Using School Psychological Assessment Skills to Facilitate Transition Planning - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 65
About This Presentation
Title:

Using School Psychological Assessment Skills to Facilitate Transition Planning

Description:

Instrumentation. What is the purpose of education? What is the purpose of special education? ... use, and interpretation of vocational assessment instruments ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:85
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 66
Provided by: levi87
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Using School Psychological Assessment Skills to Facilitate Transition Planning


1
Using School Psychological Assessment Skills to
Facilitate Transition Planning
  • Edward M. Levinson, Ed.D
  • Professor of Educational and School Psychology
  • Indiana University of Pa.
  • emlevins_at_iup.edu
  • http//www.coe.iup.edu/emlevins

2
Agenda
  • The Rationale for Transition Planning
  • A Rationale for School Psychologist Involvement
  • Current /Future Roles and Obstacles to
    Involvement
  • Best Practice Issues in Transition
  • Vocational Assessment Domains and Techniques
  • Instrumentation

3
What is the purpose of education?
  • What is the purpose of special education?

4
The mission of special (or general) education
is not restricted to the teaching of academic
subjects, nor is it to protect students from a
harsh adult environment. It is to prepare them to
participate fully in the mainstream adult world
  • Siegel and Sleeter, 1991

5
How well are we accomplishing this objective?
6
As students approach the end of their formal
schooling, we frequently ask what they will be
doing after school ends. Unfortunately, when we
look back to determine what preparations have
been made for students to live and work in our
communities, we often see a series of disjointed
efforts lacking focus on skills necessary to
confront the new expectations of adult life
  • Halloran, 1989

7
Unemployment/UnderemploymentRates for
Individuals with Disabilities
  • Following the completion of school
  • 21 are fully employed, 40 are underemployed
    (poverty level), and 26 are on welfare
    (Pennsylvania Transition from School to Work,
    1986)
  • 67 are unemployed (ages 16-64), 67 would like
    to be employed, and 75 are employed part-time
    (Rusch Phelps, 1987)

8
Unemployment/UnderemploymentRates
  • NLTS data (Blackorby Wagner, 1996 Wagner et
    al., 1993)
  • Within three years following school
  • 52 of youth with disabilities were employed in
    1987, 67 in 1989
  • Employment rate varies by disability category
  • 63 of LD, 48 of ED, 41 of MR, and 10 of MH
    were employed

9
Unemployment/UnderemploymentRates
  • In summary
  • unemployment and underemployment rates for all
    disability groups except LD and speech impaired
    are significantly higher than those for the
    general population

10
Dropout rates Among Individuals with Disabilities
  • NLTS data reveal a dropout rate of 36.4 , though
    this rate varies by disability category (rate for
    general population is 25-30)
  • For individuals with learning disabilities,
    dropout rates of over 50 have been reported
  • For individuals with emotional disabilities,
    dropout rates of over 40 have been reported
  • For individuals with mental retardation, dropout
    rates of 30 have been reported.

11
Dropout rates Among Individuals with Disabilities
  • In summary
  • students with disabilities drop out of school
    more frequently than do students without
    disabilities
  • students with learning and emotional
    disabilities are at the greatest risk of dropping
    out.

12
Why?
  • A majority of adults believe schools DO NOT
    devote enough attention to helping non-college
    bound students get jobs (Hoyt Lester, 1995)
  • Only 15 of incoming 9th graders obtain a 4-year
    college degree within 6 years of graduating
    (Morra, 1993)
  • Only 24.5 of students with disabilities age 17
    and older graduate with a H.S. Degree (US Dept.
    Of Education, 1999)

13
21st Annual Report to Congress on the
Implementation of IDEA (US Department of
Education, 1999)
  • Concluded
  • Drop-out rates can be lowered and employment
    rates increased if students with disabilities are
    afforded adequate vocational education
  • At the systems level, major changes are needed in
    schools...if the vocational needs of students
    with disabilities are to be met.

