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Avoiding the symptoms of burnout with school psychologists: a gap analysis

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Content Running head: AVOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 1
Copyright 2020 Adrianna Reyna

A VOIDING THE SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT WITH SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS: A GAP
ANALYSIS
by
Adrianna Reyna

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2020
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 2
Acknowledgements
If life can be compared to the idea of books, with each chapter bursting with events and
situations influencing the next; these last few years would consist of trials, tribulations, grief,
sheer joy and happiness, and one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. This process has
challenged me in more ways than I knew possible and I have grown from the challenges to have
a better understanding of who I am and what I am made of.
To my parents, I owe everything to you. Every promotion, graduation, honor, and degree
I have earned is equally yours. The sacrifices you have made, provided opportunities you never
had and only dreamed of for your children. Thank you for your support, love, sacrifices, hard
work, and believing in me through it all. I appreciate everything you have done and do for me.
Mom, you and you alone have inspired me to reach for every goal I have ever dreamed of. You
are my biggest cheerleader and support system. You are my hero and the woman I aspire to be
like every day. Olive juice.
To my incredible daughter Amelia, the world is your oyster. I will do my best to teach
you and provide you with the skills necessary to navigate this world. When you encounter a
challenging situation, and you will, please try your best. These challenges may not seem fair, but
in return, will help you to grow into the amazing woman I know you will be. Regardless of the
situation, I’ll be here for you; supporting, encouraging, listening, guiding and loving you through
it all. Thank you for accompanying me to every class throughout my last year of the program.
You made every difficult paper, late night and early morning worth it. This is for you and for
your daughter and for her daughter and so on. With a whole lot of hard work and dedication, you
can accomplish anything you set your mind to. I love you Goosey.
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To my husband Angell, you believed in and supported me since day one. You encouraged
me and made incredible sacrifices for us. We navigated the challenges and celebrated the
accomplishments. You are my best friend and the apple of my eye. I couldn’t have asked for a
better partner to share my life with. I love you honey, more than you’ll ever know.
To my committee, Dr. Yates, Dr. Andres, and Dr. Tobey, thank you for your guidance,
wisdom and support throughout this dissertation process. I appreciate the extraordinary kindness
you have shown me. Thank you.
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Table of Contents
List of Tables………………………………………………………………………………………7
List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………………....10
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………..11
Chapter One: Introduction……………………………………………………………………….12
Introduction of the Problem of Practice………………………………………………….12
Organizational Context and Mission…………………………………………………….13
Organizational Performance Status………………………………………………………………14
Related Literature………………………………………………………………………………...14
Importance of the Problem to the Organization………………………………………………….15
Organizational Performance Goal………………………………………………………………..16
Stakeholders and Stakeholders’ Performance Goals ………………………………...…………..16
Stakeholder Group for the Study………………………………………………………………...17
Purpose of the Project and Questions…………………………………………………………....18
Methodological Framework…………………..………………………………………………….18
Definitions…………………………………………………………………………………….….19
Burnout…………………………………………………………………………………..19
Engagement……………………………………………………………………………....19
IEP………………………………………………………………………………………..19
Satisfaction……………………………………………………………………………….19
School Psychologist………………………………………………………………….…..19
SELPA…………………………………………………………………………….……...20
SPED……………………………………………………………………………………..20
Organization of the Study………………………………………………………………………..20
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature…………………………………………………………..21
School Psychology……………………………………………………………………….21
School Psychology: Historical Perspectives……………………………………………..22
Conceptual Framework…………………………………………………………………………..25
Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Factors……………………………….25
Knowledge and Skills……………………………………………………………………25
Motivation……………………………………………………………………………….38
Organization……………………………………………………………………………...47
Chapter Three: Methodology…………………………………………………………………….56
Purpose of Project and Questions………………………………………………………..56
Conceptual and Methodological Framework…………………………………………………….56
Assessment of Performance Influences………………………………………………………….58
Knowledge Assessment………………………………………………………………….59
Motivation Assessment…………………………………………………………………..69
Organization/Culture/Context Assessment………………………………………………73
Participating Stakeholders and Sample Selection………………………………………………..78
Sampling…………………………………………………………………………………79
Recruitment………………………………………………………………………………79
Instrumentation…………………………………………………………………………………..80
Survey Design…………………………………………………………………………...80
Interview Protocol Design……………………………………………………………….82
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Data Collection…………………………………………………………………………………..83
Surveys…………………………………………………………………………………..83
Interviews………………………………………………………………………………...83
Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………….84
Trustworthiness of Data………………………………………………………………………….85
Role of Investigator………………………………………………………………………………85
Limitations……………………………………………………………………………………….86
Chapter Four: Results and Findings.……………………………………………………………..87
Participating Stakeholders……………………………………………………………….88
Criteria for Determining Assets and Needs……………………………………………...88
Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes……………………………………………89
Factual Knowledge………………………………………………………………89
Conceptual Knowledge…………………………………………………………..99
Procedural Knowledge………………………………………………………….110
Metacognitive Knowledge……………………………………………………...115
Results and Findings for Motivation Causes…………………………………………...119
Value…….………………………………………………………………………119
Self-Efficacy……………………………………………………………………126
Emotion…………………………………………………………………………131
Attribution………………………………………………………………………135
Results and Findings for Organization Causes………………………………………....147
Resources (incentives, rewards, recognition)…………………………………..148
Policies, Processes, and Procedures…………………………………………….153
Culture Setting and Models…………………………………………………….158
Resources (time, finances, people)……………………………………………..163
Summary of Determined Influences and Assets………………………………………………..169
Knowledge……………………………………………………………………………...169
Motivation………………………………………………………………………………170
Organization…………………………………………………………………………….172
Chapter Five: Recommendations and Evaluation………………………………………………174
Purpose of the Project and Questions…………………………………………………..174
Recommendations to Address Knowledge, Motivation, and Organization Influences...175
Knowledge Recommendations…………………………………………………175
Motivation Recommendations………………………………………………….178
Organization Recommendations………………………………………………..181
Summary of Knowledge, Motivation and Organization Recommendations…………...186
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan………………………………………..187
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations……………………………….187
Implementation and Evaluation Framework……………………………………188
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators………………………………………..190
Level 3: Behavior……………………………………………………………….191
Level 2: Learning……………………………………………………………….195
Level 1: Reaction……………………………………………………………….199
Evaluation Tools………………………………………………………………..200
Data Analysis and Reporting…………………………………………………...201
Summary of the Implementation and Evaluation………………………………202
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Limitations and Delimitations…………………………………………………………..204
Recommendations for Future Research………………………………………………...205
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...205
References……………………………………………………………………………………....208
Appendix A……………………………………………………………………………………..213
Appendix B……………………………………………………………………………………..214
Appendix C……………………………………………………………………………………..215
Appendix D……………………………………………………………………………………..217
Appendix E……………………………………………………………………………………..219
Appendix F……………………………………………………………………………………...228

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List of Tables

Table 1: Organizational mission, global goal and stakeholder performance goals………………17
Table 2: Summary of Assumed Knowledge Influences………………………………………….34
Table 3: Summary of Assumed Motivation Influences………………………………………......44
Table 4: Summary of Assumed Organization Influences………………………………………...53
Table 5: Summary of Knowledge Influences and Method of Assessment………………………59
Table 6: Summary of Motivation Influences and Method of Assessment……………………….71
Table 7: Summary of Organizational Influences and Method of Assessment…………………...75
Table 8: Results of the Knowledge Survey (Factual Knowledge Item 1)..………………………90
Table 9: Results of the Knowledge Survey (Factual Knowledge Item 2)..………………………92
Table 10: Results of the Knowledge Survey (Factual Knowledge Item 3)………………………94
Table 11: Results of the Knowledge Survey (Factual Knowledge Item 4)………………………95
Table 12: Results of the Knowledge Survey (Factual Knowledge Item 5)………………………97
Table 13: Results of the Knowledge Survey (Factual Knowledge Item 6)………………………98
Table 14: Results of the Knowledge Survey (Conceptual Knowledge Item 1)………………...100
Table 15: Results of the Knowledge Survey (Conceptual Knowledge Item 2)………………...102
Table 16: Results of the Knowledge Survey (Conceptual Knowledge Item 3)………………...104
Table 17: Results of the Knowledge Survey (Conceptual Knowledge Item 4)………………...106
Table 18: Results of the Knowledge Survey (Conceptual Knowledge Item 5)………………...108
Table 19: Results of the Knowledge Survey (Conceptual Knowledge Item 6)………………...109
Table 20: Results of the Knowledge Survey (Procedural Knowledge Item 1)………………....111
Table 21: Results of the Knowledge Survey (Procedural Knowledge Item 2)…………………112
Table 22: Results of the Knowledge Survey (Procedural Knowledge Item 3)…………………114
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Table 23: Survey Results for Value Motivation (Item 1)………………………………….…....120
Table 24: Survey Results for Value Motivation (Item 2)………………………………….…....122
Table 25: Survey Results for Value Motivation (Item 3)………………………………….…....123
Table 26: Survey Results for Value Motivation (Item 4)………………………………….…....124
Table 27: Survey Results for Value Motivation (Item 5)………………………………….…....125
Table 28: Survey Results for Self-Efficacy Motivation (Item 1)…………………………….…127
Table 29: Survey Results for Self-Efficacy Motivation (Item 2)…………………………….…128
Table 30: Survey Results for Self-Efficacy Motivation (Item 3)…………………………….…130
Table 31: Survey Results for Emotion Motivation (Item 1)……………………………………132
Table 32: Survey Results for Emotion Motivation (Item 2)……………………………………133
Table 33: Survey Results for Emotion Motivation (Item 3)……………………………………134
Table 34: Survey Results for Attribution Motivation (Item 1)…………………………………136
Table 35: Survey Results for Attribution Motivation (Item 2)…………………………………138
Table 36: Survey Results for Attribution Motivation (Item 3)…………………………………140
Table 37: Survey Results for Attribution Motivation (Item 4)…………………………………141
Table 38: Survey Results for Attribution Motivation (Item 5)…………………………………143
Table 39: Survey Results for Attribution Motivation (Item 6)…………………………………145
Table 40: Survey Results for Attribution Motivation (Item 7)…………………………………146
Table 41: Survey Results for Resources Organization (Item 1)…………………………….….149
Table 42: Survey Results for Resources Organization (Item 2)…………………………….….150
Table 43: Survey Results for Resources Organization (Item 3)…………………………….….152
Table 44: Survey Results for Organization Policies, Processes, and Procedures (Item 1)……..154
Table 45: Survey Results for Organization Policies, Processes, and Procedures (Item 2)……..156
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Table 46: Survey Results for Organization Policies, Processes, and Procedures (Item 3)……..157
Table 47: Survey Results for Organization Cultural Setting and Models (Item 1)……………..159
Table 48: Survey Results for Organization Cultural Setting and Models (Item 2)……………..161
Table 49: Survey Results for Organization Cultural Setting and Models (Item 3)……………..162
Table 50: Survey Results for Resources Organization (Item 1)………………………………...164
Table 51: Survey Results for Resources Organization (Item 2)………………………………...166
Table 52: Survey Results for Resources Organization (Item 3)………………………………...168
Table 53: Summary of Assumed Knowledge Causes Demonstrated…………………………...169
Table 54: Summary of Assumed Motivational Causes Demonstrated………………………….171
Table 55: Summary of Assumed Organizational Causes Demonstrated………………………..172
Table 56: Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations………………………...176
Table 57: Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations…………………………178
Table 58: Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations……………………….182
Table 59: Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes……………...191
Table: 60: Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation…………………192
Table 61: Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors……………………………………..193
Table 62: Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program……………………...…198
Table 63: Components to Measure Reactions to the Program………………………………….200

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List of Figures

Figure 1: The sequence of steps in the GAP analysis Process.................................................58

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Abstract
School psychologists are more at risk for experiencing the symptoms of burnout; leading to
decreased job satisfaction, lack of engagement, and higher turnover rates. This study uses the
Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis framework to examine the organizational problem of
decreased job satisfaction, lack of engagement, and high turnover rates of school psychologists
within the High Desert School District (HDSD). For the purpose of this study, the focus will be
on determining whether the thirty-district school psychologists know how to achieve their
performance goals, are motivated to achieve their performance goals, and identify what
organizational barriers are inhibiting the achievement of their performance goals. Participants
were recruited via email and asked to participate in a survey and a follow up interview. Data was
collected and analyzed through descriptive statistics and analyzed to establish the existence of
gaps. The validated assumed causes for knowledge, motivation, and organization were identified.
Solutions to the validated causes were developed and recommended to improve the knowledge,
motivation and organizational components of school psychologists.

Keywords: school psychology, burnout, engagement, job satisfaction, job retention

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Introduction of the Problem of Practice
Since its origin, the job of a school psychologist has consisted of many roles and
responsibilities. School psychologists are educated and knowledgeable in both the fields of
psychology and education. School psychologists provide a variety of psychological services to
youth within the context of educational communities, including public schools, private schools,
juvenile detention centers, group homes, and early childhood education centers. School
psychologists are proficient in mental health, learning, behavior, and researched-based
interventions to assist students with accessing the academic curriculum while appropriately
adjusting socially and emotionally within their educational environments.
The National Association of School Psychologists indicates that school psychologists are
critical members of school teams that aspire to support students’ unique abilities to learn while
also supporting teachers’ abilities to appropriately educate these students. School psychologists
work closely with students, families, teachers, administrators, other service providers, and
communities to ensure that all students are safe and learning. The ever-changing job of a school
psychologists requires quick thinking, organization skills, communication skills, leadership
skills, and cooperation skills. School psychologists must be able to assist, if not lead, during a
crisis situation. Increased demands from administration and law makers, requires school
psychologists to deal with excessive stressors daily. School psychologists are accountable to their
students, student’s families, faculty, staff, and the district itself. It is commonly understood that
school psychologists often forget that they are also accountable to themselves; to make sure that
they are exercising concepts of self-care. With school psychologists wearing several critical hats
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while executing their daily responsibilities, one can understand why school psychologists are at a
greater risk for experiencing the symptoms of burnout.
Organizational Context and Mission
The High Desert School District (a pseudonym) has a current enrollment of 20,585
students spanning across 28 schools; including early childhood education programs, dual-
immersion programs, elementary schools, and intermediate schools. Due to the vast amount of
transiency and foster youth, the number of enrolled students varies throughout the school year.
There are currently 2,800 students in special education with varying enrollment from 2,600 to
3,000 special education students.
High Desert underperforms the remainder of California when it comes to living below the
poverty level. In 2012, the United States Census indicated that the median household income in
High Desert was $55,213 compared to $61,632 for the rest of California. They also established
that the poverty rate in High Desert was at an alarming 18.3% compared to 14.4% for the entire
state of California. Over 54% of enrolled students within the High Desert School district
indicated a Hispanic ethnicity and there are close to 5,000 enrolled English language learners.
Close to 85% of enrolled students receive free and reduced lunches. The school district’s mission
seeks “...to give students and families the support and services to help them reach maximum
potential. This includes early identification of needs and early intervention - fostering positive
school attendance and connectedness to school, concern for physical, social and emotional
growth, access to community agencies, cultural tolerance and understanding and parent
involvement.” Based on the demographics alone, one can assume the many challenges that come
with leading in a school district and community engrossed with poverty.

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Organizational Performance Status
The organizational performance problem at the root of this study is high turnover rates,
lack of engagement, and decreased job satisfaction. The performance status related to the
problem of practice suggests that the psychologists have unionized due to lack of job
satisfaction, mistreatment from administration, and several psychologists leaving their positions
in prior years. During the 2017-2018 academic year, seven school psychologists left their
positions to seek employment elsewhere. With the loss of the seven school psychologists, the
remaining twenty psychologists were asked by the district to assist with the need for additional
site coverage and psycho-educational evaluations. These high turnover rates, lead to the
psychologists covering multiple school sites, conducting more than the required amount of
evaluations, conducting more suicide risk assessments and crisis assessments, increased work
duties and responsibilities, and higher levels of stress. In order to fulfill its mission to give
students and families the support and services to help them reach maximum potential, it is
imperative that school district retain 100% of its school psychologists at all times. Failure to do
so can result in a loss of psychologists, leading many students and families who rely on these
critical services to lose the support that is vital to students successfully accessing the academic
curriculum and receiving crucial counseling and community supports.
Related Literature

The general background literature about this problem suggests that school psychologists
have a greater risk of experiencing various forms of burnout than other psychological service
providers (Huebner, 1992).
Burnout not only affects the individual working in a helping profession, but it also
inadvertently affects the organization the individual is working for. Rupert and Morgan (2005)
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indicated that the effects of burnout can lead to increased rates of employee turnover and a
decrease in clientele satisfaction due in part to the reduced quality of services from the burned
out professional.
Lopez (2016) indicated that mental health practitioners working in schools have been
subjected to at least one indicator that leads to burnout. Demerouti, Baliker, Nachreiner, and
Schaufeli (2007) suggested that this may be due to the high demands of the job and a lack of
available resources.
Importance of the Problem
The problem of high turnover rates, lack of engagement, and decreased job satisfaction
with school psychologists is important to solve for a variety of reasons. As a result of the
physical problems, psychological disorders, and interpersonal difficulties in their personal and
working environments, Huebner (1992) suggests that experiencing these effects may lead to
some psychologists leaving the profession and that those who remain within the profession may
tend to operate with reduced productivity. These negative outcomes not only impact school
psychologists, but the individuals they work with and the organization they work for. Without the
proper preventative measures in place, more and more school districts are experiencing high
levels of turnover and low levels of retention of school psychologists. Thus, it is critical to
understand how the effects of burnout are affecting the school psychologist of the High Desert
School District. With the proper supports in place, it is hopeful that the school district will be
able to retain all employed psychologist by increasing engagement and job satisfaction rates with
their school psychologists.

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Organizational Performance Goal
High Desert School District’s goal is that by June 2021, it will increase School
Psychologist retention rates to 100%. This goal was established after an initial meeting with the
Assistant Superintendent of Special Education that outlined several key areas that need
improvement in order for the district to retain its school psychologists. The achievement of the
district’s goal in this matter will be measured by the number of school psychologists retained
after the 2020-2021school year.
Stakeholders and Stakeholders’ Performance Goals
The organization’s stakeholder for this study are SPED (Special Education) department
administration and district school psychologists. Within the special education department
administration, the assistant superintendent of special education, the director of special
education, and 10 program specialists make up the leadership portion of the SPED department.
The assistant superintendent and director are responsible for job site placements for all
psychologists. They are also responsible for scheduling professional development opportunities
for the psychologists. There are 30 full-time, school psychologist working within the SPED
department. The majority of them are split between two different school sites. This inadvertently
leads to added work duties, responsibilities, and an increase in stressors. When school
psychologists are assigned or asked to work at multiple school sites, the aforementioned stressors
are due in part to only working at a specific school site for a minimal amount of days. The
number of days assigned to a specific school site are typically not enough days to complete all
job assignments and requirements adequately and efficiently. Therefore, leading to an increased
amount of pressure and stress from administration from both assigned school sites. Table 1
shows the summary of the stakeholders’ performance goals.
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Table 1 Organizational mission, global goal and stakeholder performance goals
Organizational Mission
To give students and families the support and services to help them reach maximum
potential. This includes early identification of needs and early intervention - fostering
positive school attendance and connectedness to school, concern for physical, social and
emotional growth, access to community agencies, cultural tolerance and understanding and
parent involvement.
Organizational Performance Goal
By June 2021, the High Desert School District will increase School Psychologist retention
rates by 100%.
School Psychologists
By June 2021, 100% of School Psychologists
will remain in their positions with increased
job satisfaction and engagement rates.
District Administration
By June 2021, SPED Administration will
implement a plan to increase School
Psychologists engagement, job satisfaction
rates, and retention rates based on a needs
assessment conducted with the School
Psychologists.

Stakeholder for the Study and Stakeholder Performance Gap
While the joint efforts of all stakeholders will contribute to the achievement of the overall
organizational goal of retention with 100% of the district’s school psychologists, it is important
to understand the barriers faced by school psychologists as they attempt to implement the
policies and procedures aligned with the districts expectations. Therefore, the stakeholders of
focus for this study will be all 30 district school psychologists. The stakeholders’ goal, supported
by the assistant superintendent of special education, is that 100% of district school psychologists
will remain in their current positions with increased engagement and job satisfaction. During the
first half of the 2016-2017 school year, 7 school psychologists left their positions and at the end
of the 2017-2018 school year, the district was down 4 school psychologists. The organizational
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goal is that 100% of district school psychologists will remain in their current positions with
increased engagement and job satisfaction.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this project is to conduct a gap analysis to examine the root causes of the
organizational problem described above. The analysis will focus on causes for this problem due
to gaps in the areas of knowledge and skill, motivation, and organizational issues. The analysis
will begin by generating a list of possible or assumed causes and then by examining these
systematically to focus on actual or validated causes. While a complete gap analysis would focus
on all stakeholders, for practical purposes the stakeholders to be focused on in this analysis are
all High Desert School District school psychologists.
As such, the questions that guide this study are the following:
1. What are the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational assets and challenges
for School Psychologists to increase engagement, job satisfaction rates, and retention
rates?
2. What are the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational recommendations can
be implemented to increase School Psychologists’ engagement, job satisfaction rates, and
retention rates?
Methodological Framework
The conceptual and methodological framework for this case study is Clark and Estes’
(2008) analysis framework to examine the organizational issues of decreased job satisfaction,
lack of engagement, and high turnover rates of school psychologists. This study will focus on
determining whether the participants know how to achieve their performance goals, are
motivated to achieve their performance goals, and identify what organizational barriers that are
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inhibiting the achievement of their performance goals. To answer the study questions, the data to
be collected are knowledge assessments, surveys and interviews to collect motivation scale data
pertaining to the underlying constructs for choice, persistence, and mental effort, and relating to
perceptions of organizational culture, policies, and resources.
For the purpose of this study, the Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis is being adapted as
a needs assessment by first identifying the influences via the literature and then determining
through data whether these influences are assets or needs to be addressed.
Definitions
• Burnout: Maslach and Jackson (1981) discuss burnout as an experience of
disengagement that is distinctive to professions servicing people. The researchers discuss
three components of burnout as emotional exhaustion (feeling overwhelmed and/or
overextended by job responsibilities), depersonalization (low to no empathy for clients),
and reduction of personal accomplishment (feeling of not being able to make a difference
through an individual’s work).
• Engagement: An emotional involvement or commitment.
• IEP: Individualized Education Plan/Program: a written statement of the educational
program designed to meet a child's individual needs.
• Satisfaction: Fulfillment of a need or want.
• School Psychologist: The National Association of School Psychologists indicate that
school psychologists are critical members of school teams that aspire to support students’
unique abilities to learn while also supporting teachers’ abilities to appropriately educate
these students. School psychologists are proficient in mental health, learning, behavior,
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 20
and researched-based interventions to assist students with accessing the academic
curriculum while appropriately adjusting socially and emotionally within their
educational environments.
• SELPA: Special Education Local Plan Area: geographical regions of sufficient size and
scope to provide for all special education service needs of children residing within the
region’s boundaries.
• SPED: Special Education: a form of learning provided to students with exceptional
needs, such as students with learning disabilities, behavioral difficulties, and/or mental
health issues.
Organization of the Study
Five chapters are used to organize this study. This chapter provided the reader with the
key concepts and terminology commonly found in a discussion about school psychologists
retention rates, engagement, and job satisfaction. The organization’s mission, goals and
stakeholders as well as the initial concepts of gap analysis were introduced. Chapter Two
provides a review of current literature surrounding the scope of the study. Topics of school
psychology, burnout, engagement, and job satisfaction will be addressed. Chapter Three details
the assumed causes for this study, as well as methodology when it comes to selection of
participants, data collection and analysis. In Chapter Four, the data and results are assessed and
analyzed. Chapter Five provides solutions, based on data and literature, for closing the perceived
gaps as well as recommendations for an implementation and evaluation plan for the solutions.

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CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
The profession of a school psychologist consists of many roles and responsibilities.
School psychologists are no longer solely responsible for conducting psychoeducational
assessments. The responsibilities of school psychologists have expanded to include counseling
students, making educational recommendations, determining special education eligibility,
assisting with and developing schoolwide practices, and consulting with teachers, faculty, and
families. With amplified job responsibilities, comes increased demands that school psychologists
are required to maintain on a daily basis. School psychologists have a responsibility to their
students, student’s families, faculty, staff, and the district itself. It is generally understood that
school psychologists often forget that they also have a responsibility to themselves, to ensure that
they are avoiding burnout and exercising concepts of self-care. The following section will
discuss the history and current status of school psychology, the concept of burnout, and the idea
of self-care.
School Psychology
School psychology is a specialty field of professional psychology that is comprised of the
science and practice of education and psychology with children, youth, families, processes of
learning, and the school process. The fundamental training and education of school
psychologists’ guides practitioners to appropriately deliver a scope of evaluation services;
including, prevention, assessment, intervention, psychological diagnosis, health promotion, and
program development. They specialize on the developmental processes of children and youth
within the context of schools, families and other community systems.

