Intervention adaptation is often necessary to improve the fit between evidence-based practices/programs and implementation contexts. Existing frameworks describe intervention adaptation processes but do not provide detailed steps for prospectively designing adaptations, are designed for researchers, and require substantial time and resources to complete. A pragmatic approach to guide implementers through developing and assessing adaptations in local contexts is needed. The goal of this project was to develop Making Optimal Decisions for Intervention Flexibility during Implementation (MODIFI), a method for intervention adaptation that leverages human centered design methods and is tailored to the needs of intervention implementers working in applied settings with limited time and resources.
In this article, we reflect on the evolution of school psychology practice from the past to the present, and share some thoughts about the future. Although school psychology programs provide training in consultation, prevention, social emotional development, counseling, and mental health interventions, school psychology practice is still dominated by assessment, and the specialty has yet to live up to its promise to address the multiple needs of an increasingly diverse student population. Today's practitioners need to be skilled in systems-level programing that is informed by cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary to responsibly work toward the best outcomes for students and families from all cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds. As the demand for mental health and other services in schools continues to increase, we argue for a wholescale adoption of culturally adapted evidence-based practices to address the expanding role of school-based practice. Finally, we offer considerations from the social psychology literature that will help school psychologists prioritize behavioral health while also reducing disparities in educational attainment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disrupted the way of life for humans all around the world. As the consequences continue to be revealed, it has been abundantly clear that the pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color. The COVID-19 pandemic shined a magnifying glass on racially based structural inequities in a manner that was impossible to unsee or to look away. COVID-19 disrupted education norms-from forcing online classroom instruction models to hindering our reliance on standardized testing. Education is already rife with evidence of systemic racism as its foundation. Disproportionality in special education, disproportionate punitive discipline, underrepresentation in highly capable learning problems are well established structures that maintain systemic racism in education (Diamond, 2018). As systemic racism is embedded in all of our social and environmental contexts, it is easy to conclude that systemic racism and COVID-19 are not just coexisting, they are interacting to exacerbate negative outcomes for communities of color. This commentary addresses the disproportionate impact of the dual pandemics: COVID-19 and systemic racism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
School engagement has emerged as a significant predictor of positive academic and vocational outcomes. This study investigated the effects of a culturally responsive group intervention developed for African-American youth on dimensions of school engagement. Student and teacher perceptions of school engagement before, after, and 6 weeks following the intervention were analyzed for intervention effects with a particular focus on the four dimensions of engagement: academic, behavioral, cognitive, and affective engagement. Engagement patterns differed for the intervention participants and participants in the control group had lower self- and teacher-reported engagement than those who received the group intervention.
In the age of performance-based assessment and academic achievement, we have high expectations of our teachers and schools. Additionally, school personnel hold a significant amount of responsibility for the care and well-being of our children. However, over the past 20 years there has been an increased emphasis on the importance of partnering with families and communities to foster better educational outcomes for children in schools. Ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1992) is among the perspectives that help researchers recognize the family and community as significant influences on the development of children and adolescents. This theory also provides a foundation for research and clinical work on cultural diversity, cultural competence, multiculturalism, and social justice. All of these constructs are directly connected. According to Shriberg et al. (2008), social justice is derived from the earlier scholarship on multiculturalism. As defined in North (2006) and also in Chapter 1 of this book, social justice is a framework that is based on the belief that all individuals and groups have a right to fairness and respect and are entitled to the same resources that are available to others. If school psychologists are to function using this framework, then it makes perfect sense for school psychologists to lead the efforts in advocating for and empowering families to seek equity in schools (Pearrow & Pollack, 2009). As such, school psychologists can attempt to identify "institutional and systemic obstacles" that inhibit opportunities for equity in schools (Shriberg et al., 2008, p. 465). By identifying barriers and advocating for families, communication can be reorganized in a way that optimally bridges the gap between schools, families, and communities and leads to a true "systems" perspective with opportunities for shared responsibility. As a result, the school can be restructured into a collaborative community that operates through a social justice framework. Thinking systemically then can be considered synonymous with acting as an agent of social justice (Shriberg et al., 2008).
