+ Evidence Based
Practice:
Promoting
Evidence-Based
Interventions in
School
Psychology
Presented by:
Clara Mills
Training School Psychologists to be Experts in Evidence Based Practices for Tertiary Students with
Serious Emotional Disturbance/Behavior Disorders
US Office of Education 84.325K
H325K080308
+
The Task Force on Evidence-Based
Interventions in School
Psychology(Task Force)

The Task Force was formed to identify, review, and code
studies of psychological and educational interventions for
behavioral, emotional, and academic problems and
disorders for school-aged children and their families.
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Definition of Evidence-Based
Practice

Definition of EBP by Hoagwood and Johnson (2003): The term
"evidence-based practice" (EBP) refers to a body of scientific
knowledge, defined usually by reference to research
methods or designs, about a range of service practices (e.g.,
referral, assessment, case management, therapies, or support
services) .... The knowledge base is usually generated
through application of particular inclusions criteria (e.g.,
type of design, types of outcome assessments) and it
generally describes the impact of particular service
practices on child, adolescent, or family outcomes.
+
The Goal of this Article is too…

present an overview of issues related to EBP and the role that
the school psychology profession can play in developing and
disseminating EBP interventions. The goal is to promote the
use of EBI in psychology and education and specifically
school psychology.
+
Historical Problems and Current
Challenges

Integrating EBI’s into practice: Historically there has been a
hiatus between research and practice: the scientistpractitioner model used in graduate programs (counseling,
clinical, school) uses EBP framework but proposed
applications have not been successful in practice.

The use of manual-based treatments or procedures may run
counter to the philosophical or theoretical beliefs of trainers
and practitioners (see Kratochwill & Stoiber, 2002).

Problems surrounding adoption of EBI’s thought of as sole
responsibility of practitioners when it should be the shared
responsibility of practitioners, researchers, and trainers.
+
Historical Problems and Current
Challenges

There are too many different groups trying to review
programs, each using their own criteria for coding studies.
This creates challenges for consumers.

Some psychologists may pay more attention to clinical
judgment rather than by research.

Many psychologists do not have the training to implement
EBI’s.
+
Assumptions About Integrating
EBI’s in Practice

Need for shared responsibility (between practitioners,
trainers, and researchers)

Need for Evidence Based Practice guidelines to support
implementation (Use manuals that allow for flexibility and
local adaptation)

Need for enhanced practice guidelines to ensure efficacy.
(this could ensure effective use of the intervention)

Need for professional development (for graduate students
and practitioners)

Need for a scientist-practitioner training model
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Strategies to Guide the use of EBI’s
in Practice

Develop a practice-research network in school psychology.

Promote an expanded methodology for evidence-based
practices that takes into account EBIs in practice contexts

Establish guidelines that school psychology practitioners can
use in implementing and evaluating EBIs in practice

Create professional development opportunities for
practitioners, researchers, and trainers

Forge a partnership with other professional groups involved
in the EBl agenda.
+
Defining a Practice-Research
Network

Hayes et al. (1999) define a practice-research network as a
group of practitioners engaged in the evaluation of clinical
replication outcome research.

This helps practitioners be part of a research team and help
EBI’s work better in real world settings.
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Developing a Practice-Research
Network

To implement this for school psychology, the Task Force has
invited school psychology practitioners to join them in
testing EBI’s in practice settings.

The Task Force will also evaluate EBI’s in practice through
competency based training on EBI’s and the development of
an evaluation framework.

The Task Force will also assess the attitudes toward the
adoption of Evidence-Based Practice and code interventions
on qualitative practice criteria.
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Promoting research on the Efficacy
and Effectiveness of EBI’s

Efficacy is the standard for evaluating interventions in
controlled research.

Effectiveness is the standard for evaluating interventions in a
practice context.

Both types of studies are needed by the school psychology
profession.
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Chorpita (2003) grouped research
designed to advance EBP into four
groups:

Efficacy studies (evaluating interventions in controlled research
settings)

Transportablity studies (examine the degree to which
intervention effects generalize to practice settings and if
implementing it in a practice setting is feasible)

Dissemination studies (use intervention agents that are part of
the system of service—in our case, the school)

System evaluation studies (used to establish independence from
the “investigator effect”- the sustainability of an intervention is
investigated)
+ Evaluation of EBI’s by Practitioners
+ Evaluation of EBI’s by Practitioners
+
Establishing Guidelines

Focus on understanding basic principles of change

Focus on understanding indications and contraindications of
EBIs (know how to interpret the research)

Focus on understanding the variability in intervention
implementation (practitioners need guidance to reduce
variability)

Focus on teaching the basic principles of careful EBI
selections

Focus on the evaluation of EBI’s in practice
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Creating Professional
Development Opportunities

APA and NASP emphasize professional development in their
code of ethics.

Development opportunities in the area of EBI’s should be
available to practitioners, researchers, and trainers.

A recent study by (Shernoff et al., 2003) shows that only 31%
of recent graduates of school psychology programs were
familiar with EBI’s.

School psychology graduate education programs must give
students training on EBI’s in coursework and in practical
experience.
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Collaborating with Other
Professionals

Collaboration among professional groups would help the EBI
movement.

All groups should have a chance to communicate and voice
their opinions.

Groups must also compare the criteria they use to designate
an intervention as an EBI and see if their systems are coming
up with similar results.
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Future Directions

The sustainability of the EBI movement will depend on
collaboration between individuals.

These individuals must have a vested interest in its agenda.

School psychology can be a leader in this effort.