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School Psychology: Historical Perspectives
School psychology emerged as a result of a paradigm shift in psychology placing a
greater emphasis on the importance of educating children instead of solely viewing them as a
contributing factor to the labor force. This change in thinking appeared towards the later part of
the 19th century mostly due to the demand for compulsory schooling (Braden, DiMarino-Linnen,
& Good, 2001). Between the years of 1890-1930, compulsory schooling laws were passed and
implemented. The expectation was that if more children attended school and received a proper
education, society in general could potentially overcome several of the problems America was
facing. The more children that attended school, the further exposed the variability between the
children’s abilities became (Braden et al., 2001). This variability between the children’s abilities
guided the creation of specialized classes to support the needs of the lower performing students.
Subsequently, special education services were made available throughout the majority of urban
schools (Braden et al., 2001). The escalating importance of special education services generated
a significant need for school psychologists.
G. Stanley Hall is credited with the development of school psychology (Fagan, 1992). G.
Stanley Hall applied psychology to education while focusing on the nomothetic characteristics of
schooling and children’s difficulties overall (Braden et al., 2001). While attempting to understand
the child as an individual, Hall believed in understanding the general problems of schooling.
These general problems included the influences of genes, the environment, teachers, and schools
(Fagan, 1992).
A student of G. Stanley Hall, Arnold Gesell is credited as the first person to have the title
“School Psychologist” (Fagan, 1987). Although not thoroughly documented, Gesell’s role as a
school psychologist included research, consultation, individual case studies, and in-service
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education (Fagan, 1987). Gesell’s position was significant because it correlated the title of school
psychologist with the public school system, identified the school psychologists as the individual
within the school that is responsible for providing services to children with mental disabilities,
and it related school psychologists as vital to the placement of children in special education
settings (Fagan, 1987). This role deemphasized G. Stanley Hall’s focus on the general problems
of schooling and accentuated the treatment of individual children with individual problems
(Braden et al., 2001).
The earliest survey of school psychology practitioners was conducted in 1913 and
recognized 115 practitioners. By 1950, there were around 1,000 identified practitioners. By 1970,
the field experiences a rapid growth of practitioners and established around 5,000 school
psychologists. Currently, there are around 30,000 estimated school psychologists practicing
within the United States (Fagan, 2002). Early in the history of American education, males
dominated the field. Currently and for more than a century, the field has been dominated by
females with the majority of them having teaching experience and holding teaching credentials
(Fagan, 2002).
Fagan (2002) indicates that service ratios of school psychologists to children served has
been steadily improving from 1:60,000 (1934) to 1:1,750 (current approximation). The National
Association of School Psychologists (NASP) recommends a service ratio goal of 1:1,000.
Practice settings have also changed from the beginning of school psychology to today. In the
early days of school psychology, practitioners worked in clinics, research bureaus, juvenile
courts, colleges and universities, and medical settings (Fagan, 2002). Currently, the majority of
school psychologists work in public school settings. A rapid growth of practitioners has indicated
a shift into non-school and independent practice settings (Fagan, 2002).
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School psychology preparation programs initially were designed to prepare practitioners
for careers in clinical setting delivering services to children in the schools (Fagan, 1999). The
first school psychology program originated at New York University in 1920. The second
program was established in 1930 at Pennsylvania State University. By 1954, there were 18
college-level programs within the United States. NASP identified 218 programs in 1989 and
indicated that the number of programs is unlikely expected to exceed 250 (Fagan, 2002).
Early school psychology programs were geared toward coursework in clinical
psychology, educational psychology or a combination of the two. The early content of the
training programs was mostly unregulated, with different programs teaching different content.
The establishment of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Council
for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (NCATE) developed specific standards for school
psychology training (Fagan, 2002). Fagan (2002) suggested that these particular standards have
substantially raised the expectations for introductory training and have expanded training to
include several forms of assessment and intervention. Over the past several decades, training
programs have established an essential balance of psychology and education related content.
Field experience is a critical component of training programs and can be seen in practica and
internship requirements.
In the beginning years of school psychology, school psychologists were members of a
variety of organizations. These organization included the American Psychological Association
(founded in 1892), the American Association of Clinical Psychology (founded in 1917), and the
Association of Consulting Psychologists (founded in 1930). Professional organizations serving
only school psychologists originated in 1944-1945. They commenced with the Division of
School Psychologists of the APA (Division 16-APA) that progressed from the Educational
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Section of the American Association of Applied Psychologists (AAAP) which was established in
1937. Currently, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), the most popular and
widely utilized professional organization for school psychologists was founded in 1969. NASP
currently operates as the national representative of school psychology’s special interests.
Conceptual Framework
This needs assessment, uses the Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis framework to
examine the issues of decreased job satisfaction, lack of engagement, and high turnover rates of
school psychologists within the High Desert School District. When working towards the goal of
closing a performance gap, Clark and Estes (2008) suggested that the first step in the process is
to identify the source of the performance gap. By identifying the source of the gap, the method of
the specific performance improvement program can be determined (Clark & Estes, 2008). Rueda
(2011) suggests that the three primary influences on the achievement of performance goals are
knowledge factors, motivational factors, and organizational factors.
This gap analysis will be focusing on determining whether the district school
psychologists know how to achieve their performance goals, are motivated to achieve their
performance goals, and identify what organizational barriers are inhibiting the achievement of
their performance goals.
Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Factors
Knowledge and Skills
Clark and Estes (2008) provide a simple yet comprehensible definition of knowledge.
Knowledge is when individuals know how, when, what, why, where, and when to utilize
information to accomplish their performance goals (Clark and Estes, 2008). Understanding what
one should be able to know and do can be a deceptive ordeal. One can assume the knowledge
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level of others. However, to positively understand where that level of knowledge falls, it must be
further explored and evaluated thoroughly. In order to successfully evaluate the level of
knowledge the stakeholder has and to meet performance goals, it is important to recognize the
various types of knowledge and levels of cognitive processes (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001).
Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) revised the original work of Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Bloom’s original work focused on three main categories of knowledge. These three categories
focused on a cognitive domain, affective domain and a psychomotor domain (Bloom, Englehart,
Furst, Hill, & Krathwohl, 1956). In their revised version, Anderson and Krathwohl (2001)
highlighted four distinct categories of knowledge. The first category, factual knowledge, refers to
basic knowledge that is specific to domains or disciplines (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). The
second domain, conceptual knowledge, refers to knowledge about theories, principles, or
categories pertaining to a specific area (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). The third domain,
procedural knowledge, refers to an understanding about how to do or accomplish something
(Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). The final domain of knowledge is metacognitive knowledge.
Metacognitive knowledge pertains to one’s awareness of what they know, when to utilize it and
why they need to utilize it (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). It can also be described as an
individual’s awareness of their own cognition.
The purpose of this knowledge analysis is to determine if school psychologists know
what their overall roles, responsibilities, and goals are within the school district and whether they
have the knowledge and skills to perform their work duties. A lack of knowledge relating to the
importance of roles, responsibilities, and daily duties, may potentially assist in the lack of
engagement, decreased job satisfaction, and turnover rates of school psychologists within the
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High Desert School District. To help bridge this gap, the discussion of the possible problems
pertaining to the school psychologists’ declarative, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive
knowledge will be examined and their contribution to the gap will be validated by surveys and
interviews. Principal based solutions derived from theories of learning will be presented and
proposed to assist in meeting the overarching goals.
Declarative factual knowledge influences. The domain of declarative knowledge
consists of both the factual and conceptual types of knowledge. Factual knowledge consists of
facts, terms, distinct segregated content or elements of information (Rueda, 2011). Anderson and
Krathwohl (2001) describe factual knowledge as knowledge that is fundamental to particular
subjects, specialties, frames of reference, themes, disciplines, or domains. It can contain items
similar to terminology or details and components an individual must understand in order to
effectively execute a task or solve a problem in a specified domain.
It is necessary to determine what the school psychologists know to accomplish the goal of
increasing engagement, satisfaction, and retention rates of school psychologists within the High
Desert School District. For this purpose, several assumed factual knowledge influences were
developed. Table 2 list the assumed factual knowledge causes.
School Psychologists know what their daily duties, roles, and responsibilities are.
School Psychologists know what their work goals are. School Psychologist have the factual
knowledge to perform their work duties. School Psychologists know what novel problems are.
The role of the school psychologist is multifaceted and continues to expand with each new
academic year. Traditional roles continue to expand to envelope the needs of students, families,
district, and community. Training for school psychologists should consist of a guide for practice
and to utilize best practices resulting in two distinct outcomes to improve competency for all
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children and build and maintain the capacities of systems (Ysseldyke, Burns, Dawson, Kelley,
Morrison, Ortiz, & Telzrow, 2006). The National Association of School Psychologists (2010)
developed professional guidelines for practicing school psychologists to abide by: to empower
school psychologists to promote the learning, behavior, and mental health of all children and
youth. A research study conducted sampled 97 school psychologists assigned to multiple school
sites and spent upwards of two-thirds of their working day on assessment activities. Results
indicated a majority want to spend less time on assessment, multidisciplinary team meetings, and
administrative duties and want to spend more time in direct and indirect intervention,
professional development, and networking (Brown, Holcombe, Bolen, & Thomson, 2006).
Researchers suggested the utilization of a problem-solving framework to sequentially identify
and analyze novel problems and situations in their daily work (Shernoff, Bearman, &
Kratochwill, 2017).
School Psychologists know the meaning of engagement and satisfaction. The degree of
engagement and job satisfaction experienced by school psychologist determines professional
attitudes, turnover, job performance, productivity, and health. Engagement and job satisfaction
are critical in human service careers to warrant the best, consistent services to clients.
VanV oorhis and Levinson (2006) conducted a Meta-Analysis of school psychologists job
satisfaction studies were conducted between 1982 and 1999. Results founded that school
psychologists were most satisfied with their relationships with coworkers, the opportunity to stay
busy on the job, the opportunity to work independently, and the opportunity to be of service to
others. Further, results indicated that school psychologists were least satisfied with
compensation, school policies and practices, and advancement. Results offered some evidence
that overall job satisfaction may be related to state school psychology organization membership
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as well as the opportunity to develop and influence the role of the school psychologist
(VanV oorhis, & Levinson, 2006). A study conducted by Brown, Holcombe, Bolen, and Thomson
(2006) found the majority of school psychologists want to spend less time on assessment,
multidisciplinary team meetings, and administrative duties and more time more time in direct
and indirect intervention, professional development, and networking. Basit (2017) examined
psychological safety and felt obligation as two psychological mechanisms mediating the effect of
trust in supervisor on job engagement. The study provided results that trust in supervisor causes
employees to feel psychologically safe to engage and express themselves in their job roles
through an enhanced level of job engagement (Basit, 2017).
School Psychologists know what a positive work culture is. A positive school climate
allows for learning to occur and makes school a place where all students, staff, and families want
to be there, feel safe, and happy. Lehr and Christenson (2002) discussed how a positive school
culture has been shown to have a strong influence on student development and learning. Boccio,
Weisz, and Lefkowitz (2016) looked at possible correlation between administrative pressure to
practice unethically and impaired occupational health with school psychologists. Results
indicated practitioners who experienced administrative pressure reported higher levels of
burnout, less satisfaction with their current position and the overall profession, and a greater
desire to leave their job and the field of school psychology (Boccio, Weisz, & Lefkowitz, 2016).
Without the knowledge of what these elements are, a school psychologist cannot effectively
practice and achieve their goals. Once this knowledge is gained, school psychologists must
understand the purpose of these elements and the relationship between these elements and their
overall goal.
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Conceptual knowledge influences. Rueda (2011) defines conceptual knowledge as an
individual's “knowledge of categories, classifications, principles, generalizations, theories,
models, or structures pertinent to a particular area” (p. 28). An individual is able to demonstrate
conceptual knowledge by utilizing explicit or implicit understanding and interpreting concepts
and the relationships between those concepts. To accomplish the goal of increasing engagement,
job satisfaction, and retention rates of school psychologists within the High Desert School
District, assumed conceptual knowledge causes were developed.
School Psychologists will be required to identify knowledge related to job goals. School
Psychologists know how their work relates to the organization’s process. School Psychologists
know how their work duties relate to others. School Psychologists know how to classify and
prioritize types of problems. School Psychologists know how novel problems relate to
performance goals. School psychologists are proficient in mental health, learning, behavior, and
researched-based interventions to assist students with accessing the academic curriculum while
appropriately adjusting socially and emotionally within their educational environments. Eklund,
Rossen, Charvat, Meyer, and Tanner (2016) examined the factor structure and psychometric
properties of the Self-Assessment Tool for School Psychologists and evaluated the proposed
interpretation regarding school psychologists’ professional practices. The self-reported measure
was developed to have practitioners assess the degree to which they engage in various
professional activities (A scale) and the perceived level of importance of those activities to
effective service delivery (B scale) (Rossen, Charvat, Meyer, & Tanner, 2016). Results indicate
differences between the scales. Further, the school psychologists differentially endorsed their
practices against what they view as important (Rossen, Charvat, Meyer, & Tanner, 2016). Allen
and Graden (2002) discuss the importance for school psychologists to work together to solve
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problems and support and address the needs of students. Shernoff, Bearman, and Kratochwill
(2017) suggest for school psychologists to utilize a problem-solving framework to sequentially
identify and analyze novel problems and situations.
School Psychologists are able to identify the components of a positive work culture.
School psychologists work closely with students, families, teachers, administrators, other service
providers, and communities to ensure that all students are safe and learning. With the proper
training and mentorship, school psychologists can identify the components required to create a
positive work culture. Lehr and Christenson (2002) discussed critical components of a positive
school climate. The authors indicate these components as ecology variables (building
characteristics, school size, classroom size), Milieu variables (faculty characteristics, satisfaction,
faculty morale, student demographic information), social system variables (patterns or rules of
operating and interacting in the school, administrator-faculty rapport, communication), and
culture variables (variables that reflect norms, belief systems, expectations, clear goals) (Lehr &
Christenson, 2002). Once this conceptual knowledge is acquired, school psychologists must
know how to perform and accomplish the underlying procedures of the components necessary
for accomplishing their goals.
Procedural knowledge influences. Procedural knowledge consists of the skills required
to know how to do something (Rueda, 2011). Procedural knowledge also suggests that an
individual knows when to do what with that information (Rueda, 2011). To accomplish the goal
of increasing engagement, job satisfaction, and retention of school psychologists within the High
Desert School District, assumed procedural knowledge causes were developed.
School Psychologists will know how to use the skills to achieve their goals. School
Psychologists know how to find new knowledge to apply to their daily work. Professional
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development is a critical component of continued learning and education. Important and
appropriate trainings and workshops provide school psychologists with the knowledge and skills
to apply to their daily work and achieve their goals. Wnek, Klein, and Bracken (2008) queried
practicing school psychologists regarding the extent to which advances in the field have
improved the delivery of services and fostered a desire for additional professional development.
The researchers conclude that school psychologists should actively advocate for and encourage
the course of future training initiatives. Further, they suggest that local, state, national and
international organizations should provide professional development opportunities that align
with the needs of practicing school psychologists (Wnek, Klein, & Bracken, 2008).
School Psychologists know how to create a positive work environment. School
psychologists experience a tremendous amount of stress each day. They are required to manage
and cope with daily crisis. It is critical for school psychologists to be able to apply the
knowledge and skills necessary to practice self-care and promote a positive work environment.
Lehr and Christenson (2002) listed the important ingredients of a healthy and supportive school
environment. These components of a positive school environment include collaborative decision
making, equity and fairness, general school climate, order and discipline, staff dedication, staff
expectations, leadership, school building, sharing resources, caring and sensitivity, parent
involvement (Lehr & Christenson, 2002). Once this procedural knowledge is gained, school
psychologists must be aware of their own cognition and cognitive processes necessary for
accomplishing their goals.
Metacognitive knowledge. Metacognitive knowledge consists of the skills required to be
aware of one’s own cognition (Rueda, 2011). Metacognitive knowledge involves an individual’s
ability to understand strategic knowledge (Rueda, 2011). To accomplish the goal of increasing
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engagement, job satisfaction, and retention rates of school psychologist within the High Desert
School District, an assumed metacognitive knowledge cause was developed.
School Psychologists reflect on their progress toward achieving their goals. School
Psychologists reflect on the relationship between applying new knowledge/mental effort and
achieving their performance goals. School Psychologists reflect on their personal contribution
to a positive work environment. School psychologists have a responsibility to their students,
student’s families, faculty, staff, and the district itself. It is commonly understood that school
psychologists often forget that they have a responsibility to themselves, to ensure that they are
avoiding burnout and exercising concepts of self-care. Focusing on self-care and avoiding
burnout will assist with their ability to reflect daily on their experiences to ensure they are
providing the best learning environment for all stakeholders. Walcott and Hyson (2018)
examined the diversity and representativeness of the workforce and whether there was a
sufficient supply of school psychologists to support the recommended ratios. Results indicate
that the average student-to-school- psychologist ratio has remained nearly unchanged from 2010
to 2015 and it still exceeds the recommended ratio for school psychologists practicing in a
traditional role (1,000 to 1), and is well above the recommended ratio for school psychologists
intending to play a comprehensive and integrated role (500–700 to 1) (Walcott & Hyson, 2018).
Gilman and Gabriel (2004) discuss the importance of reform efforts and recommend that school
psychologists should involve stakeholders (teachers, administrators) in their advocacy efforts.
School psychologists must be able to understand their own cognitive processes through reflection
upon the elements necessary for achieving their goals.
A school psychologist is one of the most critical components of a learning community.
Beyond their obvious significance to special education, their expertise in learning, behavior,
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mental health, and education allows for them to be seen and utilized as valuable leaders on their
school campuses. Successful school psychologists are more than capable of executing a mastered
set of knowledge and skills requiring them to know what to implement, know how to implement
it, be able to efficiently implement it, and reflect on whether the intervention was effective. This
critical knowledge and skill set is necessary for school psychologists to feel motivated to
confidently and effectively perform their job duties and responsibilities. Table 2 lists the assumed
knowledge causes and the abbreviated citations from the research literature.
Table 2
Summary of Assumed Knowledge Influences on School Psychologists’ Ability to Achieve the
Performance Goal
Assumed Knowledge Influences Research Literature
Author, Year; Author, Year.
Declarative Factual (terms, facts, concepts)
School Psychologists know…

CB 1: School Psychologists know what their daily
duties, roles, and responsibilities are.
Shernoff, Bearman, & Kratochwill
(2017)
Ysseldyke, Burns, Dawson, Kelley,
Morrison, Ortiz, Telzrow (2006)
National Association of School
Psychologists (2007, July)
National Association of School
Psychologists (2010)
Brown, Holcombe, Bolen, & Thomson
(2006)
CB 1: School Psychologists know what their work
goals are.
Shernoff, Bearman, & Kratochwill
(2017)
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Ysseldyke, Burns, Dawson, Kelley,
Morrison, Ortiz, Telzrow (2006)
National Association of School
Psychologists (2007, July)
National Association of School
Psychologists (2010)
Brown, Holcombe, Bolen, & Thomson
(2006)
CB 1: School Psychologists have the factual
knowledge to perform their work duties.
Shernoff, Bearman, & Kratochwill
(2017)
Ysseldyke, Burns, Dawson, Kelley,
Morrison, Ortiz, Telzrow (2006)
National Association of School
Psychologists (2007, July)
National Association of School
Psychologists (2010)
Brown, Holcombe, Bolen, & Thomson
(2006)
CB 1: School Psychologists know the meaning of
engagement and satisfaction.
Basit (2017)
Brown, Holcombe, Bolen, & Thomson
(2006)
VanV oorhis & Levinson (2006)
CB 2: School Psychologists know what novel
problems are.
Shernoff, Bearman, & Kratochwill
(2017)
Ysseldyke, Burns, Dawson, Kelley,
Morrison, Ortiz, Telzrow (2006)
National Association of School
Psychologists (2007, July)
National Association of School
Psychologists (2010)
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Brown, Holcombe, Bolen, & Thomson
(2006)
CB 3: School Psychologists know what a positive
work culture is.
Lehr & Christenson (2002)
Boccio, Weisz, & Lefkowitz (2016)
Miller, Nickerson, Chafouleas &
Osborne (2008)
Declarative Conceptual (categories, process
models, principles, relationships)
School Psychologists know...

CB 1: School Psychologists will be required to
identify knowledge related to job goals.
Shernoff, Bearman & Kratochwill
(2017)
Eklund, Rossen, Charvat, Meyer &
Tanner (2016)
Allen & Graden (2002)
CB 1: School Psychologists know how their work
relates to the organization’s process.
Shernoff, Bearman & Kratochwill
(2017)
Eklund, Rossen, Charvat, Meyer &
Tanner (2016)
Allen & Graden (2002)
CB 1: School Psychologists know how their work
duties relate to others.
Shernoff, Bearman & Kratochwill
(2017)
Eklund, Rossen, Charvat, Meyer &
Tanner (2016)
Allen & Graden (2002)
CB 2: School Psychologists know how to classify
and prioritize types of problems.
Shernoff, Bearman & Kratochwill
(2017)
Eklund, Rossen, Charvat, Meyer &
Tanner (2016)
Allen & Graden (2002)
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CB 2: School Psychologists know how novel
problems relate to performance goals.
Shernoff, Bearman & Kratochwill
(2017)
Eklund, Rossen, Charvat, Meyer &
Tanner (2016)
Allen & Graden (2002)
CB 3: School Psychologists are able to identify the
components of a positive work culture.
Lehr & Christenson (2002)
Procedural
School psychologists know how to…

CB 1: School Psychologists will know how to use
the skills to achieve their goals.
Wnek, Klein & Bracken (2008)
CB 2: School Psychologists know how to find new
knowledge to apply to their daily work.
Wnek, Klein & Bracken (2008)
CB 3: School Psychologists know how to create a
positive work environment.
Lehr & Christenson (2002)
Metacognitive
School Psychologists know how to reflect on...

CB 1: School Psychologists reflect on their progress
toward achieving their goals.
Walcott & Hyson (2018)
Gilman & Gabriel (2004)
CB 2: School Psychologists reflect on the
relationship between applying new
knowledge/mental effort and achieving their
performance goals.
Walcott & Hyson (2018)
Gilman & Gabriel (2004)
CB 3: School Psychologists reflect on their personal
contribution to a positive work environment.
Walcott & Hyson (2018)
Gilman & Gabriel (2004)
Lehr & Christenson (2002)

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Motivation
General theory. Rueda (2011) defines motivation as the process of actively attaining
goals by instigation and sustainability. Instigation and sustainability of motivation are affected by
internal and external factors. Internal factors are listed as cognitive and affective while external
factors are noted to be social and cultural (Rueda, 2011). The author also discusses the three
common indicators related to motivation factors. These three common indicators are active
choice, persistence, and effort. Making the decision to choose to engage in one activity or
another activity is active choice, persistence suggests a commitment to pursuing an activity with
present distractions, and mental effort implies the conceptual exertion required to produce the
learning and knowledge of new concepts (Rueda, 2011).
Rueda (2011) goes on to describe several motivational variables capable of being
responsible for the motivational cause. The author lists self-efficacy and competence beliefs,
attributions and control beliefs, value, goals, goal orientations, expectancies, interests, and
emotions as the motivational variables influencing the motivational causes. To accomplish the
goal of increasing engagement, job satisfaction, and retention rates of school psychologists
within the High Desert School District, assumed motivational causes were developed.
Stakeholder/topic specific factors. If school psychologists continue to utilize the same
familiar strategy to problem solve and are still not succeeding, they are not using mental effort.
Mental effort consists of seeking out new knowledge to solve novel problems or unanticipated
challenges (Clark and Estes, 2008). The factors suggesting that motivation is a potential issue for
school psychologists are value, self-efficacy, mood, and attribution. Value drives choice. This
suggests that school psychologists need to value their goals and responsibilities and actively
choose to pursue their goals. Confidence drives persistence; indicating that when school
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psychologists are confident in their knowledge and skills they are more likely to persist at a
prioritized goal instead of allowing less important goals to distract them (Bandura, 2005). These
indicators depict a possible motivational problem and the examination of the motivational
variables behind the motivational causes require further examination.
Value. Rueda (2011) describes value as the importance an individual assigns to a task.
Wigfield and Eccles (2000, 2002) further describe value as four independent components of task
value. The four independent components of task value are expressed as attainment value (the
importance attached to doing well on a task), intrinsic value (intrinsic interest in a particular
task), utility value (how useful the task is for achieving some future goal), and cost value
(perceived cost of the task in terms of time or effort). “The important motivational principle is
that the higher an individual values an activity, the more likely he or she chooses, persists, and
engages in it” (Rueda, 2001) (p.43).
School Psychologists value their current goals and daily work duties. School
Psychologists value solving new problems in their daily work. School Psychologists value
contributing a positive work culture. School psychologists provide a variety of psychological
services to youth within the context of educational communities; including public schools,
private schools, juvenile detention centers, group homes, and early childhood education centers.
The ability to contribute to the learning of countless students adds significance and value to their
occupations. The NASP (2017) strategic plan was developed to indicate specific areas of value
critical to the field. These results identified social justice, workforce shortages, leadership
development, and mental/behavioral health (NASP strategic plan, 2017-2022). Shriberg,
Satchwell, McArdle, and James (2010) discussed the value of effective school psychology
leaders. Effective school psychology leaders are characterized by being competent,
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knowledgeable, and possessing strong interpersonal skills and personal character (Shriberg,
Satchwell, McArdle, & James, 2010). Lehr and Christenson (2002) discussed the value of a
positive school climate and shared seven valuable strategies specific to a positive school
environment (improve caring and sensitivity, build staff relations, promote motivation, promote
staff dedication, improve expectations, increase collaboration, improve school building
conditions). Once school psychologists have developed a value for the elements discussed,
school psychologists must be confident in their abilities to accomplish their goals.
Self-efficacy. Bandura (2006) indicates that “self-efficacy is concerned with perceived
capability” (p.308). Bandura also suggests that self-efficacy involves an individual’s beliefs in
their own capabilities to produce particular accomplishments. Rueda (2011) suggests that
motivational beliefs and processes are context-specific, further indicating why some people feel
efficacious in one subject and not another.
School Psychologists have confidence that they can implement their knowledge and
skills to achieve their current goals. School Psychologists have confidence that they can solve
new problems in their daily work. School Psychologists have confidence that they can
contribute daily to a positive work culture. School psychology programs are certifying that their
graduates are confident in their ability to implement the knowledge and skills taught to them
throughout the course of their academic program. It is the responsibility of field supervisors to
ensure practitioners are engrossed in various situations and scenarios to build confidence and
practice their decision-making and problem-solving skills. Shriberg, Satchwell, McArdle, and
James (2010) indicate that leadership skills are expected of school psychologists across
numerous domains of practice, particularly in academic, behavior, and crisis interventions.
Additionally, effective school psychology leaders are defined by their ability to confidently
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demonstrate competency, knowledge, strong interpersonal skills, and personal character
(Shriberg, Satchwell, McArdle, & James, 2010). Jacob (2002) ethical choices in a professional
practice are best made on a critical-evaluative level (thoughtful consideration of general ethical
principles and professional codes of ethics). Therefore, it is critical for school psychologists to
feel confident in their abilities to appropriately perform their responsibilities. Further, school
psychologists should feel confident contributing to a positive work environment by improving
staff expectations, sense of self-efficacy, and converting negative blaming energy to positive,
problem-solving strategies (Lehr & Christenson, 2002) Once school psychologists have
developed strong self-efficacy towards the elements, school psychologists must feel positively
about their abilities to accomplish their goals.
Mood. Positive emotions (happiness and joy) cultivate work commitment; while negative
emotions (anger and depression) tend to destroy one’s work commitment (Clark and Estes,
2008). The authors suggest that when people focus on past negative feelings, they are more
inclined to focus on prior negative events instead of concentrating on one’s future goals.
Organizations will ultimately benefit from assisting people with maintaining the level of positive
emotion (mood) that encourages their utmost commitment (Clark and Estes, 2008). They suggest
that emotions are not always based on events and people’s perceptions or ideas on what
encourages positive emotions differ. Bower (1995) recommends supporting positive emotions
towards work to impact a positive mood on performance.
School Psychologists feel positive about implementing their knowledge and skills to
achieve their goals. School Psychologists feel positive they can solve novel problems in their
daily work. School Psychologists feel good about contributing to a positive work culture. The
daily responsibilities of a school psychologist require them to wear several critical hats. The
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ability to see each situation positively is a critical component of avoiding the abrasive symptoms
of burnout. In order for school psychologists to feel positive about implementing knowledge and
skills within their daily work, effective continuing professional development opportunities
should be implemented. Brown (2002) suggested that although pre-service training in the subject
provides practitioners with and initial base of knowledge and skills for professional practice,
psychologist and education continues to rapidly evolve. The researcher suggests that continuing
professional development activities will allow school psychologists to maintain effective
practice, respond to changes in the workplace, and prepare for career advancement (Brown,
2002). Additionally, positive leadership is emphasized as an effective means for promoting best
practices and on services delivered to children in schools (Hunley, Curtis & Batsche, 2002). The
more positive that school psychologists feel about the elements and utilizing them, the more
motivated they will become to achieve their goal. Once school psychologists have developed
strong positive feelings towards the elements, school psychologists must be able to attribute the
success or failure of accomplishing their goals to their own efforts.
Attribution. Rueda (2011) describes attributions as “the belief one has about the reasons
for success or failure at a task or activity as well as the degree of control they have in affecting
that outcome” (p.41). Attribution theorist suggest that stability, locus, and control are the three
dimensions to an attribution (Rueda, 2011). Rueda discusses stability as the temporary or more
permanent nature of an attribution. Locus refers to if an attribution is associated with something
either internal or external to the person. Lastly, control refers to things a person can either control
or not control. Rueda suggests that how a person “thinks about the unique combination of these
three dimensions of attributions determines the impact on subsequent behavior, cognition, and
emotions” (p.42).
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School Psychologists attribute the success or failure of achieving performance goals to
their own knowledge and skills. School Psychologists attribute their success or failure to
knowing their daily work goals. School Psychologists attribute the success or failure of
achieving performance goals to their own efforts to bring new knowledge to solve novel
problems in their daily work. School Psychologists attribute their work culture to their own
efforts. The appropriate preparation of practitioners demands the development of the knowledge
and skills necessary to become critical members of school teams that aspire to support students’
unique abilities to learn while also supporting teachers’ abilities to appropriate educate these
students. School psychologists are required to make quick, critical decisions pertaining to student
safety and learning. Their problem-solving and decision-making skills are often attributed to
their own efforts and knowledge. Curtis, Hunley, & Grier, (2002) examined relationships
between the professional practices of school psychologists and the factors of practitioner
training, experience, gender, school district setting, and students-to-school-psychologists ratio.
Results indicate years of experience and training played a significant role in their problem-
solving and decision-making skills (Curtis, Hunley, and Grier, 2002). Smith and Lyon (1986)
conducted early research on the attribution levels of school psychologists. The study determined
the types of consultation cases most likely to be viewed as successful or unsuccessful by school
psychologists and the reasons why. Results of the study indicate a significantly greater number of
attributions to the consultee in the failure condition as well as specifically more failure in teacher
consultation (Smith & Lyon,1986). Shriberg, Satchwell, McArdle, and James (2010) indicate that
leadership is expected of school psychologists across numerous domains of practice, particularly
in the domains of academic, behavior, and crisis interventions. Often, the situations pertaining to
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these domains of practice, require immediate problem-solving skills frequently attributed to their
own knowledge and efforts.
In order to effectively contribute to a thriving school campus, school psychologists must
value their career, goals and responsibilities. Their level of self-efficacy and confidence must be
eminent. They must recognize that their emotions and mood not only affect their performance
but the performance of the students and staff they come into contact with. Having a positive
mood will increase work commitment overall. The impact on a school psychologist’s behavior,
cognition, and emotions depends on how they perceive their attributions. Consequently, school
psychologists have the ability to influence the students, families, and staff by promoting value,
self-efficacy, positive mood, and attribution. Although motivational factors can influence school
psychologists’ ability to effectively perform and achieve their goals; the organization itself can
profoundly impact the overall effectiveness of school psychologists. Table 3 lists the assumed
motivational causes and the abbreviated citations from the research literature.
Table 3
Summary of Assumed Motivation Influences on School Psychologists’ Ability to Achieve the
Performance Goal
Assumed Motivation Influences Research Literature
Author, Year; Author, Year.
Value
School psychologists’ value…

CB 1: School Psychologists value to their current
goals and daily work duties.
NASP strategic plan (2017-2022)
Reschly & Ysseldyke (2002)
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Shriberg, Satchwell, McArdle, & James
(2010)
Lehr & Christenson (2002)
CB 2: School Psychologists value solving new
problems in their daily work.
NASP strategic plan (2017-2022)
Reschly & Ysseldyke (2002)
Shriberg, Satchwell, McArdle, & James
(2010)
Lehr & Christenson (2002)
CB 3: School Psychologists value contributing a
positive work culture.
NASP strategic plan (2017-2022)
Reschly & Ysseldyke (2002)
Shriberg, Satchwell, McArdle, & James
(2010)
Lehr & Christenson (2002)
Self-Efficacy
School psychologists have confidence that ...

CB 1: School Psychologists have confidence that
they can implement their knowledge and skills to
achieve their current goals.
Shriberg, Satchwell, McArdle & James
(2010)
Jacob (2002)
Lehr & Christenson (2002)
CB 2: School Psychologists have confidence that
they can solve new problems in their daily work.
Shriberg, Satchwell, McArdle & James
(2010)
Jacob (2002)
Lehr & Christenson (2002)
CB 3: School Psychologists have confidence that
they can contribute daily to a positive work culture.
Shriberg, Satchwell, McArdle & James
(2010)
Jacob (2002)
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Lehr & Christenson (2002)
Mood
School psychologists feel positive about…

CB 1: School Psychologists feel positive about
implementing their knowledge and skills to achieve
their goals.
Brown (2002)
Hunley, Curtis & Batsche (2002)
CB 2: School Psychologists feel positive they can
solve novel problems in their daily work.
Brown (2002)
Hunley, Curtis & Batsche (2002)
CB 3: School Psychologists feel good about
contributing to a positive work culture.
Brown (2002)
Hunley, Curtis & Batsche (2002)
Lehr & Christenson (2002)
Attribution
School psychologists believe that ....

CB 1: School Psychologists attribute the success or
failure of achieving performance goals to their own
knowledge and skills.
Curtis, Hunley & Grier (2002)
Smith, D. K., & Lyon, M. A. (1986)
Shriberg, Satchwell, McArdle & James
(2010)
CB 1: School Psychologists attribute their success
or failure to knowing their daily work goals.
Curtis, Hunley & Grier (2002)
Smith, D. K., & Lyon, M. A. (1986)
Shriberg, Satchwell, McArdle & James
(2010)
CB 2: School Psychologists attribute the success or
failure of achieving performance goals to their own
efforts to bring new knowledge to solve novel
problems in their daily work.
Curtis, Hunley & Grier (2002)
Smith, D. K., & Lyon, M. A. (1986)
Shriberg, Satchwell, McArdle & James
(2010)
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CB 3: School Psychologists attribute their work
culture to their own efforts.
Curtis, Hunley & Grier (2002)
Smith, D. K., & Lyon, M. A. (1986)
Shriberg, Satchwell, McArdle & James
(2010)
Lehr & Christenson (2002).

