Justine Gersberg EPSE 512 Reflection: McIntosh et al., 2011 This article exa ine!

the "es#onse to Inter$ention %"TI& o!el o' s#ecial e!ucation

i!enti'ication an! ser$ice !eli$er( an! co #are! it to the tra!itional school #s(cholog( a##roach. There is a gro)ing bo!( o' research suggesting that "TI results in i #ro$e! outco es 'or stu!ents. I 'irst )ant to !iscuss the tra!itional role o' the school #s(chologist as a tester an! #resent the #roble s associate! )ith this e!ucational o!el. I )ill then tal* about the three+tiere! o!el o' s#ecial e!ucation ser$ice !eli$er(, because I thin* this is one o' the #ractice!. The tra!itional role o' a school #s(chologist is to test stu!ents an! i!enti'( the ga# bet)een )here the( currentl( score an! )here the( should be scoring, *no)n as the abilit(+achie$e ent !iscre#anc( %McIntosh et al., 2011&. -s )e.$e !iscusse! in class an! rea! in the Sternberg article, these tests are culturall( biase!, )hich results in a high #ro#ortion o' strengths that so e s#ecial e!ucation stu!ents that these tests o'ten !o nothing s#ecial e!ucation classroo is ob$iousl( a huge #roble inorit( stu!ents en!ing u# in s#ecial e!ucation classroo s %McIntosh et al., 2011&. In a!!ition, these tests !o nothing to i!enti'( the ight ha$e, instea! 'ocusing on aca!e ic s*ills. I 'eel ore than #ut a label on a chil! but !o not result in better instruction. aterial as e$er( other stu!ent )ith eaning'ul e!ucational inter$ention. o!el, a a2orit( o' ost i #ortant 'eatures o' "TI. ,astl(, I

)ant to re$isit the role o' the school #s(chologist an! loo* at ho) this is !i''erent )hen "TI is

/'ten, as I ha$e seen bac* in 0ali'ornia, these stu!ents are i!enti'ie! as s#ecial nee!s an! #ut into a )here the( are taught the sa e boring in schools translating test results into no regar! 'or in!i$i!ual !i''erences. This coul!n.t ha$e been )hat these tests )ere inten!e! 'or 1 there /' the 'eatures o' "TI is the three+tiere! o!el o' ser$ice !eli$er(. In this

stu!ents are ser$e! b( classroo +)i!e e!ucational a##roaches, )ith a s aller grou# recei$ing targete!3grou# inter$entions an! an e$en lesser #ercentage recei$ing in!i$i!uali4e!, intensi$e inter$ention. I.$e actuall( ne$er seen this o!el be'ore, but I thin* the basic i!ea behin! the three tiers o$e !o)n as ore is one that I ha$e learne! an! #ractice! in s#ecial e!ucation 'or (ears. 5ou !on.t )ant to gi$e a chil! a ore in$ol$e! inter$ention i' the( !on.t nee! it. The chil! shoul! start at the to# tier, an! nee!e! i' he3she !oes not learn or succee!. Instea! o' being i inclusi$e en$iron ent 'irst. This o!el is !e'initel( o$e! to a s#ecial e!ucation classroo

e!iatel(, or gi$en a highl( in$ol$e! inter$ention, a stu!ent has the chance to succee! in a

ore inclusi$e, an! ulti atel( less )or* 'or school

#s(chologists an! teachers. I' it.s less )or*, schools shoul! start !oing it right a)a(6

,astl(, I )ant to re$isit the to#ic o' the school #s(chologist an! loo* at ho) this role is !i''erent in en$iron ents )hee "TI is #ractice!. - 'irst !i''erence is that )hen #racticing "TI, school #s(chologists ten! to consi!er all stu!ents, an! not 2ust those re'erre! 'or testing. School)i!e inter$entions le! b( the school #s(chologist are a #roacti$e a##roach )hich ser$e stu!ents )ho other)ise be re'erre! 'or an in!i$i!ual inter$ention, again resulting in less )or* 'or teachers. The #s(chologist ( also consult )ith sta'' an! o''er su##ort on ho) to i #le ent inter$entions at an( tier. o!el aroun! the school. -ll o' the abo$e roles co bine to in $er( 'a iliar )ith, an! shares an( a*e an The school #s(chologist is the "TI ex#ert, an! assu es the role o' !isse inating *no)le!ge about "TI an! buil!ing #ro'icienc( in this i!eal school #s(chologist 1 un'ortunatel(, the i!eal is not the nor ele ents o' #ositi$e beha$ior su##ort %P7S&, )hich I a i #le enting "TI in schools, inclu!ing ti e an! an! teachers in "TI schools, or !istricts8 The McIntosh et al. article !e'ines "TI an! gi$es exa #les o' ho) it has been i #le ente! in so e 0ana!ian schools. "TI trans'or s the role o' a school #s(chologist 'ro tiere! that o' a test+gi$er to a lea!er )ho i!enti'ies the nee!s o' stu!ents, hea!s inter$entions, an! collaborates )ith sta''. The three+ o!el o' "TI sho)s that inter$ention can be !one school+)i!e or class+)i!e, in s all grou#s, or intensi$el( 'or in!i$i!uals )ith greater nee!s. 9hile "TI has so e li itations, it loo*s $er( #ro ising an! has o##ortunities to ex#an! in s all+scale en$iron ents )here tea s are !e!icate! to i #ro$ing learning outco es 'or all stu!ents %McIntosh et al., 2011&. an( schools. "TI inclu!es an( barriers to ore on ight

o$erla##ing $alues, inclu!ing collaboration a ong school sta''. I see that there are

one(, but )hat i' )e traine! school #s(chologists

etho!olog( !uring their e!ucation8 9oul! the( ten! to i #le ent it

their o)n )ithout !istricts ha$ing to start "TI initiati$es8 Is it better to i #le ent "TI in classroo s,

"e'erences McIntosh, :. et al. %2011&. "es#onse to inter$ention in 0ana!a: ;e'initions, the e$i!ence base, an! 'uture !irections. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 26%1<&, 1<+=>. Sternberg, ".J. %200?&. 9ho are the bright chil!ren8 The cultural context o' being an! acting intelligent. Educational Researcher, 36%>&, 1=<+155.