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Recommendations in School Psychological Evaluation Reports for Academic Deficits: Frequency, Types, and Consistency with Student Data

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Abstract

School psychological reports of evaluation results have the potential to provide data that are timely, synthesized, and interpreted and could include recommendations for evidence-based interventions and accommodations for improving student outcomes. The current study examined 130 school psychological reports from 13 school districts and found that 61.5% of the reports included recommendations, most of which were related to interventions or accommodations. There were no differences in the frequency or types of recommendations between reports that did and did not identify a specific learning disability (SLD), but recommendations were more frequently based on assessment data for students that were identified with SLD, as compared with those who were not. Only 48.5% of the recommendations were rated as related to a difficulty or strength identified in the report.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Missouri, 14B Hill Hall, Columbia, MO, 65203, USA

    Matthew K. Burns, McKinzie D. Duesenberg & Monica E. Romero

  2. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Courtenay A. Barrett

  3. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Kathrin E. Maki

  4. University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA

    Daniel B. Hajovsky

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  1. Matthew K. Burns
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  2. Courtenay A. Barrett
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  3. Kathrin E. Maki
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  4. Daniel B. Hajovsky
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  5. McKinzie D. Duesenberg
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  6. Monica E. Romero
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Correspondence to Matthew K. Burns.

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The authors do not have any potential conflicts of interest, and all research was approved by a university Institutional Research Board. The research and informed consent process was consistent with ethical standards outlined by the American Psychological Association and the approving IRB.

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Burns, M.K., Barrett, C.A., Maki, K.E. et al. Recommendations in School Psychological Evaluation Reports for Academic Deficits: Frequency, Types, and Consistency with Student Data. Contemp School Psychol 24, 478–487 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-020-00313-w

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