14
Reasons/Needs for Transition/Vocational
Assessment Services
  • Drop out rates among students with disabilities
  • Unemployment rates among individuals with
    disabilities
  • Economic costs to society
  • Quality of life issues
  • Legislation

15
Transition Definition IDEA
  • A coordinated set of activities for a student,
    designed within an outcome-oriented process,
    which promotes movement from school to
    post-school activities, including post-secondary
    education, vocational training, integrated
    employment (including supported employment),
    continuing and adult education, adult services,
    independent living, or community participation.
    The coordinated set of activities shall take into
    account the students preferences and interests,
    and shall include instruction, community
    experiences, the development of employment and
    other post-school adult living objectives, and,
    when appropriate, acquisition of daily living
    skills and functional vocational evaluation
    (Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of
    1990, PL 101-476, section 602 (a))

16
Factors Associated with Positive
Secondary/Post-Secondary Outcomes
  • Participation in vocational education
    (occupationally-specific instruction) during last
    two years of high school.
  • Participation in paid work experiences in the
    community during the last two years of high
    school
  • Competence in functional academics, community
    living, personal social, vocational, and
    self-advocacy skills
  • Participation in transition planning
  • Graduation from high school

17
Transition/Vocational Assessment Best Practices
  • Develop a system-wide program
  • Link planning to career development theory and
    K-12 career development activities
  • Base planning on a sound assessment
  • Involve parents, students, and community
    representatives in planning from the start
    (establish inter-agency agreements)
  • Insure that students with disabilities have
    vocational, occupational and work experiences

18
Systemic Transition/Vocational Assessment
Planning Three Phases
  • Planning
  • Develop a task force
  • Conduct needs assess.
  • Develop a model
  • Develop interagency agreements
  • Identify funding requirements/sources
  • Implementation
  • Appoint a coordinator
  • Develop a procedures manual
  • Select and purchase materials
  • Train school/community personnel
  • Conduct in-service workshops
  • Pilot test the program

19
Systemic Transition Planning Three Phases
  • Program Evaluation
  • Identify aspects of the program in need of
    evaluation
  • Identify preliminary standards for program
    evaluation
  • Hire a program evaluator and conduct the
    evaluation
  • Plan and implement program improvements

20
Effective Assessment for Transition
  • Uses only reliable and valid assessment
    techniques
  • Uses a transdisciplinary team to conduct the
    assessment
  • Incorporates a multitrait, multimethod, and
    multifactored approach to assessment
  • Links assessment to career development theory
  • Insures that assessment is functional and ongoing

21
Rationale for school psychologist involvement in
vocational/transition issues
  • Relationship between psychology and work
  • Schools emphasis on preparing students for work
  • Federal legislation
  • Drop-out, Unemployment and underemployment rates
    among individuals with disabilities
  • NASP standards

22
NASP Standards Consultation
  • 4.3.1.3 School psychologists provide skill
    enhancement activities (such as in-service
    training, organizational development, parent
    counseling, program planning and evaluation
    vocational development, and parent education
    programs) to school personnel, parents, and
    others in the community, regarding issues of
    human learning, development, and behavior

23
NASP Standards Assessment
  • 4.3.2.2 psychological and psychoeducational
    assessments include evaluation, as appropriate,
    of the areas of personality, emotional status,
    social skills and adjustment, intelligence and
    cognitive functioning, scholastic aptitude,
    adaptive behavior, language and communication
    skills, academic knowledge and achievement,
    sensory and perceptual-motor functioning,
    educational setting, family/environmental-cultural
    influences, career and vocational development,
    aptitude, and interests.

24
NASP StandardsDirect Service
  • 4.3.3.2 School psychologists design direct
    service programs to enhance cognitive, affective,
    social, and vocational development

25
Current Roles
  • Despite these standards, school psychologists are
    uninvolved (though interested) in vocational
    activities
  • Shepard Hohenshil (1983) found that
  • 75 of school psychologists applied less than 3
    of their time to vocational activities
  • 91 felt unprepared to provide vocational
    services
  • respondents attached great importance to
    vocational services

26
Current Roles
  • Levinson (1988) found that 66 had no involvement
    in vocational assessment, 61 had no involvement
    in vocational counseling, 59 had not consulted
    with vocational instructors, and 87 had no
    involvement in vocational program development
  • Carey (1995) found that less than 1 of time was
    spent in vocational assessment

27
Current Roles
  • Staabs (1996) National Study of School
    Psychologists
  • School psychologists were interested in
    transition, perceived it to be important, but
    felt unprepared to perform the activities listed
  • Other than the functions listed under
    assessment, school psychologists did not
    describe transition activities as being
    regularly or routinely performed
  • Only two activities were described as those
    school psychologists definitely should perform
    explain test results to students so they
    understand their strengths and needs, and
    modifications/adaptations needed for successful
    transition planning and completing triennial
    evaluations to help meet transition planning
    needs
  • Approximately half indicated that school
    psychology services were underutilized in the
    transition process
  • Time constraints and caseloads were cited as
    barriers to involvement

