ILTS School Social Worker (184) cheat sheet

Under IDEA, school social work is a related service only when the IEP team determines it is required for FAPE; the IEP must state frequency, duration, location, and provider.

Illinois school social workers hold an ISBE Professional Educator License with School Social Worker endorsement; state clinical licensure (LSW/LCSW) is a separate credential often required by employers.

Practice uses an ecological frame: assess student-environment fit across classroom, family, school, and community rather than locating the problem within the child.

MTSS/RTI is a tiered decision framework: Tier 1 supports all students, Tier 2 provides targeted small-group intervention, Tier 3 is intensive and individualized; progress data determine movement.

Child Find obligates schools to identify, locate, and evaluate children with suspected disabilities, including homeless, foster, and private-school students; parent consent precedes evaluation.

FERPA governs education records in federally funded schools; HIPAA generally excludes those records but can apply to separate school-based health services and Medicaid billing.

Illinois compulsory attendance runs from age 6 to 17; truancy responses combine attendance review, family engagement, and community referrals rather than exclusion.

Disproportionality in discipline and special education identification is monitored under IDEA; social workers examine referral, suspension, and eligibility patterns for evidence of bias.

Piaget: sensorimotor (0–2), preoperational (2–7), concrete operational (7–11), formal operational (11+); conservation typically emerges in concrete operational thought.

Erikson school-age stage is industry vs inferiority (about 6–12); adolescence is identity vs role confusion.

Vygotsky: learning is social; the zone of proximal development is the gap between independent performance and assisted performance, closed through scaffolding.

Kohlberg: preconventional (punishment/obedience, instrumental), conventional (interpersonal, law and order), postconventional (social contract, universal principles); Gilligan critiqued the justice bias with a care orientation.

Bronfenbrenner systems: microsystem (direct settings), mesosystem (links between settings), exosystem (indirect settings), macrosystem (culture and policy), chronosystem (time and transitions).

Attachment patterns: secure, anxious-ambivalent, avoidant, disorganized; internal working models formed early shape expectations for relationships and help-seeking.

Adolescent neurodevelopment: limbic and reward systems mature before prefrontal control circuits, increasing sensation-seeking and peer-influenced risk while self-regulation is still developing.

Maslow's hierarchy orders needs from physiological and safety through belonging, esteem, and self-actualization; lower needs dominate attention when unmet, though the sequence is not rigid.

FBA identifies antecedents, behavior, and consequences and hypothesizes function: attention, escape/avoidance, access to tangibles or activity, or sensory/automatic reinforcement.

BIPs are function-based: attention function → teach and reinforce appropriate attention requests; escape function → modify task demands and teach help-seeking or breaks.

Norm-referenced scores: mean 100, SD 15 on many cognitive and adaptive measures; 85–115 is within one SD; percentile rank is not the same as percent correct.

Reliability = consistency (test-retest, interrater, internal); validity = accuracy for the intended inference; reliability limits but does not guarantee validity.

Curriculum-based measurement uses brief, repeated, standardized probes sensitive to short-term growth; decision rules compare slope and level to benchmarks.

Adaptive behavior measures (Vineland, ABAS) assess conceptual, social, and practical skills; intellectual disability requires deficits in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior with onset in development.

Multi-informant, multi-setting assessment (BASC, SDQ, SSIS) reduces rater bias; discrepancies between parent, teacher, and student ratings are data to interpret, not errors to average away.

PLAAFP statements describe present levels, strengths, needs, and disability impact; annual IEP goals must be measurable and linked to the PLAAFP, with progress monitoring specified.

Suicide risk: ask directly about ideation, plan, intent, means, and protective factors; do not leave a high-risk student alone; notify administration and guardian and arrange emergency evaluation.

Mandated reporting under ANCRA: reasonable suspicion triggers a phone report to DCFS immediately or within 24 hours and a written report within 48 hours; the reporter need not investigate.

Confidentiality limits: serious and foreseeable harm to self or others, suspected abuse or neglect, court order, and applicable mandatory disclosures; explain limits at intake in developmentally appropriate terms.

CBT targets the cognitive triangle of thoughts, feelings, and behavior; school adaptations use brief, skills-based formats such as psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, and behavioral activation.

Solution-focused techniques: miracle question, scaling, exception questions, and compliments; the stance is strengths-based and goal-focused rather than problem-saturated.

Group development: forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning; school groups add confidentiality limits, mandatory reporting, and member screening considerations.

Trauma-informed services emphasize safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment; avoid seclusion, restraint, and shaming practices that can re-traumatize.

CASEL SEL competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision-making; programming is most effective when integrated across classroom, school, family, and community.

Consultation models: behavioral consultation (problem identification, analysis, plan implementation, evaluation), mental health consultation (relationship and capacity building), and instructional consultation.

IEP team required members include parent, regular education teacher if the child is or may be in regular education, special education teacher, LEA representative, and an individual who can interpret evaluation results; the student attends when appropriate.

Collaboration decision rule: define the problem in observable terms, assign data collection, set a review date, and document decisions; avoid vague agreements without measurable outcomes.