Organization
General Theory. Rueda (2011) discusses that even with a high level of motivation to
accomplish set goals, an organization itself can impede the performance of an individual or
group of individuals. Rueda further explains the features of an organization. These features
include how an organization is structured, how it is organized, the policies and practices that
define the organization, and the interactions of the individuals within the organization (Rueda,
2011). Organizational barriers can be described inadequate resources, missing tools, inadequate
facilities, or faulty processes or procedures (Clark and Estes, 2011). These organizational barriers
often prevent or delay work production. Clark and Estes suggest that “whenever you modify the
knowledge level or the motivation level of an organization, you will find the need to adapt the
work processes accordingly” (p.45). To accomplish the goal of increasing engagement, job
satisfaction, and retention rates of school psychologists within the High Desert School District,
assumed organizational causes were developed.
Resources. Organizational resources can be categorized in two ways. The first category
of organizational resources is material resources. Material resources are tangible supplies and
equipment used to achieve goals (Clark and Estes, 2008). The authors state that educational
organizations require a large variety of equipment and material resources to achieve goals and to
help students and staff perform essential procedures. These variations of resources can be
specialized environments, specialized buildings, various types of essential and rapidly changing
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 48
information technology, and routine types of office supplies and equipment. Another category of
organizational resources is professional development (continued learning). Professional
development or continued learning is essential for practitioners to effectively perform tasks and
achieve goals. Professional development opportunities provide practitioners with updated or new
information, knowledge and skills to confidently and effectively service their students, faculty,
and school site.
School Psychologists are a part of a work culture that supports the use of knowledge
and skills to achieve their current goals. School Psychologists are a part of a culture that
supports bringing new knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily work. School
Psychologists share the belief with others that they can contribute to a positive work culture.
An open and trusting work environment allows practitioners to apply the knowledge and skills
necessary to become critical members of school teams that aspire to support students’ unique
abilities to learn while also supporting teachers’ abilities to appropriate educate these students.
Wnek, Klein, and Bracken (2008) queried practicing school psychologists about the extent to
which advances in the field have improved their individual practice and fostered a desire for
additional professional development. Results of the study suggests that school psychologists
should actively advocate for and influence the direction of future training initiatives. They
researchers also suggest for local, state, national and international organizations to provide
professional development opportunities that alignment with the current needs of practicing
psychologists (Wnek, Klein, & Bracken, 2008). Reschly and Ysseldyke (2002) discussed the
importance of continuing professional development opportunities to reinforce skills. The
researchers suggested the addition of systematic problem solving, consultation, principles of
behavior change, principles of instructional design, and functional assessment to the traditional
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 49
knowledge base quired through training programs (Reschly & Ysseldyke, 2002). Hueber,
Gilligan, and Cobb (2002) suggest training programs must foster resiliency for school
psychologists by promoting self-awareness, personal growth, and skill development.
Additionally, alternative resource allocation procedures should not be allowed to become a way
to reduce the supports of special and remedial programs for children and youth (Reschly &
Ysseldyke, 2002).
Policies and procedures. Organizational policies and procedures should indicate how
practitioners, equipment, and materials need to connect and collaborate over time to generate a
desired result and achieve goals. Work process Clark and Estes suggest that work process
represents “all organizational goals are achieved by a system of interacting processes that require
specialized knowledge, skills, and motivation to operate successfully” (p.104). The authors
indicate that even practitioners with sufficient knowledge, skills, and utmost motivation will not
achieve to close performance gaps and accomplish goals when confronted with ineffective work
process. Therefore, it is critical that the organizational policies and procedures align with goals
or the risk of failure is great.
School Psychologists work in an environment that supports the implementation of
knowledge and skills to achieve current goals among all staff. School Psychologists work in an
environment that provides new knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily work. School
Psychologists work in an environment that supports daily contributions to a positive work
culture. Although pre-service training in school psychology provides practitioners with an initial
base of knowledge and skills for professional practice, psychology and education continue to
rapidly evolve, incorporating innovative technologies, changing expectations, and new
information. It is an ethical obligation to maintain an appropriate level of professional
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competency to continue to provide adequate services to all students and staff. Hueber, Gilligan,
and Cobb (2002) discuss the effects of burnout and stress and how it impacts job performance.
Burnout can be described as the influencing experiences of emotional exhaustion,
depersonalization, and a diminished sense of personal accomplishment and protective processes
in the environment may mediate these risks. (Hueber, Gilligan, & Cobb, 2002). Bucy, Meyers,
and Swerdlik (2002) discuss the importance of solving problems by designing effective
interventions in alignment with district and state standards and initiatives aiding in overall
performance accountability. Additionally, these problem -solving procedures are best applied as
part of a school- and district-wide effort (Bucy, Meyers, & Swerdlik, 2002). Knoff (2002)
explains how school psychologists can be primary facilitators in organizational change and
strategic planning processes. Successful school reform requires training and experience in the
change process (Knoff, 2002).
Cultural setting and models. Within an organization there are cultural models and a
cultural setting. Rueda (2011) defines a cultural setting as “the who, what, when, where, why,
and how of the routines which constitute everyday life.” (p. 55). Cultural settings can also be
referred to as a social context. A new cultural setting is constructed when any one of the defining
features changes. The author defines a cultural model as “the shared mental schema or normative
understandings of how the world works, or ought to work.” (p. 55). Rueda explains that within
specific context, cultural models are dynamic traits and not static traits. They are typically
conveyed through cultural practices. Within a school or educational setting, cultural models help
structure the manners that an organization is structured (Rueda, 2008). This including values,
practices, policies, and reward structures. “While cultural settings can impact behavior, cultural
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 51
settings are also shaped by individuals and groups-who operate with cultural models that impact
their own behavior” (Rueda, 20018) (p.57).
School Psychologists have policies that align with the mission and vision of the
organization. School Psychologists have policies that allow for the implementation of new
knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily work. School Psychologists are provided with
policies that allow for contribution to a positive work culture. Appropriate policies and
procedures are necessary for practitioners to implement the interventions necessary to support
students’ unique abilities to learn while also supporting teachers’ abilities to appropriate educate
these students. The culture of a school district directly impacts all of the individuals within the
district. Barbour (2002) advocates a shift for school psychologists from beyond fundamental gate
keeping activities to taking a leadership role in crisis management teams, working through
indirect service applications, encouraging more research activities, and emphasizing preventative
measures in dealing with issues at both site and district levels. A positive school environment
includes all individuals within the organization. Elizalde-Utnick (2002) discusses critical
elements for developing positive partnerships between families and the school. The author
suggests that school psychologists should adopt a posture of cultural reciprocity, provide families
with the skills and knowledge needed to help their children, engage in two-way communication
with families, include family members in school activities, guide families so they could help
students learn at home, include parents in governance and advocacy, and utilize resources in the
community to strengthen families, school programs, student learning and development (Elizalde-
Utnick, 2002).
Resources. Clark and Estes (2008) discuss the importance of appropriate and available
resources necessary for practitioners to adequately conduct their job duties and responsibilities.
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 52
These resources must be available in order for practitioners to achieve their overall goals.
Resources such as incentives, rewards, and recognition can be categorized into two domains. The
first describes tangible incentives such as pay incentives. The second category describes
intangible incentives such as pats on the back, recognition award plaques, and employee of the
week/month/year recognition. When executed appropriately, these types of resources are as
important as martial resources are for practitioners to perform job duties and achieve goals.
School Psychologists have the resources and time to utilize their knowledge and skill
sets to achieve their current goals. School Psychologists have the resources and time to
implement new knowledge on their daily work. School Psychologists have the resources and
time to contribute to a positive work culture. It is essential for an organization to allocate
appropriate resources to allow their practitioners to continue to grow in their professional
competencies. This allows for confident and knowledgeable practitioners implementing
appropriate problem-solving tactics and decision-making skills within their schools. To
determine the appropriate needs of the school psychologists, Tilly III (2002) suggests a problem-
solving process to address both the structural, procedural, and practice-based challenges that are
typically widespread in special education programs. This problem-solving method involves a
five-step process to help identify priority areas for change, help analyze variables related to the
situation, help select components within the system, help implement the changes with integrity,
and help monitor the effectiveness of the changes (Tilly III, 2002). Once the needs are
determined, it’s critical to prioritize the needs, select and implement developmental strategies,
and evaluate and document activities (Brown, 2002). With the proper resources in place, school
psychologists should be able to positively, effectively, and successfully achieve their goals.
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Even school psychologists with adequate knowledge and skills and high levels of motivation can
become victims to poor and inadequate organizational issues. To prevent organizational issues
from hindering goal achievement, it is critical for organizations to appropriately provide
resources (time, finances, people, incentives, rewards, recognition); have policies, processes, and
procedures that align with the goals; and create a positive work culture models and settings that
allows for practitioners to confidently and adequately provide their students, staff, and school site
with effective practices and interventions to be successful learners. Table 4 lists the assumed
organizational causes and the abbreviated citations from the research literature.
Table 4
Summary of Assumed Organization Influences on School Psychologists’ Ability to Achieve the
Performance Goal
Assumed Organization Influences Research Literature
Author, Year; Author, Year.
Resources (time; finances; people)
School psychologists need resources to …

CB 1: School Psychologists are a part of a work
culture that supports the use of knowledge and skills
to achieve their current goals.
Reschly, & Ysseldyke (2002)
Wnek, Klein & Bracken (2008)
Hueber Gilligan & Cobb (2002)
CB 2: School Psychologists are a part of a culture that
supports bringing new knowledge to solve novel
problems in their daily work.
Reschly, & Ysseldyke (2002)
Wnek, Klein & Bracken (2008)
Hueber Gilligan & Cobb (2002)
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 54
CB 3: School Psychologists share the belief with
others that they can contribute to a positive work
culture.
Reschly, & Ysseldyke (2002)
Wnek, Klein & Bracken (2008)
Hueber Gilligan & Cobb (2002)
Lehr & Christenson (2002)
Policies, Processes, & Procedures
School psychologists have policies that align with ...

CB 1: School Psychologists work in an environment
that supports the implementation of knowledge and
skills to achieve current goals among all staff.
Hueber Gilligan & Cobb (2002)
Bucy, Meyers & Swerdlik (2002)
Knoff (2002)
CB 2: School Psychologists work in an environment
that provides new knowledge to solve novel problems
in their daily work.
Hueber Gilligan & Cobb (2002)
Bucy, Meyers & Swerdlik (2002)
Knoff (2002)
CB 3: School Psychologists work in an environment
that supports daily contributions to a positive work
culture.
Hueber Gilligan & Cobb (2002)
Bucy, Meyers & Swerdlik (2002)
Knoff (2002)
Lehr & Christenson (2002)
Culture Setting and Models
School psychologists are a part of a culture that aligns
with ...

CB 1: School Psychologists have policies that align
with the mission and vision of the organization.
Barbour (2002)
Elizalde-Utnick (2002)
CB 2: School Psychologists have policies that allow
for the implementation of new knowledge to solve
novel problems in their daily work.
Barbour (2002)
Elizalde-Utnick (2002)
CB 3: School Psychologists are provided with
policies that allow for contribution to a positive work
Barbour (2002)
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culture. Elizalde-Utnick (2002)
Lehr & Christenson (2002)
Resources (incentives; rewards; recognition)
School psychologists need resources to…

CB 1: School Psychologists have the resources and
time to utilize their knowledge and skill sets to
achieve their current goals.
Brown (2002)
Tilly III (2002)
CB 2: School Psychologists have the resources and
time to implement new knowledge on their daily
work.
Brown (2002)
Tilly III (2002)
CB 3: School Psychologists have the resources and
time to contribute to a positive work culture.
Brown (2002)
Tilly III (2002)
Lehr & Christenson (2002)

The prior mentioned knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences will be
utilized as the basis for the instruments to collect data further described in the methods section of
this study.

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CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of the study was to use the Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis framework
to examine the organizational problem of decreased job satisfaction, lack of engagement, and
high turnover rates of district school psychologists at High Desert School District. The purpose
of this study determined whether the district school psychologists knew how to achieve their
performance goals, were motivated to achieve their performance goals, and identified what
organizational barriers were inhibiting the achievement of their performance goals.
The questions that guided this gap analysis were the following:
1. What are the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational assets and
challenges for School Psychologists to increase engagement, job satisfaction rates,
and retention rates?
2. What are the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational recommendations
can be implemented to increase School Psychologists engagement, job satisfaction
rates, and retention rates?
Conceptual and Methodological Framework
Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis framework is a systematic, analytical method that
helps to clarify organizational goals and identify the gap between the actual performance level
and the preferred performance level within an organization. For this study, this conceptual and
methodological gap analysis framework looked to examine the organizational issues of decreased
job satisfaction, lack of engagement, and high turnover rates of school psychologists. The
methodological framework is a mixed methods case study. This study focused on determining
whether the participants knew how to achieve their performance goals, were motivated to
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 57
achieve their performance goals, and identified what organizational barriers that are inhibiting
the achievement of their performance goals. These influences were assessed by using surveys
and interviews. Research-based solutions were recommended and evaluated in a comprehensive
manner. Clark and Estes suggest that increasing the knowledge, skills, and motivation of the
participants, while focusing those assets on organizational goals, are the keys to successful goal
attainment.
For the purpose of this study, the Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis framework was
adapted as a needs assessment. A needs assessment is a systematic process for determining and
addressing needs between current conditions and desired conditions. The first step is identifying
the influences via the literature. Then, determining through data whether these influences are
assets or needs to be addressed. This needs assessment was part of a planning process used
discover what critical improvements should be made within the organization. Collecting a
suitable and an appropriate amount of data informed the process of developing an effective plan
that addressed the organizations wants and needs. The results of this needs assessment influenced
subsequent critical decisions incorporating the design, implementation, and evaluation of
projects and programs that led to achieving desired goals.
In order to close performance gaps and achieve goals, Clark and Estes (2008) recommend
the use of the gap analysis process model which is made up of seven steps. Figure 1 illustrates
the steps as shown in Clark and Estes’ GAP Analysis model:
● Step 1: Goals: Identify measurable performance goals
● Step 2: Current performance status: Quantify the current achievement at each level
● Step 3: Gaps: Determine gaps between goals and current performance
● Step 4: Causes: Hypothesize and validate how each of the three known causes of gap
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 58
(knowledge and skills, motivation, and organization) impact the gap.
The additional steps in the Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis process will not be included in
this chapter but will be discussed in Chapters Four and Five of this study as illustrated:
● Step 5: Solutions: Recommended proposed solutions to close the gap;
● Step 6: Implementation: Plan for implementing proposed solutions;
● Step 7: Evaluate and modify for continual improvement.

Figure 1 depicts the steps in the GAP Analysis Process Model.
Assessment of Performance Influences
In examining the engagement, job satisfaction, and retention rates of school
psychologists, the Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis framework was used. The assumed causes
(KMO), as discussed in Chapter Two, are presented as school psychologists’ knowledge and
skills, their motivation to achieve the goal, and the organizational barriers (Clark & Estes, 2008).
The purpose of this KMO gap analysis, as explained by Clark and Estes (2008), is to identify
whether district school psychologists have adequate knowledge, motivation, and support from
the organization to accomplish their work goals. The KMO table displays the assumed causes of
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the gap and the methods of assessments (surveys and interviews).
Knowledge Assessment
It is essential to determine if school psychologists know how, when, what, why, and
where to achieve their performance goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). The assumed knowledge
influences are derived from Chapter Two’s Assumed Knowledge Influence table (p. 33).
Anderson and Krathwohl’s (2001) Taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing was exercised
in the assessment. Illustrated in Table 5, the authors categorize knowledge into four domains: (a)
factual knowledge, (b) conceptual knowledge, (c) procedural knowledge, and (d) metacognitive
knowledge. The declarative factual, conceptual, procedural and metacognitive knowledge types
were assessed by administering multiple choice questions for the survey items created from
using Anderson and Krathwohl’s (2001) knowledge assessment table. School psychologists were
interviewed as shown in the interview item for further clarity on work processes.
Table 5
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Method of Assessment
Assumed Knowledge Influences Survey Item Interview Item
P = Primary Questions
FU = Follow Up
Questions
Declarative Factual (terms, facts,
concepts)

CB 1: School Psychologists know
what their daily duties, roles, and
responsibilities are.
Multiple choice. Daily
duties, roles, and
responsibilities include:
a. Provide state and
federally mandated
P: Tell me about your
daily duties, roles, and
responsibilities.
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psycho-educational
services to the schools,
including: assessment,
counseling, consultation,
crisis intervention,
program evaluation, case
management, and staff
development.
b. Only provide state and
federally mandated
psycho-educational
assessment of students
referred for special
education consideration,
including initial
evaluations, re-evaluation
and triennials.
c. Only provide crisis
intervention, suicide and
threat assessments, and
grief counseling to the
general population of
students at his/her
school(s), and to other
schools within the District,
as needed.
d. Only participate in other
IEP meetings as requested
or deemed appropriate by
the school administrator,
District administration, or
IEP team administrative
designee, including 30-day
transfer review meetings
and meetings in which a
change of placement to a
more restrictive setting is
under consideration for a
student with special needs.
e. None of the above.
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CB 1: School Psychologists know
what their work goals are.
Multiple Choice. The
overall work goal is:
a. To provide quality
services to only special
education students.
b. To provide RTI and DIS
counseling services to only
at-risk general education
students.
c. To provide quality
services to students with
extraordinary challenges
thus affording at-risk
students full access to the
District Promise
including a rigorous
education and a rich
social experience,
whether these barriers
are caused by health,
disability, academic or
behavioral difficulties.
d. To provide any service
your direct supervisor tells
you to provide, including:
acting as administrator for
the day and running
his/her errands when
asked.
e. None of the above.
P: Tell me about your
work goals.

CB 1: School Psychologist have
the factual knowledge to perform
their work duties.
Multiple Choice. The
process of an evaluation
includes:
a. Conducting the entire
assessment by yourself,
writing the psycho-
educational report, and
holding the IEP meeting

A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 62
with only the psychologist
and the parent.
b. Conducting the
observations and
assessment prior to
obtaining informed
consent from parent and
holding the IEP meeting
with only the psychologist
and the parent.
c. Conducting the
assessment, developing the
psycho-educational report,
and holding the IEP
meeting without the parent
or other critical member of
the IEP team.
d. Informed parent
consent, review and
analysis of student
records, observations,
interviews, provision for
new assessments in all
suspected areas of delay
to gain information
about the student's
present levels of
performance, developing
the psycho-educational
assessment report,
facilitation of the IEP
meeting, assisting with
the determination of
eligibility, assisting with
the development of IEP
goals, and assisting with
the determination of
services and placement.
e. All of the above.
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CB 1: School Psychologists know
the meaning of engagement and
satisfaction.
Multiple choice:
Engagement and
satisfaction are defined as:
a. An emotional
involvement or
commitment and
fulfillment of a need or
want.
b. An unemotional
commitment and the
unfulfillment of a need.
c. An overemotional need
to involve oneself in
another’s job and a
fulfillment of another’s
needs.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.
P: Please describe what
engagement and
satisfaction mean to you.
CB 2: School Psychologists know
what novel problems are.
Multiple Choice. A novel
problem is:
a. A familiar problem of
practice.
b. An important problem
of practice.
c. A new or unfamiliar
problem of practice.
d. An unimportant
problem of practice.
e. None of the above.
Is something needed here?
CB 3: School Psychologists know
what a positive work culture is.
Multiple choice. A positive
work culture:
a. Is where employees are
allowed to do whatever it
P: Please tell me what a
positive work culture is to
you.

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is they feel needs to be
done.
b. Leads to increased
productivity, better
employee morale and the
ability to keep skilled
workers.
c. Is where employees are
not given adequate praise
and appreciation for their
contributions.
d. None of the above.
Declarative Conceptual
(categories, process models,
principles, relationships)
Stakeholder needs to know...

CB 1: School Psychologists will be
required to Identify knowledge
related to job goals.
Multiple Choice. Critical
knowledge related to job
goals includes:
a. Ability to state 13
criteria of SPED
eligibility.
b. Ability to state SPED
timelines for California.
c. Ability to verbally
interpret and state
evaluation and assessment
results to IEP team
members.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.

CB 1: School Psychologists know
how their work relates to the
organization’s process.
Multiple choice. The
psychologists’ work relates
to the district’s process by:
P: Please tell me about
how your work relates to
the district’s process.
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a. Providing a full range of
services to at-risk and
special needs students.
b. Providing early
identification of needs and
early intervention services
for students.
c. Fostering positive
school attendance and
connectedness to school.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.

CB 1: School Psychologists know
how their work duties relate to
others.
Multiple choice. My work
duties relate to others:
a. By ensuring that all
students reach their
maximum academic
potential.
b. By providing
consultative services to
teachers regarding
students with academic or
behavioral needs.
c. By acting as
Administrator Designee
when asked by supervising
Administrator.
d. By supporting staff and
students during and after a
crisis.
e. All of the above.
P: Please tell me how your
work relates to others.
CB 2: School Psychologists know
how to classify and prioritize types
of problems.
Multiple choice. Which
scenario should receive
top priority:
P: Please describe your
process on how to classify
and prioritize work
problems.
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a. A concerned parent is in
the front office waiting to
speak to you regarding an
IEP meeting scheduled for
the next morning.
b. The school site principal
is requesting for you to sit
in as admin. designee for
an annual IEP meeting
beginning in ten minutes.
c. A student is caught
passing a note in class
indicating that they are
“tired of their life and
can’t go on living like
this any longer”.
d. You need to finishing
writing a psycho-
educational report for an
IEP that begins in an hour.
e. All of the above.
CB 2: School Psychologists know
how novel problems relate to
performance goals.
Multiple choice. Solving
novel problems relates to
performance goals by:
a. Utilizing the ability to
interpret, relate, and
incorporate new
information with existing
knowledge and apply the
new information to solve
novel problems.
b. Relating old
information to existing
knowledge to solve novel
problems.
c. Incorporating existing
information with new

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knowledge to solve current
problems.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.
CB 3: School Psychologists are
able to identify the components of
a positive work culture.
Multiple choice. A positive
work culture entails:
a. Clear mission and
purpose.
b. Respect among all
employees.
c. Solid communication
between all employees.
d. Superior performance
and results.
e. All of the above.

Procedural
Stakeholder need to know how
to…

CB 1: School Psychologists will
know how to use the skills to
achieve their goals.
Multiple choice. Critical
skills required to achieve
goals include:
a. The ability to accurately
administer assessments.
b. The ability to accurately
interpret assessment
results.
c. The ability to verbally
share assessment results in
front of IEP team.
d. The ability to provide
counseling services to a
variety of students.

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e. All of the above.
CB 2: School Psychologists know
how to find new knowledge to
apply to their daily work.
Multiple choice. New
knowledge is discovered
by:
a. Attending appropriate
professional development
trainings and workshops.
b. Attending professional
development trainings and
workshops intended for
other academic
professions.
c. Not attending
professional development
trainings and workshops
due to budget restraints.
d. Attending professional
development trainings and
workshops without the
ability to practice new
knowledge within work
environment.
e. None of the above.
P: Please explain how you
find new knowledge
within your district.
CB 3: School Psychologists know
how to create a positive work
environment.
Multiple choice. Creating
a positive work
environment consists of:
a. use of an assessment
tool to gather information
about perceptions of
school climate.
b. compilation of data in a
form that can be used as
feedback about
perceptions of school
climate.
c. reflection and
discussion of findings to
P: Please tell me how you
would create a positive
work environment.

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help clarify implications
and identify areas needing
change.
d. development and
implementation of an
intervention and re-
assessment to determine
whether change has
occurred.
e. All of the above.
Metacognitive
Stakeholders need to know how to
reflect on...
There are no survey items
for this category.

CB 1: School Psychologists reflect
on their progress toward achieving
their goals.
P: Please explain how you
reflect on your progress
towards achieving your
goals.
CB 2: School Psychologists reflect
on the relationship between
applying new knowledge/mental
effort and achieving their
performance goals.
P: Please explain how you
reflect on the relationship
between applying new
knowledge and achieving
your performance goals.
CB 3: School Psychologists reflect
on their personal contribution to a
positive work environment.
P: Please explain how you
reflect on your personal
contributions to a positive
work environment.

Motivation Assessment
Motivation, as described by Clark and Estes (2008), influences three critical aspects of
accomplishing a goal. The authors noted that the first step is for the stakeholder to choose to
work towards a goal. The second step is for the stakeholder to persist towards the work until the
goal is accomplished. The third step is to determine how much mental effort is required to get the
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job done. Chapter Two of this study illustrates the assumed motivation influences, which are
shown below, along with the assumed validation process through survey questions and
interviews. Using a Likert scale, the survey items for value were developed for the assumed
motivation influences. Value explains how individuals adopt a course of action where they either
persist in (even when distracted) or avoid it (Clark & Estes, 2008). The assessment for value is
established with the intent for the school psychologists to rate how they value their work
processes, as itemized in Table 6.
Bandura (2006) defined self-efficacy as an individual’s belief or confidence about their
capabilities in fulfilling a specific task. Motivational self-efficacy was assessed by means of
Bandura’s rating scale of how confident an individual is (at the time of survey completion) in
accomplishing their work (Bandura, 2006). Mood suggests that emotions are not always based
on events and people’s perceptions or ideas on what encourages positive emotions differ. Mood
was assessed using a Likert scale on how positive school psychologists feel about executing
work duties as itemized in Table 6. Attribution is another motivational influence. Rueda (2011)
describes attributions as “the belief one has about the reasons for success or failure at a task or
activity as well as the degree of control they have in affecting that outcome” (p.41). Attribution
was assessed using the Kirkpatrick (2016) rating scale by asking school psychologists to indicate
what they attribute to the success or failure of achieving their performance goals to. The school
psychologists had the ability to select all that apply including “none of the above” if all the
options do not apply to the school psychologist. Interview questions were asked as shown in
Table 6.

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Table 6
Summary of Motivation Influences and Method of Assessment
Assumed Motivation Influences Survey Item Interview Item
P = Primary
Questions
FU = Follow Up
Questions
Value
Stakeholder needs to value…
Using the scale below,
please rate the extent to
which you value the
following:
1 Do not value at all
2
3 Moderately value
4
5 Highly value

CB 1: School Psychologists value to
their current goals and daily work
duties.
Achieving your current
work goals…
Completing your daily
work duties...
P: How do you value
your current goals and
daily work duties?
CB 2: School Psychologists value
solving new problems in their daily
work.
Solving novel problems
within your daily work...

CB 3: School Psychologists value
contributing a positive work culture.
Contributing to a positive
work culture…
Working in a positive work
culture...

Self-Efficacy
Stakeholder needs to have
confidence that ...
Using the scale below,
please rate how confident
you feel that you can do
the following right now:
1 Not confident at all
2
3 Moderately confident
4
5 Highly confident

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CB 1: School Psychologists have
confidence that they can implement
their knowledge and skills to
achieve their current goals.
Implement your
knowledge and skills to
achieve your current
goals...

CB 2: School Psychologists have
confidence that they can solve new
problems in their daily work.
Your ability to solve novel
problems in your daily
work...
P: Please comment on
how confident you feel
solving novel problems
in your daily work.
CB 3: School Psychologists have
confidence that they can contribute
daily to a positive work culture.
Your ability to contribute
daily to a positive work
culture...

Emotion
Stakeholder need to feel positive
about…
Using the scale below,
please rate how positive
you feel about doing the
following:
1 Not positive at all
2
3 Moderately positive
4
5 Highly positive

CB 1: School Psychologists feel
positive about implementing their
knowledge and skills to achieve
their goals.
Implementing your
knowledge and skills to
achieve your goals...

CB 2: School Psychologists feel
positive they can solve novel
problems in their daily work.
Solving novel problems in
your daily work...

CB 3: School Psychologists feel
good about contributing to a
positive work culture.
Contributing to a positive
work environment...

Attribution
Stakeholders need to believe that ....
Please check all that apply:
a. School site administrator
b. District administration
c. Program specialists
d. SPED teachers
e. My efforts

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f. Incentives
g. Professional
development
h. Rewards
i. All of the above
j. None of the above
CB 1: School Psychologists
attribute the success or failure of
achieving performance goals to
their own knowledge and skills.
Successful achievement of
performance goals is due
to…
Failure of achievement of
performance goals is due
to...
P: To what do you
attribute the success of
achieving performance
goals to your own
knowledge and skills?
CB 1: School Psychologists
attribute their success or failure to
knowing their daily work goals.
Successfulness of knowing
your daily work goals…
Failure of knowing your
work goals...

CB 2: School Psychologists
attribute the success or failure of
achieving performance goals to
their own efforts to bring new
knowledge to solve novel problems
in their daily work.
Successfulness of
achieving your
performance goals by
utilizing new knowledge to
solve novel problems in
your daily work...
Failure of achieving your
performance goals by
utilizing new knowledge to
solve novel problems in
your daily work...

CB 3: School Psychologists
attribute their work culture to their
own efforts.
Having a positive work
culture...

Organization/Culture/Context Assessment
Rueda (2011) discusses that even with a high level of motivation to accomplish set goals,
an organization itself can impede the performance of an individual or group of individuals. The
assumed organizational barriers were identified in Chapter Two of this study. The method of
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assessments per influence is depicted in Table 7 using instruments for surveys and interviews for
the resources, policies and procedures, and cultural setting and models. Resources can be
tangible supplies and equipment that are needed to be able to accomplish goals (Clark & Estes,
2008). Resources can also be incentives, rewards, and recognition. Resources were assessed
using a Likert scale to determine the extent at which school psychologists agree or disagree with
statements regarding the resources they have for conducting their job duties and responsibilities
and accomplishing their goals.
Policies and procedures indicate how practitioners, equipment, and materials need to connect and
collaborate over time to generate a desired result and achieve goals. Using a Likert scale, school
psychologists were assessed to determine the extent at which they agree or disagree with
statements regarding policies and procedures. Rueda (2018) shared that “while cultural settings
can impact behavior, cultural settings are also shaped by individuals and groups-who operate
with cultural models that impact their own behavior” (p.57). Culture was assessed using a Likert
scale to rate the extent that school psychologists agree or disagree with statements regarding the
impact of cultural influences in the organization. Interview questions regarding the
organizational influences were also examined as shown in Table 7.

A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 75
Table 7
Summary of Organizational Influences and Method of Assessment
Assumed Organization Influences Survey Item Interview Item
P = Primary Questions
FU = Follow Up
Questions
Resources (time; finances; people)
Stakeholder has resources to …
Using the scale below,
rate the extent to which
you agree or disagree
with the following
statements regarding the
resources you have
available to use:
1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately Disagree
3 Neither Agree or
Disagree
4 Moderately Agree
5 Strongly Agree

CB 1: School Psychologists are a
part of a work culture that supports
the use of knowledge and skills to
achieve their current goals.
The district provides
resources (time, finances,
people) for the
implementation of
knowledge and skills to
achieve your current
goals.

CB 2: School Psychologists are a
part of a culture that supports
bringing new knowledge to solve
novel problems in their daily work.
The district provides
resources (time, finances,
people) for to implement
new knowledge to solve
novel problems in your
daily work...

CB 3: School Psychologists share
the belief with others that they can
contribute to a positive work
culture.
The district provides
resources (time, finances,
people) for psychologists

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to contribute to a positive
work culture.
Policies, Processes, & Procedures
Stakeholder has policies that align
with ...
Using the scale below,
rate the extent to which
you agree or disagree
with the following
statements regarding the
district’s policies,
processes, and
procedures:
1 Strongly Disagree
2 Moderately Disagree
3 Neither Agree or
Disagree
4 Moderately Agree
5 Strongly Agree

CB 1: School Psychologists work in
an environment that supports the
implementation of knowledge and
skills to achieve current goals
among all staff.
The district’s policies,
processes, and
procedures support a
working environment
that encourages the
implementation of
knowledge and skills to
achieve current goals
among all staff.

CB 2: School Psychologists work in
an environment that provides new
knowledge to solve novel problems
in their daily work.
The district’s policies,
processes, and
procedures support a
working environment
that provides new
knowledge to solve novel
problems in their daily
work.

CB 3: School Psychologists work in
an environment that supports daily
contributions to a positive work
culture.
The district’s policies,
processes, and
procedures support a
working environment

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that allows for daily
contributions to a
positive work culture.
Culture Setting and Models
Stakeholder feels that they are a part
of a culture that aligns with ...
Using the scale below,
rate the extent to which
you agree or disagree
with the following
statements regarding the
culture of your school
site and district:
1 Strongly Disagree
2 Moderately Disagree
3 Neither Agree or
Disagree
4 Moderately Agree
5 Strongly Agree

CB 1: School Psychologists have
policies that align with the mission
and vision of the organization.
(CB1)
The culture of the school
site and district support
the mission and vision of
the organization.

CB 2: School Psychologists have
policies that allow for the
implementation of new knowledge
to solve novel problems in their
daily work.
The culture of the school
site and district support
the implementation of
new knowledge to solve
novel problems in your
daily work.

CB 3: School Psychologists are
provided with policies that allow for
contribution to a positive work
culture.
The culture of the school
site and district support
the contribution to a
positive work culture.

Resources
(incentives; rewards; recognition,
etc.)
Stakeholders have
Using the scale below,
rate the extent to which
you agree or disagree
with the following
statements regarding the

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resources you have
available to use:
1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately Disagree
3 Neither Agree or
Disagree
4 Moderately Agree
5 Strongly Agree
CB 1: School Psychologists have
the resources and time to utilize
their knowledge and skill sets to
achieve their current goals.
The district provides
resources (incentives,
rewards, recognition) to
utilize knowledge and
skill sets to achieve your
current goals.
P. What resources
(incentives, rewards,
recognition) are needed
to be able to utilize
knowledge and skill sets
to achieve your current
goals?
CB 2: School Psychologists have
the resources and time to implement
new knowledge on their daily work.
The district provides
resources (incentives,
rewards, recognition) to
implement new
knowledge on your daily
work.

CB 3: School Psychologists have
the resources and time to contribute
to a positive work culture.
The district provides
resources (incentives,
rewards, recognition) to
contribute to a positive
work culture.

