A Paradigm Shift: Integration of Positive Psychology into theSchools and Implications for

Assessment

Sarah Napolitan, Ed.S., NCSPBensalem Township School District

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Overview The Medical Model

History, Origin, and Shortcomings Positive Psychology

Beneficiaries Resilience/Developmental Assets Positive Psychological Approaches to Assessment

Specific assessments, measures, tests, scales Positive Psychological Approaches to the

Psychoeducational Evaluation Application to Intervention Conclusions

A Brief History Prior to WWII

Development of three goals Cure mental illness Make the lives of all people more fulfilling Enhance and identify human excellence

Post WWII Focus of psychology shifted Enter the medical model

IQ Mental health

(Terjesen, Jacofsky, Froh & DiGuiseppe, 2004)

The Medical Model

Primary foundation Pathology, deficit, abnormal

Physical, mental, academic, social, etc.

Treatment, therapy, programming Alleviate deficits, restore normalcy

Concerns Surrounding this Model

Issues with the Medical Model Reach and applicability to diverse groups in need Effectiveness with longstanding ‘dysfunction’

(Cowen & Kilmer, 2002)

Positive aspects of existence overlooked subjective well-being happiness quality of life positive emotion (Chaufouleas & Bray, 2004).

School Psychology and the Medical Model

Most function within this model Focus on identifying deficits within children

to make placement decisions and/or for service delivery identification of a deficit or pathology will guide treatment

Cognitive tests, achievement tests, and behavioral scales primarily used as instruments deigned to pinpoint the

extent to which a student is exhibiting a deficit

“Prescribing” to the Deficit

When a student is ‘prescribed’ a treatment according to their deficit Directly related to a struggle (reading or math) Can experience significant frustration and a

decrease in their self-confidence Drop Out Rate

31% of students classified as having SLD, 29% of students with Mental Retardation, and 56% of students with an Emotional Disturbance

(U.S. Department of Education, 2005).

The Birth of Positive Psychology

Search for empirically supported research

Documenting the positive effects of a variety of strengths Act as buffers against

what psychologists have been studying for so long (mental illness, anxiety, etc.)

optimism interpersonal skills faith work ethic hope honesty perseverance insight creativity future-mindedness (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000).

Positive Psychology Components

Positive personal traits that contribute to a positive life experience

Implications for mental and physical health

The fostering of excellence (including giftedness)

Well-being Development of positivity Neuroscience and

heritability

Enjoyment and pleasure Authenticity Buffering These areas encompass

the positive aspects of human existence being further examined to

determine their benefits how they can be fostered

in people to help children and adults

Positive Psychology and School Psychology

Not a new concept (2000 APA) Consultation Strengths-based approaches Resiliency

Positive Psychology and School Psychology,

Who Benefits?

Positive Psychology and School Psychology: At-risk Youth

Chen (1993) Children at-risk for school failure

reported to have positive experiences of being effective and productive when working in their areas of strength

http://pzweb.harvard.edu/Research/Spectrum.htm Gardner- Harvard promoting a likely increase of

their own feelings of

satisfaction and self-worth

Had the assessment been limited to these two areas (reading and math), these children’s strengths would have gone undetected and could not have served as a bridge for extending interest and involvement to other areas of the curriculum (Chen, 1993).

Positive Psychology and School Psychology: Cultural Implications

School psychologists with more multicultural expertise think from a strengths perspective rather than diagnostically Strict separation of church and state when

working with children and families, despite the fact that spirituality and faith may be a

primary source of support for that

family/child (Jones 2008).

“By learning about and exploring strengths within a given culture, the school psychologist learns what supports are currently working, who is involved with providing that support, and how to facilitate growth within that culture and the support network (Jones, 2008, p.1779)”

Positive Psychology and School Psychology: Urban School Psychology

Strengths-based approach students have inherent strengths strengths may not coincide with the belief

systems that traditionally spring from middle-class values

Urban School Psychology

When working with at-risk youth in urban settings Practitioners reportedly focus “only on the

negatives” (Miranda & Olivo, 2008, p.1184) Difficult to see positive aspects that a student

exhibits May inhibit the identification of a solution (Miranda

& Olivo, 2008).