Family engagement is stronger when schools use two-way communication, cultural brokers, flexible meeting times, and explicit invitations to participate in decision-making.

Case advocacy targets an individual student's access to services; systems advocacy targets policies, funding, and practices affecting groups.

Interagency collaboration requires clarifying consent and which records are shared; FERPA and Illinois confidentiality law may restrict disclosures across schools, health, and child welfare agencies.

Conflict resolution uses interest-based negotiation: separate positions from interests, generate options, use objective criteria, and agree on next steps.

Wraparound and systems of care build a single coordinated plan with natural supports across home, school, and community; the family voice drives team decisions.

NASW Code of Ethics core values: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, competence.

Informed consent requires capacity, clear disclosure of purpose and limits, voluntariness, and documentation; minors generally provide assent while guardians consent, subject to Illinois minor consent laws.

FERPA: parents or eligible students may inspect records within 45 days, request amendment, and consent to disclosure except for exceptions such as school officials with legitimate educational interest and directory information.

IDEA entitlements: FAPE, LRE, individualized IEP, procedural safeguards, parent participation, and evaluation in all suspected disability areas; Illinois initial evaluation is generally completed within 60 school days of referral with consent.

Section 504 requires a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity; it provides accommodations and does not require specialized instruction or an IEP.

Discipline: removal beyond 10 school days requires a manifestation determination; 45-day interim alternative placements are allowed for weapons, illegal drugs, or serious bodily injury; stay-put applies during certain disputes.

Illinois Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act provides stronger protection for mental health records than FERPA alone; disclose only with valid consent or a legal exception.

Tarasoff-type duty: when a client poses a serious threat to an identifiable person, the clinician takes reasonable protective steps under district protocol and Illinois law, documenting the rationale.

School social work began in the visiting teacher movement and evolved into a specialized related service focused on home-school-community barriers to learning.

A school social worker's role includes assessment, intervention, consultation, and advocacy; administrative discipline and classroom grading are not part of the role.

Illinois school social work services are delivered across general education, special education, and community settings under a tiered framework.

Confidentiality applies to student mental health information; sharing with teachers should be limited to educationally relevant information on a need-to-know basis.

Cultural responsiveness requires examining how race, language, immigration status, and poverty shape referral and service patterns.

School-based Medicaid billing requires parental consent and documentation that the service is medically necessary and IEP or IFSP linked.

Section 504 and IDEA are distinct: 504 provides access and accommodations, while IDEA provides specialized instruction and procedural safeguards.

Attendance intervention decision rule: document outreach, convene a truancy review when absences are chronic, and involve community agencies before court referral.

Object permanence develops in the sensorimotor stage; symbolic play and egocentric thinking characterize preoperational thought.

Erikson infancy stage is trust vs mistrust; toddler stage is autonomy vs shame and doubt; preschool stage is initiative vs guilt.

Scaffolding means adjusting support to the learner's current level and gradually withdrawing it as competence increases.

Kohlberg's conventional reasoning focuses on social approval and maintaining rules; postconventional reasoning appeals to abstract principles.

Bronfenbrenner's mesosystem refers to interactions among microsystems, such as the parent-teacher relationship.

Secure attachment is associated with effective emotion regulation and exploratory behavior; disorganized attachment is associated with maltreatment risk.

Language milestones: two-word combinations typically appear around 24 months; lack of babbling by 12 months or no words by 16 months warrants developmental screening.

Executive function includes working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility; these skills develop through adolescence and support academic and social success.

Screening identifies students who may need further evaluation; it does not establish eligibility or diagnosis.

Norm-referenced tests compare a student to a standardization sample; criterion-referenced tests compare performance to a defined skill standard.

Age and grade equivalents can mislead because equal units are not guaranteed across the score distribution; standard scores and confidence intervals are preferred.

A behavior intervention plan should identify replacement behaviors, reinforcement strategies, environmental modifications, and progress-monitoring methods.

Progress monitoring data are used to decide whether to continue, modify, or discontinue an intervention at predetermined review intervals.

Evaluation for special education requires parent consent, a multidisciplinary assessment, and consideration of all areas of suspected disability.

Social-emotional rating scales have rater and setting effects; interpretation requires considering base rates, informant agreement, and cultural norms.

A written evaluation report should include reason for referral, assessment methods, results, interpretation, eligibility implications, and recommendations.

Crisis intervention follows containment, assessment, planning, and follow-up; immediate safety takes precedence over long-term counseling goals.

Suicide risk screening is not a diagnosis; a positive screen requires same-day clinical assessment and parent or guardian contact.

Mandated reporting is triggered by reasonable suspicion, not proof; the social worker reports observations and disclosures without conducting an investigation.

Direct practice with students includes individual counseling, small-group work, crisis response, classroom lessons, and family consultation.

Behavioral activation schedules rewarding activities to counter withdrawal and depressed mood; it is a component of CBT.

Solution-focused exception questions ask when the problem is absent or less severe, revealing usable strengths and strategies.