Participating Stakeholders and Sample Selection
The stakeholder group of focus for this this paper are the district school psychologists.
Within the High Desert School District, there are approximately 28 school psychologists
including full-time, new-to-the-job, and tenured practitioners. In order to work in a school
setting, school psychologists are required to have a bachelor’s degree and a Pupil Personnel
Services credential in School Psychology. The majority of practicing school psychologists’ also
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have a master’s degree in school psychology. A rising number of school psychologists are also
earning doctorate degrees as well as becoming Licensed Educational Psychologists. The sample
was drawn from the HDSD psychologist’s population and solicited to participate in an
anonymous survey. A select subset of psychologists who participated in the survey were asked to
volunteer to participate in a follow up interview.
Sampling
The criteria used in the sampling for this study were purposeful and convenience
sampling methods. Merriam and Tisdell (2016) suggest for researchers to use purposeful
sampling when the researcher desires to understand and obtain meaning. Therefore, a purposeful
sample selection was selected to gather the most information from. A convenience sampling was
also utilized based on time restrictions, location, availability, and respondents. These sample
methods were used by selecting only those faculty members who work as district school
psychologists. There are approximately 28 school psychologists within the school district. All 28
of them were selected for a survey because they are the primary practitioners responsible for
carrying out their specific work duties.
For the interviews, a subset of the initial sample was selected from those school
psychologists who participated in the survey. At the end of the survey, after submitting their
anonymous responses, the participants received a message asking if they would be willing to
participate in a follow up interview. The purpose was to further develop and understand the data
collected in the survey.
Recruitment
For the purpose of this study, the recruitment strategy seeked out all current school
psychologists who work in the school district through their email. With the permission of the
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school district, the Assistant Superintendent of Special Education was asked to provide the
school psychologists’ email addresses. A recruitment email that aligns with the Institutional
Review Board (IRB) guidelines was sent for school psychologists’ participation in a survey. The
survey was anonymous. In the anonymous survey, participants were asked to provide their name
and email address if they would like to participate in follow-up interview.
Instrumentation
The instrumentation that was used for this study are a survey protocol and a semi-
structured interview protocol.
Survey Design
Survey items were constructed to measure whether there is a gap in assumed causes by
using Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis framework regarding the school psychologists of the
school district. Using the critical behaviors of the school psychologists, survey items were
developed for each assumed cause. The survey contained 45 survey items; 15 items relating to
faculty knowledge, 18 items relating to motivation, and 12 items for organizational factors. The
survey is shown in Tables 5, 6, and 7 and was derived from the critical behaviors listed in the
Chapter Two literature review. This survey was distributed to all the school psychologists
utilizing the Qualtrics online software application.
Knowledge and Skills. In order to determine if there is a gap with the school
psychologists’ knowledge to adequately perform daily work duties, responsibilities and
accomplish their goals, the survey items for assumed knowledge influences were developed
utilizing Anderson and Krathwohl’s (2001) knowledge assessment table (shown in Table 3.1).
The survey items were categorized within the factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive
knowledge domains. The knowledge and skills survey items consisted of general questions about
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basic information regarding the role of a school psychologists, the purpose of the goals, the steps
in performing duties and responsibilities and accomplishing goals, and the metacognitive
strategies used. An example of a conceptual knowledge survey question is “using multiple choice
(a-e), which scenario should receive top priority: (a) a concerned parent is in the front office
waiting to speak to you regarding an IEP meeting scheduled for the next morning; (b) the school
site principal is requesting for you to sit in as admin. designee for an annual IEP meeting
beginning in ten minutes; (c) a student is caught passing a note in class indicating that they
are “tired of their life and can’t go on living like this any longer”; (d) you need to finishing
writing a psycho-educational report for an IEP that begins in an hour; (e) all of the above.”
Motivation. In order to determine if there is a gap with the school psychologists’
motivation to adequately perform daily work duties, responsibilities and accomplish their goals;
survey items were constructed. Rueda (2011) discusses the three common indicators related to
motivation factors as active choice, persistence, and effort. Making the decision to choose to
engage in one activity of another activity is active choice, persistence suggests a commitment to
pursuing an activity with present distractions, and mental effort implies the conceptual exertion
required to produce the learning and knowledge of new concepts (Rueda, 2011). When school
psychologists believe and have the confidence that they can accomplish a task, they are
motivated to perform that task. If they believe they cannot successfully accomplish the task, the
motivation to accomplish the task decreases.
A Likert scale (from 0 = “Do not value at all” to 5 = “Highly value”) was used for
assessing value. A Likert scale (from 0 = “Not positive at all” to 5 = “Highly positive”) was used
for mood assumed influences. Bandura’s (2006) self-efficacy scale (from 0 = “Not confident at
all” to 5 = “Highly confident”) was used for self-efficacy assumed influences. Survey questions
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inquiring confidence levels began with “how confident are you as of now...”. The Kirkpatrick
(2016) rating scale items which includes the option to “please check all that apply” were used in
the attribution survey items. The survey attribution items included questions such as who faculty
members attribute the success of goal achievement to. The motivation survey questions are
shown in Table 6.
Organization. To investigate if the organization itself is one of the causes of the gap in
the district school psychologist’s ability to adequately perform daily work duties, responsibilities
and accomplish their goals, survey items were constructed. Rueda (2011) discusses that even
with a high level of motivation to accomplish set goals, an organization itself can impede the
performance of an individual or group of individuals. The survey items included questions
associated with the resources, policies, procedures, processes, and culture of the organization. A
5-point Likert scale (from 1 = “Strongly disagree” to 5 = “Strongly agree”) was utilized in the
creation of the survey items for resources, culture, policies, processes, and procedures as shown
in Table 7.
Interview Protocol Design
To triangulate the data collected in the surveys, open-ended interviews were conducted
using a subset of the school psychologists who volunteered at the end of the survey. The
questions that asked are shown in Table 5 for knowledge, Table 6 for motivation, and Table 7 for
organizational factors. The interview consisted of 16 primary interview questions. An example of
a conceptual knowledge interview question that was asked is “Please explain how you find new
knowledge within your district”. An example of a conceptual knowledge follow-up interview
question was “How would describe the opportunities for professional development offered
within your district?”. An example of motivational interview question is “Please comment on
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how confident you feel solving novel problems in your daily work”. An example of
organizational interview question is “to what extent does the culture of the district implement
policies that allow for the implementation of new knowledge to solve novel problems in your
daily work?”. The interview did not last more than 45 minutes per participant.
Data Collection
Following University of Southern California Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval,
participants were solicited by email. A request was sent to the Assistant Superintendent of
Special Education for the email addresses of all the school psychologists working within the
High Desert School District.
Surveys
Data was collected through surveys. Email addresses were solicitated through the Special
Education and Student Services office. The email sent has a link, which when clicked on will
open the survey. An information sheet was sent in the body of the email notifying the participants
that completing the survey will indicate their willingness to participate. The first email reminder
to complete the survey, was sent to the school psychologists on the seventh day after the initial
email was sent. The second email reminder to complete the survey, was sent to the school
psychologists on the tenth day after the second email was sent. The third email sent indicated that
the survey closed on the fifteenth day.
Interviews
The interviews were scheduled ahead of time (at least 7 days before the interview date),
and the interviewees chose the location that was conducive to them. The interview was recorded
and then transcribed. The interview was anticipated to last no more than 45 minutes. All who
agreed to participate in the interview were interviewed until saturation occurred (Merriam &
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Tisdell, 2016), that is, when it became noticeable that the responses were duplicative in nature.
Data Analysis
Surveys
The data gathered from the surveys were analyzed using descriptive statistics (which
included the mean and standard deviation scores). Frequencies among the knowledge,
motivation, and organization items were analyzed. When analyzing for knowledge and skills, the
categories of knowledge were categorized into factual, conceptual, procedural, and
metacognitive knowledge types. To examine motivation, the data was identified and grouped into
value, self-efficacy, mood, and attribution. To examine the organization, the data was categorized
into resources (time, finances, people), policies, processes, and procedures, culture, and
resources (incentives, rewards, recognition).
Interviews
The recorded interview was transcribed with the addition of collected notes taken during
each interview. The transcribed document was reviewed and coded (using the Tables 5, 6, and 7)
and based on Clark and Estes’ (2008) knowledge, motivation, and organization framework by
means of frequencies and common themes. The frequencies and common themes in knowledge
were categorized into factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge types. From
the interview, the variables associated with motivation were identified and grouped into value,
self-efficacy, mood, and attribution. Finally, the variables associated with the organization were
categorized into resources (time, finances, people), policies, processes, and procedures, culture,
and resources (incentives, rewards, recognition).

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Trustworthiness of Data
In order to maintain the credibility and trustworthiness of this study, a triangulation
strategy was used. As described by Merriam and Tisdell (2016), triangulation is act of using
multiple investigators, sources of data or data collection methods to confirm evolving findings.
This study triangulated the findings and results of the survey and interviews to enhance the
trustworthiness of the data.
Role of Investigator
The investigator in this study served a critical role. The role of the investigator was to
explain the purpose of the study to the individuals involved (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The
author of this project is the subject matter expert; the district school psychologists of the High
Desert School District. The role of the author within the High Desert School District included
implementing Special Education best practices throughout their assigned site and school district.
The district school psychologists’ function at a different school site from the author but work
within the same special education department also implementing best practices. It is assumed
that the school psychologists were willing to share information with the author as the expectation
is that, if applicable, the author was able to help improve and implement solutions within the
High Desert School District. The author was aware of the role and impact on relationships with
the school psychologists as people, rather than as subjects for this study. The author considered,
ahead of data collection, the protection of the participants, discussed their right to privacy,
confidentiality, and was transparent with them in the submission to the institution’s Internal
Review Board (IRB).

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Limitations
This project was a study on the school psychologists of a High Desert school district. The
findings will not only be applicable to the school psychologists of the High Desert School
District, but to other school districts struggling with similar issues. However, it must be noted
that results or solutions found in this study might not be applicable to other school districts
residing outside of the High Desert or in communities that differ in population, socioeconomic
status, or poverty level. As a result, the recommendations will only be fully functional in the
High Desert. The gaps that were identified and the solutions that were recommended might not
be generalized to other school districts due to the study being from a specific school district in
the High Desert. The author of the project works at the High Desert School District. This could
bring bias to the study, especially if the author interprets the data to validate their own beliefs in
the cause of the gap. The degree of disagreement or unhappiness from the school psychologists
toward the High Desert School District might also negatively skew the data. This level of
disagreement between the two might hinder the amount of survey and interview responses.

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CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND FINDINGS
Assumed knowledge, motivation, and organization gaps related to understanding the
assets and needs for the HDSD to examine the issues of decreased job satisfaction, lack of
engagement, and high turnover rates of their school psychologists identified in Chapter Two and
Chapter Three were assessed. Surveys and interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data.
Multiple sources of qualitative data were collected to validate the assumed causes. Specifically,
survey and interview data were collected to understand the knowledge, motivation, and
organization challenges school psychologists encounter on a daily basis and throughout their
employment in HDSD. As a result, the results of the surveys and interviews have been organized
into corresponding assumed knowledge, motivation, and organization domains.
The researcher was granted permission to collect data from all current district
psychologists within HDSD. During a monthly psychologist meeting, the recruitment letter that
aligns with the IRB guidelines was passed out and read aloud to solicit interested participants.
Interested participants were asked to directly email the researcher indicating their interest in
participation in the study. The researcher individually replied to each interested participant
containing the Information Sheet/Informed Consent indicating the purpose of the study,
participant involvement, confidentiality, investigator contact information, and IRB contact
information. Participants were asked to provide a “wet” signature on the Information
Sheet/Informed Consent, indicating their voluntary participation, and send the signed document
to the researcher via intra-district mail. Once the researcher received all signed documentation,
the participants were individually emailed a Qualtrics survey link to the research survey. At the
end of the anonymous Qualtrics survey, participants were asked to email the researcher directly,
providing their name and email address if they would like to participate in a follow-up interview.
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The option to be interviewed came after completion of the survey so that participants could have
a better understanding of the research study topic and have an unassertive means of solicitation
without the social pressures that can transpire through a direct, personal encounter.
Participating Stakeholders

Thirty district school psychologists were the stakeholders of focus for this study. This
population included full-time, new-to-the-job, and tenured practitioners. The stakeholders
included three preschool psychologists, 20 elementary psychologists, and five middle school
psychologists. Education levels of the stakeholders vary from graduate to post-graduate degrees.
At the time of survey distribution, out of the 30 district psychologists that had begun working at
the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, two psychologists had personally chosen to
terminate their contract with the HDSD and left their positions. This in turn, reduced the
population the sample was derived from. All 28 remaining school psychologists were included in
the population to be surveyed because they are the only practitioners responsible for carrying out
their specific work duties. The population surveyed included 23 district school psychologists. Of
the 23 eligible district psychologists, 16 completed the survey (response rate of approximately
67%). Although all psychologists were invited to participate in an interview, only four district
psychologists volunteered to participate in interviews.
Determination of Assets and Needs
This study utilized two methods of data collection: surveys and interviews. These two
data sources were used as the criteria for determining the needs of the district school
psychologists according to the assumed causes. These assumed causes and the description of the
survey and the survey items are discussed in depth in Chapter Three. The survey results provided
the criteria for determining the needs of the assumed knowledge, motivation, and organization
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influences. The criteria used for determining any gaps from the survey data on assumed
knowledge, motivation, and organization influences were as follows: results with less than 80%
indicate a gap in all knowledge domains; results with less 80% of responses in the “extremely”
and “highly” range indicates a gap in all motivation domains except the attribution domain;
within the motivation domain of attribution, less than 80% of responses in the “My Efforts”
category indicates a gap; and results with less than 80% in the “strongly agree” or “somewhat
agree” range indicates a gap in all organization domains. Interview data was utilized to either
confirm or challenge survey results through agreements among the participants and detail of
responses. Interviews were also used to elaborate on survey results and to detect any
discrepancies between survey results and interview data. To maintain the credibility and
trustworthiness of this study, a triangulation strategy was utilized by using multiple sources of
data and data collection methods to confirm evolving findings.
Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes
District school psychologists’ knowledge was assessed through surveys and interviews.
Results of the surveys and interviews are presented for each assumed cause within the domains
of knowledge: declarative factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive. Results of
knowledge surveys in Tables 8-22 and interviews are used to determine whether or not assumed
gaps are present.
Factual Knowledge
Surveys and interviews were used to assess district psychologists’ declarative knowledge.
District school psychologists were surveyed on the knowledge they needed to successfully and
effectively implement their knowledge and skills to perform their work duties. Results have been
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organized and evaluated in order to assess whether or not there is a gap regarding the assumed
causes.
Factual knowledge influence 1: School Psychologists know what their daily duties,
roles, and responsibilities are.
Survey results. District psychologists were asked to choose the correct definition of their
daily duties, roles, and responsibilities from a list of five possible answers. The accuracy in
identifying the correct answer was 100%. The threshold for this item is 80% due to the emphasis
the research places on the role of the school psychologist and the continued evolving needs of the
students, families, districts, and communities. Therefore, there is no need for psychologists’
factual knowledge of daily duties, roles, and responsibilities.
Table 8

Results of the Knowledge Survey

# Factual Knowledge Item 1 % Count
Daily duties, roles, and responsibilities include:
1
Provide state and federally mandated psycho-educational services to
the schools including: assessment, counseling, consultation, crisis
intervention, program evaluation, case management, and staff
development. *
100% 16
2
Only provide state and federally mandated psycho-educational
assessment of students referred for special education consideration,
including initial evaluations, re-evaluation and triennials.
0% 0
3
Only provide crisis intervention, suicide and threat assessments, and
grief counseling to the general population of students at his/her
school(s), and to other schools within the District, as needed.

0% 0
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4 Only participate in other IEP meetings as requested or deemed
appropriate by the school administrator, District administration, or IEP
team administrative designee, including 30-day transfer review
meetings and meetings in which a change of placement to a more
restrictive setting is under consideration for a student with special
needs.
0% 0
5 None of the above. 0% 0
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interview respondents were asked to describe their daily duties, roles,
and responsibilities. There was clear agreement between the four interviewed participants on
knowing their daily duties, roles, and responsibilities within their perspective school sites. All
participants noted that their main daily duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to
assessing students for special education consideration, putting out fires as they occur, counseling
students as a part of their IEP counseling services and goals, crisis counseling or at risk
counseling for students as the need arises, conducting risk assessments and threat assessments,
linking parents to outside supports, consulting with general/special. In summary, the interviewed
school psychologists demonstrated factual knowledge of knowing what their daily duties, roles,
and responsibilities are, and therefore this influence was supported by the interviews.
Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD know
what their daily duties, roles, and responsibilities are. The established threshold for this item was
set at 80%. All of the school psychologists surveyed and interviewed indicated that they know
what their daily duties, roles, and responsibilities are. Although the interviewed participants have
site assignments that vary by student age and grade level, they all shared similar definitions of
their general duties as district psychologists. Since 100% of the surveyed participants agreed to
knowing what their daily duties, roles, and responsibilities are there is no noted gap for this
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assumed influence. The assumed knowledge of school psychologists knowing what their daily
duties, roles, and responsibilities is supported.
Factual knowledge influence 1: School Psychologists know what their work goals are.
District psychologists were asked to choose the correct definition of their overall work
goal from a list of five possible answers. The accuracy in identifying the correct answer was
75%. The threshold for this item is 80% due to the emphasis the research places on the role of
the school psychologist and the continued evolving needs of the students, families, districts, and
communities. Therefore, there is a need for psychologists’ factual knowledge of overall work
goals.
Table 9
Results of the Knowledge Survey
# Factual Knowledge Item 2 % Count
The overall work goal is:
1
To provide quality services to only special education students. 12.5% 2
2
To provide RTI and DIS counseling services to only at-risk general
education students.
0% 0
3
To provide quality services to students with extraordinary challenges
thus affording at-risk students full access to the District Promise
including a rigorous education and a rich social experience, whether
these barriers are caused by health, disability, academic or behavioral
difficulties. *
75% 12
4 To provide any service your direct supervisor tells you to provide,
including: acting as administrator for the day and running his/her
errands when asked.
0% 0
5 None of the above. 12.5% 2
Total 100% 16
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Interview findings. Interview respondents were asked to describe their overall work
goals. Each of the four interviewed participants indicated responses that varied slightly.
Participant 2 noted that “My work goals are to support the kids in their learning and their
education and help them move into less restrictive settings so they can learn better, more
successfully.” Participant 4 stating that “My goal is to continue to seek professional development
so that I am always aware of doing more compliant and legally defensible assessments, ensuring
that I'm always up to date on any changes that are taking place with the law to ensure that I'm in
compliance with our IEPs and assessments.” In summary, the interviewed school psychologists
struggled to demonstrate factual knowledge of knowing what their overall work goal is, and
therefore this influence was not supported by the interviews.
Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD know
what their overall work goal is. Due to the emphasis the research places on the role of the school
psychologist and the continued evolving needs of the students, families, districts, and
communities, the established threshold for this survey item was set at 80%. Only 75% of the
school psychologists surveyed indicated that they know what their overall work goal is
indicating a gap. There is room for improvement in regard to the district psychologists having a
clear understanding of what their overall work goal is. There was also variation in the responses
of the interviewed participants. Some participants indicated goals related to professional growth
and others shared goals related to their assignments. Since only 75% of the surveyed participants
agreed to knowing what their overall work goals are, there is a noted gap for this assumed
influence. The assumed knowledge of school psychologists knowing what their overall work
goal is, is not supported.
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Factual knowledge influence 1: School Psychologist have the factual knowledge to perform
their work duties.
District psychologists were asked to choose the correct definition of the process of an
evaluation from a list of five possible answers. The accuracy in identifying the correct answer
was 100%. The threshold for this item is 80% due to the emphasis the research places on the role
of the school psychologist and the continued evolving needs of the students, families, districts,
and communities. Therefore, psychologists’ factual knowledge of work duties is an asset.
Table 10

Results of the Knowledge Survey
# Factual Knowledge Item 3 % Count
The process of an evaluation includes:
1
Conducting the entire assessment by yourself, writing the psycho-
educational report, and holding the IEP meeting with only the
psychologist and the parent.
0% 0
2
Conducting the observations and assessment prior to obtaining
informed consent from parent and holding the IEP meeting with only
the psychologist and the parent.
0% 0
3
Conducting the assessment, developing the psycho-educational report,
and Holding the IEP meeting without the parent or other critical
member of the IEP team.
0% 0
4 Informed parent consent, review and analysis of student records,
observations, interviews, provision for new assessments in all suspected
areas of delay to gain information about the student's present levels of
performance, developing the psycho-educational assessment report,
facilitation of the IEP meeting, assisting with the determination of
eligibility, assisting with the development of IEP goals, and assisting with
the determination of services and placement. *
100% 16
5 All of the above. 0% 0
Total 100% 16
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Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists have the factual
knowledge to perform their work duties. Since 100% of the surveyed participants demonstrated
to knowing what the process of an evaluation entails, there is no room for improvement for this
influence. The assumed knowledge of school psychologists knowing what the process of an
evaluation involves, is supported.
Factual knowledge influence 1: School Psychologists know what novel problems are.
District psychologists were asked to choose the correct definition of what a novel
problem is from a list of five possible answers. The accuracy in identifying the correct answer
was 87.5%. The threshold for this item is 80% due to the emphasis the research places on the
role of the school psychologist and the continued evolving needs of the students, families,
districts, and communities. Therefore, psychologists’ factual knowledge of novel problems is an
asset.
Table 11

Results of the Knowledge Survey
# Factual Knowledge Item 4 % Count
A novel problem is:
1
A familiar problem of practice. 0% 0
2
An important problem of practice. 6.3% 1
3
A new or unfamiliar problem of practice. * 87.5% 14
4 An unimportant problem of practice. 0% 0
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5 None of the above. 6.3% 1
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologist know what novel problems
are. The established threshold for this influence was set at 80%. Since 87.5% of the surveyed
participants demonstrated knowing what novel problems are, this influence is an asset. The
assumed knowledge of school psychologists knowing what the process of an evaluation involves,
is supported.
Factual knowledge influence 2: School Psychologists know the meaning of
engagement and satisfaction.
Survey results. District psychologists were asked to choose the correct definition of
engagement and satisfaction from a list of five possible answers. The accuracy in identifying the
correct answer was 92.9%. The threshold for this item is 80% due to the emphasis the research
places on the exigency of engagement and job satisfaction in human service careers to warrant
the best, consistent services to clients. Therefore, psychologists’ factual knowledge of
engagement or satisfaction is an asset.

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Table 12

Results of the Knowledge Survey

# Factual Knowledge Item 5 % Count
Engagement and satisfaction are defined as:
1
An emotional involvement or commitment and fulfillment of a need or
want. *
92.9% 13
2
An unemotional commitment and the unfulfillment of a need. 0% 0
3
An over-emotional need to involve oneself in another’s job and a
fulfillment of another’s needs.
0% 0
4 All of the above. 0% 0
5 None of the above. 7.1% 1
Total 100% 14

Interview findings. Interview respondents were asked to define the terms engagement
and satisfaction. There was clear agreement between the four interviewed participants on the
definitions of engagement and satisfaction. The participants all noted that engagement involves
working as a team, having a shared vision, and having open communication with team members.
The participants noted that satisfaction involves feeling fulfilled with the work they are
producing. In summary, the interviewed school psychologists demonstrated factual knowledge
of knowing the definitions of engagement and satisfaction, and therefore this influence was
supported by the interviews.
Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD know
what the meaning of engagement and satisfaction are. The established threshold for this survey
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item was set at 80%. Since 92.9% of school psychologists surveyed indicated that know the
definitions of engagement and satisfaction are, there is no need for improvement for this
influence. There was overall agreement with the responses from the interviewed participants.
Since 92.9% of the surveyed participants agreed to knowing the definitions of engagement and
satisfaction, there is no gap for this assumed influence. The assumed knowledge of school
psychologists knowing the definitions of engagement and satisfaction, is supported.
Factual knowledge influence 3: School Psychologists know what a positive work
culture is.
Survey results. District psychologists were asked to choose the correct definition of a
positive work culture from a list of five possible answers. The accuracy in identifying the correct
answer was 100%. The threshold for this item is 80% due to the emphasis the research places on
how a positive school climate makes a school a place where all students, staff, and families want
to be a part of, feel safe, and happy. Therefore, there is no need for psychologists’ factual
knowledge of a positive school climate.
Table 13

Results of the Knowledge Survey

# Factual Knowledge Item 6 % Count
A positive work culture:
1
Is where employees are allowed to do whatever it is they feel needs to
be done.
0% 0
2
Leads to increased productivity, better employee morale and the ability
to keep skilled workers. *
100% 16
3
Is where employees are not given adequate praise and appreciation for
their contributions.
0% 0
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4 All of the above. 0% 0
5 None of the above. 0% 0
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interview respondents were asked to describe what a positive work
culture is. There was clear agreement between the four interviewed participants on what a
positive work culture is. The participants shared that a positive work culture must involve an
environment where there can be disagreements but respect towards each other, where people feel
valued and welcomed, and where people feel appreciated. In summary, the interviewed school
psychologists demonstrated factual knowledge of knowing what a positive work culture is, and
therefore this influence was supported by the interviews.
Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD know
what the definition of a positive work culture. The established threshold for this survey item was
set at 80%. Since 100% of the school psychologists surveyed indicated that they know what a
positive work culture is, there is no gap for this assumed influence. The assumed knowledge of
school psychologists understanding what a positive work culture entails, is supported.
Conceptual Knowledge
School psychologists’ conceptual knowledge was assessed through surveys and
interviews. School psychologists were surveyed on the conceptual knowledge necessary to
successfully and effectively implement their knowledge and skills to perform their work duties.
Results have been organized and evaluated in order to assess whether or not there is a gap
regarding the assumed causes.
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Conceptual knowledge influence 1. School Psychologists will be required to identify
knowledge related to job goals.
Survey results. District psychologists were asked to indicate the components of critical
knowledge related to job goals from a list of five possible answers. The accuracy in identifying
the correct answer was 93.8%. The threshold for this item is 80% due to the emphasis the
research places on school psychologists’ proficiency levels in mental health, learning, behavior,
and researched-based interventions to assist students with accessing the academic curriculum
while appropriately adjusting socially and emotionally within their educational environments.
Therefore, there is no need for improvement in psychologists’ conceptual knowledge of critical
knowledge related to job goals.
Table 14

Results of the Knowledge Survey

# Conceptual Knowledge Item 1 % Count
Critical knowledge related to job goals includes:
1
Ability to state 13 criterias of SPED eligibility. 0% 0
2
Ability to state SPED timelines for California. 0% 0
3
Ability to verbally interpret and state evaluation and assessment results
to IEP team members.
6.3% 1
4 All of the above. * 93.8% 15
5 None of the above. 0% 0
Total 100% 16

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Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists are able to identify critical
job components. The established threshold for this influence was set at 80%. Since 93.8% of the
surveyed participants were able to identify the critical job components of a school psychologist,
there is no need for improvement for this influence. The assumed knowledge of school
psychologists knowing critical job components is supported.
Conceptual knowledge influence 1. School Psychologists know how their work relates
to the organization’s process.
District psychologists were asked to indicate how their work relates to the district’s
process from a list of five possible answers. The accuracy in identifying the correct answer was
75%. The threshold for this item is 80% due to the emphasis the research places on school
psychologists’ proficiency levels in mental health, learning, behavior, and researched-based
interventions to assist students with accessing the academic curriculum while appropriately
adjusting socially and emotionally within their educational environments. Therefore, there is a
need for improvement in psychologists’ conceptual knowledge of how their work relates to the
district’s overall process.

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Table 15

Results of the Knowledge Survey

# Conceptual Knowledge Item 2 % Count
The psychologists’ work relates to the district’s process by:
1
Providing a full range of services to at-risk and special needs students. 25% 4
2
Providing early identification of needs and early intervention services
for students.
0% 0
3
Fostering positive school attendance and connectedness to school. 0% 0
4 All of the above. * 75% 12
5 None of the above. 0% 0
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interview respondents were asked to describe their work related to
the district’s overall process. Each of the four interviewed participants indicated responses that
varied slightly. Participant 2 noted “I collect data. I synthesize data, on students' achievements
and needs, which helps in designing appropriate programs.” Participant 4 stated that “Honestly,
when I hear the word High Desert Promise, I just hear High Desert Promise. I honestly don't
know what that promise is. So, for me to say if my work meets their idea of what the High Desert
Promise is, I honestly don't know.” In summary, the interviewed school psychologists struggled
to demonstrate conceptual knowledge of knowing how their work relates to the district’s overall
process, and therefore this influence was not supported by the interviews.
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Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD know
their work relates to the district’s overall process. Due to the emphasis the research places on the
school psychologists’ proficiency levels in mental health, learning, behavior, and researched-
based interventions to assist students with accessing the academic curriculum while
appropriately adjusting socially and emotionally within their educational environments, the
established threshold for this survey item was set at 80%. Only 75% of the school psychologists
surveyed indicated that they know how their overall work relates to the district’s process,
therefore indicating a gap. There is room for improvement in regard to the district psychologists
having a clear understanding of how their overall work relates to the district’s process. There was
also variation in the responses of the interviewed participants. Some participants shared how
their work relates to the district’s established “promise” and others shared how their work relates
to additional components of the school district. Since only 75% of the surveyed participants
agreed to knowing how their work relates to the district’s overall process, there is a noted gap for
this assumed influence. The assumed knowledge of school psychologists knowing how their
overall work relates to the district’s process is not supported.
Conceptual knowledge influence 1. School Psychologists know how their work duties
relate to others.
District psychologists were asked to indicate how their work duties relate to others from a
list of five possible answers. The accuracy in identifying the correct answer was 50%. The
threshold for this item is 80% due to the emphasis the research places on school psychologists’
proficiency levels in mental health, learning, behavior, and researched-based interventions to
assist students with accessing the academic curriculum while appropriately adjusting socially and
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emotionally within their educational environments. Therefore, there is a need for improvement in
psychologists’ conceptual knowledge of how their work relates to others.
Table 16

Results of the Knowledge Survey

# Conceptual Knowledge Item 3 % Count
My work duties relate to others:
1
By ensuring that all students reach their maximum academic potential. 12.5% 2
2
By providing consultative services to teachers regarding students with
academic or behavioral needs.
37.5% 6
3
By acting as Administrator Designee when asked by supervising
Administrator.
0% 0
4 By supporting staff and students during and after a crisis. 0% 0
5 All of the above. * 50% 8
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interview respondents were asked to describe their work relates to
others. Each of the four interviewed participants indicated responses that varied slightly;
however shared underlying components. Participant 1 noted that “I think I'm an accessible
resource for staff and parents that if they need help supporting a child, that it's not purely an
academic need, that they know that they can come to me for ideas or links, agency referrals.”
Participant 4 stated that “So being able to have that ability to determine exactly why the student
is struggling helps the staff, helps the students and helps the parents be more informed of the
supports the student needs. It also helps the teachers have an understanding about how they can
support their student within the classroom setting. It also helps administrators to have an
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understanding of the difficulties that the child might have and why they're behaving the way that
they're behaving.” In summary, the interviewed school psychologists demonstrated conceptual
knowledge of knowing how their work relates to others, and therefore this influence was
supported by the interviews.
Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD know
their work relates to others. The established threshold for this survey item was set at 80% and
75% of the school psychologists surveyed indicated that they know how their overall work
relates to others, therefore indicating a gap. There is room for improvement in regard to the
district psychologists having a clear understanding of how their overall work relates to others.
There was also slight variation in the responses of the interviewed participants. The participants
shared how their work relates to the teachers, staff, families, and students at the perspective
school sites they work at. Since only 75% of the surveyed participants agreed to knowing how
their work relates to others, there is a noted gap for this assumed influence. The assumed
knowledge of school psychologists knowing how their overall work relates to others is not
supported.
Conceptual knowledge influence 1. School Psychologists know how to classify and
prioritize types of problems.
District psychologists were asked to indicate which scenario should receive top priority
from a list of five possible answers. The accuracy in identifying the correct answer was 87.5%.
The threshold for this item is 80% due to the emphasis the research places on school
psychologists’ proficiency levels in mental health, learning, behavior, and researched-based
interventions to assist students with accessing the academic curriculum while appropriately
adjusting socially and emotionally within their educational environments. Therefore, there is no
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need for improvement in psychologists’ conceptual knowledge on how to classify and prioritize
types of work problems.
Table 17

Results of the Knowledge Survey

# Conceptual Knowledge Item 4 % Count
Which scenario should receive top priority?
1
A concerned parent is in the front office waiting to speak to you
regarding an IEP meeting scheduled for the next morning.
0% 0
2
The school site principal is requesting for you to sit in as admin.
designee for an annual IEP meeting beginning in ten minutes.
0% 0
3
A student is caught passing a note in class indicating that they are
“tired of their life and can’t go on living like this any longer”. *
87.5% 14
4 You need to finish writing a psycho-educational report for an IEP that
begins in an hour.
0% 0
5 All of the above. 12.5% 2
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interview respondents were asked to describe their process on how to
classify and prioritize work problems. There was clear agreement between the four interviewed
participants on how to classify and prioritize work problems. Participant 1 noted that “As a
school psychologist, we have deadlines. We have deadlines tied to California ed code. We have
deadlines tied to IDEA, where we have to follow federal laws. We have to follow state laws. So,
with assessments, I know that I have to meet those deadlines and those are my priorities.”
Participant 2 agreed by making a similar comment regarding state and federal timelines but
added the importance of prioritizing emergencies (suicide risk assessments, threat assessments,
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and crisis). In summary, the interviewed school psychologists demonstrated conceptual
knowledge of knowing the process on how to classify and prioritize work problems, and
therefore this influence was supported by the interviews.
Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD know
how to classify and prioritize work problems. The established threshold for this survey item was
set at 80%. Since 87.5% of the school psychologists surveyed indicated that they know how to
classify and prioritize work problems, there is no gap for this assumed influence. The assumed
knowledge of school psychologists understanding how to classify and prioritize work problems
is supported.
Conceptual knowledge influence 1. School Psychologists know how novel problems
relate to performance goals.
District psychologists were asked to indicate how solving novel problems relates to
performance goals from a list of five possible answers. The accuracy in identifying the correct
answer was 53.3%. The threshold for this item is 80% due to the emphasis the research places on
school psychologists’ proficiency levels in mental health, learning, behavior, and researched-
based interventions to assist students with accessing the academic curriculum while
appropriately adjusting socially and emotionally within their educational environments.
Therefore, there is a need for psychologists’ conceptual knowledge on how solving novel
problems relates to performance goals.

