School Psychologist Roles in Pre-Referral Screening and RTI

Introduction

One of the critical roles of professionals in schools is to run activities related to children's placement and referrals under special education. In practice, school psychologists are responsible for evaluating children to determine those who qualify for such special services. The process takes different directions depending on context and perception. On many occasions, the nature of a teacher's perception determines the validity of the referral process. A common question concerns the standards that schools use to measure the referral process's effectiveness and whether it meets the threshold to proceed. The response lies within teacher reports, which in turn raises questions about the accuracy of self-reporting — a matter that causes mixed reactions (Vanderheyden, Witt, & Naquin, 2003). This paper dissects all the issues related to pre-referral screening and the roles of school psychologists.

School psychologists offer numerous services that focus on helping youth and children achieve social, academic, emotional, and behavioral effectiveness. In doing so, they embark on mental health initiatives and educational services for youth and children. They also involve educators, parents, and different professionals who provide a supportive and social environment. Their role requires that they apply their expertise during collaboration and consultation. During the process, psychologists guide decision making by assessing the foundation of collected data. Their roles extend to engaging students in socialization, academic skills, learning, and mental health.

School psychologists help enhance competency in different children and families by promoting effective learning, offering secure learning environments, responding to crises, nurturing appropriate behavior, and improving collaboration. These services are based on proper considerations of diversity in learning and development, professional practices, research programs, and ethical and legal domains. School psychologists are approved by educational agencies bestowed with regulatory authority to assess the credentials of potential professionals. Psychologists work in both private and public education and school contexts (National Association of School Psychologists, 2010).

The Referral Process

Every student begins a career journey with some needs. The most fundamental of all is professional guidance from educators to help them understand the surrounding world. Students often encounter highly qualified professionals during their first time in a classroom setting, regardless of prior knowledge levels. However, children with special needs require a different set of professionals who understand their needs beyond what a standard classroom offers. During this phase, the educator, counselor, parent, or other involved educators witness challenges that special students face in their educational journey. Appreciating the academic discrepancies that such students face — as well as their uniqueness in emotions, behavior, and other elements — enables educators to determine required support (Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities, 2013).

Some challenges faced by students with special needs can be addressed through persistent engagement between parents and teachers. One method involves formulating a plan of action that incorporates the best strategies to measure a child's progress. Nominated teachers compile work samples and keep relevant assessment data for students who display unique needs. This documentation process is vital because it enables the teacher to monitor student progress. Pre-referral interventions aid in the identification, development, and implementation of different educational strategies. These interventions draw on documentation gathered from a classroom setting. Problems must first be identified before proceeding to special education. It is a formal process that first offers temporary accommodation to students.

The Student-Centered Team carries out pre-referral interventions. These groups are known by different names, such as student support team, instructional support team, intervention assistance team, teacher assistance team, or early intervention team. The team comprises guardians/parents, teachers, administrators, nurses, and counselors. Other participants involved in the student's education are also allowed. First, the general education teachers present to the team all relevant information concerning the student. The group then proceeds to develop potential solutions.

RTI offers three intervention levels to students facing difficulties. Level 1, often referred to as Tier 1, uses general education instructions and captures high-quality information from the curriculum. RTI projects that approximately 80 percent of the student population responds positively to behavioral systems and the core curriculum. This leads to the second level (Tier 2), which provides the target group with remediation or enhanced instructions to improve performance. This level theorizes that Tier 2 leads to improvement for about 15 percent of students. If no notable improvement is recorded at the second stage, students proceed to the third level, which offers in-depth and personalized interventions. The principal goal of the process — whether RTI or a pre-referral program — is to enable students to attain excellence without joining a special education program. If all preliminary initiatives fail to achieve the desired outcomes, students are assessed for possible enrollment in the special education program.

Interventions in the general classroom are intended to help determine students' abilities and to identify potential candidates for special education. Students only proceed into the program if they show no signs of improvement or when school personnel recommends them for evaluation. Referrals to make these determinations are governed by:

• The opinion of nominated school personnel, including counselors, teachers, and other key players.
• The decision of the legal guardian or parent.
• The view of other key players active in the life or education of the child.

The official referral process begins by determining eligibility. Once a referral is granted, the school seeks consent from the parents and then enters the active referral evaluation process. IDEA recommends that the evaluation process be nondiscriminatory and multi-factored. The report must be presented to the school district within 60 days of the referral date. The report is then examined by a multidisciplinary group of experts who provide diverse opinions for evaluation. Standard team members include:

• Educational Diagnostician (commonly referred to as Psychometrist, or in some instances, School Psychologist): They have the skills to conduct educational assessments covering behavior, achievement, and intelligence quotient (IQ).
• Special Educators: Qualified to evaluate behavior and achievement, along with informal observations.
• General Educators: Provide relevant documentation regarding the status of each student.
• Legal guardians or parents: Play a critical role regarding the personality and behavior of students, and influence how students interact with their environment.
• Associated service providers such as therapists, audiologists, and mobility specialists: Instrumental in providing specific information about the condition being assessed.
• Medical doctors, including optometrists, psychiatrists, and ophthalmologists: Determine the level of disability and thus the eligibility to join special education (Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities, 2013).