28
Current Roles
  • Lillensteins (2002) Pennsylvania Study
  • Responses from 125 School Psychologists and 66
    Transition Coordinators (28 response rate)
  • Generally results were similar to Staab
  • 4.5 of time was spent in transition activities
  • Assessment activities were frequently or
    occasionally performed (none were
    regularly/routinely performed) review records,
    conduct re-evaluations, conduct FBAs, conduct
    ability assessments, conduct social skills
    assessment
  • No involvement in Consultation, Program Planning
    or Direct service activities
  • Desired involvement exceeded actual involvement
  • Barrier Referral Backlog

29
Obstacles to Involvement
  • Lack of Training
  • Role Restrictions/Time Constraints
  • Role Perceptions
  • Overreliance on published, standardized norm
    referenced assessment instruments
  • Inability to use traditional psychoeducational
    data for vocational planning

30
Needs
  • Additional training opportunities
  • NASP commitment
  • Special education reform

31
Potential Roles
  • Expand assessments to include an assessment of
    interests, aptitudes, functional living skills
    and career maturity
  • Facilitate team planning and the development of
    transition plans
  • Consult with others to facilitate learning and
    acquisition of necessary behaviors

32
Potential Roles
  • Assist in designing, planning, and evaluating
    system-wide transition programs
  • Assist in evaluating the progress individual
    students are making in accomplishing transition
    goals
  • Assist in the selection, use, and interpretation
    of vocational assessment instruments

33
Process of identifying an individuals physical,
mental, and emotional abilities, limitations, and
tolerances in order to..
  • Predict current and future employment potential
    and adjustment

34
Process whereby an individuals attitudes,
aptitudes, interests, capabilities, physical
capabilities and tolerances are evaluated by
utilizing standardized tests..
  • Job sampling, job trait and other standardized
    techniques and procedures

35
These are Definitions of Vocational Assessment
36
As defined by the Vocational Evaluation and
Work Adjustment
Association
  • Vocational assessment is a comprehensive process
    that utilizes work, real or simulated as the
    focal point of assessment and vocational
    exploration, the purpose of which is to assist
    individuals in vocational development.

37
As defined by the Vocational Evaluation and
Work Adjustment
Association
  • Vocational assessment incorporates medical,
    psychological, social, vocational, and economic
    data in the attainment of the goals of the
    evaluation process

38
Purposes of vocational assessment (from
voc.ed/voc. rehab. lit.)
  • To assess intellectual potential, present work
    skills, expected work skills, physical
    capability, work behavior, and learning problems
  • To determine whether students have adequate
    prerequisite skills for voc-ed programs
  • To suggest needed support services

39
Purposes of vocational assessment (from
voc.ed/voc. rehab. lit.)
  • To suggest effective teaching techniques and
    instructional modifications for special students
  • To provide the vocational teacher with improved
    information about the student
  • To bridge the gap between special educators and
    vocational educators

40
Vocational Assessment Techniques
  • Paper pencil tests
  • Interviewing
  • Behavioral Observation
  • Performance tests
  • Work Sampling
  • Simulated Work Experience
  • Work Experience

41
Components of a Comprehensive Vocational
Assessment
  • Mental Ability/Vocational Aptitudes
  • Academic Achievement
  • Small/Large Motor Coordination
  • Vocational Interests/Personality
  • Vocational Adaptive Behavior
  • Career Maturity

42
Instrumentation Interests/Personality
  • Self-Directed Search (SDS)
  • Career Key (CK)
  • Occupational Aptitude Schedule and Interest
    Survey - III (OASIS-III)
  • Non-Reading Interest Inventories
  • Issues in Selection Reading level, Developmental
    level, Vocational aspiration, Available training

43
Components of Career Maturity
  • Self Awareness
  • Occupational Awareness
  • Decision making skills
  • Harrens decision making styles
  • Dependent
  • Intuitive
  • Rational

44
Instrumentation Career Maturity
  • Career Development Inventory
  • Career Maturity Inventory
  • Assessment of Career Decision-Making

45
Case 1 -TESTS ADMINISTERED
  • - Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children
  • 3rd Edition (WISC-III)
  • - Wechsler Individual Achievement Test
  • (WIAT)
  • - Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist
  • (CBCL)
  • - Hollands Self-directed Search (SDS)