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Table 18

Results of the Knowledge Survey

# Conceptual Knowledge Item 5 % Count
Solving novel problems relates to performance goals by:
1
Utilizing the ability to interpret, relate, and incorporate new
information with existing knowledge and apply the new information to
solve novel problems. *
53.3% 8
2
Relating old information to existing knowledge to solve novel
problems.
0% 0
3
Incorporating existing information with new knowledge to solve
current problems.
6.7% 1
4 All of the above. 40% 6
5 None of the above. 0% 0
Total 100% 15

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists know how novel problems
relate to performance goals. The established threshold for this influence was set at 80%. Since
53.3% of the surveyed participants were able to identify the critical job components of a school
psychologist, there is room for improvement for this influence. The assumed knowledge of
school psychologists knowing how novel problems relate to performance goals is not supported.

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Conceptual knowledge influence 2. School Psychologists are able to identify the
components of a positive work culture.
Survey results. District psychologists were asked to indicate the components of a positive
work culture from a list of five possible answers. The accuracy in identifying the correct answer
was 75%. The threshold for this item is 80% due to the emphasis the research places on school
psychologists’ ability to work closely with students, families, teachers, administrators, other
service providers, and communities to ensure that all students are safe and learning. Therefore,
there is a need for improvement in psychologists’ conceptual knowledge of the components of a
positive work culture.
Table 19

Results of the Knowledge Survey

# Conceptual Knowledge Item 6 % Count
A positive work culture entails:
1
Clear mission and purpose. 0% 0
2
Respect among all employees. 25% 4
3
Solid communication between all employees. 0% 0
4 Superior performance and results. 0% 0
5 All of the above. * 75% 12
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists know what a positive
work culture entails. The established threshold for this influence was set at 80%. Since 75% of
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the surveyed participants were able to identify the components of a positive work culture, there is
room for improvement for this influence. The assumed knowledge of school psychologists
knowing what a positive work culture entails is not supported.
Procedural Knowledge
School psychologists’ procedural knowledge was assessed through surveys and
interviews. District psychologists were surveyed on the procedural knowledge necessary to
successfully and effectively implement their knowledge and skills to perform their work duties.
Results have been organized and evaluated in order to assess whether or not there is a gap
regarding the assumed causes.
Procedural knowledge influence 1. School Psychologists will know how to use the
skills to achieve their goals.
Survey results. District psychologists were asked to indicate the critical skills required to
achieve work goals from a list of five possible answers. The accuracy in identifying the correct
answer was 93.8%. The threshold for this item is 80% due to the emphasis the research places on
the importance of appropriate trainings and workshops to provide school psychologists with the
knowledge and skills to apply to their daily work and achieve their goals. Therefore, there is no
need for improvement in psychologists’ procedural knowledge of knowing the critical skills
required to achieve work goals.

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Table 20

Results of the Knowledge Survey

# Procedural Knowledge Item 1 % Count
Critical skills required to achieve goals include:
1
The ability to accurately administer assessments. 0% 0
2
The ability to accurately interpret assessment results. 6.3% 1
3
The ability to verbally share assessment results in front of IEP team. 0% 0
4 The ability to provide counseling services to a variety of students. 0% 0
5 All of the above. * 93.8% 15
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists know what critical skills
are required to achieve goals. The established threshold for this influence was set at 80%. Since
93.8% of the surveyed participants were able to identify the critical skills required to achieve
goals, there is no need for improvement for this influence. The assumed knowledge of school
psychologists knowing what critical skills are required to achieve goals is supported.
Procedural knowledge influence 1. School Psychologists know how to find new
knowledge to to apply to their daily work.
District psychologists were asked to indicate how new knowledge is discovered from a
list of five possible answers. The accuracy in identifying the correct answer was 100%. The
threshold for this item is 80% due to the emphasis the research places on the importance of
appropriate trainings and workshops to provide school psychologists with the knowledge and
skills to apply to their daily work and achieve their goals. Therefore, there is no need for
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improvement in psychologists’ procedural knowledge of knowing how new knowledge is
discovered.
Table 21

Results of the Knowledge Survey

# Procedural Knowledge Item 2 % Count
New knowledge is discovered by:
1
Attending appropriate professional development trainings and
workshops. *
100% 16
2
Attending professional development trainings and workshops intended
for other academic professions.
0% 0
3
Not attending professional development trainings and workshops due
to budget restraints.
0% 0
4 Attending professional development trainings and workshops without
the ability to practice new knowledge within work environment.
0% 0
5 None of the above. 0% 0
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interview respondents were asked to describe how they find new
knowledge within their school district. There was clear agreement between the four interviewed
participants on how to find new knowledge within the school district. Participant 3 noted that “I
do a lot of webinars on my own that I pay for. And I listen to podcasts and I collaborate a lot
with my peers and figure out what they're learning and how I can apply it. And then I read
professional journals and research.” Participant 4 agreed by stating that: “Most of my
information comes from my own research, speaking to other psychologists within this district
who may have more knowledge than I do. Or even sometimes, talking to some of our program
specialists.” In summary, the interviewed school psychologists demonstrated procedural
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knowledge of knowing how to find new knowledge within their school district, and therefore this
influence was supported by the interviews.
Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD know to
find new knowledge within the school district. The established threshold for this survey item was
set at 80% and 100% of the school psychologists surveyed indicated that they know how new
knowledge is discovered; therefore no gap is noted. There is no need for improvement in regard
to the district psychologists having a clear understanding of how to find new knowledge within
the school district. There was also clear agreement in the responses of the interviewed
participants. The participants shared how they look to other psychologists, attend trainings, and
seek out information on their own time. Since only 100% of the surveyed participants agreed to
knowing how to find new knowledge within the district, there is no gap for this assumed
influence. The assumed knowledge of school psychologists knowing how to find new
knowledge, is supported.
Procedural knowledge influence 2. School Psychologists know how to create a positive
work environment.
Survey results. District psychologists were asked to indicate how to create a positive
work culture from a list of five possible answers. The accuracy in identifying the correct answer
was 87.5%. The threshold for this item is 80% due to the emphasis the research places on school
psychologists’ ability to apply the knowledge and skills necessary to practice self-care and
promote a positive work environment. Therefore, there is no need for improvements in
psychologists’ procedural knowledge of how to create a positive work culture.

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Table 22

Results of the Knowledge Survey

# Procedural Knowledge Item 3 % Count
Creating a positive work environment consists of:
1
Use of an assessment tool to gather information about perceptions of
school climate.
0% 0
2
Compilation of data in a form that can be used as feedback about
perceptions of school climate.
6.3% 1
3
Reflection and discussion of findings to help clarify implications and
identify areas needing change.
6.3% 1
4 Development and implementation of an intervention and re-assessment
to determine whether change has occurred.
0% 0
5 All of the above. * 87.5% 14
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interview respondents were asked to describe how they would create
a positive work environment. There was clear agreement between the four interviewed
participants on how to create a positive work environment within the school district. Participant
1 noted that “At this school, I've tried to remain positive, I've tried to support others, I've tried to
encourage others, and making sure that those pathways for communication are open, and people
understand each other.” Participant 4 agreed by stating that “Being open minded, being open to
hearing other people's ideas and their input and just hearing their perspectives, because many
times they just need to be heard. Being willing to go and seek out their input without them
perceiving I'm judging them or already have a negative perception of their thoughts towards any
student.” In summary, the interviewed school psychologists demonstrated procedural knowledge
of knowing how to create a positive work environment, and therefore this influence was
supported by the interviews.
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Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD know to
find new knowledge within the school district. The established threshold for this survey item was
set at 80% and 87.5% of school psychologists surveyed indicated that they know how new
knowledge is discovered, therefore no gap is noted. There is no need for improvement in regard
to the district psychologists having a clear understanding of how to find new knowledge within
the school district. There was also clear agreement in the responses of the interviewed
participants. The participants shared how they look to other psychologists, attend trainings, and
seek out information on their own time. Since 87.5% of the surveyed participants agreed to
knowing how to find new knowledge within the district, there is no gap for this assumed
influence. The assumed knowledge of school psychologists knowing how to find new knowledge
is supported.
Metacognitive Knowledge
School psychologists’ metacognitive knowledge was assessed through interviews.
District psychologists were interviewed on the metacognitive knowledge necessary to
successfully and effectively implement their knowledge and skills to perform their work duties.
Results have been organized and evaluated in order to assess whether or not there is a gap
regarding the assumed causes.
Metacognitive knowledge influence 1. School Psychologists reflect on their progress
toward achieving their goals.
Survey results: Surveys were not conducted for this influence.
Interview findings. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD
can reflect on progress towards achieving work goals. Although there were slight differences in
the responses provided by the four interviewed participants, they all demonstrated their own
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personal ways of reflection. Participant 3 noted that “I guess I use my gauge, my personal gauge
for my achievements, my personal growth, my professional growth. It's based on the feedback
that I hear. So from my peers or and from my parents, the parents that I work with, and from my
staff and my support staff as well as administration.” Participant 4 stated that “Honestly,
throughout the year, it's hard for me to evaluate whether or not I am working towards that,
because then I get so involved in the different cases that I have. But I notice when there's breaks,
that's when I sit down and I take a look. "Okay, how have I been doing? Is this what I want to
work towards? What do I need to change? Do I need to create something for myself to be able to
be more efficient?” In summary, the interviewed school psychologists demonstrated
metacognitive knowledge of reflecting on progress towards achieving work goals, and therefore
this influence was supported by the interviews.
Summary. The interviewed school psychologists demonstrated metacognitive knowledge
of knowing how to reflect on progress towards achieving goals, and therefore this influence was
supported by the interviews. There was clear agreement in the responses of the interviewed
participants. The participants shared how they reflect on their progress towards achieving goals.
The participants mentioned how they use a personal gauge for professional and personal growth,
utilizing feedback from others, and having a plan. The assumed knowledge of school
psychologists reflecting on the progress towards achieving goals is supported.
Metacognitive knowledge influence 1. School Psychologists reflect on the relationship
between applying new knowledge/mental effort and achieving their performance goals.
Survey results: Surveys were not conducted for this influence.

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Interview findings. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD
can reflect on the relationship between applying new knowledge and achieving performance
goals. There were slight differences in the responses provided by the four interviewed
participants; however, the interviewed participants were able to actively reflect via their
responses. Participant 3 noted that “At this site, I can bring new, new things in and I can try new
things and have new programs and I can work with my team here to try different programmatic
things to see if that's going to support our clients, our community here better. But again, any, if
we try to take that outside, it doesn't fly well. There's too many excuses of why it won't work.”
Participant 4 shared that “I don't know that I consciously do that. Now that you're saying that and
I'm thinking, "Do I really say, 'Okay, this is new knowledge. How do I ...'" Well, actually, you
know what? After every training that I've attended, I do reflect on what I've taken from that
training and see how I'm actually putting things into practice and whether or not I can make that
happen.” In summary, the interviewed school psychologists demonstrated metacognitive
knowledge of knowing they can reflect on the relationship between applying new knowledge and
achieving performance goals, and therefore this influence was supported by the interviews.
Summary. The interviewed school psychologists demonstrated metacognitive knowledge
of knowing how to reflect on the relationship between applying new knowledge and achieving
performance goals, therefore this influence was supported by the interviews. There was clear
agreement in the responses of the interviewed participants. The participants shared how they
reflect on applying new knowledge and achieving goals. The participants mentioned how they
are able to apply new knowledge with their site team and applying new knowledge gained via
trainings. The assumed knowledge of school psychologists reflecting on the relationship between
applying new knowledge and achieving goals is supported.
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Metacognitive knowledge influence 1. School Psychologists reflect on their personal
contribution to a positive work environment.
Survey results: Surveys were not conducted for this influence.
Interview findings. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD
can reflect on their personal contribution to a positive work environment. There was clear
agreement between the four interviewed participants on being able to reflect in their personal
contribution to a positive work environment. The participants shared that they reflect on their
personal contributions to a positive work environment by sharing how they create a welcoming
environment, allow for a collaborative climate, and do their part to ensure students, staff, and
families feel understood. In summary, the interviewed school psychologists demonstrated
metacognitive knowledge of reflecting on their personal contribution to a positive work
environment, and therefore this influence was supported by the interviews.
Summary. The interviewed school psychologists demonstrated metacognitive knowledge
of knowing how to reflect on their personal contribution to a positive work environment,
therefore this influence was supported by the interviews. There was clear agreement in the
responses of the interviewed participants. The participants shared how they reflect on their
contributions to a positive working environment. The participants mentioned how they are able
to ask themselves what the issues are and how they are personally trying to fix them and make
their school site a more positive environment for all staff. The assumed knowledge of school
psychologists reflecting on their contributions to a positive working environment is supported.

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Results and Findings for Motivation Causes
School Psychologists’ motivation was assessed through surveys and interviews. Results
of the surveys and the interviews are presented for each assumed cause within the categories of
value, self-efficacy, emotion, and goal orientation. Results of the surveys in Tables 23-40 and the
interviews are used to demonstrate whether or not assumed gaps are present.
Value
School Psychologists’ value of successfully and effectively implementing the knowledge
and skills to perform their work duties was assessed through surveys and interviews. Through
surveys, district psychologists were asked to what extent they find motivational influences
necessary for utilizing their knowledge and skills to effectively perform their work duties.
Value motivational influence 1. School Psychologists value their current goals and
daily work duties.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate to what extent they value
achieving their current work goals from a scale of five choices ranging from “Do not value” to
“Extremely value”. As shown in Table 23, 62.5% of the psychologists felt that they extremely
value the achievement of current work goals, while 37.5% indicated that they highly value the
achievement of current work goals. Results met the 80% threshold indicating that school
psychologists value the achievement of current work goals.

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Table 23
Survey Results for Value Motivation
# Value Motivation Item 1 % Count
Please rate the extent to which you value achieving your current work
goals:

1 Do not value. 0% 0
2 Slightly value. 0% 0
3
Moderately value. 0% 0
4 Highly value. * 37.5% 6
5 Extremely value. * 62.5% 10
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interview respondents were asked to describe how they value current
goals and daily work duties. There were slight differences in the participants responses but clear
agreement between the four interviewed participants on how they value current goals and daily
work duties. Participant 1 noted that “It gives me drive knowing that I have a plan, knowing that
I have a vision. This is something that I've set out to ... I'm determined. I have convinced myself
that this is something that's going to happen, and honestly, I feel that that's very powerful.
Having convinced oneself of something, it's pretty much the first step in achieving something. If
you've convinced yourself that you're capable, I feel like no one else can change your mind.”
Participant 4 agreed by stating that “I think if I didn't value my goals, I wouldn't be able to do
this job. If I didn't value what I do, I wouldn't be able to fulfill being able to take on the different
stresses and things that involve completing this job.” In summary, the interviewed school
psychologists demonstrated motivational value by describing how they value current goals and
daily work duties, and therefore this influence was supported by the interviews.
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Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD value
their current goals and daily work duties. The established threshold for this survey item was set
at 80% and 100% of the school psychologists surveyed indicated that they Highly Value (50%)
or Extremely Value (50%) achieving current work goals, therefore no gap is noted. There is no
need for improvement in regard to the district psychologists valuing the achievement of current
work goals. There was also clear agreement in the responses of the interviewed participants. The
participants shared how they value their current work goals and daily work duties by having a
plan or vision, seeing the plan through, and being fulfilled by the hard work and results. Since
100% of the surveyed participants agreed to valuing current goals and daily work duties, there is
no gap for this assumed influence. The assumed motivation of school psychologists valuing
current work goals and daily work duties, is supported.
Value motivational influence 1. School Psychologists value their current goals and
daily work duties.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate to what extent they value
completing their daily work duties from a scale of five choices ranging from “Do not value” to
“Extremely value”. As shown in Table 24, 50% of the psychologists felt that they extremely
value the achievement of current work goals and 50% indicated that they highly value the
achievement of current work goals. Results met the 80% threshold indicating that school
psychologists value completing their daily work goals.

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Table 24
Survey Results for Value Motivation
# Value Motivation Item 2 % Count
Please rate the extent to which you value completing your daily work
duties:

1
Do not value. 0% 0
2
Slightly value. 0% 0
3
Moderately value. 0% 0
4 Highly value. * 50% 8
5 Extremely value. * 50% 8
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologist value completing your
daily work duties. The established threshold for this influence was set at 80%. Since 100% of the
surveyed participants indicated that they Highly Value (50%) and Extremely Value (50%) the
completion of daily work duties, there is no need for improvement for this influence. The
assumed motivation that school psychologists value the completion of daily work duties is
supported.
Value motivational influence 1. School Psychologists value solving new problems in
their daily work.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate to what extent they value
solving novel problems within their daily work from a scale of five choices ranging from “Do
not value” to “Extremely value”. As shown in Table 25, 50% of the psychologists felt that they
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extremely value solving novel problems within their daily work, 31.3% indicated that they
highly value, and 18.8% indicated that they moderately value solving novel problems within
their daily work. Results met the 80% threshold indicating that school psychologists value
solving novel problems within their daily work.
Table 25
Survey Results for Value Motivation
# Value Motivation Item 3 % Count
Please rate the extent to which you value solving novel problems
within your daily work:

1
Do not value. 0% 0
2
Slightly value. 0% 0
3
Moderately value. 18.8% 3
4 Highly value. * 31.3% 5
5 Extremely value. * 50% 8
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. Majority of the school psychologists show to value the completion of their
daily work duties. As much as 81.3% surveyed participants agreed to Highly Valuing (31.3%)
and Extremely Valuing (50%), it is assumed that the discrepancy (18.8%) might have to do with
school psychologists not fully understanding what their daily work duties are. The assumed
motivation of school psychologists valuing the completion of daily work duties is supported.
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Value motivational influence 1. School Psychologists value contributing a positive
work culture.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate to what extent they value
contributing to a positive work culture from a scale of five choices ranging from “Do not value”
to “Extremely value”. As shown in Table 26, 75% of the psychologists felt that they extremely
value contributing to a positive work culture, 18.8% indicated that they highly value, and 6.3
indicated that they moderately value contributing to a positive work culture. Results met the 80%
threshold indicating that school psychologists value contributing to a positive work culture.
Table 26
Survey Results for Value Motivation
# Value Motivation Item 4 % Count
Please rate the extent to which you value contributing to a positive
work culture:

1
Do not value. 0% 0
2
Slightly value. 0% 0
3
Moderately value. 6.3% 1
4 Highly value. * 18.8% 3
5 Extremely value. * 75% 12
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.

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Summary. Majority of the school psychologists show to value the contribution to a
positive work culture. As much as 93.8% surveyed participants agreed to Highly Valuing (6.3%)
and Extremely Valuing (75%), it is assumed that the discrepancy (6.3%) might have to do with
school psychologists not fully understanding what their role is in contributing to their work
culture. The assumed motivation of school psychologists valuing the contribution to a positive
work culture is supported.
Value motivational influence 1. School Psychologists value contributing a positive
work culture.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate to what extent they value
working in a positive work culture from a scale of five choices ranging from “Do not value” to
“Extremely value”. As shown in Table 27, 81.3% of the psychologists felt that they extremely
value working in a positive work culture, while 18.8% indicated that they highly value. Results
met the 80% threshold indicating that school psychologists value working in a positive work
culture.
Table 27
Survey Results for Value Motivation
# Value Motivation Item 5 % Count
Please rate the extent to which you value working in a positive work
culture:

1
Do not value. 0% 0
2
Slightly value. 0% 0
3
Moderately value. 0% 0
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4 Highly value. * 18.8% 3
5 Extremely value. * 81.3% 13
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists value working in a
positive work culture. The established threshold for this influence was set at 80%. Since 100% of
the surveyed participants indicated that they Highly Value (18.8%) and Extremely Value
(81.3%) working in a positive work culture, there is no need for improvement for this influence.
The assumed motivation of school psychologists value working in a positive work culture is
supported.
Self-Efficacy
School psychologists’ self-efficacy was assessed via survey items and interview
questions. School psychologists were asked about their confidence levels in regard to utilizing
their knowledge and skills to effectively perform their work duties.
Self-efficacy motivational influence 1. School Psychologists have confidence that they
can implement their knowledge and skills to achieve their current goals.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate how confident they feel that
they can currently implement their knowledge and skills to achieve their current work goals from
a scale of five choices ranging from “Not confident” to “Extremely confident”. As shown in
Table 28, 6.7% of the psychologists felt that they are extremely confident, 20% indicated that
they are highly confident, 33.3% indicated that they are moderately confident, 13.3% felt they
are slightly confident, and 26.7% indicated that they are not confident with their current ability to
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implement their knowledge and skills to achieve their current work goals. These responses were
below the established 80% threshold and indicate that there is a lack of confidence in regard to
the psychologists’ ability to implement knowledge and skills to achieve their current work goals.
Table 28
Survey Results for Self-Efficacy Motivation
# Self-Efficacy Motivation Item 1 % Count
Please rate how confident you feel that you can implement your
knowledge and skills to achieve your current goals right now:

1
Not confident. 26.7% 4
2
Slightly confident. 13.3% 2
3
Moderately confident. 33.3% 5
4 Highly confident. * 20% 3
5 Extremely confident. * 6.7% 1
Total 100% 15

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists feel confident that they can
implement their knowledge and skills to achieve current work goals. The established threshold
for this influence was set at 80%. Since only 26.7% of the surveyed participants indicated that
they feel Highly Confident (20%) and Extremely Confident (6.7%) with their ability to
implement their knowledge and skills to achieve work goals, there is a need for improvement for
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this influence. The assumed motivation of school psychologists confidently implementing
knowledge and skills to achieve current work goals is not supported.
Self-efficacy motivational influence 1. School Psychologists have confidence that they
can solve new problems in their daily work.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate how confident they feel that
they can currently solve novel problems within their daily work from a scale of five choices
ranging from “Not confident” to “Extremely confident”. As shown in Table 29, 18.8% of the
psychologists feel that they are extremely confident, 50% indicated that they are highly
confident, and 31.3% indicated that they are moderately confident with their current ability to
solve novel problems within their daily work. These responses were below the established 80%
threshold and indicate that there is a lack of confidence in regard to the psychologists’ ability to
solve novel problems within their daily work.
Table 29
Survey Results for Self-Efficacy Motivation
# Self-Efficacy Motivation Item 2 % Count
Please rate how confident you feel that you can use your ability to
solve novel problems in your daily work right now:

1
Not confident. 0% 0
2
Slightly confident. 0% 0
3
Moderately confident. 31.3% 5
4 Highly confident. * 50% 8
5 Extremely confident. * 18.8% 3
Total 100% 16
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Interview findings. There was clear agreement between the four interviewed participants
on confidently solving novel problems in daily work. Participant 4 noted that “I feel very
confident. I don't know that there's a whole lot that I haven't experienced.” The remaining three
participants agreed by stating that they feel confident with their ability to solve everyday work
problems that they encounter. If they happen to not know what the appropriate solution to a
problem is, they are not afraid to seek out an appropriate solution by consulting with other
psychologists. In summary, the interviewed psychologists demonstrated metacognitive
knowledge of feeling confident that they have the ability to solve novel problems within their
daily work, and therefore this influence was validated by the interviews.
Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD feel
confident that they have the ability to solve novel problems experienced in everyday work. The
established threshold for this survey item was set at 80% and only 68.8% of the school
psychologists surveyed indicated that they feel confident in their ability to solve novel problems
faced in everyday work, therefore indicating a gap. There is room for improvement in regard to
the district psychologists feeling confident to solve novel problems at work. There was overall
agreement in the responses of the interviewed participants. The participants shared how they
mostly feel confident in their abilities to solve new problems encountered at work. They also
mentioned if they do not know how to solve a problem, they feel confident in their ability to seek
counsel. Since only 68.8% of the surveyed participants agreed to feeling confident with their
ability to solve novel problems at work, there is a noted gap for this assumed influence. The
assumed metacognitive knowledge of school psychologists confidently solving novel problems
at work, is not supported. This is an item that can be explored with future research.
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Self-efficacy motivational influence 1. School Psychologists have confidence that they
can contribute daily to a positive work culture.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate how confident they feel that
they can currently contribute to a positive working environment from a scale of five choices
ranging from “Not confident” to “Extremely confident”. As shown in Table 30, 37.5% of the
psychologists felt that they are extremely confident, 31.3% indicated that they are highly
confident, 25% indicated that they are moderately confident, and 6.3% felt they are slightly
confident with their current ability to utilize their ability to contribute to a positive working
environment. These responses were below the established 80% threshold and indicate that there
is a lack of confidence in regard to the psychologists’ ability to utilize their ability to contribute
to a positive working environment.
Table 30
Survey Results for Self-Efficacy Motivation
# Self-Efficacy Motivation Item 3 % Count
Please rate how confident you feel that you can use your ability to
contribute daily to a positive work culture right now:

1
Not confident. 0% 0
2
Slightly confident. 6.3% 1
3
Moderately confident. 25% 4
4 Highly confident. * 31.3% 5
5 Extremely confident. * 37.5% 6
Total 100% 16
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Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists feel confident that they
can contribute daily to a positive work culture. The established threshold for this influence was
set at 80%. Since only 68.8% of the surveyed participants indicated that they feel Highly
Confident (31.3%) and Extremely Confident (37.5%) with their ability to confidently contribute
daily to a positive work culture, there is a need for improvement for this influence. The assumed
confidence level of school psychologists contributing daily to a positive work culture is not
supported.
Emotion
School psychologists’ emotional motivation was assessed via survey items. School
psychologists were asked about how positive they felt in regard to utilizing their knowledge and
skills to effectively perform their work duties.
Emotion motivation influence 1. School Psychologists feel positive about
implementing their knowledge and skills to achieve their goals.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate how positive they feel that
they can implement their knowledge and skills to achieve their work goals from a scale of five
choices ranging from “Not positive” to “Extremely positive”. As shown in Table 31, 18.8% of
the psychologists feel that they are extremely positive, 62.5% indicated that they are highly
positive, and 18.8% indicated that they are moderately positive with their current ability to
implement knowledge and skills to achieve their work goals. The results met the 80% threshold
indicating that psychologists are emotionally motivated to utilize their knowledge and skills to
achieve their work goals.

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Table 31

Survey Results for Emotion Motivation
# Emotion Motivation Item 1 % Count
Please rate how positive you feel about implementing your knowledge
and skills to achieve your goals:

1
Not positive. 0% 0
2
Slightly positive. 0% 0
3
Moderately positive. 18.8% 3
4 Highly positive. * 62.5% 10
5 Extremely positive. * 18.8% 3
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists feel positive about
implementing their knowledge to achieve their goals. The established threshold for this influence
was set at 80%. Since 81.3% of the surveyed participants indicated that they feel Highly Positive
(62.5%) and Extremely Positive (18.8%) implementing their knowledge and skills to achieve
their work goals, there is no need for improvement for this influence. The assumed motivation of
school psychologists feeling positive with their ability to implement their knowledge to achieve
work goals, is supported.

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Emotion motivation influence 1. School Psychologists feel positive they can solve
novel problems in their daily work.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate how positive they feel that
they can solve novel problems within their daily work from a scale of five choices ranging from
“Not positive” to “Extremely positive”. As shown in Table 32, 12.5% of the psychologists feel
that they are extremely positive, 68.8% indicated that they are highly positive, 6.3% indicated
that they are moderately positive, and 12.5% feel that they are slightly positive with their current
ability to solve novel problems within their daily work. The results met the 80% threshold
indicating that psychologists are emotionally motivated to solve novel problems within their
daily work.
Table 32

Survey Results for Emotion Motivation
# Emotion Motivation Item 2 % Count
Please rate how positive you feel about solving novel problems in your
daily work:

1
Not positive. 0% 0
2
Slightly positive. 12.5% 2
3
Moderately positive. 6.3% 1
4 Highly positive. * 68.8% 11
5 Extremely positive. * 12.5% 2
Total 100% 16

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Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists feel positive that they can
solve novel problems in their daily work. The established threshold for this influence was set at
80%. Since 81.3% of the surveyed participants indicated that they feel Highly Positive (68.8%)
and Extremely Positive (12.5%) solving novel problems in their daily work, there is no need for
improvement for this influence. The assumed motivation of school psychologists positively
solving novel problems in daily work is supported.
Emotion motivation influence 1. School Psychologists feel good about contributing to
a positive work culture.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate how positive they feel that
they can contribute to a positive work environment from a scale of five choices ranging from
“Not positive” to “Extremely positive”. As shown in Table 33, 50% of the psychologists feel that
they are extremely positive, 31.3% indicated that they are highly positive, and 18.3% feel that
they are moderately positive with their current ability to contribute to a positive work
environment. The results met the 80% threshold indicating that psychologists are emotionally
motivated to contribute to a positive work environment.
Table 33
Survey Results for Emotion Motivation
# Emotion Motivation Item 3 % Count
Please rate how positive you feel about contributing to a positive work
environment:

1
Not positive. 0% 0
2
Slightly positive. 0% 0
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3
Moderately positive. 18.8% 3
4 Highly positive. * 31.3% 5
5 Extremely positive. * 50% 8
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists feel positively that they
can contribute to a positive work environment. The established threshold for this influence was
set at 80%. Since 81.3% of the surveyed participants indicated that they feel Highly Positive
(31.3%) and Extremely Positive (50%) in their contribution to a positive work culture, there is no
need for improvement for this influence. The assumed motivation of school psychologists feel
positive that they can contribute to a positive work culture is supported.
Attribution
School psychologists’ attribution was assessed through survey items and interview
questions. School psychologists were asked to indicate to what or whom they attribute their
ability to effectively implement their knowledge and skills to achieve performance goals.
Attribution motivation influence 1. School Psychologists attribute the success of
achieving performance goals to their own knowledge and skills.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate to what or whom they
attribute the success of achieving performance goals from a list of 10 options. As shown in Table
34, 75% of the psychologists attributed their success to their own efforts, 75% attributed their
success to professional development, 62.5% attributed their success to their school site
administrator, 56.3% selected district administration, 56.3% selected special education teachers,
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43.8% of psychologists selected program specialists, and 25% of psychologists attributed their
success to their own efforts which falls below the established 80% threshold and indicates that
there is a lack of attribution oriented to the psychologists’ success of achieving performance
goals based on their own efforts.
Table 34
Survey Results for Attribution Motivation
# Attribution Motivation Item 1 % Count
Successful achievement of performance goals is due to... n=16
1
School site administrator 62.5% 10
2
District administration 56.3% 9
3
Program specialists 43.8% 7
4 SPED teachers 56.3% 9
5 My efforts * 75% 12
6 Incentives 0% 0
7 Professional development 75% 12
8 Rewards 0% 0
9 All of the above 25% 4
10 None of the above 0% 0

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Interview findings. There was clear agreement between the four interviewed participants
on what they attribute the successfulness of achieving performance goals to their own knowledge
and skills. Participant 4 noted that she attributes her success to “My experience and my
professional contacts and my professional peers’ support, and the support of my team at my
site.” Participant 3 agreed by stating that: “My ambition, the fact that I want to strive to continue
to stay current with information and be as good as a school psychologist that I can be. That's
what kind of pushes me to always be seeking new information, staying up to date with
information and willing to work with others." In summary, the interviewed school psychologists
demonstrated motivational knowledge of attributing the success of achieving performance goals
to their own knowledge and skills, and therefore this influence was validated by the interviews.
Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD are able
to attribute the successful achievement of performance goals to their own efforts. The established
threshold for this survey item was set at 80%. Only 75% of psychologists attributed their
successfulness to their own efforts indicating room for improvement in regard to this influence.
There was overall agreement in the responses of the interviewed participants. The participants
shared how they attribute the success of achieving performance goals to their own knowledge.
They interviewees indicated that they attribute their goal achievement success to themselves,
personal drive and ambition, and ability to seek support from professional peers. Since only 75%
of the surveyed participants agreed to attributing the successfulness of goal achievement to their
own efforts, there is a noted gap for this assumed influence. The assumed motivational
knowledge of school psychologists attributing the successfulness of achieving performance goals
is not supported.
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Attribution motivation influence 1. School Psychologists attribute the failure of
achieving performance goals to their own knowledge and skills.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate to what or whom they
attribute the failure of achieving performance goals from a list of 10 options. As shown in Table
35, 68.8% of the psychologists attributed their failure to district administration, 56.3% attributed
their failure to the school site administrator, 43.8% attributed their failure to the program
specialists, 43.8% selected their own efforts, 37.5% selected special education teachers, 37.5% of
psychologists selected professional development, 18.8% of psychologists selected none of the
above, and 6.3% of psychologists attributed their failure to incentives. Only 43.8% of
psychologists attributed their failure to their own efforts which is below the established 80%
threshold, indicating a gap for this influence.
Table 35
Survey Results for Attribution Motivation
# Attribution Motivation Item 2 % Count
Failure of achievement of performance goals is due to... n= 16
1
School site administrator 56.3% 9
2
District administration 68.8% 11
3
Program specialists 43.8% 7
4 SPED teachers 37.5% 6
5 My efforts * 43.8% 7
6 Incentives 6.3% 1
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7 Professional development 37.5% 6
8 Rewards 0% 0
9 All of the above 0% 0
10 None of the above 18.8 3