Trauma-informed schools avoid restraint and seclusion except as legally permitted last resorts and prioritize predictable routines and choice.

SEL interventions are most effective when they are sequenced, active, focused, and explicit, and when implemented across multiple settings.

Behavioral consultation is data-driven and time-limited; mental health consultation emphasizes relationship building and reflective practice.

IEP meetings require documented consideration of parent concerns and a statement of the student's present levels and needs.

Consultation decision rule: when a teacher requests help, clarify the concern, observe and collect data, co-plan an intervention, and set a follow-up date.

Advocacy requires understanding the difference between individual entitlements and systemic barriers; both may require different strategies.

Community partnerships expand school capacity through mental health agencies, child welfare, juvenile justice, and primary care.

Confidentiality across agencies requires written consent that specifies the information to be shared, the purpose, and the time limit.

Conflict is managed by focusing on interests rather than positions and by documenting agreements in writing.

Family-school partnership improves outcomes when families are treated as decision-makers rather than recipients of information.

Ethical decision-making models typically include identifying the dilemma, reviewing laws and codes, consulting, considering consequences, deciding, and documenting.

Informed consent for counseling includes the nature of services, risks and benefits, alternatives, confidentiality limits, and the right to withdraw.

FERPA permits disclosure without consent to school officials with legitimate educational interests and in health or safety emergencies.

IDEA procedural safeguards include prior written notice, access to records, independent educational evaluation requests, and mediation or due process.

Section 504 plans are reviewed periodically and must provide accommodations that allow equal access to school programs and activities.

Manifestation determination considers whether the conduct was caused by or substantially related to the disability or resulted from a failure to implement the IEP.

Illinois law requires schools to have threat assessment procedures and to respond to credible threats of violence.

Professional competence requires practicing within scope, seeking supervision, and completing required training, including mandated reporter training.

IDEA related services include developmental, corrective, and other supportive services required for a student to benefit from special education.

The school social worker may serve as the individual who can interpret evaluation results on the IEP team if appropriately qualified.

A 504 plan may include counseling as a related accommodation when needed for equal access.

School social work documentation should be factual, timely, and stored according to district records policies.

Confidential student information should not be transmitted by unsecured email or text.

Disproportionality monitoring includes examining referral, evaluation, eligibility, and discipline data by race and disability category.

Attendance intervention should begin early and include family contact, community referrals, and school-based supports.

The school social worker's role in threat assessment is to gather information about behavior, context, and risk factors, not to make the final threat determination alone.

Piaget's preoperational stage includes egocentrism, animism, and difficulty with conservation.

Erikson's stages are psychosocial and involve a crisis that must be resolved for healthy development.

Vygotsky emphasized that language and social interaction mediate cognitive development.

Kohlberg's theory has been criticized for androcentric bias; Gilligan proposed an ethic of care.

Bronfenbrenner's exosystem includes settings that affect the child indirectly, such as a parent's workplace.

Attachment theory holds that early caregiver interactions form internal working models that guide later relationships.

Adolescent risk-taking is influenced by peer presence and reward sensitivity.

Executive function skills can be supported through routines, visual supports, and explicit strategy instruction.

A functional behavioral assessment should include direct observation, indirect interviews, and record review.

Behavior intervention plans should be implemented with fidelity and monitored for effectiveness.

Standard scores are preferred over percentile ranks for comparing performance across tests.

Reliability coefficients above .90 are generally considered high for high-stakes decisions.

Curriculum-based measurement can be used for screening and progress monitoring.

Adaptive behavior measures should be completed by informants who know the student well.

PLAAFP statements should be updated annually and used to develop measurable goals.

Progress monitoring data should be graphed and reviewed at regular intervals.

Suicide risk assessment should include direct questions about ideation, plan, intent, and means.

Mandated reporters should report reasonable suspicion, not investigate.

Confidentiality limits should be explained at the start of services.

CBT can be adapted for school settings with brief, skills-based sessions.

Solution-focused practice emphasizes strengths, goals, and small steps.

Group work should include screening, clear norms, and confidentiality limits.

Trauma-informed practice avoids practices that may re-traumatize students.

SEL programming should be integrated across settings and reinforced by adults.

Consultation should be data-driven and include a plan for evaluating outcomes.

IEP teams must include required members and consider parent concerns.

Collaboration should define problems in observable terms and set review dates.

Family engagement should use two-way communication and cultural brokers.

Case advocacy targets individual access; systems advocacy targets policies and funding.

Interagency collaboration requires clear consent and records-sharing agreements.

Conflict resolution should focus on interests and objective criteria.

Wraparound planning should be family-driven and coordinated across systems.

Ethical decisions should be documented and reviewed with supervisors or colleagues.

Informed consent should cover confidentiality limits and the right to withdraw.

FERPA allows disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests.

IDEA procedural safeguards include mediation and due process.

Section 504 plans provide accommodations for equal access.

Manifestation determination examines whether conduct was caused by disability or failure to implement the IEP.

Illinois threat assessment procedures require a team-based response to credible threats.

Professional competence requires practicing within scope and seeking supervision.