Positive Programming: Resiliency and the

Developmental Assets

Competence Development and Resiliency

Directly related to certain competencies that serve as buffers to protect students from stress Important that school psychologists pay attention and

utilize what positive psychology has found in these areas (positive assessments)

Enhancing personal competencies and protective factors across multiple environments is necessary to foster resiliency in whole populations of children and youth

(Clonan, Chafouleas, McDougal, & Riley-Tillman, 2004)

Developmental Assets Programming

Programs for at-risk students aimed at prevention which utilize developmental assets and resiliency building with at-risk students yield promising results

(Edwards, Mumford, Shillingford, & Serra-Rodan, 2007)

Using these internal and external developmental assets to build resiliency has been shown to be an effective preventative program for at-risk students

(Morrison, Brown, D’Incau, O’Farrell, & Furlong, 2006)

Programs to Foster Resilience Positive Behavioral Intervention Support (PBIS) Skillstreaming Penn Resiliency Program

Group intervention for late elementary and middle school students

Teaches cognitive-behavioral and social problem-solving skills and is based in part on cognitive-behavioral theories of depression by Aaron Beck, Albert Ellis, and Martin Seligman

Olweus Bullying Program Promote social norms that are positive Skillbuilding, structuring and integration of school and family

efforts Fishful Thinking (new!)

Helping parents foster resilience, optimism and support in their children

Positive Psychological Approaches to

Assessment for School Psychologists

Why Positive Assessment?

Developmental assets, resiliency factors, specific personality characteristics, and motivation levels facilitate and enhance

happiness, physical health, mental health, and academic performance

(Post, 2005; Gomez & Mei-Mei, 2006; Park & Peterson, 2003; Gillham, Gallop, & Seligman, 2007; Cox, 2006)

Applicability to the Field

Reliable and valid instruments to assess these attributes

Direct linkages to interventions tailored to strength-building, strength enhancement application of these strengths in the academic

setting.

Positive Psychological Assessments: Strengths

Assessment of Happiness

Authentic Happiness Index (AHI) Contains 24 items Homework assignments, child can complete

individually to increase Good reliability and validity Shown to increase a person’s level of happiness Online (www.authentichappiness.org) and free

(Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005)

Strength Assessment

VIA Signature Strength Survey for Children 180-item assessment yields upwards of 24 different strengths in order of

prevalence for the child Good reliability and validity

School psychologists could use the VIA for children and encourage strength usage

Guide to empower children Strength recognition

(Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005)

Assessment of Perceived Life Quality

PQOL Scale Good reliability and validity Allow school psychologists to see how the student

views their own classroom and life experience Able to determine what variables need altered for

best fostering of positive behavior

(Huebner, Suldo, Smith, & McKnight, 2004)

Linking Assessment to Intervention

Gain insight concerning how a student perceives his or her own life implement interventions based on the results

Interventions have been found which could possibly increase a child's PQOL strengthening family and peer supports through parent consultation

and social skills training increased involvement in meaningful and structured activities

(increased flow) improvement in problem-solving skills aim to enhance the fit between the student and their environment.

properly mediate behavior and environmental influences

(Huebner, et. al., 2004).

Positive Psychological Assessments: Personality

Assessment of Hopefulness

Children's Hope Scale (CHS) Identifies children who exhibit high hope levels

(ages 8-16) Good reliability and validity These children can serve as models for other

children who may benefit from more hopeful thinking (Terjesen, et. al., 2004).

Peer thinking programs to enhance positive thought?

Attributional Style Seligman's Children's Attributional Style

Questionnaire (1995) sample not available For students ages 8-13 includes 48 items divided equally between positive (‘You

get an ‘‘A’’ on a test’) and negative events (‘You break a glass’)

Each option represents the presence or absence of one attribution dimension (for example, an internal or external cause)

Child believes events to be caused primarily by internal or external factors and gives insight into a child's locus of control

Good reliability and validity Can request a sample for nonprofit research

Curiosity and Exploration The Curiosity and Exploration Inventory (CEI)

self-report instrument individual differences in the recognition, pursuit, and integration of

novel and challenging experiences and information shows moderately large positive relationships with intrinsic

motivation, reward sensitivity, openness to experience, and subjective vitality

School psychologists may use this assessment in order to simultaneously examine motivation, positive affect, and sensitivity to rewards that can help guide

interventions for motivation increase and reward appropriateness (Kashdan, Rose & Fincham, in press)

Linking Assessment to Intervention

Add attributional style to intervention design in order to enhance locus of control or take into consideration when implementing interventions

Incorporating assessment results and providing specific goals for the child within the IEP

What about the deficits?

School psychologists and educators will be addressing and reinforcing student strengths, and thereby indirectly addressing student weaknesses (Terjesen, et. al.,

2004). School psychologists are asking

a different question, yet still

providing an answer

Positive Assessment: School Success and School Environment

Assessment of School Success School Success Profile (SSP)

(Bowen, Woolley, Richman, & Bowen, 2001) junior high and high school students

Elementary School Success Profile (ESSP) Grade 3-5

(Bowen, 2006)

Assessment of School Success

Measures the social environmental domains of neighborhood, school, friends, and family and collecting data from multiple sources, including parents, teachers, and children Assesses student well-being, behavior,

and school performance. Free corresponding web site (www.

schoolsuccessprofile.org) with links to evidence based interventions

Good reliability and validity

Positive Assessment of School Environment Assessing a students’ perceived quality of

school life Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction

Scale (MSLSS) Emphasizing what teacher is doing correctly

Showing the particular school consistent strengths that are found within multiple students’ self-reports

–(MSLSS; Huebner, 1994)

Positive Assessment of School Environment

Patterns of strengths and weaknesses allow school psychologists to identify supports

already in place within the instructional environment

help teachers and districts maintain a positive perspective on their performance while still drawing attention to areas of need

–(MSLSS; Huebner, 1994)

Positive Approaches to the Psychoeducational Evaluation Process

Positive Psychology and the Psychoeducational Evaluation (Gleason, 2007)

Observations observing the student holistically interpretations grounded in context noticing what the child can do rather than what he or she

cannot do studying the events and contextual conditions that occur

during the "best" times using quantitative measures that focus on strengths and identifying potential next steps What motivates this student?

Positive Psychology and the Psychoeducational Evaluation (Gleason, 2007)

Parent/Teacher Interviews asking parents what their child responds best to what tribulations their child may have overcome inquiring as to their child’s specific strengths “What classroom tasks does this child enjoy?

What have you done that helps this student the most?”

set the stage for outlining a students’ strengths and incorporating similar activities or instructional strategies into a child’s SDI/goals

Positive Psychology and the Psychoeducational Evaluation (Gleason, 2007)

Student Interviews Student interviews can involve their own

perception of their strengths, desires, and dreams A vocational assessment (SDS) is especially

appropriate to glean more information pertaining to career development in terms of strengths and interests

Positive Psychology and the Psychoeducational Evaluation (Gleason, 2007)

Adaptive Measures/Behavioral Scales Behavioral Assessment System for Children-

Second Edition (BASC-II) or the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (ABAS) point out relative strengths and utilize those strengths

in program development provide a source of hope and enjoyment for a student

within their education

Positive Psychology and the Psychoeducational Evaluation (Gleason, 2007)

Feedback/MDE strengths should always be reported to teachers

and parents MDE/IEP meetings can include creative

brainstorming of interventions to match student strengths example, if John is close to his uncle and loves

animals but is struggling in reading, have John read books about animals with his uncle

Application to Intervention

Protective Factor/ Strength

Risk Factor/ Need

Positive Linkage to Intervention

Parent reports child loves to be around/work with younger children

Child is highly disruptive during art class

Arrange for child to be helper/co-teacher for kindergarten art class 1-2 times/week

Application to Intervention

Protective Factor/ Strength

Risk Factor/ Need

Positive Linkage to Intervention

Child loves to create things and put things together

Child cannot follow classroom routine

Put daily routine in puzzle form, have child cut it out and put it together for the class

Application to Intervention

Protective Factor/ Strength

Risk Factor/ Need

Positive Linkage to Intervention

Student had very high “A” score on SDS

Student is having trouble knowing when assignments are due

Have student create their own calendar in art class and insert homework assignments

Conclusion

Majority of scales, questionnaires, and assessments have good test-retest reliability and validity many have not been applied directly to an academic

setting have not been used for programming or intervention

leaving much room for more research and exploration.

Medical Model presents problems which could be alleviated- or at least balanced- by this new and hopeful methodology

Conclusion

Assessments outlined alter instructional environment provide “jumping off” points for building

developmental assets and resiliency incorporate preventative measures for students

who are identified as at-risk assess the instructional environment in a way

that is less threatening to teachers and schools

Conclusion

Positive assessment has the potential to help school psychologists provide hope, support, and appropriate interventions to students, parents, and schools manner consistent with all of the goals of

psychology without a sole focus on deficits

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