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD are able
to attribute the failure to achieve performance goals to their own efforts. The established
threshold for this survey item was set at 80%. Since only 43.8% of the surveyed participants
agreed to attributing the failure of goal achievement to their own efforts, there is a noted gap for
this assumed influence. The assumed motivational knowledge of school psychologists attributing
the failure of achieving performance goals to their own efforts is not supported.
Attribution motivation influence 1. School Psychologists attribute their success to
knowing their daily work goals.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate to what or whom they
attribute the successfulness of knowing what their daily work goals are from a list of 10 options.
As shown in Table 36, 87.5% of the psychologists attributed their success to their own efforts,
25% attributed their success to professional development, 18.8% attributed their success to their
school site administrator, 18.8% selected special education teachers, 18.8% of psychologists
selected program specialists, and 6.3% of psychologists attributed their success to none of the
above. The results met the 80% threshold indicating that psychologists attributed their
successfulness of knowing what their daily work goals are to their own efforts, indicating no gap
for this influence.
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Table 36
Survey Results for Attribution Motivation
# Attribution Motivation Item 3 % Count
Successfulness of knowing your daily work goals... n=16
1
School site administrator 18.8% 3
2
District administration 0% 0
3
Program specialists 18.8% 3
4 SPED teachers 18.8% 3
5 My efforts * 87.5% 14
6 Incentives 0% 0
7 Professional development 25% 4
8 Rewards 0% 0
9 All of the above 0% 0
10 None of the above 6.3% 1

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD are able
to attribute the successfulness of knowing their daily work goals to their own efforts. The
established threshold for this survey item was set at 80%. Since 87.5% of the surveyed
participants agreed to attributing the successfulness of knowing their daily work goals to their
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 141
own efforts, there is no gap for this assumed influence. The assumed motivational knowledge of
school psychologists attributing the success of knowing work goals, is supported.
Attribution motivation influence 1. School Psychologists attribute their failure to
knowing their daily work goals.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate to what or whom they
attribute the failure of knowing what their work goals are from a list of 10 options. As shown in
Table 37, 43.8% of the psychologists attributed their failure to district administration, 37.5%
attributed their failure to their own efforts, 31.3% attributed their failure to their school site
administrator, 31.3% selected none of the above, 12.5% selected special education teachers,
12.5% of psychologists selected professional development, and 6.3% of psychologists attributed
their failure to program specialists. Only 37.5% of psychologists attributed their failure to their
own efforts which is below the established 80% threshold, indicating a gap for this influence.
Table 37
Survey Results for Attribution Motivation
# Attribution Motivation Item 4 % Count
Failure of knowing your work goals... n=16
1
School site administrator 31.3% 5
2
District administration 43.8% 7
3
Program specialist 6.3% 1
4 SPED teachers 12.5% 2
5 My efforts * 37.5% 6
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6 Incentives 0% 0
7 Professional development 12.5% 2
8 Rewards 0% 0
9 All of the above 0% 0
10 None of the above 31.3% 5

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD are able
to attribute the failure of knowing their work goals to their own efforts. The established threshold
for this survey item was set at 80%. Since only 37.5% of the surveyed participants agreed to
attributing the failure of knowing their work goals to their own efforts, there is a noted gap for
this assumed influence. The assumed motivational knowledge of school psychologists attributing
the failure of knowing their work goals is not supported.
Attribution motivation influence 1. School Psychologists attribute the success of
achieving performance goals to their own efforts to bring new knowledge to solve novel
problems in their daily work.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate to what or whom they
attribute the success of achieving performance goals by using new knowledge to solve novel
problems in their daily work from a list of 10 options. As shown in Table 38, 93.8% of the
psychologists attributed their successfulness to their own efforts, 87.5% attributed their success
to professional development, 31.3% attributed their success to district administration, 18.8%
selected school site administrator, 12.5% selected special education teachers, 6.3% of
psychologists selected program specialists, and 6.3% of psychologists attributed their success to
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none of the above. The results met the 80% threshold indicating that psychologists attribute the
success of achieving performance goals to their own efforts to bring new knowledge to solve
novel problems in their daily work, indicating no gap for this influence.
Table 38
Survey Results for Attribution Motivation
# Attribution Motivation Item 5 % Count
Successfulness of achieving your performance goals by utilizing new
knowledge to solve novel problems in your daily work...
n=16
1
School site administrator 18.8% 3
2
District administration 31.3% 5
3
Program specialists 6.3% 1
4 SPED teachers 12.5% 2
5 My efforts * 93.8% 15
6 Incentives 0% 0
7 Professional Development 87.5% 14
8 Rewards 0% 0
9 All of the above 0% 0
10 None of the above 6.3% 1

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 144
Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD are able
to attribute the success of achieving performance goals to their own efforts to bring new
knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily work. The established threshold for this survey
item was set at 80%. Since 93.8% of the surveyed participants agreed to attributing the
successfulness of achieving performance goals to their own efforts to bring new knowledge to
solve novel problems in their daily work, there is no gap for this assumed influence. The
assumed motivational knowledge of school psychologists attributing the success to solve novel
problems in their daily work is supported.
Attribution motivation influence 1. School Psychologists attribute the failure of
achieving performance goals to their own efforts to bring new knowledge to solve novel
problems in their daily work.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate to what or whom they
attribute the failure of achieving performance goals by using new knowledge to solve novel
problems in their daily work from a list of 10 options. As shown in Table 39, 62.5% of the
psychologists attributed their failure to their own efforts, 56.3% attributed their successfulness to
professional development, 56.3% attributed their successfulness to their school site
administrator, 50% selected district administration, 31.3% of psychologists selected program
specialists, 25% selected special education teachers, 12.5% of psychologists selected none of the
above, and 6.3% attributed their failure to incentives. Only 62.5% of psychologists attributed
their failure to their own efforts, which is below the established 80% threshold, indicating a gap
for this influence.

A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 145
Table 39
Survey Results for Attribution Motivation
# Attribution Motivation Item 6 % Count
Failure of achieving your performance goals by utilizing new
knowledge to solve novel problems in your daily work...
n=16
1
School site administrator 56.3% 9
2
District administration 50% 8
3
Program specialists 31.3% 5
4 SPED teachers 25% 4
5 My efforts * 62.5% 10
6 Incentives 6.3% 1
7 Professional Development 56.3% 9
8 Rewards 0% 0
9 All of the above 0% 0
10 None of the above 12.5% 2

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD are able
to attribute the failure of achieving their performance goals by utilizing new knowledge to solve
novel problems in their daily work. The established threshold for this survey item was set at
80%. Since only 62.5% of the surveyed participants agreed to attributing the failure of achieving
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 146
their performance goals by utilizing new knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily work,
there is a noted gap for this assumed influence. The assumed motivational knowledge of school
psychologists attributing the failure of utilizing new knowledge to solve novel problems in their
daily work is not supported.
Attribution motivation influence 1. School Psychologists attribute their work culture
to their own efforts.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate to what or whom they
attribute a positive work culture from a list of 10 options. As shown in Table 40, 93.8% of the
psychologists attributed a positive work culture to their school site administrator, 81.3%
attributed a positive work culture their own efforts, 62.5% attributed a positive work culture to
district administration, 56.3% selected special education teachers, 37.5% of psychologists
selected incentives, 31.3% of school psychologist selected program specialist, 31.3% of school
psychologist selected rewards, 25% of psychologists attributed a positive work culture
professional development, and 12.5% of school psychologist selected all of the above. The
results met the 80% threshold indicating that psychologists attribute their work culture to their
own efforts, indicating no gap for this influence.
Table 40
Survey Results for Attribution Motivation
# Attribution Motivation Item 7 % Count
Having a positive work culture... n=16
1
School site administrator 93.8% 15
2
District administration 62.5% 10
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3
Program specialists 31.3% 5
4 SPED teachers 56.3% 9
5 My efforts * 81.3% 13
6 Incentives 37.5% 6
7 Professional development 25% 4
8 Rewards 31.3% 5
9 All of the above 12.5% 2
10 None of the above 0% 0

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.

Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD are able
to attribute their work culture to their own efforts. The established threshold for this survey item
was set at 80%. Since 81.3% of the surveyed participants agreed to attribute having a positive
work culture to their own efforts, there is no gap for this assumed influence. The assumed
motivational knowledge of school psychologists attributing having a positive work culture to
their own efforts is supported.
Results and Findings for Organization Causes
School psychologists' perceptions of utilizing their knowledge and skills to effectively
perform their work duties as it applies to the organization of the HDSD were assessed by survey
items and interview questions. Results of the surveys and interviews are presented for each
assumed cause within the categories of resources; policies, processes, and procedures; and
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cultural settings and models. Results of the surveys and interviews are used to demonstrate
whether or not assumed causes and gaps are present within the HDSD.
Resources (Incentives, Rewards, Recognition)
School psychologists responded to surveys and interviews in order to assess their
perception of the district and the district’s resources. Surveys and interviews were used to assess
whether or not district psychologists have access to the resources they feel are critically needed
to effectively implement knowledge and skills to successfully achieve work goals.
Organization resources influence 1. School Psychologists are a part of a work culture
that supports the use of knowledge and skills to achieve their current goals.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate their level of agreement for
the following statement: “the district provides resources (incentives, rewards, recognition) to
utilize knowledge and skills sets to achieve your current goals” from a scale of five choices
ranging from “Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”. As shown in Table 41, 31.3% of the
psychologists selected strongly disagree, 31.3% indicated that they somewhat disagree, 25%
selected to neither agree or disagree, and 12.5% of school psychologists somewhat agree that the
district provides resources to utilize their knowledge and skill set to achieve current work goals.
Results did not meet the 80% threshold indicating a lack of organizational resources for school
psychologists to implement knowledge and skills to achieve current work goals.

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Table 41
Survey Results for Resources Organization
# Resources Organization Item 1 % Count
Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements regarding the resources you have
available to use: The district provides resources (incentives, rewards,
recognition) for the implementation of knowledge and skills to achieve
your current goals.

1
Strongly agree. * 0% 0
2
Somewhat agree. 12.5% 2
3
Neither agree nor disagree. 25% 4
4 Somewhat disagree. 31.3% 5
5 Strongly disagree. 31.3% 5
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.

Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists agree that the district
provides resources to utilize their knowledge and skill set to achieve current work goals. The
established threshold for this influence was set at 80%. Since 12.5% of the surveyed participants
indicated that they Strongly Agree (0%) and Somewhat Agree (12.5%) that the school district
provides the resources necessary to utilize their skill sets to achieve current work goals, there is a
need for improvement for this influence. The assumed organizational influence of school
psychologists agreeing that the district provides resources to achieve work goals is not supported.
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 150
Organization resources influence 1. School Psychologists are a part of a culture that
supports bringing new knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily work.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate their level of agreement for
the following statement: “the district provides resources (incentives, rewards, recognition) to
implement new knowledge on your daily work” from a scale of five choices ranging from
“Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”. As shown in Table 42, 31.3% of the psychologists
selected strongly disagree, 25% indicated that they somewhat disagree, 25% selected to neither
agree or disagree, and 18.8% of school psychologists somewhat agree that the district provides
resources to implement new knowledge on daily work. Results did not meet the 80% threshold
indicating a lack of organizational resources for school psychologists to implement new
knowledge on daily work.
Table 42
Survey Results for Resources Organization
# Resources Organization Item 2 % Count
Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements regarding the resources you have
available to use: The district provides resources (time, finances,
people) to implement new knowledge to solve novel problems in your
daily work.

1
Strongly agree. * 0% 0
2
Somewhat agree. 18.8% 3
3
Neither agree nor disagree. 25% 4
4 Somewhat disagree. 25% 4
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5 Strongly disagree. 31.3% 5
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists agree that the district
provides resources to implement new knowledge on their daily work. The established threshold
for this influence was set at 80%. Since 18.8% of the surveyed participants indicated that they
Strongly Agree (0%) and Somewhat Agree (18.8%) that the school district provides the
resources necessary to implement new knowledge on daily work, there is a need for
improvement for this influence. The assumed organizational influence of school psychologists
agreeing that the district provides resources to implement new knowledge on daily work, is not
supported.
Organization resources influence 1. School Psychologists share the belief with others
that they can contribute to a positive work culture.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate their level of agreement for
the following statement: “the district provides resources (incentives, rewards, recognition) to
contribute to a positive work culture” from a scale of five choices ranging from “Strongly agree”
to “Strongly disagree”. As shown in Table 43, 37.5% of the psychologists selected strongly
disagree, 37.5% selected to neither agree or disagree, 18.8% selected to somewhat disagree, and
6.3% of school psychologists somewhat agree that the district provides resources to contribute to
a positive work culture. Results did not meet the 80% threshold indicating a lack of
organizational resources for school psychologists to contribute to a positive work culture.

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Table 43
Survey Results for Resources Organization
# Resources Organization Item 3 % Count
Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements regarding the resources you have
available to use: The district provides resources (time, finances,
people) for psychologists to contribute to a positive work culture.

1
Strongly agree. * 0% 0
2
Somewhat agree. 6.3% 1
3
Neither agree nor disagree. 37.5% 6
4 Somewhat disagree. 18.8% 3
5 Strongly disagree. 37.5% 6
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.

Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists agree that the district
provides resources for psychologists to contribute to a positive work culture. The established
threshold for this influence was set at 80%. Since only 6.3% of the surveyed participants
indicated that they Strongly Agree (0%) and Somewhat Agree (6.3%) that the school district
provides the resources for psychologists to contribute to a positive work culture, there is a need
for improvement for this influence. The assumed organizational influence of school
psychologists agreeing that the district provides resources for psychologists to contribute to a
positive work culture, is not supported.

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Policies, Processes, & Procedures
Surveys and interviews were conducted in order to assess the school psychologists’
perceptions of the school district and the districts policies, processes, and procedures. Surveys
and interviews were used to assess whether or not the school psychologists feel the school
district provides them with the policies, processes, and procedures that allow them to effectively
implement their knowledge and skills to achieve current work goals.
Organization policies, processes, and procedures influence 1. School Psychologists
work in an environment that supports the implementation of knowledge and skills to achieve
current goals among all staff.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate their level of agreement for
the following statement: “The district’s policies, processes, and procedures support a working
environment that encourages the implementation of knowledge and skills to achieve current
goals among all staff” from a scale of five choices ranging from “Strongly agree” to “Strongly
disagree”. As shown in Table 44, 43.8% of the psychologists selected somewhat agree, 25%
selected to somewhat disagree, 18.8% selected to strongly disagree, and 12.5% of school
psychologists neither agree nor disagree that the district’s policies, processes, and procedures
support a working environment that encourages the implementation of knowledge and skills to
achieve current goals. Results did not meet the 80% threshold indicating a lack of organizational
alignment with the policies, processes, and procedures to support a working environment for
school psychologists to implement knowledge and skills to achieve current goals.

A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 154
Table 44
Survey Results for Organization Policies, Processes, and Procedures
# Organization Policies, Processes, and Procedures Item 1 % Count
Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements regarding the district’s policies,
processes, and procedures: The district’s policies, processes, and
procedures support a working environment that encourages the
implementation of knowledge and skills to achieve current goals
among all staff.

1
Strongly agree. * 0% 0
2
Somewhat agree. 43.8% 7
3
Neither agree nor disagree. 12.5% 2
4 Somewhat disagree. 25% 4
5 Strongly disagree. 18.8% 3
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists agree that the district’s
policies, processes, and procedures support a working environment that encourages the
implementation of knowledge and skills to achieve current goals among all staff. The established
threshold for this influence was set at 80%. Since only 43.8% of the surveyed participants
indicated that they Strongly Agree (0%) and Somewhat Agree (43.8%) that the school district’s
policies, processes, and procedures support a working environment that encourages the
implementation of knowledge and skills to achieve current goals among all staff, there is a need
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 155
for improvement for this influence. The assumed organizational influence of school
psychologists agreeing that the district’s policies, processes, and procedures support a working
environment that encourages the implementation of knowledge and skills to achieve current
goals, is not supported.
Organization policies, processes, and procedures influence 1. School Psychologists
work in an environment that provides new knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily
work.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate their level of agreement for
the following statement: “The district’s policies, processes, and procedures support a working
environment that provides new knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily work” from a
scale of five choices ranging from “Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”. As shown in Table
45, 31.3% of the psychologists selected somewhat agree, 31.3% selected to neither agree nor
disagree, 25% selected to strongly disagree, 6.3% indicated to somewhat disagree, and 6.3% of
school psychologists strongly agree that the district’s policies, processes, and procedures support
a working environment that encourages the implementation of knowledge and skills to achieve
current goals. Results did not meet the 80% threshold indicating a lack of organizational policies,
processes, and procedures in alignment with the district to support a working environment for
school psychologists to implement new knowledge and skills to solve novel problems within
their daily work.

A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 156
Table 45
Survey Results for Organization Policies, Processes, and Procedures
# Organization Policies, Processes, and Procedures Item 2 % Count
Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements regarding the district’s policies,
processes, and procedures: The district’s policies, processes, and
procedures support a working environment that provides new
knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily work.

1
Strongly agree. * 6.3% 1
2
Somewhat agree. 31.3% 5
3
Neither agree nor disagree. 31.3% 5
4 Somewhat disagree. 6.3% 1
5 Strongly disagree. 25% 4
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.

Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists work in an environment
that provides new knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily work. The established
threshold for this influence was set at 80%. Since only 47.6% of the surveyed participants
indicated that they Strongly Agree (6.3%) and Somewhat Agree (31.3%) that the school district’s
policies, processes, and procedures support a working environment that provides new knowledge
to solve novel problems in their daily work, there is a need for improvement for this influence.
The assumed organizational influence of school psychologists agreeing that the district’s
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 157
policies, processes, and procedures support a working environment that provides new knowledge
to solve novel problems in their daily work, is not supported.
Organization policies, processes, and procedures influence 1. School Psychologists
work in an environment that supports daily contributions to a positive work culture.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate their level of agreement for
the following statement: “the district’s policies, processes, and procedures support a working
environment that allows for daily contributions to a positive work culture” from a scale of five
choices ranging from “Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”. As shown in Table 46, 37.5% of
the psychologists selected somewhat agree, 25% selected to neither agree or disagree, 25%
selected to somewhat disagree, and 12.5% of school psychologists strongly disagree that the
district’s policies, processes, and procedures support a working environment that allows for daily
contributions to a positive work culture. Results did not meet the 80% threshold indicating a lack
of organizational policies, processes, and procedures that align with the district for school
psychologists to contribute daily to a positive work culture.
Table 46
Survey Results for Organization Policies, Processes, and Procedures
# Organization Policies, Processes, and Procedures Item 3 % Count
Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements regarding the district’s policies,
processes, and procedures: The district’s policies, processes, and
procedures support a working environment that allows for daily
contributions to a positive work culture.

1
Strongly agree. * 0% 0
2
Somewhat agree. 37.5% 6
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 158
3
Neither agree nor disagree. 25% 4
4 Somewhat disagree. 25% 4
5 Strongly disagree. 12.5% 2
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.

Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists work in an environment
that supports daily contributions to a positive work culture. The established threshold for this
influence was set at 80%. Since only 37.5% of the surveyed participants indicated that they
Strongly Agree (0%) and Somewhat Agree (37.5%) that the school district’s policies, processes,
and procedures support a working environment that allows for daily contributions to a positive
work culture, there is a need for improvement for this influence. The assumed organizational
influence of school psychologists agreeing that the district’s policies, processes, and procedures
support a working environment that supports daily contributions to a positive work culture, is not
supported.
Cultural Settings and Models
The school psychologists within the HDSD completed surveys and interviews in order to
assess their perception of the school district and the districts cultural settings and models.
Surveys and interviews were used to assess whether or not the school psychologists feel the
school district provides them with an environment that is conducive to effectively implement
their knowledge and skills to achieve current work goals.

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Organization cultural settings and models influence 1. School Psychologists have
policies that align with the mission and vision of the organization.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate their level of agreement for the
following statement: “the culture of the school site and district support the mission and vision of
the organization” from a scale of five choices ranging from “Strongly agree” to “Strongly
disagree”. As shown in Table 47, 56.3% of the psychologists selected somewhat agree, 18.8%
selected to neither agree or disagree, 18.8% selected to somewhat disagree, and 6.3% of school
psychologists strongly disagree that the district’s cultural setting and models support the mission
and vision of the organization. Results did not meet the 80% threshold indicating a lack of
organizational culture and models within the district to support the mission and vision of the
organization.
Table 47
Survey Results for Organization Cultural Setting and Models
# Organization Cultural Setting and Models Item 1 % Count
Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements regarding the culture of your school site
and district: The culture of the school site and district support the
mission and vision of the organization.

1
Strongly agree. * 0% 0
2
Somewhat agree. 56.3% 9
3
Neither agree nor disagree. 18.8% 3
4 Somewhat disagree. 18.8% 3
5 Strongly disagree. 6.3% 1
Total 100% 16
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Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.

Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists have policies that align
with the mission and vision of the organization. The established threshold for this influence was
set at 80%. Since only 56.3% of the surveyed participants indicated that they Strongly Agree
(0%) and Somewhat Agree (56.3%) that the culture of the school site and district support the
mission and vision of the organization, there is a need for improvement for this influence. The
assumed organizational influence of school psychologists agreeing that the culture of the school
site and district support the mission and vision of the organization, is not supported.
Organization cultural setting and models influence 1. School Psychologists have
policies that allow for the implementation of new knowledge to solve novel problems in their
daily work.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate their level of agreement for
the following statement: “The culture of the school site and district support the implementation
of new knowledge to solve novel problems in your daily work” from a scale of five choices
ranging from “Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”. As shown in Table 48, 56.3% of the
psychologists selected somewhat agree, 18.8% selected to neither agree or disagree, 18.8%
selected to somewhat disagree, and 6.3% of school psychologists strongly disagree that the
district’s cultural setting and models support a working environment that allows for daily
contributions to a positive work culture. Results did not meet the 80% threshold indicating a lack
of organizational cultural setting and models within the district to support school psychologist’s
ability to implement new knowledge to solve novel problems in daily work.

A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 161
Table 48
Survey Results for Organization Cultural Setting and Models
# Organization Cultural Setting and Models Item 1 % Count
Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements regarding the culture of your school site
and district: The culture of the school site and district support the
implementation of new knowledge to solve novel problems in your
daily work.

1
Strongly agree. * 0% 0
2
Somewhat agree. 56.3% 9
3
Neither agree nor disagree. 18.8% 3
4 Somewhat disagree. 18.8% 3
5 Strongly disagree. 6.3% 1
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.

Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists have policies that allow
for the implementation of new knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily work. The
established threshold for this influence was set at 80%. Since only 56.3% of the surveyed
participants indicated that they Strongly Agree (0%) and Somewhat Agree (56.3%) that the
culture of the school site and district support the implementation of new knowledge to solve
novel problems in daily work, there is a need for improvement for this influence. The assumed
organizational influence of school psychologists agreeing that the culture of the school site and
district support the implementation of new knowledge to solve novel problems is not supported.
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 162
Organization cultural setting and models influence 1. School Psychologists are
provided with policies that allow for contribution to a positive work culture.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate their level of agreement for
the following statement: “the culture of the school site and district support the contribution to a
positive work culture” from a scale of five choices ranging from “Strongly agree” to “Strongly
disagree”. As shown in Table 49, 62.5% of the psychologists selected somewhat agree, 18.8%
selected to neither agree or disagree, 6.3% selected to somewhat disagree, and 12.5% of school
psychologists strongly disagree that the culture of the school site and district support the
contribution to a positive work culture. Results did not meet the 80% threshold indicating a lack
of organizational cultural setting and models within the district to support school psychologist’s
contribution daily to a positive work culture.
Table 49
Survey Results for Organization Cultural Setting and Models
# Organization Cultural Setting and Models Item 2 % Count
Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements regarding the culture of your school site
and district: The culture of the school site and district support the
contribution to a positive work culture.

1
Strongly agree. * 0% 0
2
Somewhat agree. 62.5% 10
3
Neither agree nor disagree. 18.8% 3
4 Somewhat disagree. 6.3% 1
5 Strongly disagree. 12.5% 2
Total 100% 16
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Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.

Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists are provided with policies
that allow for contribution to a positive work culture. The established threshold for this influence
was set at 80%. Since only 62.5% of the surveyed participants indicated that they Strongly Agree
(0%) and Somewhat Agree (62.5%) that the culture of the school site and district support the
contribution to a positive work culture, there is a need for improvement for this influence. The
assumed organizational influence of school psychologists agreeing that the culture of the school
site and district support contributions to a positive work culture is not supported.
Resources (Time, Finances, People)
School psychologists responded to surveys and interviews in order to assess their
perception of the district and the district’s resources. Surveys and interviews were used to assess
whether or not district psychologists have access to the resources they feel are critically needed
to effectively implement knowledge and skills to successfully achieve work goals.
Organization resources influence 1. School Psychologists have the resources and time
to utilize their knowledge and skill sets to achieve their current goals.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate their level of agreement for the
following statement: “the district provides resources (time, finances, people) for the
implementation of knowledge and skills to achieve your current goals” from a scale of five
choices ranging from “Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”. As shown in Table 50, 50% of the
psychologists selected somewhat agree, 25% indicated that they strongly disagree, 12.5%
selected somewhat disagree, 6.3% indicated that they neither agree nor disagree, and 6.3% of
school psychologists strongly agree that the district provides resources to implement their
knowledge and skills to achieve current work goals. Results did not meet the 80% threshold
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 164
indicating a lack of organizational resources for school psychologists to implement knowledge
and skills to achieve current work goals.
Table 50
Survey Results for Resources Organization
# Resources Organization Item 1 % Count
Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements regarding the resources you have
available to use: The district provides resources (time, finances,
people) for the implementation of knowledge and skills to achieve your
current goals.

1
Strongly agree. * 6.3% 1
2
Somewhat agree. 50% 8
3
Neither agree nor disagree. 6.3% 1
4 Somewhat disagree. 12.5% 2
5 Strongly disagree. 25% 4
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. There was clear agreement between the four interviewed participants
on whether school psychologists have the resources and time to utilize their knowledge and skill
sets to achieve their current goals. Participant 2 noted that “We can always say money. Money
we can always use, (be)cause we need curriculum, we need guidance, we need training. I think a
commitment from the district to commit to send the psychs to NASP or CASP needs to happen
for our professional growth in order to help support our students better. So training is a huge part
of that.” The remaining three participants agreed by stating that money is an extremely critical
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 165
resource necessary to supply the critical materials required to execute job duties. The hiring of
additional psychologists was also relayed as a critical resource. This additional support would
lessen the workload of all psychologists and in return require less working over contract hours.
In summary, the interviewed school psychologists demonstrated organizational knowledge of
identifying the resources required to utilize their knowledge and skill sets to achieve their current
goals, and therefore this influence was validated by the interviews.
Summary. The assumed influence is that the district psychologists of the HDSD have the
resources and time to utilize their knowledge and skill sets to achieve their current goals. The
established threshold for this survey item was set at 80%. Only 56.3% of psychologists agreed
that the district provides resources for the implementation of knowledge and skills to achieve
current goals. There is room for improvement in regard to the district providing resources for the
implementation of knowledge and skills to achieve current goals. There was overall agreement in
the responses of the interviewed participants. The participants shared how critical money, people
and time are necessary for the school psychologists to implement knowledge and skills to
achieve current goals. Since only 56.3% of the surveyed participants agreed that the district
provides these critical resources, there is a noted gap for this assumed influence. The assumed
organizational knowledge that school psychologists are provided the necessary resources to
utilize their knowledge to achieve work goals, is not supported.
Organization resources influence 1. School Psychologists have the resources and time
to implement new knowledge on their daily work.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate their level of agreement for
the following statement: “the district provides resources (time, finances, people) to implement
new knowledge to solve novel problems in your daily work” from a scale of five choices ranging
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 166
from “Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”. As shown in Table 51, 43.8% of the psychologists
selected somewhat agree, 18.8% indicated that they somewhat disagree, 18.8% selected to
neither agree or disagree, and 18.8% of school psychologists strongly disagree that the district
provides resources to implement new knowledge to solve novel problems in daily work. Results
did not meet the 80% threshold indicating a lack of organizational resources for school
psychologists to implement new knowledge and skills to solve novel problems within daily
work.
Table 51
Survey Results for Resources Organization
# Resources Organization Item 2 % Count
Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements regarding the resources you have
available to use: The district provides resources (time, finances,
people) to implement new knowledge to solve novel problems in your
daily work.

1
Strongly agree. * 0% 0
2
Somewhat agree. 43.8% 7
3
Neither agree nor disagree. 18.8% 3
4 Somewhat disagree. 18.8% 3
5 Strongly disagree. 18.8% 3
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.

A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 167
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists have the resources and
time to implement new knowledge on their daily work. The established threshold for this
influence was set at 80%. Since only 43.8% of the surveyed participants indicated that they
Strongly Agree (0%) and Somewhat Agree (43.8%) that the district provides resources to
implement new knowledge to solve novel problems in daily work, there is a need for
improvement for this influence. The assumed organizational influence of school psychologists
agreeing that the district provides resources to implement new knowledge to solve novel
problems is not supported.
Organization resources influence 1. School Psychologists have the resources and time
to contribute to a positive work culture.
Survey results. School psychologists were asked to indicate their level of agreement for
the following statement: “the district provides resources (time, finances, people) for
psychologists to contribute to a positive work culture” from a scale of five choices ranging from
“Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”. As shown in Table 52, 37.5% of the psychologists
selected somewhat agree, 31.3% indicated that they strongly disagree, 18.8% selected to neither
agree or disagree, and 12.5% of school psychologists somewhat disagree that the district
provides resources to contribute to a positive work culture. Results did not meet the 80%
threshold indicating a lack of organizational resources for school psychologists to contribute to a
positive work culture.

A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 168
Table 52
Survey Results for Resources Organization
# Resources Organization Item 3 % Count
Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the following statements regarding the resources you have
available to use: The district provides resources (time, finances,
people) for psychologists to contribute to a positive work culture.

1
Strongly agree. * 0% 0
2
Somewhat agree. 37.5% 6
3
Neither agree nor disagree. 18.8% 3
4 Somewhat disagree. 12.5% 2
5 Strongly disagree. 31.3% 5
Total 100% 16

Interview findings. Interviews were not conducted for this influence.
Summary. The assumed influence is that school psychologists school psychologists have
the resources and time to contribute to a positive work culture. The established threshold for this
influence was set at 80%. Since only 37.5% of the surveyed participants indicated that they
Strongly Agree (0%) and Somewhat Agree (37.5%) that the district provides resources for
psychologists to contribute to a positive work culture, there is a need for improvement for this
influence. The assumed organizational influence of school psychologists agreeing that the district
provides resources to contribute to a positive work culture is not supported.