46
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children- 3rd Ed
(WISC-III)
  • WISC-III Scale IQ Percentile Rank
  • Verbal 113 81
  • Performance 84 14
  • Full Scale 99 47
  • Composite Score
  • Verbal Comprehension 113 81
  • Perceptual Organization 89 23
  • Freedom from Distractibility 112 79
  • Processing Speed 86 18

47
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)
  • Subtest Standard Score Percentile Rank
  • Basic Reading 100 50
  • Mathematics Reasoning 97 42
  • Spelling 98 45
  • Reading Comprehension 100 50
  • Numerical Operations 78 7
  • Listening Comprehension 96 89
  • Oral Expression 115 84
  • Written Expression 98 45

48
  • Standard Score Percentile Rank
  • Reading 100 50
  • Mathematics 87 19
  • Language 110 75
  • Writing 97 42
  • TOTAL 98 45

49
Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
  • No Significant Findings

50
Hollands Self-directed Search (SDS)
  • Occupational Areas Total Score
  • Realistic 30
  • Investigative 17
  • Artistic 8
  • Social 15
  • Enterprising 27
  • Conventional 4

51
Case 2- TESTS ADMINISTERED
  • -Woodcock Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability-
  • Revised (WJ-R COG)
  • - Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement-
  • Revised (WJ-R)
  • - Social Skills Rating System- Parent Form (SSRS-
  • PF)
  • - Social Skills Rating System- Student Form
  • (SSRS- SF)
  • - Self-directed Search (SDS)

52
Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability-
Revised (WJ-R COG)
  • Subtest Standard Score Percentile Rank
  • By Age By Age
  • Memory For Names 87 19
  • Memory For Sentences 109 72
  • Visual Matching 97 41
  • Incomplete Words 93 31
  • Visual Closure 115 84
  • Picture Vocabulary 107 67
  • Analysis-Synthesis 98 45
  • Visual-Auditory Learning 118 88
  • Oral Vocabulary 99 48
  • Concept Formation 99 48

53
  • Cognitive Standard Score Percentile Rank
  • Cluster By Age By Age
  • Long-Term Retrieval 102 54
  • Short-Term Memory 105 63
  • Processing Speed 94 34
  • Auditory Processing 99 47
  • Visual Processing 118 89
  • Comprehension- 103 57
  • knowledge
  • Fluid Reasoning 99 48
  • Broad Cognitive Ability 102 56

54
  • Aptitude Standard Score Percentile Rank
  • Cluster By Age By Age
  • Reading Aptitude 102 55
  • Mathematics Aptitude 98 44
  • Written Language 104 60
  • aptitude
  • Knowledge Aptitude 108 69

55
Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement- Revised
(WJ-R)
  • Subtest Standard Score Percentile Rank
  • By Age By Age
  • Letter-Word Identification 96 39
  • Passage Comprehension 96 39
  • Calculation 109 74
  • Applied Problems 97 42
  • Dictation 79 8
  • Writing Samples 89 22
  • Science 96 39
  • Social Studies 107 69
  • Humanities 91 27

56
  • Clusters Standard Score Percentile Rank
  • By Age By Age
  • Broad Reading 96 38
  • Broad Mathematics 103 58
  • Broad Written Language 84 14
  • Broad Knowledge 96 39

57
Social Skills Rating System-Parent Form (SSRS-PF)
  • Standard Score By Age 112
  • Percentile Rank By Age 79

58
Social Skills Rating System- Student Form
(SSRS-SF)
  • Standard Score By Age 112
  • Percentile Rank By Age 79

59
Self-Directed Search (SDS)
  • Occupational Code REA Raw Score
  • Realistic 30
  • Enterprising 16
  • Artistic 15
  • Social 10
  • Investigative 9
  • Conventional 5

60
In order to develop a sound vocational assessment
program.
  • We must understand and apply vocational/career
    development theory

61
Minnesota Theory of Work Adjustment
  • Proposes two aspects of work adjustment
  • Job Satisfaction
  • Job Satisfactoriness

62
Individual
Job
Reinforcer System
Needs
Correspondence
Job Satisfaction
63
Work-Related Needs
  • Achievement
  • Activity
  • Advancement
  • Authority
  • Compensation
  • Co-workers
  • Creativity
  • Independence
  • Moral Values
  • Recognition
  • Responsibility
  • Security

64
Work-Related Needs
  • Ability Utilization
  • Policies and Practices
  • Social Service
  • Social Status
  • Supervision (Technical/Human)
  • Variety
  • Working Conditions

65
Individual
Job
Ability Requirements
Correspondence
Abilities
Job Satisfactoriness
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com