A Comparison of Satisfaction Ratings of School Psychologists in RTI versus non-RTI School Districts

Abstract

Teachers' satisfaction with school psychological services has been studied for more than 30 years. Few to no studies, however, are available that provide data about the perceptions of school psychologists regarding their perceived value within different service delivery models, particularly those involving Response to Intervention (RTI) models. The present study was designed to determine if any differences existed between the satisfaction ratings of school psychologists in RTI versus non-RTI school districts as self-reported by teachers and school psychologists. General education teachers, special education teachers, and school psychologists from RTI and non-RTI school districts across the United States were surveyed about their satisfaction with school psychological services using the School Psychology Perceptions Survey (SPPS, 2004). Responses were evaluated for significance using Kruskal-Wallis and in the event significance was found, Tukey's HSD was used to determine where the difference occurred. Both special and general education teachers reported statistically significant differences in their satisfaction ratings of school psychological services. Teachers from RTI school districts reported greater satisfaction levels with school psychological services when compared to teachers from non-RTI districts. School psychologists who worked in RTI school districts reported higher job satisfaction ratings than those who worked in non-RTI school districts. In terms of teachers' and school psychologists' satisfaction ratings of school psychological services, the results suggest that RTI school districts provide a more satisfying model of school psychological service delivery compared to non-RTI school district models.