A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 169
Summary of Assets and Needs
Knowledge
Gaps were determined for one out of six declarative factual knowledge influences, three
out of six declarative conceptual knowledge influences, zero out of three procedural knowledge
influences, and zero out of three metacognitive knowledge influences through surveys and
interviews. Table 53 presents an overview of the results of the assessment of each assumed
knowledge influence. Recommendations to improve each identified cause are discussed in
Chapter Five.
Table 53
Summary of Assumed Knowledge Causes Demonstrated
Assumed Knowledge Influences Assets or Need
Determined
Declarative Factual
School Psychologists know what their daily duties, roles, and
responsibilities are.
Asset
School Psychologists know what their work goals are. Need
School Psychologist have the factual knowledge to perform their work
duties.
Asset
School Psychologists know what novel problems are. Asset
School Psychologists know the meaning of engagement and satisfaction. Asset
School Psychologists know what a positive work culture is. Asset
Declarative Conceptual
School Psychologists will be required to identify knowledge related to job
goals.
Asset
School Psychologists know how their work relates to the organization’s
process.
Need
School Psychologists know how their work duties relate to others. Need
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School Psychologists know how to classify and prioritize types of
problems.
Asset
School Psychologists know how novel problems relate to performance
goals.
Asset
School Psychologists are able to identify the components of a positive
work culture.
Need
Procedural
School Psychologists will know how to use the skills to achieve their
goals.
Asset
School Psychologists know how to find new knowledge to apply to their
daily work.
Asset
School Psychologists know how to create a positive work environment. Asset
Metacognitive
School Psychologists reflect on their progress toward achieving their
goals.
Asset
School Psychologists reflect on the relationship between applying new
knowledge/mental effort and achieving their performance goals.
Asset
School Psychologists reflect on their personal contribution to a positive
work environment.
Asset

Motivation
Gaps in zero out of three value motivation influences, three out of three self-efficacy
motivation influences, zero out of three emotion motivation influences, and four out of seven
attribution motivation influences were demonstrated through surveys and interviews. Table 54
presents an overview of the results of the assessment of each assumed motivation influence.
Recommendations to improve each demonstrated cause will be discussed in Chapter Five.

A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 171
Table 54
Summary of Assumed Motivational Causes Demonstrated
Assumed Motivational Influences Need Determined
Value
School Psychologists value their current goals and daily work duties. Asset
School Psychologists value solving new problems in their daily work. Asset
School Psychologists value contributing a positive work culture. Asset
Self-Efficacy
School Psychologists have confidence that they can implement their
knowledge and skills to achieve their current goals.
Need
School Psychologists have confidence that they can solve new problems
in their daily work.
Need
School Psychologists have confidence that they can contribute daily to a
positive work culture.
Need
Emotion
School Psychologists feel positive about implementing their knowledge
and skills to achieve their goals.
Asset
School Psychologists feel positive they can solve novel problems in their
daily work.
Asset
School Psychologists feel good about contributing to a positive work
culture.
Asset
Attribution
School Psychologists attribute the success of achieving performance goals
to their own knowledge and skills.
Need
School Psychologists attribute the failure of achieving performance goals
to their own knowledge and skills.
Need
School Psychologists attribute their success to knowing their daily work
goals.
Asset
School Psychologists attribute their failure to knowing their daily work
goals.
Need
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 172
School Psychologists attribute the success of achieving performance goals
to their own efforts to bring new knowledge to solve novel problems in
their daily work.
Asset
School Psychologists attribute the failure of achieving performance goals
to their own efforts to bring new knowledge to solve novel problems in
their daily work.
Need
School Psychologists attribute their work culture to their own efforts. Asset

Organization
Gaps in three out of three organization resource (incentives, rewards, recognition)
influences, three out of three organization policies, processes, and procedures influences, three
out of three organization cultural settings and models influences, and three out of three
organization resource (time, finances, people) influences were demonstrated through surveys and
interviews. Table 55 presents an overview of the results of the assessment of each assumed
organization influence. Recommendations to improve each demonstrated cause are discussed in
Chapter Five.
Table 55
Summary of Assumed Organizational Causes Demonstrated
Assumed Organizational Influences Need Determined
Resources (Incentives, Rewards, Recognition)
School Psychologists are a part of a work culture that supports the use of
knowledge and skills to achieve their current goals.
Need
School Psychologists are a part of a culture that supports bringing new
knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily work.
Need
School Psychologists share the belief with others that they can contribute
to a positive work culture.
Need
Policies, Processes, and Procedures
School Psychologists work in an environment that supports the Need
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 173
implementation of knowledge and skills to achieve current goals among
all staff.
School Psychologists work in an environment that provides new
knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily work.
Need
School Psychologists work in an environment that supports daily
contributions to a positive work culture.
Need
Cultural Settings and Models
School Psychologists have policies that align with the mission and vision
of the organization.
Need
School Psychologists have policies that allow for the implementation of
new knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily work.
Need
School Psychologists are provided with policies that allow for
contribution to a positive work culture.
Need
Resources (Time, Finances, People)
School Psychologists have the resources and time to utilize their
knowledge and skill sets to achieve their current goals.
Need
School Psychologists have the resources and time to implement new
knowledge on their daily work.
Need
School Psychologists have the resources and time to contribute to a
positive work culture.
Need

Chapter Five examines proposed solutions for each demonstrated cause. Each proposed
solution utilizes evidenced based recommendations identified through relevant academic
research. Proposed solutions will be shared with the Assistant Superintendent of Special
Education of the HDSD.

A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 174
CHAPTER FIVE: RECOMMENDATIONS AND EVALUATION
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of the study is to use the Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis framework to
examine the organizational problem of decreased job satisfaction, lack of engagement, and high
turnover rates of district school psychologists at High Desert School District. For the purpose of
this study, the focus will be on determining whether the district school psychologists know how
to achieve their performance goals, are motivated to achieve their performance goals, and
identify what organizational barriers are inhibiting the achievement of their performance goals.
For the purpose of this study, the Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis framework is being
adapted as a needs assessment. A needs assessment is a systematic process for determining and
addressing needs between current conditions and desired conditions. The first step is identifying
the influences via the literature. Then, determining through data whether these influences are
assets or needs to be addressed. This needs assessment is part of a planning process used to
discover what critical improvements should be made within the organization. Collecting a
suitable and an appropriate amount of data will inform the process of developing an effective
plan that will address the organizations wants and needs. The results of this needs assessment
will influence subsequent critical decisions incorporating the design, implementation, and
evaluation of projects and programs that will lead to achieving desired goals.
The questions that guided this gap analysis are the following:
1. What are the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational assets and
challenges for School Psychologists to increase engagement, job satisfaction rates,
and retention rates?
2. What are the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational recommendations
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 175
can be implemented to increase School Psychologists engagement, job satisfaction
rates, and retention rates?
Recommendations to Address Knowledge, Motivation, and Organization Influences
The assumed knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences in the following
tables have all indicated gaps through surveys and interviews completed by the participating
school psychologists. As demonstrated in the tables below, each influence has been appointed
high priority for attaining the organization's goal. In addition, each table tabulates the evidence-
based principles that reinforce the recommendation. Every one of the recommendations listed for
the causes was established on the application of the principle. The tables precede an analysis for
each high priority cause, the principle, and support for the solution based on the literature.
Knowledge Recommendations
Introduction. An analysis of the data collected indicates that there are one declarative factual
knowledge needs, three declarative conceptual needs, zero procedural knowledge needs, and zero
metacognitive knowledge needs. These knowledge types are considered high priority due to their
accentuation in the literature emphasizing burnout with school psychologists. Table 56 lists the
causes, priority, principle and recommendations. Following the table, a detailed discussion for
each high priority cause and recommendation and the literature supporting the recommendation
is provided.

A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 176
Table 56

Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Knowledge
Influence
Priority
High
Low
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Declarative Factual

School Psychologists
need to know:

● What their daily
duties, roles, and
responsibilities
are.

High How individuals
organize knowledge
influences how they
learn and apply what
they know (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006).
Provide psychologists
with explicit and concise
list of expected duties,
roles, and responsibilities
to ensure a clear
understanding of the
appropriate application of
organized knowledge.
Conceptual

School Psychologists
understand:

● How their work
relates to the
organization’s
process.
● How their work
duties relate to
others.
● How to identify
the components of
a positive work
culture.
High Information learned
meaningfully and
connected with prior
knowledge is stored
more quickly and
remembered more
accurately because it
is elaborated with
prior learning (Schraw
& McCrudden, 2006).
Provide psychologists
with information
regarding the
organization’s process
and the psychologists’
role within the overall
process, which presents
and develops information
in a meaningful way to
assist in retention of
learned knowledge.
Procedural

None

Metacognitive

None

Declarative knowledge solutions. One out of six assumed declarative knowledge
influences demonstrated needs. School psychologists need to know what their daily duties, roles,
and responsibilities are. Schraw and McCrudden (2006) stated how individuals organize
knowledge influences how they learn and apply what they know. The HDSD can utilize Schraw
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 177
and McCrudden’s (2006) principle of organizing knowledge in a meaningful way will influence
how information is learned and applied to close the gaps in psychologists’ declarative factual
knowledge by providing psychologists with an explicit and concise list of expected duties, roles,
and responsibilities to ensure a clear understanding of the appropriate application of organized
knowledge.
Conceptual knowledge solutions. Three out of six conceptual knowledge influences
demonstrated needs School psychologists need to understand how their work relates to the
organization’s process, how their work duties relate to others, and how to identify the
components of a positive work culture. Schraw and McCrudden (2006) stated that information
learned meaningfully and connected with prior knowledge is stored more quickly and
remembered more accurately because it is elaborated with prior learning. Researchers discussed
the importance of utilizing a problem-solving framework by sequentially identifying and
analyzing novel problems and situations (Shernoff, Bearman, & Kratochwill, 2017).
Schraw and McCrudden’s (2006) principle of utilizing information learned meaningfully
and connected with prior knowledge can be used to close the gaps in psychologists’ conceptual
knowledge by providing psychologists with information regarding the organization’s process and
the psychologists’ role within the overall process, which presents and develops information in a
meaningful way to assist in the retention of learned knowledge.
Procedural knowledge solutions. No procedural knowledge influences were validated.
Therefore, there is no gap in this knowledge area.
Metacognitive knowledge solutions. No metacognitive knowledge influences were
validated. Therefore, there is no gap in this knowledge area.

A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 178
Motivation Recommendations
Introduction. An analysis of the data collected indicates that there are no value motivation
needs, three self-efficacy motivation needs, no emotion motivation needs, and four attribution
motivation needs. These motivation types are considered high priority due to their emphasis in
the literature concerning burnout with school psychologists. Table 57 lists the motivation causes,
priority, principle and recommendations. Following the table, a detailed discussion for each high
priority cause and recommendation and the literature supporting the recommendation is
provided.
Table 57
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Motivation
Influence
Priority
High
Low
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Value

None

Self-Efficacy

School Psychologists are
confident that:

● They can
implement their
knowledge and
skills to achieve
their current
goals.
● They can solve
new problems in
their daily work.
● They can
contribute daily to
a positive work
culture.
High High self-efficacy can
positively influence
motivation (Pajares,
2006).
Provide psychologists
with opportunities to
refine their knowledge
and skills by
collaborating, observing,
and practicing with their
peers while engaging in
the desired behavior
and/or action.

Provide psychologists
with PD focused on goal-
directed practices
accompanied by frequent
and constructive
feedback on progress.
Emotion

A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 179
None

Attribution

● School
Psychologists
attribute the
success of
achieving
performance goals
to their own
knowledge and
skills.
● School
Psychologists
attribute the
failure of
achieving
performance goals
to their own
knowledge and
skills.
● School
Psychologists
attribute their
failure to knowing
their daily work
goals.
● School
Psychologists
attribute the
failure of
achieving
performance goals
to their own
efforts to bring
new knowledge to
solve novel
problems in their
daily work.
High Success or failures
attributed to effort are
generally more
adaptive and lead to
more positive
expectancies for
success (Pajares,
2006).

Recognizing the role
of effort in successful
performance and
helping individuals
see mistakes as
opportunities for
learning promotes
mastery orientation
(Pajares, 2006).
Provide administrative
support to psychologists
at both the district and
site level.

Ensure psychologists
have complete control
over their data
interpretations and
eligibility
recommendations and
that they will be
supported in the IEP
process.

Value solutions. No value motivation influences were validated. Therefore, there is no
gap in this motivation area.
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Self-Efficacy solutions. Three out of three assumed self-efficacy motivation influences
demonstrated needs. School psychologists need to be confident about implementing their
knowledge and skills to achieve their current goals, solving new problems in their daily work,
and contributing daily to a positive work culture. Pajares (2006) indicates that high self-efficacy
can positively influence motivation levels. Effective leadership can also have a positive influence
on motivation levels. Hunley, Curtis, and Batsche (2002) discussed how adequate leadership has
an efficient means for promoting best practices.
The HDSD can utilize Pajares’ (2006) principle of high self-efficacy can positively
influence motivation to close the gaps in psychologists’ self-efficacy motivation by providing
psychologists with opportunities to refine their knowledge and skills by collaborating, observing,
and practicing with their peers while engaging in the desired behavior and/or action. Professional
development focused on goal-directed practices accompanied by frequent and constructive
feedback on learning and performance development should also be provided to advance
confidence levels of school psychologists.
Emotion solutions. No emotion motivation influences were validated. Therefore, there
is no gap in this motivation area.
Attribution solutions. Four out of seven assumed attribution motivation influences
demonstrated needs. School psychologists should attribute the success and failure of achieving
performance goals to their own knowledge and skills. School Psychologists should attribute the
failure of knowing their daily work goals to their own efforts. School Psychologists should
attribute the failure of achieving performance goals to their own efforts to bring new knowledge
to solve novel problems in their daily work. Pajares (2006) indicates that success or failures
attributed to effort are generally more adaptive and lead to more positive expectancies for
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success. Further, Pajares (2006) stated that recognizing the role of effort in successful
performance and helping individuals see mistakes as opportunities for learning promotes mastery
orientation. Curtis, Hunley, and Grier (2002), indicated the relationships between the
professional practices of school psychologists and the factors of practitioner training, experience,
school district setting, and caseload contributes to the amount of effort extended.
The HDSD can utilize Pajares’ (2006) principles indicating success or failures attributing
to effort lead to positive expectancies for success and the role of effort in performance promotes
mastery orientation to close the gaps in psychologists’ attribution motivation by providing
psychologists with administrative support at both the district and site level. Additionally,
administration should ensure psychologists have autonomy over their data interpretations,
eligibility recommendations, and that they will be equally supported in the IEP process to further
develop attribution levels of school psychologists.
Organization Recommendations
Introduction. An analysis of the data collected indicates that there are three organization
resource (incentives, rewards, recognition) needs, three out of three organization policies,
processes, and procedures needs, three out of three organization cultural settings and model
needs, and three out of three organization resource (time, finances, people) needs. These
organization types are considered high priority due to their emphasis in the literature concerning
burnout with school psychologists. Table 58 lists the organization causes, priority, principle and
recommendations. Following the table, a detailed discussion for each high priority cause and
recommendation and the literature supporting the recommendation is provided.
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Table 58
Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Organization
Influence
Priority
High
Low
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Resources (Incentives,
Rewards, Recognition)

● School
Psychologists are
a part of a work
culture that
supports the use
of knowledge and
skills to achieve
their current
goals.
● School
Psychologists are
a part of a culture
that supports
bringing new
knowledge to
solve novel
problems in their
daily work.
● School
Psychologists
share the belief
with others that
they can
contribute to a
positive work
culture.
High
Effective change
efforts ensure that
everyone has the
resources needed to do
their job (Clark &
Estes, 2008).

Survey psychologists to
identify their specific
resource needs and
allocate resources where
needed most.

Provide psychologists
with recognition, support,
and appreciation to
promote autonomy,
productivity, and
positivity.
Policies, Processes, and
Procedures

● School
Psychologists
work in an
environment that
supports the
implementation of
knowledge and
skills to achieve
current goals
High
Effective
organizations ensure
that organizational
messages, rewards,
policies and
procedures that
govern the work of the
organization are
Policies, processes, and
procedures at both the
school site and district
levels should be
evaluated and aligned
with and supportive of
the organization's overall
goals.
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among all staff.
● School
Psychologists
work in an
environment that
provides new
knowledge to
solve novel
problems in their
daily work.
● School
Psychologists
work in an
environment that
supports daily
contributions to a
positive work
culture.
aligned with or are
supportive of
organizational goals
and values (Clark &
Estes, 2008).

Cultural Settings and
Models

● School
Psychologists
have policies that
align with the
mission and
vision of the
organization.
● School
Psychologists
have policies that
allow for the
implementation of
new knowledge to
solve novel
problems in their
daily work.
● School
Psychologists are
provided with
policies that allow
for contribution to
a positive work
culture.
High
Performances improve
when organizational
goals, policies and
procedures are aligned
with the
organizational culture
(Clark & Estes, 2008).
Effective change
efforts use evidence-
based solutions and
adapt them, where
necessary, to the
organization's culture
(Clark & Estes, 2008).

Collaborate with faculty,
staff, and administration
to establish a plan for
developing a safe and
supportive environment
throughout school sites
and the district to
promote a positive work
setting and effective
change.
Resources (Time,
Finances, People)

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● School
Psychologists
have the resources
and time to utilize
their knowledge
and skill sets to
achieve their
current goals.
● School
Psychologists
have the resources
and time to
implement new
knowledge on
their daily work.
● School
Psychologists
have the resources
and time to
contribute to a
positive work
culture.
High
Effective change
efforts ensure that
everyone has the
resources needed to do
their job (Clark &
Estes, 2008).

Survey psychologists to
identify their specific
resource needs and
allocate resources where
needed most.

Provide psychologists
with allocated time,
financial support, and
assistance (persons) to
promote autonomy,
productivity, and
positivity.

Resource solutions. Six out of six resource organization influences demonstrated need.
School psychologists need the resources and time to utilize their knowledge and skill sets to
achieve their current goals, to implement new knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily
work, and to contribute to a positive work culture. Clark and Estes (2008) stated that effective
change efforts ensure that everyone has the resources needed to do their job. Gilman and Gabriel
(2004), indicated that reform efforts should involve critical stakeholders (teachers and
administrators) in advocacy efforts.
The HDSD should survey the school psychologists to identify their specific resource
needs and allocate resources where needed most. Additionally, the district should provide the
school psychologists with recognition, support, appreciation, allocated time, financial support,
and assistance (persons) to promote autonomy, productivity, and positivity.
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Policies, processes, and procedures solutions. Three out of three policies, processes,
and procedures organization influences demonstrated need. School psychologists should work in
an environment that supports the implementation of knowledge and skills to achieve current
goals among all staff, work in an environment that provides new knowledge to solve novel
problems in their daily work, and work in an environment that supports daily contributions to a
positive work culture. Clark and Estes (2008) stated that effective organizations ensure that
organizational messages, rewards, policies and procedures that govern the work of the
organization are aligned with or are supportive of organizational goals and values. Brown (2002)
noted that school psychologists have an ethical obligation to maintain professional competencies
that will in return support the organization's overall goals and values.
The HDSD can utilize the Clark and Estes (2008) principle indicating effective
organizations have policies and procedures that are aligned with the organization's overall goals.
Therefore, policies, processes, and procedures at both the school site and district levels should be
evaluated and realigned with and supportive of the organization's overall goals.
Cultural settings and models solutions. Three out of three cultural settings and models
influences demonstrated need. Within the district, school psychologists need policies that align
with the mission and vision of the organization, policies that allow for the implementation of
new knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily work, and policies that allow for
contribution to a positive work culture. Clark and Estes (2008) stated that performances improve
when organizational goals, policies and procedures are aligned with the organizational culture.
Additionally, effective change efforts use evidence-based solutions and adapt them, where
necessary, to the organization's culture (Clark & Estes, 2008). According to NASP, school
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psychologists should work in an environment that empowers them to promote learning, behavior,
and mental health of all children and youth.
The HDSD can utilize the Clark and Estes (2008) principles indicating that performance
improvement when the organization’s policies and procedures align with the organizational
culture and adapting evidence-based solutions to the organization’s culture to promote effective
change. Therefore, policies, processes, and procedures at both the school site and district levels
should be evaluated and realigned with and supportive of the organization's overall goals.
Summary of Knowledge, Motivation and Organization Recommendations
Knowledge recommendations will be implemented in a purposeful manner to improve
what school psychologists need to know and understand to avoid the symptoms of burnout.
School psychologists will be provided with an explicit and concise list of expected duties, a
description of their role at the site and district level, and overall responsibilities to facilitate
meaningful connections to learned information to encourage declarative factual knowledge
development. School psychologists will also be provided with information regarding the
organization’s process and the psychologists’ role within the overall process to facilitate
conceptual knowledge development.
Motivation recommendations will be implemented to improve self-efficacy and
attribution needs. The district will provide the school psychologists with opportunities to refine
their knowledge and skills by collaboration, observation, and practice with peers engaging in the
desired behavior and/or action to facilitate the development of psychologists’ self-efficacy.
Further, professional development opportunities focused on goal-directed practices combined
with constructive feedback. To facilitate attribution motivation, school psychologists will be
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provided administrative support at the site and district level to guarantee autonomy of their data
interpretations, eligibility recommendations, and are supported throughout the IEP process.
Organization recommendations will be implemented to improve resources, policies,
processes, and procedures, and cultural settings and models. Data will be collected and analyzed
to understand the resources that school psychologists need to achieve goals, promote autonomy,
productivity, and positivity. Finally, faculty, staff, and administration will collaborate to establish
a plan to develop a safe and supportive environment throughout school sites and the district to
promote a positive work setting and generate effective change.
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations
The mission of the HDSD seeks “To give students and families the support and services
to help them reach maximum potential. This includes early identification of needs and early
intervention - fostering positive school attendance and connectedness to school, concern for
physical, social and emotional growth, access to community agencies, cultural tolerance and
understanding and parent involvement.” The goal of the HDSD states by June 2020, the HDSD
will increase school psychologist retention rates by 100%. During the first half of the 2016-2017
school year, seven school psychologists left their positions and at the end of the 2017-2018
school year, the district was down four school psychologists.
High Desert School District's goal is that by June 2020, it will increase School
Psychologist retention rates to 100%. This goal was established after an initial meeting with the
Assistant Superintendent of Special Education that outlined several key areas that need
improvement in order for the district to retain its school psychologists. There are 30 full-time,
school psychologist working within the SPED department. The majority of them are split
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between two different school sites. This inadvertently leads to added work duties,
responsibilities, and an increase in stressors. Therefore, it is necessary to identify school
psychologists' knowledge, motivation, and organization assets and needs to understand the
barriers faced by school psychologists as they attempt to implement the policies and procedures
aligned with the districts expectations.
This study examined the knowledge and skills, motivational, and organizational barriers
that prevent the school psychologists in the HDSD from being able to achieve their stakeholder
goal and the district’s overall goal. The proposed solution-extensive and purposeful professional
development trainings and workshops for school psychologists, realigned policies and
procedures correlating with the district’s mission and overall goal, appropriate resources, and a
supportive and positive culture-should produce the desired outcome of retaining 100% of the
school psychologists while increasing satisfaction and engagement levels.
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
The integrated implementation and evaluation plan for this study is built on the New
World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). This model is based on the
Kirkpatrick Four Level Model of Evaluation and was designed to monitor and evaluate the
significance of an organization’s training program. A foundational principle of the Kirkpatrick
Model states to begin in reverse order, from Level 4 to Level 1, keeping the main focus on the
program’s outcome or desired results (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The Kirkpatrick Model
emphasizes the Four Levels: Level 4-Results, Level 3-Behavior, Level 2-Learning, and Level 1-
Reaction. Level 4-Results emphasizes the degree to which targeted outcomes occur as a result of
training and support; Level 3-Behavior discusses the degree to which participants apply what
they learned during training at work; Level 2-Learning accentuates the degree to which the
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participants acquire the intended knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment based
on participation; and Level 1-Reaction indicates the degree to which the participants find the
overall training favorable, engaging and relevant to their jobs (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
The Kirkpatrick Model emphasizes the importance of the implementation of the planning
phase resulting in the Four levels executed in reverse order. When significance has been placed
on desired results, the determination of what behavior is required to accomplish the goal follows.
Participant attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary to achieve the desired behaviors are
identified. Lastly, implementation of the training program should be in a manner that enables
participants to apply learned knowledge and reaction positively to the training program within
their daily work. Thus, the Kirkpatrick Model is utilized to assist with the design implementation
and evaluation plan via the Four Levels to develop connections between the immediate solutions
and the overall goal and to promote validation to ensure success (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,
2016).
The original version of the Kirkpatrick Model is an outcome focused evaluation plan that
examines the components of a program to analyze its success or lack of success. The original
model fails to provide evaluators with influences that hamper or promote the attainment of
organizational goals. The most significant difference between the original and the new model is
the encompassment of the process that fosters or obstructs the application of learned knowledge
or skills (found in Level-3). Lastly, the New World Kirkpatrick Model includes the components
of the participants’ attitudes, engagement, confidence, and commitment to both Level 1 and
Level 2.

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Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
The Level 4 within the New World Kirkpatrick Model (2016) emphasizes connecting
training to performance results as a pivotal component for mission-critical programs. The Level
4 Results are interpreted as the extent to which the targeted outcomes ensue as a result of the
training and the support and overall accountability package (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
Knowing the organization’s legitimate Level 4 result and significant leading indicators, is the
purpose that the training is performed (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Kirkpatrick and
Kirkpatrick (2016) define leading indicators as short-term observations and measurements to
establish whether the critical behaviors will positively influence the organization's desired
results.
This section will focus on the two distinct types of leading indicators: internal and
external indicators. Internal indicators are defined as individual, team, departmental, and
organizational outcomes. External factors are described as customer, client, market, and industry
response. These indicators will serve to keep the organization’s initiatives on track, reassure
stakeholders by providing interim updates, act as motivators for training school psychologists’ to
reduce dependence on external required drivers, and to provide important data connecting
training, job performance, and the highest-level result (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Table
59 shows the proposed leading internal and external indicators, metrics, and methods.

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Table 59

Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes

Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External Outcomes
Increase in community
perception
Number of positive comments Community organization
feedback at Board of Education
meetings.
Decrease in parent
complaints regarding
timeline non-compliance
Number of complaints from
parents
Feedback from parents at school
meetings and Board of
Education meetings.
Decrease in
disproportionality in
special education
programs
Number of minority students
receiving special education
services
Quarterly report ran from
Special Education Information
System.
Internal Outcomes
Increase quality of
assessments and reports.
Number of IEP meetings held
within compliant timelines
Quarterly report ran from
Special Education Information
System.
Decrease in school
psychologists taking work
home
Number of complaints from
school psychologists
Feedback from school
psychologists at monthly school
psychologist meeting.
Decrease in stress related
absences and excessive
use of sick time/leave.
Number of school psychologists
working
Monthly report ran by Human
Resource/Personnel
Commissions.

Level 3: Behavior
Critical behaviors. Level 3 within the New World Kirkpatrick Model (2016) is
considered the most significant level because it requires more than simply evaluating. Level 3 is
a comprehensive, continuous performance monitoring and improvement system and the most
disruptive to traditional training evaluation practices (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Level 3
is defined as “the degree to which participants apply what they learned during training when they
are back on the job” (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016, p. 49). According to the Kirkpatrick
Model (2016), prior to evaluating Level 3, it first must be defined. In order to define Level 3, the
critical behaviors that will most influence Level 4 must be identified and establish them as an
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avenue from learning to desired outcomes. In this study, the stakeholder of focus alludes to the
district school psychologists’ ability to increase engagement, job satisfaction rates, and retention
rates. The critical behaviors, metrics, methods, and timing for evaluating outcome behaviors are
shown in table 60.
Table 60

Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical Behavior Metric(s)
Method(s)
Timing
1. School
psychologist create a
comprehensive
strategy to increase
engagement,
satisfaction, and
retention rates.
Number of school
psychologists creating
the comprehensive
strategy.

Number of content
areas created over
time until completed.
School psychologists
collaborate with each
other to review and
monitor their progress in
monthly school
psychologists’ meetings.
Monthly status
reports reviewed by
school psychologist
liaison in monthly
meetings between
September and
May.
2.School psychologist
implement a
comprehensive
strategy to increase
engagement,
satisfaction, and
retention rates.
Number of school
psychologists
implementing the
strategy.
Site administrators’
observations through
formal and informal
walkthroughs/visits
Monthly between
September and
May.
3.School
psychologists evaluate
effectiveness of
strategy on overall
engagement,
satisfaction, and
retention rates for
continuous
improvement.
School psychologist’s
engagement,
satisfaction, and
retention rates.
Site administrators’
observations through
formal and informal
walkthroughs/visits

School psychologists
monitor their progress in
monthly school
psychologists’ meetings.
In monthly school
psychologist
meetings between
September and
May.

