School psychologists and the emphasis placed on student resiliency in the assessment process

Abstract

An action research study was initiated involving school psychologists among various Minnesota and Wisconsin school settings. A single ten-item questionnaire was used. This questionnaire included several Likert scale items designed to measure the emphasis and importance school psychologists of various backgrounds and work settings place on student resiliency during the special education eligibility assessment process. Several research questions were examined involving different school psychologist variables which were determined by a demographics information sheet completed by each participating psychologist. While three school psychologist factors showed no relationship to resiliency practices, one variable showed a statistically significant relationship. The results of this study suggested that as a school's socioeconomic status decreases (represented by the percentage of free and reduced lunch), resiliency assessment practices among school psychologists increase.