in the midst of homophobic and transphobic adversity. In the second half of this chapter, we outline restorative pedagogy as an approach for creating brave and safe classroom spaces for queer college students.https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/education_books/1158/thumbnail.jp

Restorative Schools: A Consultation Case Study for Moving from Theory to Practice

The current case study examines the process and components of a multi-site school-wide restorative justice (SWRJ) implementation program. Using Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology and the Outcome Logic Model (OLM), the authors describe results from a collaborative program evaluation conducted by university researchers and external specialists implementing SWRJ in five middle schools. OLM results include operational definitions and analyses of the program’s implementation resources, activities, outputs, and outcomes, as well as findings surrounding gaps in practice and outcome monitoring. Key learnings from this case study included the importance of administrator buy-in, focused implementation teams, strong professional development systems, and the utility of systematic program mapping frameworks like OLMs. Identified challenges included leadership turnover in schools, overreliance on individual RJ specialists for implementation, and an imbalance of activities across the tiers. Implications and recommendations for organizational consultants, educational leaders, and school-based restorative justice scholars are discussed

Families and Schools Together: Designing a Model for University-Community Partnerships to Support Home-School Collaborations

Collaboration between school staff, families, and community partners is vital for ensuring all students’ success, particularly those with disabilities. In this case study, we will discuss a community-university partnership involving a university school psychology graduate program, several local school districts, and a specialized medical facility for children with autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders. These partners came together to create the Families and Schools Partnership Program (FSPP). Facilitated by School Psychology faculty and graduate students, FSPP offers support to families and schools through a cohesive multidisciplinary approach to intervention. In this study, we examined the experiences of 700 families referred to the FSPP consultation team and evaluated the reasons for referral, levels of intervention required by each family, and case outcomes. As a result, we offer a series of steps and tips for developing collaborative interagency relationships, an outline of the consultation framework and processes developed, and lessons learned throughout implementation

Social Justice Competency Areas and the NASP Practice Model

Social justice has become a common goal in school psychology, including in practice guidelines. However, there is a paucity of research reflecting a representative sample of US practitioners providing input on key social justice competency areas and how frequently they employ these competencies. Utilizing a national sample of 145 practitioners, this study addresses this gap. Framed around the National Association of School Psychologists’ Practice Model, respondents indicated a wide range of competency areas as important to the role of school psychologist, as well as widespread efforts to utilize these strategies, particularly actions that were more individualistic and under their direct control. Implications for practice and future research are provided