Required drivers. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick define required drivers as “processes and
systems that reinforce, monitor, encourage, and reward performance of critical behaviors on the
job” (p. 53). The use of required drivers holds all individuals accountable and decreases the
possibility of individuals being overlooked. School Psychologist require the support of their
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department administrators, site administrators, fellow school psychologists, site faculty and staff
members, parents, and the community to monitor, reinforce, encourage, and reward their efforts
to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to increase engagement, satisfaction, and
retention rates. Active monitoring of the performance of school psychologists and of the required
drivers ensures accountability and a critical indicator of program success. Reinforcement
reminds school psychologists of what they are supposed to do and provide additional training
and guidance, when necessary. Encouragement should occur formally and regularly in support of
the critical behaviors. Rewarding school psychologists provides incentives to perform the critical
behaviors reliably. Table 61 shows the required drivers to support the critical behaviors.
Table 61

Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing
Critical
Behaviors
Supported
1, 2, 3 Etc.
Reinforcing
Department-wide meetings to discuss goals of creation and
implementation of the comprehensive strategy and evaluation
of outcomes.
Ongoing 1, 2, and 3
Job aid that including checklist for outcome evaluation
process.
Ongoing 3
Provide training on engagement, job satisfaction, and burnout
prevention and why it is critical.
Ongoing 1 and 2
Encouraging
Peer feedback and collaboration towards the creation and
implementation of a comprehensive strategy.
Monthly 1 and 2
Coaching provided by liaison on developing skills and
strategies for creation and implementation of the
comprehensive strategy in which they have opportunities for
practice and feedback.
Monthly 1 and 2
Informal feedback from site administrators on effectiveness. Monthly 3
Rewarding
Site level administrators will recognize psychologists as
mentors and develop a list of mentors that other
Quarterly 3
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psychologists may utilize for individual assistance
implementation of the strategy.
Through monitoring of department level implementation of
the comprehensive strategy, site level administrators will
recognize school psychologists at board and site meetings.
Monthly 1, 2, and 3
Through monitoring of department level implementation of
the comprehensive strategy, site level administrators will
share successes at board and site meetings.
Monthly 1, 2, and 3
Monitoring
Observation by site administrators Monthly 1 and 2
Check-in meetings with school psychologists regarding
progress and outcomes of creating and implementing the
comprehensive strategy.
Monthly 1, 2, and 3
School psychologist liaison will report on progress of
organizational goals and status of implementation of the
comprehensive strategy to SPED director and assistant
superintendent of SPED.
Quarterly 1, 2, and 3

Organizational support. The organizational supports are critical to ensure that the
required drivers are implemented within the HDSD. Critical behaviors will be reinforced through
the following methods: Job aids will be developed to assist with the establishment and overall
improvement of declarative knowledge in regard to engagement, satisfaction, and burnout. The
school district will also provide workshops and training on engagement, job satisfaction, and
burnout prevention and why these topics are critical components of a school psychologist.
Further, job aids will also be developed to help improve procedural knowledge related to
creating, implementing, and evaluating the comprehensive strategy. Finally, district-wide
meetings will be held to discuss goals of the creation and implementation of the comprehensive
strategy and evaluation of outcomes.
Critical behaviors will also be encouraged through required drivers. School psychologists
will collaborate and receive/provide peer feedback towards the creation and implementation of
the comprehensive strategy. School psychologists will receive coaching provided by the school
psychologist liaison on developing skills and strategies for creation and implementation of the
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comprehensive strategy. Further, school psychologists will have opportunities for practice and
feedback. Lastly, via informal observations, school psychologists will receive informal feedback
from site administrators on the effectiveness of the implemented strategies.
Critical behaviors will also be rewarded through required drivers. Site level
administrators will monitor and recognize successful school psychologists as mentors and
develop a list of mentors that other psychologists may utilize for individual assistance on
implementation of the strategy. Through monitoring of department level implementation of the
comprehensive strategy, site level administrators will recognize successful school psychologists
at board and site meetings. Further, site level administrators will share successes at board and
site meetings.
The final required driver that supports the critical behaviors is monitoring. First, school
site administrators will informally monitor school psychologists implementing the
comprehensive strategy to provide informal feedback to assist with the evaluation of the use and
effectiveness of the strategy. Further, school site administrators will schedule check-in meetings
with school psychologists regarding progress and outcomes of creating and implementing the
comprehensive strategy. Finally, the school psychologist liaison will report on the progress of
organizational goals and the status of implementation of the comprehensive strategy to the
special education director and assistant superintendent of special education.
Level 2: Learning
Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) defined learning as “the degree to which participants
acquire the intended knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment based on their
participation in the training” (p. 42). The Level 2 Learning contains five critical components -
knowledge, skill, attitudes, confidence, and commitment. Through an effective training program,
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 196
school psychologists should have no difficulty developing and displaying these five components.
The extent that school psychologists achieve the intended attributes and the quality of the
learning goals, implementation, and evaluation presents a positive correlation between these
components.
Learning goals. Based on the needs determined in Chapter Four, Learning goals have
been developed. Upon completion of the recommended solutions, school psychologists will be
able to:
1. Describe what their daily duties, roles, and responsibilities are, how their work relates to
the organization’s process, how their work duties relate to others, and how to identify the
components of a positive work culture (Declarative Factual and Conceptual).
2. Increase confidence implementing their knowledge and skills to achieve their current
goals, solving new problems in their daily work, and contributing daily to a positive work
culture (Self-Efficacy).
3. Attribute the success or failure of achieving performance goals to their own efforts,
failure of knowing their daily work goals to their own efforts, and failure of achieving
performance goals to their own efforts to bring new knowledge to solve novel problems
in their daily work (Attribution).
Program. The learning goals in the above section will be achieved through training and
development that will increase the knowledge and motivation of school psychologists to
successfully develop and implement an effective strategy to increase engagement, job
satisfaction and remain in their current positions. The program will focus on school
psychologists’ knowledge and motivation as well as school psychologists’ input concerning
organizational policies, processes, and procedures.
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In order to develop school psychologists' knowledge and skills, the HDSD will provide
school psychologists with monthly training and workshops regarding what their daily duties,
roles, and responsibilities are, how their work relates to the organization’s process, how their
work duties relate to others, and how to identify the components of a positive work culture,
which will be led by both district and SELPA professional development leaders. These trainings
will take place monthly, beginning at the start of the academic year, for six months during pre-
scheduled professional development days and school psychologists’ meetings. After the six
months of training, the school psychologists will split into cohorts by grade level (preschool,
elementary, and middle) so that school psychologists can collaborate to discuss issues and
develop a strategic plan to increase engagement, job satisfaction and increase retention rates by
avoiding burnout. These cohorts will receive specific time during monthly school psychologists’
meetings to collaborate and develop a comprehensive strategy. To facilitate this process, the
school psychologist liaison will provide guidance both individually and as a group to assist with
connections between their own assessment, counseling, and report writing practices to best
practices in school psychology standards and develop strategies that school psychologists value,
feel positive, and confident about.
Once the comprehensive strategy is created, school psychologists will work with their
cohorts and the school psychologist liaison to practice implementing their knowledge and skills
to achieve their current goals, solve new problems in their daily work, and contribute daily to a
positive work culture. This practice will occur in both mock assessments and IEP meetings as
well in actual assessments and IEP meetings where school psychologists and site administrators
can informally observe. After each event, the school psychologists will be given feedback and
will strategize how to further develop and modify their skills, which will in return inform the
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school psychologists’ practices. The school psychologists will be given immediate feedback on
the same day as the observation occurred.
Furthermore, through monitoring of department level implementation of the
comprehensive strategy, site level administrators will recognize school psychologists and
successes at board and site meetings. This will promote positivity and encourage the school
psychologists to feel confident by attributing successes and failures to their own efforts.
Evaluation of the components of learning. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) suggest
the use of both formative and summative evaluation methods. These methods include but are not
limited to knowledge checks, discussions, role plays, demonstrations, action planning, surveys,
interviews, and focus groups. Both formative and summative methods will be utilized to monitor
school psychologists’ knowledge and motivation. Table 62 outlines the methods and activities
that will be evaluated throughout the program as well as the timing of each method.
Table 62
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program.
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”
Discussions focusing on engagement, job
satisfaction, burnout, retention, and goals
during workshops/trainings/psychologist
meetings.
During trainings on PD days and monthly
trainings
Knowledge checks using multiple choice items
and collaborative games related to engagement,
job satisfaction, burnout, retention, and goals
during workshops/trainings/psychologist
meetings.
At the conclusion of each training session
Collaborative activities and full cohort
debriefing discussion with peers and school
psychologist liaison.
Monthly during school psychologists’
meetings
Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”
Checklist of components required for the
creation of a comprehensive strategy.
During the training
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Feedback from peers and school psychologist
liaison on strategy development.
At the conclusion of the training session
Use testing and meeting scenarios to practice
implementation of strategy with peers.
During the training
Feedback from peers after completing practice
implementation scenarios.
At the conclusion of the training session
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”
Open-ended survey items regarding value of
training program and outcome evaluation.
At the beginning and end of each training on a
specific topic
Open-ended survey regarding any issues with
training program and creation and
implementation of the strategy.
At the conclusion of the training on a specific
topic
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”
Discussion in small and whole groups about
fears, obstacles, and concerns with
development and implementation of the
strategy.
During the training sessions
Mentorship, coaching, and peer check-ins for
school psychologists who need extra support.
Retrospective pre-/post training
Likert scale survey indicating confidence
levels completed by participants at the end of
each training session.
At the beginning and end of each training on a
specific topic
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”
Creation of an action plan with input from all
school psychologists to establish dates and
actions for strategy outcome evaluation
process.
During training
Self-reporting on progress of training and
creation and implementation of the
comprehensive strategy.
At the conclusion of each training

Level 1: Reaction
Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) define Level 1 Reaction as “the degree to which
participants find the training favorable, engaging, and relevant to their jobs” (p. 39). In this
section, every facet of Level 1 will be evaluated both formatively and summatively. The goal of
Level 1 is to quickly and efficiently validate the quality of the training program and determine its
effectiveness (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Table 63 lists the methods utilized to determine
if the school psychologists’ find the training program engaging, relevant, and satisfactory.

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Table 63

Components to Measure Reactions to the Program.
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Attendance rate. At the beginning of each training session
Site administrator observations During training
Active participation. During training
Ask meaningful questions. During training
Creating meaningful connections between
training and assessments.
During training and after training
Relevance
Pulse check. During training
Post training survey. After training
Customer Satisfaction
Post program survey including overall
satisfaction with the training program,
engagement in the training, relevance of the
training, and general views of the training
quality.
One week after each training component is
taught
Instructor observation gauging participant
engagement.
During training

Evaluation Tools
The school psychologists participating in the training program will be asked to participate
in the evaluation of the impact the program had on their knowledge, motivation, and practice
within the organization. Two types of evaluation tools, immediate and delayed, are
recommended for evaluating the impact of the program immediately after implementation
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
Immediately following the program implementation. An immediate evaluation tool
has been developed to assess Level 1 (engagement, relevance, and participant satisfaction) and
Level 2 (knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment) for this study. Immediately
following the training, school psychologists will complete a survey. The survey will indicate the
relevance of the components and content of the training to their job and satisfaction of the
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training program, commitment, attitude, and confidence in the application of learned knowledge
and skills. An open-ended question regarding any issues with the training program and overall
development and implementation of the comprehensive strategy will also be included in the
survey. Throughout the training sessions, the professional development leaders will conduct
pulse checks by asking the school psychologists if the content is relevant to their practice and
address any questions or concerns they might have. The proposed evaluation tool to be utilized
immediately following the program implementation is presented in Appendix A.
Delayed for a period after the program implementation. According to Kirkpatrick
and Kirkpatrick (20016), evaluating the impact of the training program after a specific period of
time allows the participants to reflect on the program’s influence and allows participants time for
the application of the information learned. The delayed evaluation will be sent to the school
psychologists two weeks after their final training session. The delayed evaluation will discuss
outcomes for Level 1 Reaction, Level 2 Learning, Level 3 Behavior, and Level 4 Results
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The school psychologists will be given the opportunity to
provide feedback about the impact of the program by completing open-ended questions and
multiple-choice items. The proposed evaluation tool to be utilized after the program
implementation is presented in Appendix B.
Data Analysis and Reporting
The researcher of this study will provide a detailed analysis of the findings and present
the findings to the HDSD department administrators, site administrators, and school
psychologists. The findings will also include the results and themes from both immediate and
delayed evaluations, internal and external outcomes derived from Level 4, and the metrics
related to the critical behaviors from Level 3. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) suggest to be
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selective about the data utilized to communicate progress toward stakeholder goals. Each cohort
will be evaluated separately as well as the entire group of school psychologists as a whole. Data
from each year will be compared to measure growth and progress. The data will be presented in
the form of dashboards for each item and how it compared to the previous years. This
information will inform the district what the school psychologists need in order to increase
engagement levels, job satisfaction levels, retain psychologists in their positions, and prevent the
symptoms of burnout. Graphs and other dashboards will be developed through Microsoft Excel.
An example of a dashboard is provided in Appendix C.
Summary of the Implementation and Evaluation
The New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) provides the
implementation and evaluation framework for this study. The Four Levels of training and
evaluation are utilized to validate that the school psychologists of the HDSD have the
knowledge, motivation, and organizational support to develop and implement a comprehensive
strategy to increase engagement levels, increase job satisfaction levels, prevent burnout, and
increase retention rates. The training program commences by identifying outcomes, metrics, and
methods to measure the results of the intended outcomes of the organization’s goal. This model
provides a framework for identifying measurable outcomes related to the goal-oriented indicators
as well as learning outcomes and reactions. Critical behaviors are identified and established to
determine if the school psychologists apply the training within their practice. Once learning
outcomes are identified, school psychologists will be evaluated on their learning, knowledge,
attitude, commitment, and confidence during the training. Lastly, methods will be developed to
determine the school psychologists’ satisfaction, engagement, and relevance to determine how
they are reacting to and implementing the training to their practice. Throughout program
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implementation, data must be collected, evaluated, and analyzed to raise program results and
facilitate change within the district to achieve the organizational goals.
Throughout the training, if the level of learning and reaction does not meet expectations,
the professional development leader must identify the issue and make the necessary changes to
the program. Feedback and pulse checks from the school psychologists during the training are
incredible beneficial for the collection of data to address any issues or obstacles in learning and
reactions of the training. Communication with the school psychologists must be achieved to
determine what problems are associated with the required drivers and critical behaviors, if the
level of behavior does not meet expectations after the training. The professional development
leader can seek feedback from the school psychologists through surveys and discussions by
inquiring about what specific behaviors would allow the school psychologists to advance toward
their performance goals. Further, if the level of behavior and results meet expectations, the
school psychologists meeting their performance goals should be surveyed and interviews to
identify the components of their successful performance and share these practices with their
peers as mentors (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
Finally, school psychologists and administrators will receive a final report indicating an
analysis of the training outcomes. Providing reports, holding regular meetings throughout the
implementation process, and organizational support are critical component of any successful
program (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Further, if the data indicates that expectations are
not met, issues must be identified and corrected. If the outcomes are meeting expectations,
discussions of successes must be communicated to continue motivation towards overall
performance goals (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The value of using the New World
Kirkpatrick Model in this study will provide the school psychologists and the district
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administrators with information about the effectiveness of the recommended program and the
district’s ability to accomplish its mission.
Limitations and Delimitations
This study focuses on the knowledge, motivation, and organizational needs and assets
that contribute to the HDSD school psychologists’ ability to increase engagement levels, job
satisfaction levels, retention levels, and avoid the symptoms of burnout. The main stakeholders
of focus for this study are the district school psychologists. Other stakeholders involved are the
district administration, site administrators, all teachers, students, parents, and the surrounding
community. The school psychologists participating in this study consist of three preschool
psychologists, 20 elementary psychologists, and five middle school psychologists. Due to the
small sample size, the number of school psychologists participating in this study is a significant
limitation. This study could have benefited by expanding the sample to all school psychologists
within the High Desert SELPA (Special Education Local Plan Area). The High Desert SELPA
consist of 10 school districts and are incredibly similar socio-economically. Data from all
SELPA school psychologists regarding knowledge, motivation, and organizational needs and
assets would greatly improve this study.
This study failed to examine the impact demographic data (race/ethnicity, age, gender,
sexuality, years working as a school psychologist, and education level) could have on the data.
This demographic information could have impacted the participants' responses to both survey
and interview items. Further, demographic information was not collected or analyzed as this
information could potentially identify a participant due to the small sample size. This study
primarily focuses on one stakeholder, the district school psychologists. A more expansive study
would benefit from the incorporation of additional stakeholders (district administrators, site
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administrators, teachers, and students). The data collected from these potential stakeholders
would further the study and provide diverse perspectives regarding the effectiveness of the
comprehensive strategy utilized to increase engagement, job satisfaction, retention, and prevent
the symptoms of burnout.
Recommendations for Future Research
Future research can address the limitations described in this study. Future research can
broaden the scope of study to include information from vital stakeholders like district and site
administrators. The data obtained by increasing the breadth to administration would provide
beneficial information regarding the effectiveness of the comprehensive strategy from the
administration perspective. Future research could examine school psychologists’ knowledge,
motivation, and organizational processes throughout the High Desert SELPA to uncover any
potential needs that may affect the entire local plan area regarding overall engagement, job
satisfaction, retention, and prevent the symptoms of burnout.
By examining the influence of various demographics, the HDSD would receive a wider
range of knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors of its school psychologists. Further,
school psychologists’ knowledge, motivation, and practice within organizational systems should
be examined before and after participating in the comprehensive strategy for improved
understanding of the impact the training had on the participants. Providing additional
information in the aforementioned sections would identify and elucidate knowledge and
motivational needs and advance organizational policies, processes, and procedures.
Conclusion
The HDSD mission is to provide students and families the support and services to help
them reach maximum potential. This includes early identification of needs and early intervention
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- fostering positive school attendance and connectedness to school, concern for physical, social
and emotional growth, access to community agencies, cultural tolerance and understanding and
parent involvement. The school psychologists have a pivotal role in the attainment of the overall
mission. Within the district, problems of high turnover rates, lack of engagement, and decreased
job satisfaction with school psychologists are noted. Huebner (1992) suggests that experiencing
these effects may lead to some psychologists leaving the profession and that those who remain
within the profession may tend to operate with reduced productivity. Therefore, this study
focused on the knowledge, motivation, and organizational components that impact school
psychologist’s engagement, job satisfaction, and retention rates. As a result, needs in knowledge,
motivation, and organizational processes were identified.
Training strategies were created utilizing the New World Kirkpatrick Model (2016) and
recommendations concentrated on each determined need were established. Evaluation activities
were developed to occur throughout performance outcomes. The HDSD will implement and
evaluate the aforementioned recommendations. Survey and interview data found that school
psychologists’ value how their work relates to the district’s overall mission and processes. As a
result, the HDSD will support and execute the discussed recommendations and will benefit from
the series of improvement practices posed in this study.
The National Association of School Psychologists indicates that school psychologists are
critical members of school teams that aspire to support students’ unique abilities to learn while
also supporting teachers’ abilities to appropriately educate these students. Consequently, it is
important to understand that without the proper preventative measures in place, more and more
school districts are experiencing high levels of turnover and low levels of retention of school
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psychologists. The research and findings in this study contribute to this nation-wide effort and
can be utilized to inform future efforts by similar districts attempting to achieve a similar goal.

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Appendix A
For each of the following questions, please select the number that best correlates with how you
feel about the statement. A choice of 1 indicates that you strongly Disagree and a choice of 5
indicates that you Strongly Agree. Remember, your responses will remain anonymous.

The training held my interest. (L1) 1 2 3 4 5
During the training, how to apply learned 1 2 3 4 5
information was discussed. (L1)
The feedback received in the training has 1 2 3 4 5
given me the confidence to apply what I
learned in my own practice. (L1)
I feel positive about applying what I learned 1 2 3 4 5
in the training in my own practice. (L1)
I am committed to applying what I learned 1 2 3 4 5
during my discussions. (L1)
I found the feedback during the scenarios 1 2 3 4 5
valuable for informing my practice. (L1)
I am satisfied with the training. (L1) 1 2 3 4 5
Please provide feedback for the following questions:
1. What part of the training did you find most useful for application within your own
practice? (L2)
2. What part of the training did you fins least applicable for your own practice? (L1)

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Appendix B
Evaluation Tool Delayed for a Period After the Program Implementation
The purpose of the following questions is to evaluate the quality of performance results since the
completion of the training.
1. I feel more confident about the implementation of the information learned. (L1)
1 Strongly Disagree
2
3 Neither Agree or Disagree
4
5 Strongly Agree
2. I feel more positive about the impact that the training has on my practice. (L1)
1 Strongly Disagree
2
3 Neither Agree or Disagree
4
5 Strongly Agree
3. I am more confident in my ability to implement the training information.
1 Strongly Disagree
2
3 Neither Agree or Disagree
4
5 Strongly Agree
4. I have been able to utilize the information and skills I learned in the training. (L1, L3)
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 215
1 Strongly Disagree
2
3 Neither Agree or Disagree
4
5 Strongly Agree
5. Please describe the value of the training in your practice.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

6. Please describe a strategy that you utilized and the impact it had on your practice. (L2,
L3, L4)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
7. Since completion of the training, describe any changes in your practice. (L2, L4)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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Appendix C

0 5 10 15 20 25
Strongly Agree
Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Strongly Disagree
I have embedded the information from the training in my own practice
I have been able to utilize the information and skills in my own practice
I feel more positive about the impact the training has on my practice
I feel more confident about implementing information from the training
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 217
Appendix D
Information Sheet/Informed Consent
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
3470 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles CA, 90089

AVOIDING THE SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT WITH SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS: A GAP
ANALYSIS APPROACH

You are invited to participate in a research study. Research studies include only people who
voluntarily choose to take part. This document explains information about this study. You should
ask questions about anything that is unclear to you.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This study aims to conduct a needs’ assessment in the areas of knowledge and skill, motivation,
and organizational
resources necessary for school psychologists to remain in their positions with increased job
satisfaction and
engagement rates.

PARTICIPANT INVOLVEMENT
If you agree to take part in this study, you will be asked to participate in a survey of approximately
15-20 minutes. Following submission of the survey, you will be asked to volunteer for follow up
interview of less than 30 minutes and redirected to a link to provide contact information.

CONFIDENTIALITY
As a volunteer participant in this research, you should understand that the following rights and
conditions apply.
• Your participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw your participation at any time
without penalty.
• At the conclusion of the study session, the researcher will provide their phone numbers and
email addresses and the phone number and email address of the faculty advisor (these are
also shown below). This is to enable you to contact someone should questions or
complaints arise.
• After August 2020 you may contact the researcher and/or faculty advisor to receive a full
description of the nature, purpose and results of this study.
• You will be provided a copy of this form to take with you.

The results of the study will be confidential and anonymous. There will be no identifiable
information obtained in connection with this study. Your name, address or other identifiable
information will not be collected. The data will not be recorded or reported in any manner that
could reveal individual identity. No one, not even the researchers will be able to link your name
with your responses.

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As a volunteer for this study, I, the undersigned, verify that I am 18 years or over and have read
and understood the conditions and rights listed above.

▢ I have received a signed copy of this form.

▢ I have been offered a signed copy of this form

▢ I understand that my responses will be recorded

PARTICIPANT SIGNATURE: ________________________

PARTICIPANT NAME (PRINT):______________________

DATE: ____________________

REQUIRED LANGUAGE
The members of the research team and the University of Southern California’s Human Subjects
Protection Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP reviews and monitors research studies
to protect the rights and welfare of research subjects. When the results of the research are published
or discussed in conferences, no identifiable information will be used.

INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION
The Principal Investigator is Adrianna Reyna, reynaa@usc.edu
The Faculty Advisor is Dr. Kenneth Yates, kenneth.yates@usc.edu

IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
University Park Institutional Review Board (UPIRB)
3720 South Flower Street #301
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0702
(213) 821-5272 or upirb@usc.edu

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Appendix E
Survey Questions
1.Multiple choice. Daily duties, roles, and responsibilities include:
a. Provide state and federally mandated psycho-educational services to the schools,
including: assessment, counseling, consultation, crisis intervention, program evaluation,
case management, and staff development.
b. Only provide state and federally mandated psycho-educational assessment of students
referred for special education consideration, including initial evaluations, re-evaluation
and triennials.
c. Only provide crisis intervention, suicide and threat assessments, and grief counseling
to the general population of students at his/her school(s), and to other schools within the
District, as needed.
d. Only participate in other IEP meetings as requested or deemed appropriate by the
school administrator, District administration, or IEP team administrative designee,
including 30-day transfer review meetings and meetings in which a change of placement
to a more restrictive setting is under consideration for a student with special needs.
e. None of the above.
2.Multiple Choice. The overall work goal is:
a. To provide quality services to only special education students.
b. To provide RTI and DIS counseling services to only at-risk general education
students.
c. To provide quality services to students with extraordinary challenges thus affording at-
risk students full access to the District Promise including a rigorous education and a rich
social experience, whether these barriers are caused by health, disability, academic or
behavioral difficulties.
d. To provide any service your direct supervisor tells you to provide, including: acting as
administrator for the day and running his/her errands when asked.
e. None of the above.
3.Multiple Choice. The process of an evaluation includes:
a. Conducting the entire assessment by yourself, writing the psycho-educational report,
and holding the IEP meeting with only the psychologist and the parent.
b. Conducting the observations and assessment prior to obtaining informed consent from
parent and holding the IEP meeting with only the psychologist and the parent.
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c. Conducting the assessment, developing the psycho-educational report, and Holding the
IEP meeting without the parent or other critical member of the IEP team.
d. Informed parent consent, review and analysis of student records, observations,
interviews, provision for new assessments in all suspected areas of delay to gain
information about the student's present levels of performance, developing the psycho-
educational assessment report, facilitation of the IEP meeting, assisting with the
determination of eligibility, assisting with the development of IEP goals, and assisting
with the determination of services and placement.
e. All of the above.
4.Multiple choice: Engagement and satisfaction are defined as:
a. An emotional involvement or commitment and fulfillment of a need or want.
b. An unemotional commitment and the unfulfillment of a need.
c. An overemotional need to involve oneself in another’s job and a fulfillment of
another’s needs.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.
5.Multiple Choice. A novel problem is:
a. A familiar problem of practice.
b. An important problem of practice.
c. A new or unfamiliar problem of practice.
d. An unimportant problem of practice.
e. None of the above.
6.Multiple choice. A positive work culture:
a. Is where employees are allowed to do whatever it is they feel needs to be done.
b. Leads to increased productivity, better employee morale and the ability to keep skilled
workers.
c. Is where employees are not given adequate praise and appreciation for their
contributions.
d. None of the above.
7.Multiple Choice. Critical knowledge related to job goals includes:
a. Ability to state 13 criteria of SPED eligibility.
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b. Ability to state SPED timelines for California.
c. Ability to verbally interpret and state evaluation and assessment results to IEP team
members.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.
8.Multiple choice. The psychologists’ work relates to the district’s process by:
a. Providing a full range of services to at-risk and special needs students.
b. Providing early identification of needs and early intervention services for students.
c. Fostering positive school attendance and connectedness to school.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.
9.Multiple choice. My work duties relate to others:
a. By ensuring that all students reach their maximum academic potential.
b. By providing consultative services to teachers regarding students with academic or
behavioral needs.
c. By acting as Administrator Designee when asked by supervising Administrator.
d. By supporting staff and students during and after a crisis.
e. All of the above.
10.Multiple choice. Which scenario should receive top priority:
a. A concerned parent is in the front office waiting to speak to you regarding an IEP
meeting scheduled for the next morning.
b. The school site principal is requesting for you to sit in as admin. designee for an annual
IEP meeting beginning in ten minutes.
c. A student is caught passing a note in class indicating that they are “tired of their life
and can’t go on living like this any longer”.
d. You need to finishing writing a psycho-educational report for an IEP that begins in an
hour.
e. All of the above.
11.Multiple choice. Solving novel problems relates to performance goals by:
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 222
a. Utilizing the ability to interpret, relate, and incorporate new information with existing
knowledge and apply the new information to solve novel problems.
b. Relating old information to existing knowledge to solve novel problems.
c. Incorporating existing information with new knowledge to solve current problems.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.
12.Multiple choice. A positive work culture entails:
a. Clear mission and purpose.
b. Respect among all employees.
c. Solid communication between all employees.
d. Superior performance and results.
e. All of the above.
13.Multiple choice. Critical skills required to achieve goals include:
a. The ability to accurately administer assessments.
b. The ability to accurately interpret assessment results.
c. The ability to verbally share assessment results in front of IEP team.
d. The ability to provide counseling services to a variety of students.
e. All of the above.
14.Multiple choice. New knowledge is discovered by:
a. Attending appropriate professional development trainings and workshops.
b. Attending professional development trainings and workshops intended for other
academic professions.
c. Not attending professional development trainings and workshops due to budget
restraints.
d. Attending professional development trainings and workshops without the ability to
practice new knowledge within work environment.
e. None of the above.
15.Multiple choice. Creating a positive work environment consists of:
a. Use of an assessment tool to gather information about perceptions of school climate.
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 223
b. Compilation of data in a form that can be used as feedback about perceptions of school
climate.
c. Reflection and discussion of findings to help clarify implications and identify areas
needing change.
d. Development and implementation of an intervention and re-assessment to determine
whether change has occurred.
e. All of the above.
Using the scale below, please rate the extent to which you value the following:
1 Do not value at all
2
3 Moderately value
4
5 Highly value
16. Achieving your current work goals…
17. Completing your daily work duties…
18. Solving novel problems within your daily work…
19. Contributing to a positive work culture…
20. Working in a positive work culture…
Using the scale below, please rate how confident you feel that you can do the following right
now:
1 Not confident at all
2
3 Moderately confident
4
5 Highly confident
21. Implement your knowledge and skills to achieve your current goals…
22. Your ability to solve novel problems in your daily work…
23. Your ability to contribute daily to a positive work culture…
Using the scale below, please rate how positive you feel about doing the following:
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 224
1 Not positive at all
2
3 Moderately positive
4
5 Highly positive
24. Implementing your knowledge and skills to achieve your goals…
25. Solving novel problems in your daily work…
26. Contributing to a positive work environment…
Please check all that apply:
27. Successful achievement of performance goals is due to…
• a. School site administrator
• b. District administration
• c. Program specialists
• d. SPED teachers
• e. My efforts
• f. Incentives
• g. Professional development
• h. Rewards
• i. All of the above
• j. None of the above
28. Failure of achievement of performance goals is due to…
• a. School site administrator
• b. District administration
• c. Program specialists
• d. SPED teachers
• e. My efforts
• f. Incentives
• g. Professional development
• h. Rewards
• i. All of the above
• j. None of the above
29. Successfulness of knowing your daily work goals…
• a. School site administrator
• b. District administration
• c. Program specialists
• d. SPED teachers
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 225
• e. My efforts
• f. Incentives
• g. Professional development
• h. Rewards
• i. All of the above
• j. None of the above
30. Failure of knowing your work goals…
• a. School site administrator
• b. District administration
• c. Program specialists
• d. SPED teachers
• e. My efforts
• f. Incentives
• g. Professional development
• h. Rewards
• i. All of the above
• j. None of the above
31. Successfulness of achieving your performance goals by utilizing new knowledge to solve
novel problems in your daily work...
• a. School site administrator
• b. District administration
• c. Program specialists
• d. SPED teachers
• e. My efforts
• f. Incentives
• g. Professional development
• h. Rewards
• i. All of the above
• j. None of the above
32. Failure of achieving your performance goals by utilizing new knowledge to solve novel
problems in your daily work...
• a. School site administrator
• b. District administration
• c. Program specialists
• d. SPED teachers
• e. My efforts
• f. Incentives
• g. Professional development
• h. Rewards
• i. All of the above
• j. None of the above
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 226
33. Having a positive work culture…
• a. School site administrator
• b. District administration
• c. Program specialists
• d. SPED teachers
• e. My efforts
• f. Incentives
• g. Professional development
• h. Rewards
• i. All of the above
• j. None of the above
Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following
statements regarding the resources you have available to use:
1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately Disagree
3 Neither Agree or Disagree
4 Moderately Agree
5 Strongly Agree
34. The district provides resources (time, finances, people) for the implementation of knowledge
and skills to achieve your current goals.
35. The district provides resources (time, finances, people) for to implement new knowledge to
solve novel problems in your daily work…
36. The district provides resources (time, finances, people) for psychologists to contribute to a
positive work culture.
Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following
statements regarding the district’s policies, processes, and procedures:
1 Strongly Disagree
2 Moderately Disagree
3 Neither Agree or Disagree
4 Moderately Agree
5 Strongly Agree
37. The district’s policies, processes, and procedures support a working environment that
encourages the implementation of knowledge and skills to achieve current goals among all staff.
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 227
38. The district’s policies, processes, and procedures support a working environment that
provides new knowledge to solve novel problems in their daily work.
39. The district’s policies, processes, and procedures support a working environment that allows
for daily contributions to a positive work culture.
Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following
statements regarding the culture of your school site and district:
1 Strongly Disagree
2 Moderately Disagree
3 Neither Agree or Disagree
4 Moderately Agree
5 Strongly Agree
40. The culture of the school site and district support the mission and vision of the organization.
41. The culture of the school site and district support the implementation of new knowledge to
solve novel problems in your daily work.
42. The culture of the school site and district support the contribution to a positive work culture.
Using the scale below, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following
statements regarding the resources you have available to use:
1 Strongly Disagree
2. Moderately Disagree
3 Neither Agree or Disagree
4 Moderately Agree
5 Strongly Agree
43. The district provides resources (incentives, rewards, recognition) to utilize knowledge and
skill sets to achieve your current goals.
44. The district provides resources (incentives, rewards, recognition) to implement new
knowledge on your daily work.
45. The district provides resources (incentives, rewards, recognition) to contribute to a positive
work culture.

A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 228
Appendix F
Interview Questions
Declarative Factual (terms, facts, concepts)

1. Tell me about your daily duties, roles, and responsibilities.
2. Tell me about your work goals.
3. Please describe what engagement and satisfaction mean to you.
4. Please tell me what a positive work culture is to you.
Declarative Conceptual

5. Please tell me about how your work relates to the district’s process.
6. Please tell me how your work relates to others.

7. Please describe your process on how to classify and prioritize work problems.

Procedural
8. Please explain how you find new knowledge within your district.
9. Please tell me how you would create a positive work environment.
Metacognitive
10. Please explain how you reflect on your progress towards achieving your goals.
11. Please explain how you reflect on the relationship between applying new knowledge and
achieving your performance goals.
12. Please explain how you reflect on your personal contributions to a positive work
environment.

Value
13. How do you value your current goals and daily work duties?

Self-Efficacy

14. Please comment on how confident you feel solving novel problems in your daily work.

Attribution

15. To what do you attribute the success of achieving performance goals to your own knowledge
and skills?
A VOIDING SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT 229

Resources (time; finances; people)

16. What resources (time, finances, people) are needed to be able to implement knowledge and
skills to achieve your current goals?

Abstract (if available)

Abstract School psychologists are more at risk for experiencing the symptoms of burnout

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Asset Metadata

Creator Reyna, Adrianna Angela (author)

Core Title Avoiding the symptoms of burnout with school psychologists: a gap analysis

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 03/23/2020

Defense Date 01/29/2020

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Burnout,engagement,job retention,job satisfaction,OAI-PMH Harvest,School Psychology

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Yates, Kenneth (committee chair), Andres, Mary (committee member), Tobey, Patricia (committee member)

Creator Email adrianna.a.reyna@gmail.com,reynaa@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-277391

Unique identifier UC11673486

Identifier etd-ReynaAdria-8225.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-277391 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-ReynaAdria-8225.pdf

Dmrecord 277391

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Reyna, Adrianna Angela

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA