Study Guide
Field 033: School Psychologist
Test Design and Framework
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The test design below describes general assessment information. The framework that follows is a detailed outline that explains the knowledge and skills that this test measures.
Test Design
*Does not include 15-minute C B T tutorial
Test Framework
| subareas | range of competencies | approximate percentage of test | |
|---|---|---|---|
| selected-response | |||
| roman numeral 1 | understanding human development, diversity, and learning | 0001–0003 | 21 percent |
| roman numeral 2 | assessing and addressing individual and schoolwide needs | 0004–0009 | 45 percent |
| roman numeral 3 | working in the professional environment | 0010–0012 | 19 percent |
| this cell intentionally left blank | 85 percent | ||
| subareas | range of competencies | approximate percentage of test | |
|---|---|---|---|
| constructed-response | |||
| roman numeral 4 | case study | 0013 | 15 percent |
Subarea roman numeral 1–Understanding Human Development, Diversity, and Learning
Competency 0001–Apply knowledge of human development and behavior.
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- Apply knowledge of early childhood, child, and adolescent development in the cognitive, social/emotional, sensorimotor, and language domains.
- Analyze how characteristics or changes in any one domain (e.g., cognitive, social/emotional) may affect performance in other domains and demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between a student's skills in one domain and skills in other domains.
- Apply knowledge of variables that affect students' behavior and development (e.g., prenatal and early environment; chemical use or abuse; psychopathological, biological, temperament-related, social, gender-related, and linguistic variables; family issues; prior experiences; socioeconomic status; cultural or ethnic background; parent/guardian and teacher expectations).
- Apply knowledge of the biological (e.g., developmental, neuropsychological, physiological), social, and cultural bases of behavior.
- Apply knowledge of medical and pharmacological influences on behavior and development.
- Examine how giftedness and/or disabilities may affect development in the cognitive, social/emotional, sensorimotor, and language domains.
- Apply knowledge of human exceptionalities with regard to development, including similarities and differences between students with disabilities and their peers without disabilities.
- Analyze ways to promote development in all domains for students from birth to age 21.
Competency 0002–Apply knowledge of processes of learning and learning environments that are responsive to students' diverse strengths and needs.
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- Apply knowledge of theories and processes of learning.
- Analyze factors that affect student learning (e.g., psychopathological, biological, social, gender-related, and linguistic factors; prenatal and early environment; student motivation; family issues; socioeconomic status; cultural or ethnic background; parent/guardian and teacher expectations).
- Analyze the advantages and limitations of various types of learning environments and experiences for students with diverse strengths and needs.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for promoting understanding of and sensitivity to students' diverse characteristics and practices that help students from all backgrounds feel welcome and appreciated.
- Evaluate the effects of various types of learning environments, classroom management strategies, and intervention techniques on student achievement and social/emotional development.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for modifying learning environments to meet the diverse needs (e.g., physical, social/emotional, behavioral, cognitive, language, career development, academic) of students with specified characteristics.
- Apply the principles of generalization and transfer of learning to various interventions, including those aimed at assisting parents/guardians and other caregivers with the implementation of behavior-change programs in the home and facilitating successful transitions of students from one environment to another.
Competency 0003–Apply knowledge of curricula and instruction that promote learning, achievement, and competence in students with diverse strengths and needs.
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- Apply knowledge of the preK–12 curriculum (e.g., language arts, mathematics) as it relates to human development and learning.
- Apply knowledge of differentiated instruction and intervention techniques that enhance the academic, social/emotional, communicative, and functional living competence of students with diverse strengths and needs.
- Apply knowledge of learning opportunities that take advantage of student strengths, facilitate learning and achievement, enhance transition readiness, and promote effective functioning in a variety of school and nonschool settings.
- Evaluate the appropriateness of various instructional approaches and resources, including technological resources, for meeting identified student needs.
- Apply knowledge of appropriate recommendations for curriculum and instructional modifications in various situations (e.g., early intervening services).
Subarea roman numeral 2–Assessing and Addressing Individual and Schoolwide Needs
Competency 0004–Apply knowledge of how to select, adapt, and develop assessments that provide accurate, useful information for determining appropriate interventions and making educational recommendations for students with diverse strengths and needs.
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- Apply knowledge of the characteristics, benefits, and limitations of formal and informal assessment instruments as well as procedures used for screening, diagnosing, planning, and evaluating the progress of infants through school-age students in various areas (e.g., cognitive/intellectual and social/emotional development, language, classroom behavior, adaptive skills, mental health).
- Apply knowledge of how to select, adapt, and develop curriculum-based assessments and curriculum-based measurement (e.g., portfolios, observations, writing samples, interviews).
- Examine psychometric properties of testing instruments (e.g., various types of reliability and validity, acceptable levels of reliability and validity, measurement error, standardization) and evaluate their implications for assessment selection.
- Apply knowledge of legal and ethical guidelines and key issues in assessment (e.g., bias; generalizability; special considerations in the assessment of infants and toddlers; the significance of cultural diversity, home language, socioeconomic diversity, and gender; rapport in testing situations).
- Examine the role that diversity and cultural factors play in choosing and modifying assessment instruments in specific contexts and the appropriateness of various types of assessment for given students (e.g., English language learners).
- Apply knowledge of procedures for collecting and reviewing comprehensive information in regard to early intervention services, initial referrals, and reevaluation.
- Apply knowledge of how to use and provide information from various assessment models to help the multidisciplinary team address referral questions and make appropriate educational placement and programming recommendations for students with diverse strengths and needs.
- Apply knowledge of when and how to use authentic and dynamic assessment procedures that directly inform interventions.
Competency 0005–Apply knowledge of how to conduct assessments of students who have diverse strengths and needs.
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- Apply knowledge of standard procedures for administering various types of assessments (e.g., cognitive, academic, behavioral, adaptive) for infants through school-age students who may require special education, early childhood intervention, gifted education, or other services or interventions.
- Apply knowledge of how to adapt assessment procedures for individual students in various contexts and how procedural modifications for administering standardized assessments may affect assessment results.
- Examine the significance of linguistic, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity for student assessment and the use of nondiscriminatory assessment strategies for culturally and linguistically diverse students.
- Apply knowledge of how to administer assessments in ways that provide information that is accurate and useful for planning instruction and environmental modifications to help students with diverse strengths and needs achieve desired goals.
Competency 0006–Apply knowledge of how to interpret assessment results to increase knowledge about students' individual strengths and needs.
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- Apply knowledge of test measurement concepts (e.g., mean, standard deviation, percentages) and various types of scores (e.g., z-scores, age- and grade-equivalent scores, percentiles, standard scores), their correlations, and their implications for interpreting test results.
- Apply knowledge of scoring and reporting methods used with various assessment instruments and how to interpret the results of assessments of infants through school-age students.
- Analyze informal and formal assessment data to determine the presence and nature of a student's giftedness, including the identification of students who are gifted from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
- Analyze informal and formal assessment data to determine the presence, nature, and severity of a student's disabilities; current level of academic performance (e.g., specific strengths and needs, mastered and unmastered skills); and mental health needs for purposes of making a recommendation for eligibility for services.
- Examine conclusions about a student's educational and mental health needs that can and cannot be drawn from given assessment data.
Competency 0007–Apply knowledge of how to use assessment information within the multidisciplinary team process to make recommendations and develop interventions that respond to students' identified educational and mental health needs and enhance students' educational functioning.
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- Apply knowledge of how to interpret and communicate assessment results to assist the multidisciplinary team in developing and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions and services.
- Apply knowledge of methods for preparing clearly written reports that address referral questions appropriately and report data accurately; communicating assessment results clearly and in a manner that is understandable to the audience; and providing guidance to the multidisciplinary team in determining appropriate interventions.
- Apply knowledge of effective prevention and intervention strategies (e.g., consultation; individual, group, and schoolwide counseling; instructional and classroom modifications; behavior modification) to recommend in responding to students' identified educational and mental health needs.
- Apply knowledge of how to use assessment results and knowledge of various educational placement, service, and programming options (e.g., general education classroom, Title roman numeral 1 , English as a second language [ E S L ], extended school year [ E S Y ] services, Individualized Family Service Plan [ I F S P ], Individualized Service Plan [ISP], Individualized Education Program [ I E P ], Individualized Health Care Plan [ I H C P ], Section 504 Plan, gifted education) to make recommendations to address students' identified educational and mental health needs.
- Apply knowledge of the general procedures and legal requirements for developing I F S Ps , ISPs, IEPs, and I H C Ps for individuals with disabilities who may require early childhood intervention, special education, or other services.
- Apply knowledge of the components of I E Ps , including annual goals, instructional setting or placement, related services, assistive technologies, and testing modifications or accommodations.
- Apply knowledge of how to use functional behavioral assessment (FBA) information to help develop appropriate behavior intervention plans and behavioral goals for IEPs.
- Analyze student needs for appropriate placement within the continuum of the least restrictive environment.
Competency 0008–Apply knowledge of evidence-based prevention and intervention techniques and resources for addressing individual, group, and schoolwide needs.
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- Apply knowledge of evidence-based schoolwide prevention and intervention programs that promote the academic achievement, mental health, and physical well-being of students, and strategies for collaborating with other professionals to promote healthy behaviors.
- Apply knowledge of effective crisis prevention and intervention models and strategies for collaborating with school personnel, parents/guardians, and community service providers to develop and implement crisis prevention and intervention approaches.
- Apply knowledge of individual, group, and schoolwide counseling and behavioral intervention methods and procedures.
- Apply knowledge of resources for addressing a wide variety of psychological, behavioral, academic, and health problems and ways to access appropriate services provided by district, community, and state entities.
Competency 0009–Apply knowledge of research methods, program evaluation, and principles of data-based decision making and accountability.
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- Apply knowledge of research methodology and design (e.g., single subject, quantitative, qualitative), statistical procedures, and data analysis for evaluating published research and for planning and conducting program evaluations for the purpose of improving services.
- Apply knowledge of methods for evaluating, selecting, and using assessment instruments and techniques in support of program- or systems-level evaluation.
- Analyze strategies for providing information about relevant research findings to school personnel, parents/guardians, and the public.
- Apply knowledge of effective data-based decision making to research- and systems-level problems (e.g., identifying factors that influence learning and behavior, evaluating the outcomes of services, facilitating accountability).
- Analyze the use of data in designing intervention strategies, evaluating the efficacy of interventions, monitoring student progress over time, modifying intervention plans, evaluating outcomes of services, and facilitating accountability.
- Apply knowledge of the use of technology for monitoring programs, facilitating decision making and accountability, and assisting in the assessment of group and systemwide interventions.
Subarea roman numeral 3–Working in the Professional Environment
Competency 0010–Apply knowledge of effective communication, consultation, and collaboration processes for working with education and other professionals, families, and community agencies to provide students with appropriate educational services.
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- Apply knowledge of skills for promoting effective communication with students and for facilitating communication with school personnel, families, community professionals, and others.
- Apply knowledge of various communication modes (e.g., written, verbal, nonverbal, visual, technological) and ways to communicate clearly with diverse audiences (e.g., students, parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, school boards, policy makers, community leaders, colleagues).
- Apply knowledge of technological tools for accessing, managing, and disseminating information to enhance the consultative and collaborative processes.
- Apply knowledge of how to use consultation and collaboration skills to promote change at the individual, classroom, building, and district levels.
- Analyze the use of interpersonal skills in the consultative process (e.g., active listening, conflict resolution, group facilitation) and factors related to cultural diversity in the consultative process.
- Analyze the use of consultation and collaboration skills and strategies in working with members of the learning community (e.g., students, parents/guardians, teachers, school administrators, related service providers, state and community agencies) to communicate about and address student needs (e.g., identifying problems, processing referrals, gathering and documenting information, conducting formal and informal assessments, making recommendations for prevention and intervention services, maintaining confidentiality).
- Apply knowledge of the significance of diverse family systems for student development, behavior, socialization, and learning; and strategies for involving students and their families in the education process.
- Apply knowledge of the importance of family involvement in education and strategies for promoting and facilitating collaboration and partnerships between students, their families, and educators.
Competency 0011–Apply knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of school psychologists in Oklahoma.
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- Examine the school psychologist's roles and responsibilities in various contexts while serving as an advocate for students (e.g., processing referrals, serving as case manager for the assessment process, conducting eligibility assessments and reevaluations, participating in multidisciplinary team meetings, conducting functional behavioral assessments, engaging in crisis prevention/intervention, conducting research and program evaluations, engaging in consultation and counseling, assisting school administrators and others in problem solving and decision making).
- Apply knowledge of school psychology service delivery models and methods.
- Apply knowledge of the organization and operation of schools and school systems, including general education, special education, and other educational and related services, to assist in designing, implementing, and evaluating policies, practices, and programs (e.g., discipline, grading, staff development).
- Apply knowledge of strategies for participating in ongoing self-evaluation and professional development, the uses of technology for continued professional development, and the importance of active involvement and participation in professional organizations (e.g., Oklahoma School Psychological Association [OSPA], National Association of School Psychologists [NASP]).
- Apply knowledge of information sources and technology relevant to the practice of school psychology and strategies for accessing, utilizing, and evaluating information sources and technology in ways that enhance the quality of services for students and families.
Competency 0012–Apply knowledge of the historical, legal, and ethical foundations of the school psychology profession.
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- Apply knowledge of the philosophical and historical foundations of education and psychology as applicable to the role of the school psychologist.
- Apply knowledge of the legal requirements (e.g., mandated reporting), ethical issues, and standards of professional practice affecting school psychologists.
- Apply knowledge of special and general education laws and related regulations regarding students with and without disabilities (e.g., Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act [ A D A ], Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act [ I D E I A ], Elementary and Secondary Education Act [ E S E A ]).
- Apply knowledge of state policies and procedures (e.g., those related to referral, evaluation, eligibility criteria, due process, confidentiality, timelines, discipline procedures, least restrictive environment, graduation requirements) to help ensure equity and an appropriate education for all students.
Subarea roman numeral 4–Case Study
Competency 0013–Analyze data and relevant information to identify areas of need and strengths for a given student.
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- Identify an area of need for a given student based on a review of formal and informal assessment data and additional information (e.g., Individualized Education Program [ I E P ], work samples, teacher observations, behavioral observations, medical information).
- Describe a research- or evidenced-based strategy/intervention to address students' academic or behavioral needs and to develop comprehensive intervention plans for students.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for involving students' families in supporting educational or behavioral strategies/interventions.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for building on students' areas of relative strength to promote learning.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of your intervention.