New York

Fall 2006, Volume XXV number 1

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST A publication of the New York Association of School Psychologists Serving children, their families, and the school community

An affiliate of NASP

Multicultural

Issues

FROM THE EDITOR Welcome back to school and to the Fall issue of the NY School Psychologist I hope you took the summer to rest and rejuvenate in preparation for the new school year To help you begin your year this issue provides an overview on issues of multiculturalism and diversity As our student pop ulations change we too must change and grow in our understanding of different cultures and in our skills in addressing the needs of diverse groups of students Rather than provide you with an overview of this issue here I have instead chosen to use the words of others to introduce this issue on multi culturalism and diversity Laws alone cannot secure freedom of expression; in order that every man present his views without penalty there must be spirit of tolerance in the entire population Albert Einstein If we cannot end now our differences at least we can help make the world safe for diversity John F Kennedy There was never in the world two opinions alike no more than two hairs or two grains; the most universal quality is diversity Michel Eyquem seigneur de Montaigne I wish they would only take me as I am Vincent van Gogh We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools Martin Luther King Jr If man is to survive he will have learned to take a delight in the essential differences between man and between cultures He will learn that differences in ideas and attitudes are a delight part of life’s exciting variety not something to fear Gene Roddenberry Mom always tells me to celebrate everyone’s uniqueness I like the way that sounds Hilary Duff Diversity is the one true thing we have in common Celebrate it every day Anonymous Sincerely Kelly A Caci kcaci@newburghk
nyus

Lake Rd New Windsor NY


Submission Guidelines Preferred document size is  words (review) or
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NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume


TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURES Comments on Proposed Amendments to NY’s Special Education Law NYASP June 



Written by Robin Raphael Nancy Evangelista & John Kelly

Working wih Bilingual Families



Written by Amelia Lopez

Assessing English Language Learners Learning Differences or Learning Disability?

Written by Kara Hanson

International School Psychology Colloquium  th Annual Colloquium  Hangzhou China




Written by Victor T Greco

Internet Resources for Spanish Speaking Parents






Acknowledging Strengths in Others: A Resolution for the New School Year




Written by Joan R Fretz

A Proposal for Evaluating School Psychological Services A "Mental Health" Report Card




Written by Anthony Pantaleno John Kelly John Ochoa Jay David Gassman Kristen Raju Lindsay Pettine Suzanne Visone Natasha Somwar Jennifer Cammarato & Kristin Fiumefreddo

IN EVERY ISSUE

NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume


From the Editor

i

President’s Message



T: Tom’s Tech Talk



Legislative Update



NASP Notes




NYASP at Work for You




Congratulations You’re Hired




Student Corner




Chapter Rep/Executive Board Directory



Membership Application



PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE John Kelly

In a recent conversation with a State Education Department offiaged daughter, who had just comcial, I was amazed (and pleasantly surprised) at her fascination pleted her second year of Spanish, with Thomas Friedman’s book, The World is Flat. In Friedman’s attempted to help resolve the situabook, he extols the virtues of the rise in technology, which has tion. While her Spanish was not created ever increasing global connections between people and perfect, the appreciation of both the the globalization of economies. This “flattening” of the world has family and the young woman was more than evident. In fact, later allowed people from different nations to interact 24 hours a day, 7 in the week, we ran into this same family at an amusement park. days a week, and 365 days a year. Friedman points out that this They greeted my daughter like she was an old friend. These two globalization has “made Beijing, Bangalore and Bethesda next- examples highlighted for me the simple barriers that continue to door neighbors.” The state education official was discussing ways exist, but the small things that can be done to break down these that our education system needs to change in response to this obstacles. A kind look or comforting gesture or attempts to underglobalization that is taking place, as well as help our children stand and communicate on the part of the ER doctor would have interact effectively in a multi-cultural society. However, one does went a long way, as was demonstrated by a young high school girl not need to be an economics major or a foreign affairs expert to on a hot summer day in Florida. realize that we are living and working in a society that represents people from many difWhile we may not be fluent in other lanThe World is Flat ferent cultures. While technology has guages, as school psychologists, we are often advanced to sophisticated levels, there are faced with assisting students or families from still some very simple barriers to cross-cultural interactions that different cultures. An awareness and sensitivity to multi-cultural we experience on a daily basis. and diversity issues is imperative when assessing, counseling, or consulting on children with diverse backgrounds. Letting a While on vacation this summer, I had two experiences that teacher know that it is often very difficult for parents of an Asian brought this very issue to light. After a minor mishap at home, I student to attend a discipline meeting because culturally it is a disfound myself in the local emergency room for a few stitches in my grace for them to come to school under these circumstance, or rechand. I was at ease in the hospital, joking with the nurses and doc- ognizing that Hispanics may grieve a loss in a different way, or tor who were attending to me. However, as I was about to leave, that one of the highest risk groups for suicide and depression in a young man was wheeled in on a stretcher, followed by his father. high school are gay and lesbian students, or simply recognizing The ambulance crew explained that the young man had been the cultural and racial biases that many of our assessment batterinjured in the waves at the beach. As the doctor attempted to ies contain are but a few examples of the types of issues that assess the young man’s injuries, it was apparent that the boy did school psychologists often face. not speak English; nor did his father. The doctor looked around helplessly, searching for someone who could communicate with NYASP is pleased to welcome Julia Rodriguez, our new Multithe young man. The father appeared to become anxious and frus- Cultural Committee Chairperson. She has a wealth of knowledge trated, as his concern for his son grew. I noticed that the doctor in dealing with multi-cultural and diversity issues. NYASP is “rolled his eyes” at the nurse and barely made an attempt to com- committed to not only supporting our colleagues of diverse racial, fort the patient or father. It wasn’t until another patient in the ER ethnic, and sexual orientation, but also to advocate for students stepped forward to assist with communication that the tension and families that present unique needs based upon their diversity. seemed to ease. On a more pleasant note, while vacationing in In this issue, you will read about some of NYASP’s efforts in this Florida, I went to a large aquarium with my family. As we pur- area, as well as the thoughts of others throughout the state. chased out admission tickets, a young family with two small children approached the ticket window next to me. This family had So, is the world really flat? Well, I do not know about that. trouble communicating with the young woman in the booth However, I do know that we are living in a world of unprecedentbecause they did not speak English. I watched the smiles on their ed interconnections that makes our jobs more interesting and cerfaces, but it was evident that neither party was making progress at tainly more challenging. Ψ communicating with each other. At that point, my high school



NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume


3 T: Tom’s Tech Talk written by Tom Kulaga Often, when the deadline for an article is approaching, I fire up my computer and search for information about the topic of interest. Then I read through the content of various sites and try to determine what information might be useful to my colleagues. Although I started that process today, it appears that most of the work I would normally do has already been done. Consequently, I would like to direct readers to a single site that has organized selected materials related to multicultural issues and provides ample information about culturally competent practice as a school psychologist. The site was developed by our parent association, The National Association of School Psychologists, and the link to the site is: http://www.nasponline.org/culturalcompetence/index.html.




But, what does it mean for a school psychologist to be culturally competent? The NASP site answers, “Cultural competence is defined as a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals and enables that system, agency, or those professionals to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. Operationally defined, cultural competence is the integration and transformation of knowledge about individuals and groups of people into specific standards, policies, practices, and attitudes used in appropriate cultural settings to increase the quality of services; thereby producing better outcomes.”

Providing culturally competent services in the school setting At the link noted above, our NASP explains in its mission state- requires commitment at the policymaking level, the administrament why school psychologists are committed to culturally com- tive level, and the service level. While indicators of competency petent practice, “Every student has been raised in a culture and is for all levels are noted on the NASP site, only the service level cultured.” The statement notes that, “In characteristics are copied below. Culturally Competent Practice: addition to improved cross-cultural comProducing Better Outcomes munication, school psychologists who are Educators and related services personnel for Students culturally competent ensure that consultawho are culturally competent: tion, intervention, and assessments are learn as much as they can about a student’s appropriately designed to meet student, staff, and parental needs.” or family’s culture, while recognizing the influence of their own background on their responses to cultural differences; Not surprisingly, our New York State Social Studies Learning include neighborhood and community outreach efforts and Standards also acknowledge that “the study of New York State involve community cultural leaders if possible; and United States history requires an analysis of the development work within each student’s family structure, which may include of American culture, its diversity and multicultural context, and grandparents, other relatives, and friends; the ways people are unified by many values, practices, and tradi- recognize, accept, and when appropriate, incorporate the role of tions.” community volunteers; understand the different expectations people may have about the Some key concepts from the standards are defined below: way services are offered (for example, a period of social converCulture means the patterns of human behavior that includes ideas, sation may be necessary before each contact with a person; or beliefs, values, artifacts, and ways of making a living which any access to a family may be gained only through an elder); and society transmits to succeeding generations to meet its fundamen- adhere to traditions relating to gender and age that may play a tal needs. part in certain cultures (for example, in many racial and ethnic groups, elders are highly respected). With an awareness of how Diversity means understanding and respecting others and oneself different groups show respect, providers can properly interpret the including similarities and differences in language, gender, socioe- various ways people communicate. conomic class, religion, and other human characteristics and traits. Many resources to help promote cultural competence are available on the site. You can find position papers, videos, and powerpoint Empathy means the ability to understand others through being presentations. There are materials related to assessment, crisis able to identify in one’s self responses similar to the experiences, response, consultation, and practices for working with interbehaviors, and responses of others. preters. There are also excellent links to information for principals and administrators. The listing for links to recommended agenIdentity means awareness of one’s own values, attitudes, and cies, organizations and websites addressing cultural competence capabilities as an individual and as a member of different groups. in education is seven pages long. continued on p 

E–mail your tips or questions to Tom Kulaga: [email protected] NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume




LEGISLATIVE UPDATE Update on New York Implementation of IDEA  Written by Nancy Evangelista

People across the state are waiting with anticipation, and perhaps with apprehension, to learn how New York will plan to implement the recent revisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. NYASP has continued to be involved in the process at many levels. During the fall of 2005 and spring of 2006 we participated in stakeholder and focus groups to weigh in on various aspects of the legislation. (See the last edition of The New York School Psychologist for summaries by Suzanne Graney and Pam AganSmith on their involvement in these representative meetings). As this edition goes to press the federal government still has not issued final regulations on implementation of the latest enactment of the IDEA. These regulations are scheduled to be released in the first week of August. Despite the lack of final regulations, in May of 2006 VESID proposed amendments to New York’s education law to move into compliance with anticipated changes in federal regulations. While the effort to be proactive is understandable, NYASP legislative committee members felt that many of the proposed changes had not been sufficiently discussed during public comment and stakeholder input meetings, and that any proposed changes were liable to be altered by final federal regulations. We submitted formal comments to VESID advising against making changes other than those absolutely necessary to align education law with new aspects of the IDEA which are not under debate. Robin Raphael, NYASP President, attended the hearing in Batavia, NY on May 31st to deliver our comments in person. Fortunately, the New York state legislature adopted the same position, and at the end of the June legislative session, rejected all but the most essential to allow for continued compliance with federal law. You will find below a copy of the VESID proposed changes, followed by the comments filed by NYASP. We will continue to keep our members posted, via our list-serves, website, and this newsletter, of additional changes. Public Hearing Announcement The Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) of the New York State Education Department will provide an opportunity for public comment on proposed amendments to State law to ensure compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act

of 2004 (Public Law 108-446). Attached is a brief summary of the bill. The proposed legislation will be posted on the VESID website not later than May 19, 2006. Summary of Proposed Legislation The Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) of the New York State Education Department will provide an opportunity for public comment on proposed amendments to State law to comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The purpose of the bill is to amend State Law to ensure compliance with IDEA, as amended by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-446). The bill proposes to: Extend the provisions of Chapter 305 of the Laws of 2005 until June 30, 2007. Amend section 3602-c of the Education Law relating to the provision of special education services to students parentally placed in nonpublic schools to clarify that this statute applies to New York State resident students. Amend sections 4302, 4355, 4402 and 4410 of the Education Law to authorize the Commissioner to adopt regulations to the extent necessary to comply with IDEA federal regulations for a parent and school district to reach an agreement that the attendance of a committee on special education (CSE) member is not necessary or may be excused from a meeting, or that a change may be made to an individualized education program (IEP) after the annual review meeting without convening a meeting or that the three-year reevaluation of the student is not necessary. Repeal the requirements in section 4403 of the Education Law relating to the identification and reports of school districts with high rates of identification of students with disabilities, low rates of declassification, high rates of placement in separate sites and significant discrepancies in identification or placement based on race/ethnicity. These requirements have been replaced by IDEA requirements for a State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report on these issues. Amend section 4404 of the Education Law to enact a one-year statute of limitations to initiate an impartial hearing and a 90-day time period for appeal to court. Amend section 4410 of the Education Law to align the due continued on p 



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Comments on Proposed Amendments to New York’s Special Education Law NY Association of School Psychologists  June  It has been nearly two years since the 2004 revisions to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) were passed by Congress. The enactment of these changes at the state level has been a gradual process, beginning in New York with hearings last March of 2005 to provide opportunities for input from stakeholders. The New York Association of School Psychologists has been pleased to participate in many ways. First, we have offered comments in written form and at hearings. We have invited policymakers from Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) to speak at our meetings and conferences. Additionally, we participated in stakeholder and expert groups whose purpose was to comment on the implementation options for the State Performance Plan. We also advised and provided comment on the implementation of the Response to Intervention model for identification of learning disabilities. Therefore, we appreciate this opportunity to comment on those proposed regulatory changes which are most pertinent to the practice of school psychology and to the children, families, and schools we serve. Alignment with Existing Law and with New Provisions of IDEA Several of the proposed changes serve to more closely align existing law to follow new provisions of the IDEA. This includes changes such as: repeal of Section 4403 of the Education Law regarding school district data reporting, which has been replaced by the State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report required by IDEA; and amendment of Section 372 of the Social Services Law to authorize disclosure of parent and evaluation information which is needed by school districts to enroll children in school. These alignments do not require major policy changes and reflect an incremental and efficient approach to enactment of various components of the federal special education law. Regulations Requiring Shifts in Policy While the regulatory changes listed above are predicted to have limited potential impact on services for children and school district procedures, other proposed changes reflect major policy shifts and may have a far greater impact on services and procedures. In particular, the proposed amendments to Sections 4302, 4355, 4402, and 4410 have the potential to dramatically affect the way decisions are made regarding special education programs and services for children. Specifically, allowing Committees on Special Education (CSE’s) to determine that members may be excused or not needed at meetings may allow for greater flexibility and appropriate ease the burden experienced by some teachers and service providers in attending meetings of limited relevance. Yet NYASP remains cautious that safeguards be enacted to insure that appropriate personnel are notified of, and invited to, all meetings where decisions will be made that can have profound impacts on a student’s progress. Similarly, we are concerned that the proposed regulatory changes also question the necessity of the threeNY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume


year reevaluation of students. While NYASP advocated over a decade ago to allow school psychologists to determine the nature, content, and methods for psychological reevaluations, we caution that elimination of reevaluations may reduce the opportunity for the CSE to gather enough information to judge the appropriateness of the special education classification and placement. We therefore recommend that the current laws and regulations governing composition and attendance of the CSE/CPSE team be maintained without change. Closer Alignment of Major Policy Shifts with Pending Federal Regulations Aligning as many aspects of New York State Education Law as possible with the federal IDEA appears to be the intent of these proposed regulations, and seems feasible for those limited in scope and impact on policy and practice. But given that the federal regulations have not yet been issued, NYASP urges caution in adopting only those regulations which are essential for continued function of New York’s Special Education system, or those which are clearly already superceded by federal law. We instead advocate for a moratorium on any regulatory changes which would involve major shifts in policy and practice. Such a moratorium would allow for continued study and open discussion with and from the field; such public participation is essential for the regulations proposed which have the potential to place appropriate services and decision-making at risk. In addition, passing Part 200 regulations now may leave New York with regulations that are incompatible with eventual federal regulations. Waiting until the pending federal regulations are promulgated would allow New York greater flexibility in interpreting the regulations to best meet the needs of New York’s children with disabilities and best match the tradition of high quality standards set by our state. Moreover, until the federal regulations are issued, the legislative processes at the state level will still be incomplete. Therefore, given that additional legislative proposals will still need to be proposed after development of the federal regulatory guidance, we urge that the duplication of effort and expense through passage of a premature set of regulations be avoided and that New York wait for the federal regulations before altering state regulations as proposed here. The New York Association of School Psychologists is dedicated to ensuring quality educational environments and success for all of New York’s children. We appreciate this opportunity to share our perspectives, and urge consideration of our recommendations for insuring the highest level of services for children with disabilities. Further information about our organization and our positions can be provided by Pamela Madeiros, Esq., our legislative representative at Greenberg Traurig. Robin Raphael, President Nancy Evangelista, Legislative Committee John Kelly, President-Elect & Legislative Committee Ψ



A Message from the Chairperson of the Multicultural Committee written by Julia Rodriguez Hello All! My name is Julia Rodriguez and I have recently been appointed as the chairperson of the Multicultural Committee for NYASP. I am very excited to take on this leadership role and be able to share my thoughts and ideas about the direction I would like to take with this committee. The first thing I must say is that being a Hispanic female, it feels great to know that a committee like this exists in the world of school psychology. The growth of minority student populations in schools is amazing. Because of such a large increase, it is important to understand how to work with this population and how to help them succeed. It is important to keep in mind how to differentiate those who need special education support from those who do not. It is also vital to reach out to college level students who are minorities and share with them why becoming a school psychologist is extremely essential in supporting this growing population. One of my goals for the committee is to reach out to the NYASP members and ask for people to join. More heads are better than one, and provide for more efficiency when trying to disseminate information. A second goal is to reach out to college and university students and promote becoming a school psychologist. I have been a school psychologist for one year, and realize the need for minority students to join this field because districts all over the state of New York are seeing an increase in the number of minority students enrolled. A third goal is to gather speakers for both the NYASP and NASP conventions to discuss a number of multicultural issues ranging from assessment to counseling to working with the minority parent, among many others. A final goal is to work towards increasing the number of bilingual assessment tools that are available to school psychologists. Without these tools, one cannot truly make an accurate decision as to whether or not a child is experiencing difficulty in school due to actual academic delays or language acquisition. These are just a few goals that I have in mind so far and wanted to share. Please, feel free to contact me at [email protected] and share any other thoughts or ideas regarding multicultural issues and concerns. I am looking forward to hearing from people who may be interested in joining this committee. Ψ Julia Rodriguez is a school psychologist in the Wappingers Falls Central School District

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NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume


Working with Bilingual Families written by Amelia Lopez Reprinted from Pennsylvania’s Insight, Winter 2005 It is not uncommon for school psychologists to encounter a child who speaks a different language, or who does not speak the language of instruction. LEP (Limited English Proficient) enrollment has increased by almost 60% in Pennsylvania. While 53% of these students are from Spanish speaking backgrounds, other languages are also represented (e.g., Vietnamese, Khmer, Russian, Korean, Arabic, Chinese, Mandarin, Serbo-Croatian, and others). As the numbers increase, unique challenges are presented to our schools. Regardless of competent functioning in their culture of origin, these children and their family are at risk for being judged as deficient relative to the new culture (Maital, 2000). In addition, children are at risk for underachievement due to limited language proficiency.

Knoff, 1999).

Parental participation is correlated with academic achievement. For all groups regardless of ethnicity, the research shows that parental engagement works and it is a necessary component of the educational process for all children, especially those who are considered disadvantaged and have limited access to full participation in American society (Christenson, 1995; Christenson & Sheridan, 2001; Lopez & Cole 1999; Moles 1999). The benefits extend to nonacademic behaviors as well. Attitudes toward school, motivation, student attendance and classroom behaviors are all reported as directly and indirectly related to parental participation (Reynolds 1989; Lopez & Cole, in prep.).

Assess different ways of involvement. There are different ways in which parents can support their children's learning Consider that "one size does not fit all". Different families bring different talents, histories, and attitudes to the process. Raffaele and Knoff (1999) present a model for understanding parents' needs and determining the best parental involvement strategy. It may be that a given family needs a strategy for helping the child with a math subject, while another, more disconnected with the school due to past failures, needs a relationship with the teacher and the school before any specific assistance is requested. Yet another may require home visits, because of total lack of access to the system.

Studies that have compared parent participation by ethnicity have found that, while all parents place a high value on education, Hispanics were found to be less involved when compared to Anglo and African-American groups. These parents also report socio-demographic variables (e.g., conflicting and/or rotating work schedules, lack of transportation, lack of child care, lack of support systems, and limited English proficiency) as common barriers (Dauber & Epstein, 1993). Second, cultural differences regarding views of parental involvement may also contribute to the limited participation. For example, in some Hispanic cultures, the academic instruction of the child is traditionally left in the hands of the teacher. The parent's priority is to teach nonacademic behaviors such as obedience, respect and social demeanor as a way of helping their child succeed. Thus, for Hispanic parents to become actively involved in academic endeavors may require learning new behaviors and a nontraditional role (Nicolao & Ramos, 1990). Third, some parents have experienced educational failure, and they feel less capable or equipped to help their children. Others perceive themselves as "different" from their child's teacher and unsure of what they have to offer in terms of their children's formal education. Yet others feel disempowered by the traditional bureaucracy in most school systems and a perception that their cultural values are not accepted or affirmed (Raffaele, &

Accept different forms of involvement. There are many ways in which parents support their children's learning. Although some activities involve direct contact with school, other equally beneficial forms of parental support are more "behind the scenes" variables in which parents are engaged with their children at home. Examples include participating in home-school based activities (e.g., helping their child with homework, reading with their child, visiting the library, discussion of school experiences) and exhibiting positive parental behaviors (frequent parent-child dialogue, authoritative styles of parenting, and modeling of academic behaviors). Parents can also participate in specific academic activities such as parent tutoring or more specifically parent implemented interventions (Lopez & Cole, 1999; Ramirez, Lopez, & Sanchez, 2002).

In conducting research with Hispanic mothers and working as a school psychologist, I have found that parents want to help. If we reach out in non-traditional ways, they will follow recommendations. However, several things need to be taken into consideration. Begin Early. Parental involvement is particularly important for children who are socially and economically considered disadvantaged and those who do not speak English. These relationships are the most difficult to develop. Connecting with such families should begin long before the child is referred for school problems. This should occur early in the school process, from the beginning of their child's school experience (Raffaele & Knoff, 1999)

Teach specific behaviors and strategies. Many parents do not know how to help. When asking them for assistance, there needs to be a direct link between parent participation and the specific needs of the child. It is better to say, "Ms. Lopez, Maria needs help with learning some letters; can you study these five upper and lower case letters with Maria? Have her repeat them 3 times each night", instead of "Review these with Maria because she is failing." Depending on language and different educational attaincontinued on page 

Amelia Lopez is an Assistant Professor of School Psychology at Millersville University NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume




Assessing EnglishLanguage Learners: Learning Differences or Learning Disability? written by Kara J Hanson The average American classroom is becoming increasingly multicultural and multi-linguistic. As a result, school psychologists must not only maintain a heightened level of cultural sensitivity, but they must be adequately knowledgeable of psychological best practices, ethical issues, and legal provisions relating to the assessment of English-language learners (ELL), as well. However, one particular issue that is central to the role and function of the school psychologist involves the psychoeducational assessment of ELL students for the purpose of special education eligibility determinations. As educational evaluators responsible for assessing students and accurately interpreting results, it is often difficult to differentiate whether low achievement is best attributed to variables relating to second language acquisition or a true, learning disability. The following is a list of steps that may guide school psychologists through the assessment process towards accurate and appropriate decisions regarding special education service delivery. Evaluate the external variables that may be contributing to low achievement. According to the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), in order for an individual to be classified as having a specific learning disability, he/she must demonstrate difficulty in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language with the exception of learning differences resulting from environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. Educators, therefore, must rule out such variables before recommending that the child receive special education services. When evaluating socioeconomic variables, educators must first consider whether or not a child’s basic needs are being met. Does the child have enough food to eat? Does he/she feel safe in the home or school environment? After all, such factors have the propensity to greatly affect learning, and may therefore be responsible for the child’s overall low academic achievement. When children’s basic needs are not being met, it is important that school systems try to meet them to the best of their abilities. This may be as simple as providing a child with free breakfasts or helping a family obtain food stamps. Once it appears that the child’s basic needs are being adequately met, it is time to evaluate the quality of the curriculum. This involves an evaluation of both the teaching quality and content material being presented. Educators may wish to utilize the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) (Echevarria & Short, 2004) as a guideline when conducting such evaluations. In

short, evaluators should begin by asking themselves the following questions: Is the content material being delivered in a manner that is comprehensible to the ELL students? If not, educators must increase the students’ comprehension input by using speech that is appropriate given the current level of language proficiency. Are task demands and learning objectives clearly defined? If not, educators should create a list of clearly defined language objectives, as well as clearly defined content objectives. Furthermore, when providing task instructions, educators may wish to supplement verbal cues with hands-on, step-by-step demonstrations while having the child explain what is expected using his/her own words. Classroom-based ethnographic observations greatly contribute to the assessment of ELL students. Although they may be time-consuming, they do provide educators with a picture of the child’s performance in the classroom, as well as the expectations and demands of the educational setting. It is critical that educators evaluate the quality of the curriculum and instruction before considering that any lack of learning is best attributed to internal variables relating to the individual student. Consider whether low achievement is a function of variables relating to second language acquisition. It is important to remember that ELL students—especially those in the earlier stages of second language acquisition—may require additional time to organize and convey their thoughts in the new language. Because ELL students often experience initial word finding difficulties, educators may wish to allocate additional time on informal written and oral tasks that will allow the students to access and effectively communicate content material. If necessary, school psychologists may also wish to consider granting formal testing accommodations through a 504 plan if formal assessment results indicate that such measures are necessary, while more intensive services are not. It is also necessary for educators to consider that although a child may appear to have strong English-speaking skills, this does not necessarily transfer to an ability to perform on academic tasks. After all, it only takes approximately two to three years to develop the basic interpersonal communication skills that allow a child to communicate in social settings, while it takes anywhere between five and seven years to develop the cognitive academic language proficiency skills that will allow him/her to excel in the classroom. continued on next page

Kara Hanson is a school psychology graduate student at Fordham University in Manhattan She will be completing an internship in the Glen Cove School District on Long Island and will graduate in May with a Professional Diploma and Bilingual Extension in School Psychology

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Yet while such numbers serve as a general guideline regarding second language acquisition, they should not be regarded as a universal timeframe. After all, children do not learn at the same speed and therefore should not be expected to attain academic and linguistic milestones at the same rate—especially since “more research is needed to elucidate the strengths and learning needs of subgroups of underachieving ELLs in order to clarify why some ELLs who in fact do not have a learning disability, have more difficulty with language acquisition than their fellow counterparts” (Klingner, Artiles, & Barletta, 2006). Educators must remember that just because a child is not acquiring the second language as quickly as would be expected, it does not necessarily indicate the presence of an underlying learning disability. Implement an empirically-validated intervention to assess the child’s response to intervention. If it appears that environmental factors are not contributing to low achievement, educators may proceed by utilizing the Response to Intervention (RtI) model of learning disability classification that requires educators to implement an empirically-validated and appropriate intervention, then monitor the child’s progress in an attempt to assess whether or not learning takes place. Following an RtI model provides educators with qualitative data regarding how the child develops and applies learning strategies, which can aid in ongoing intervention planning. If the child does not, however, respond to the intervention, formal psychoeducational testing should be conducted to further assess the child’s capabilities. Conduct formalized testing utilizing appropriate assessment techniques. There are several key points that must be considered before formally assessing ELL students. For starters, when choosing a measure, school psychologists must remember that a test is only as good as its norms. If a child or particular group of people are outside the measure’s standardization sample, then use of that particular battery with that particular child or group would be invalid due to biases. However, because many psychological measures are not normed on ELL populations, school psychologists may utilize alternative assessment techniques for evaluation purposes. Performancebased assessments (PBA) and Curriculum-based measurements (CBM) are among the most popular methods used for assessing ELL students. PBAs, for example, require students “to actively accomplish complex and significant tasks, while bringing to bear prior knowledge, recent learning, and relevant skills to solve realistic or authentic problems. They require that students perform their competence by applying knowledge and skills rather than simply recalling and regurgitating facts” (Ovando, Collier, & Combs, 2003, p. 334). Similarly, CBMs also require students to complete significant tasks, however, the tasks are drawn directly from the curriculum itself. CBM, therefore, not only “establishes a measurement system that teachers can use efficiently, but it also produces accurate, meaningful information with which to index standing and growth, while providing information regarding the effectiveness of the curriculum and further instructional planning” (Swanson, Harris & Graham, 2003, p. 437). NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume


It is also important to remember that any child whose native language is not English is legally entitled to an evaluation conducted in both the native language, as well as English. This evaluation, however, must be conducted by an individual who either holds a degree in Bilingual School Psychology or has received a certification in school psychology with a 15-credit Bilingual Extension approved by the New York State Department of Education. It is not enough for the examiner to simply be proficient in the child’s native language, for he/she must have the required background in bilingual education, as well. Once all assessment techniques have been completed, the results are ready to be analyzed. Each piece of collected information should be considered during the decision-making process and valued for its utility. By weighing all the data, educators will be most likely to arrive at sound, comprehensive eligibility determinations that are in the best interest of the child. Remember that bilingualism is a protective factor that facilitates cognitive development. Lastly, regardless of whether or not it is determined that an ELL student qualifies for special education services, it is important that educators remember that bilingualism is no longer considered to be a handicap hindering learning, but rather bilingualism is now conceptualized as a protective factor that facilitates cognitive development. In fact, research suggests that during later years, “bilinguals are able to not only outperform monolingual children on tests involving language comprehension and production, but they also demonstrate diversification of mental abilities, mental flexibility, and superiority in concept formation, as well (Ho, 1992, p. 106). Therefore, it is important that educators recognize the benefits that bilingualism has to offer by encouraging students to not only develop English proficiency, but to further develop proficiency in their native language, as well. References Ho, M.K. (1992). Minority children and adolescents in therapy. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. Echevarria, J. & Short, D. (2004). Using multiple perspectives in observations of diverse classrooms: The sheltered instruction protocol (SIOP). In H.C. Waxman, R.G. Tharp, & R.S. Hilberg’s: Observational research in U.S. classrooms: New approaches for understanding cultural and linguistic diversity (pp. 21-47). New York: Cambridge University Press. Klingner, J.K.; Artiles, A.J.; & Barletta, J.M. (2006). English-language learners who struggle with reading: Language acquisition or learning disability? Journal of Learning Disabilities, 39, 108- 128. Jacob, S. & Hartshorne, T.S. (2003). Ethics and law for school psychologists, 4th ed. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Ovando, C.; Collier, V.; & Combs, M.C. (2003). Bilingual & ESL classrooms: Teaching in multicultural contexts, 3rd ed. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Swanson, H.L.; Harris, K.R.; & Graham, S. (Eds.) (2003). Handbook of learning disabilities. New York, London: The Guilford Press. Ψ



International School Psychology Colloquium  th Annual Colloquium  Hangzhou China Written by Victor T Greco In March of this year, going to China was not even a blip on my radar screen. In fact, I was anticipating a somewhat laid back, relaxing summer-some local trips, fixing up the new house, and getting to at least some of the many things that the typically busy school psychologist never has time to do during the year. Then there was the NASP conference in Anaheim in late March, and how everything changed for me after that! Of course, I attended the usual workshops at NASP, was able to catch up with some friends, and devoured whatever I could on RTI. In addition, I spent time at the NASP exhibitions. That’s where it all began… I had been casually visiting the exhibitions during much of my free time. I must have walked past the booth sponsored by the International School Psychology Association (ISPA) several times-not really paying much attention to it, or to the gentleman who perennially mans that booth. However, on one of my passes, the sign caught my eye-China! The gentleman who was in the booth is now someone I consider a friend-Bayard (Bay) Bartley, retired School Psychologist from Southern California. If you have been to NASP, you will probably immediately know who I am talking about if I mention that he is likely the only person paying a ukulele in the exhibit hall! When I talked to him, Bay was exuberant about the opportunities which ISPA offers, both professionally and in terms of travel. And, of course, he was quite convincing about what a great opportunity the China conference would be. China-a place I always wanted to visit, and a conference at a time when I actually had off from work as a school psychologist. I started thinking about it, and Bay gave me some additional information about the conference. It was also somewhat fortuitous that ISPA was holding its welcome/open house/ hospitality suite that evening. Of course, I had to go. The room was too small for all the people who attended. The ISPA suite was overflowing into the halls. Peg Dawson, Bill Pfohl, and many other leaders from NASP were there; all have been involved in ISPA and the International Colloquia over the years. There was quite a bit of excitement about the China colloquium, and it was quite clear that many people had established strong personal connections through the ISPA conferences. In spite of the tight quarters, I was glad I attended, and I started considering this conference in China as a real possibility. Fast forward about a month. It was May and I was still on the

fence about whether I would attend this conference. Going to China was not exactly the same as taking a trip around the corner. However, since it was a possibility, I submitted a paper presentation for the conference on some work we had done at Niskayuna High School, my district high school, titled The role of the School Psychologist in Facilitating a Peer Helper Program. While I was waiting to hear if it would be accepted, I was also exploring the other details, such as flights, visa application, and, of course, some pre and post conference tours. As long as I was going half way around the world I might as well spend more time there than I would spend traveling to get there and back! One day I received an email from Professor Peter Farrell of the United Kingdom, the Program Chair of the conference, that my presentation had been accepted. That pretty much sealed the deal; I was now going to China. I guess I will give the punch line nowit was an experience I will never forget. I am so happy I decided to attend the conference; it has led to many personal contacts and much professional growth. I will report on the logistics first, then on the actual conference. Although I have not gone to previous ISPA colloquia, many of the conference attendees had. In fact, it seems that many psychologists attend each and every year. (The conference was in Greece last year, and actually was scheduled to be in China a few years back, but needed to be cancelled due to the SARS outbreak). In any case, ISPA was able to arrange a wide variety of pre and post tours as options, and there was an officially approved, China based tour company that arranged many tours. I used this company for my post conference tour, and it was fantastic in every respect. In addition, the previously mentioned Bay Bartley (who, I came to find out, is the unofficial ISPA ambassador, and probably accounts for half of the ISPA membership through his excitement and recruiting efforts!) had also arranged pre and post tours. Bay coordinated efforts between a US based and the China based tour companies, and was able to answer many of my questions before departure. The Chair of the conference was Prof. Hongwu Zhou, who left no detail to chance. The conference was well run, and the hotel accommodations at the Zhijiang Hotel and Conference Center in Hangzhou, China, meals (conference attendees received breakfast, which was a combination of Western and Chinese food, and lunch, which was Chinese) and all creature comforts were just fine. If you needed anything, you just had to ask (although finding someone in the hotel who spoke English was not always the continued on p 

Victor Greco PhD NCSP is a school psychologist in the Niskayuna Central School District




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Internet Resources for SpanishSpeaking Parents Helping kids with Issues of education health and the pains of growing up Education, Behavior Issues, General Parenting, Health InfoPadres.com InfoPadres may be, as it calls itself, “the best site [for Spanish speaking parents] to begin your search.” It is better organized than most, and its subtopics (education, health, mental health, child development, drug information, and related topics) link with well over 250 Spanish-language pages from throughout the web. It offers more parent information on education (including early childhood and special education) than other sites, and links to a number of the sites below. www.infopadres.com Mental Health, Child Discipline American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry This is an excellent site for mental health issues, offering over 150 page-length articles for parents in clear language on both specific topics (AIDS, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and general advice (how to deal with the issue of starting school, coping with crisis). www.aacap.org/publications/apntsfam General Parenting Parenting Education This site calls itself “the center for effective parenting.” The helpful sixty to seventy parenting “handouts” it offers cover issues like “general information for parents,” “specific topics and problems,” “strategies for discipline and intervention,” “accident prevention” (e.g., child car seats), and “child development.” www.parenting-ed.org/spanish.htm General Health/Medical Issues Tu Otro Médico Medical and health-related resources for patients, sponsored by Spanish insurance agency Sanitas. This is a large site with lots of information on a variety of topics: more than a hundred short articles on infant health, two dozen on health and diet, and a number of others on obesity, medication, etc, www.tuotromedico.com MEDLINEplus A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, the Spanish section of this site offers links to pages on several health topics (e.g. alcoholism, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, nutrition, metabolism) as well as to hundreds of health-related articles in Medline’s Enciclopedia Médica. http://medlineplus.gov/spanish Mi Pediatra Mi Pediatra is a Mexican site that links to a couple hundred web pages, primarily under its rubrics of “health” and “behavior problems.” It has identified great resources on the world wide web, although it suffers slightly from lack of organization. www.mipediatra.com.mx Zona Pediátrica A good source of information on medical and dental issues, skin care, allergies, growth, behavioral issues in children. www.zonapediatrica.com/capi1rev.htm

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Family Doctor The Family Doctor site contains some 100 health-oriented topics arranged in alphabetic order. http://familydoctor.org/ (then click on the “españiol” button) Children With Disabilities National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities This site offers publications in Spanish regarding disabilities, as well as resources in all 50 states. www.nichcy.org/pubs/spanish/spandis.asp Early Literacy National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition A variety of pages that help parents develop literate kids. Topics include issues like “using the library” and “reading at home.” The site offers nine bilingual brochures for parents developed by project FLAME (the Center for Literacy at the University of Illinois/Chicago) www.ncela.gwu.edu/links/literacy.htm Drug Issues Vive Sin Drogas This is a Mexican site with lots of information for parents (and students) about specific drugs, and a limited number of drug/healthrelated topics (e.g., eating disorders). www.vivesindrogas.com La Antidroga This U.S. government sponsored site represents the National Campaign Against Child Drug Addiction. It has lots of good information about drugs and drug-related issues. www.laantidroga.com/consejos Center for Disease Control Several helpful links on the CDC site cover topics like allergies, tobacco use, dental health, and mental health, among others. The drug addiction/information section is excellent. www.cdc.gov/spanish/default.htm Internet Use & Protection Learn the Net For parents with little web browsing experience but who are not afraid to try the internet, this site is a good place to begin. One of its goals is “to help parents prevent their children from becoming victims of [cyber]crimes and [cyber]exploitation. It offers good information on “using this site,” “learning the fundamentals,” “navigating the web,” “looking for information,” and “internet protection.” An early page explains to parents how they can use the net. www.learnthenet.com/spanish/html/10kids.htm

Courtesy of the Oregon Psychologists Association Bulletin Spring 





Recursos del Internet Para Padres Educación salud salud mental y problemas conductuales Escuela, Comportamiento, Salud, Problemas Generales InfoPadres.com InfoPadres es tal vez (que asf se dice) “el mejor sitio para comenzar” una búsqueda de información. Es mejor organizado que la mayoria de los otros sitios, y sus rúbricas (escuela, salud, salud mental, desarrollo, drogas y “otros temas”) se enlazan con más de 300 páginas de gran número de rincones del internet. InfoPadres.com provee más recursos relativos a la escuela y la enseñanza (incluso la enseñanza preescolar y la educación especial) que otros sitios; ofrece enlaces con muchos de los otros sitios aquí. www.infopadres.com Salud Mental, Disciplina Positiva Academia Americana de Psiquiatría Infantil e Adolescente Este sitio brinda información excelente en la área de la salud mental, con más de 150 artículos para padres en lenguaje muy claro. Ofrece temas específicos (SIDA, Trastorno de Tensión Post Traumático) y consejos generales (el comienzo de la escuela, ayudando a los niños en tiempos de crisis). www.aacap.org/publications/apntsfam Conselos Generales para Padres Parenting Education Este sitio se dice “el centro del padre efectivo”. Los 60 a 70 artículos ofrecidos proveen consejos como “información generil para padres”, “problemas y asuntos especificos”, “estrategías de disciplina e intervención”, “prevención de accidentes”, y “desarrollo infantil”. www.parenting-ed.org/spanish.htm Medicina, Salud General Tu Otro Médico Brinda recursos para pacientes en las áreas de la medicina y la salud, patrocinados por la agencia española de seguros Sanitas. Este sitio grande ofrece informacíon en una gran variedad de áreas: más de cien páginas relativas a la salud infantil, unas veinticinco sobre la salud y la dieta, y gran número de articulos relativos a la obesidad, a los medicamentos, etc. www.tuotromedico.com MEDLINEplus Un servicio de la Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina y los Institutos Nacionales de Salud, la sección en españiol de este sitio brinda enlaces a una variedad de temas relacionados a la salud (e.g. alcoholismo, embarazo, enfermedades de transmisión sexual, nutrición y metabolismo) y centenares de articulos sobre la salud en su Enciclopedia Médica. http://medlineplus.gov/spanish Mi Pediatra Mi Pediatra es un sitio mexicano que provee enlaces a gran número de páginas en el internet, por la mayor parte bajo las rúbricas de “salud” y “problemas conductuales”. Identifica muchos recursos. www.mipediatra.com.mx Family Doctor El sitio Family Doctor provee unas 100 páginas relativas a la salud, todas por orden alfabético.




http://familydoctor.org (entonces “clic” sobre el botón “españiol”) Zona Pediitrica Buena información sobre temas medicales y dentales, y sobre el cuidado de la piel, las alergias, el desarrollo, y problemas conductuales en los niños. www.zonapediatrica.com/capi1rev.htm Niñios con Discapacidades Centro Nacional de Información sobre Discapacidades de Niñios y Jóvenes Este sitio ofrece publicaciones sobre una variedad de discapacidades; identifica recursos en los 50 estados de EE.UU. www.nichcy.org/pubs/spanish/spandis.asp Alfabetización Preescolar National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition Una variedad de artículos para ayudar a los padres con el desarrollo literario de sus niños desde la edad pre-escolar. Los temas brindados incluyen “usando la biblioteca pública” y “leer en casa.” Provee nueve folletos bilingiües para padres, preparados por el proyecto FLAME (Centro de Alfabetización de la Universidad de Illinois/ Chicago) www.ncela.gwu.edu/links/literacy.htm Drogas Vive Sin Drogas Un sitio mexicano con información para padres (y jóvenes) sobre drogas específicas; incluye algunos temas relacionados con el uso de las drogas (e.g., trastornos de alimentación) y sus efectos. www.vivesindrogas.com La Antidroga Este sitio patrocinado por el gobierno de los EE. UU. representa la Carnpañia Nacional Contra la Drogadicción Infantil. Provee buena información sobre las drogas y temas relacionados. www.laantidroga.com/consejos Center for Disease Control Ofrece varios enlaces sobre alergias, tabaco, drogadicción, salud dental, y salud mental, entre otros temas. Mucha información sobre las drogas específicas y sus peligros. www.cdc.gov/spanish/default.htm Internet y Protección Learn the Net Para padres con poca experiencia en el uso del internet, vale la pena comenzar con este sitio. Desea “ayudar a los padres a prevenir que sus niños se hagan víctimas de crímenes y explotación”. Provee buena información: “el uso de este sitio”; “aprender los fundamentos”, “navigar el intenet”, “la búsqueda de información” y “la protección.” Una primera página explica a los padres como pueden ellos utilizar el intenet. www.learnthenet.com/spanish/html/l0kids.htm

Página oferta por el Bulletin de la Oregon School Psychologists Association Primavera 

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Acknowledging Strengths in Others: A Resolution for the New School Year written by Joan R Fretz In the life of an educator, New Year’s Eve is really Labor Day. It’s the day we think about what we can do differently this time around. How can we reach more students as we make our way through the maze of issues that get in the way? If I may, I’d like to suggest a New Year’s resolution for you: “This year, as I plan my program objectives, I am going to provide my students with the gift of acknowledgement and an opportunity to practice leading.” Imagine a school in which every student was acknowledged by at least one adult, who helped them to identify their interests and strengths and then provided ways for them to develop these skills through leadership opportunities. How many more students would go to classes regularly and graduate? How many more would willingly join a school project and contribute productively in their community? How many more would have a better idea of what they want to pursue in higher education? Plenty would. One of the most painful parts of growing up is not knowing what you are good at, and worse, not having an adult in your life who points out that you are good at something. Too many of our students are underachieving for lack of motivation, drive and purpose. It has little to do with potential and everything to do with how they feel about themselves and the task of “doing school.” So, in many cases, they choose not to go to class, do the work or follow the “rules” of the school society. Some act out and get caught up in a discipline merry-go-round. Everyone knows their names. Others are so insecure and quiet, that they get lost in the crowd and become “invisible.” Few teachers remember their names. Rich or poor, high achiever or at-risk, every student needs to have a connection to at least one adult in school. Teachers are not assigned the responsibility for helping students discover who they are and what special gifts they have. It’s never been part of the job description. Yet, if you work in a school, in any capacity, that is the most important part of your job. Too much of our own training is focused on delivering information to students and becoming experts in a specific subject. We are teaching “at” students instead of embracing them in the discovery of knowledge. School is a place where they should be collecting information about themselves, in addition to the course requirements. When our students don’t pass the test or do the assignment, we shake our heads and wonder, “Why aren’t they more motivated?” “Why don’t they care more?” I wish we were thinking, “How can I make this material more relevant so they will be naturally motivated to participate with me and stretch themselves in the process?” It matters not what the subject is, or if they have

any interest in the material you are teaching. What matters is the experience they have working with you and how it makes them feel. The best example I can share with you is the 150 students who sign up to be in a competitive marching band program. Very few of them intend to make music their career choice. Only a small percentage of them are extraordinarily skilled. Yet, they devote four months to developing a field show, giving up evenings and weekends and working long hours together. Why? It has nothing to do with music. It has everything to do with the personal growth they experience as part of a course that provides opportunities to develop pride, discipline, self-confidence, team-work and responsibility. In this course, everyone’s efforts are an essential piece of the whole. They are challenged to work hard and be reflective about their progress everyday. There is immediate feedback and acknowledgement of their individual efforts at every practice. No one is on the bench and no one has an opportunity to slack off. We need to find ways to capture this approach and apply it to every classroom experience. Imagine if we spent a few minutes discussing what skills we want our students to have when they leave our building and consciously provide opportunities for them to practice these skills every day, in every class. The business world wants them to be creative thinkers, capable of leading and inspiring others, able to communicate effectively, demonstrate vision and be able to see a project through to a successful conclusion. So, what are we doing in school to prepare them to think creatively and lead? That is really our assignment. No matter what subject or grade level you teach, that is really the objective of the lesson. People with a vision of where they are going, who are intrinsically motivated, will remember an adult in their lives who commented positively about a talent they saw in them. It may have been a two minute conversation, but, it very often is one that is never forgotten. Don’t expect that person to be the child’s parent. As much as parents can see their child’s strengths and talents, children are seldom inspired by their observations. The typical response is “You’re my mom….you’re supposed to think I’m gifted.” When an adult at school takes the time to notice a specific strength or talent in a student, the impact is greater. If it’s followed by a conversation about how the student might pursue and develop this interest, it can be the spark that sets them on a focused, productive path. Having someone willing to take the time to tell you what they see in you is a very special and important gift. It takes little time and no preparation on your part. The willingness to be obsercontinued on p 

Joan R Fretz is the Director of Fine and Performing Arts in Huntington Schools NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume





NASP NOTES Lynne Thies NASP held a very productive Delegate Assembly meeting this summer in Philadelphia, and all of the key information will be shared with you below. First, however, a reminder for those of you who wait until the first fall paycheck to renew organization memberships, please take the time to pay your NASP 2006-07 dues NOW. Go to www.nasponline.org, click on the “Membership” link, then choose the “renew membership” link and follow the directions from there. Now the news: New requirement for NCSPs: In order to renew your NCSP, you will need to show 3 hours of professional development in the area of Ethics. NASP is currently working on the publication of an Ethics casebook, and they are also preparing an online self-study course in this area. Watch the Communique for information as to when this requirement will take effect. E-journal: NASP will be publishing an online journal, entitled School Psychology Forum:Research in Practice. This publication will be a forum for peer-reviewed articles and discussions on the translation of school psychology and related research into practice. Each issue will have a theme and the first issue, to be out shortly (or maybe even by the time you read this column), will focus on RTI. The URL for School Psychology Forum will be http://ejournal.nasponline.org - please keep your eyes peeled for the announcement of the first issue’s appearance. Blueprint III: Blueprint III has been finalized and can be obtained online at http://naspcenter.org/blueprint. NASP states that this document is a conceptual framework for practice and training that

was written by a group of individuals with NASP support. However, it is NOT an official NASP document nor does it represent the official position on training and practice standards. The NASP standards will be reviewed and revised in the near future (See #4). NASP Standards: NASP standards are due for revision, and there will be focus groups at the 2007 NASP Convention. It is anticipated that the main focus of the revisions will relate to technology and to conforming the standards to changes in federal law and regulations. IDEA final regulations: On August 14, 2006, the final federal regulations for IDEA 2004 were published in the Federal Register. A link to these regulations can be found on the Advocacy page of the NASP website: http://www.nasponline.org/advocacy/IDEAinformation.html ONCE AGAIN: Now that the school year has begun, remember to mark your calendar for the 2007 NASP Convention in NYC taking place during March 27 to March 31, 2007 at the NY Hilton and Sheraton. The theme for this convention is Responsiveness: The Fourth R. As information becomes available, it will be presented in this column. Also, make sure to watch the NASP Communique for tips, discounts, and requests for volunteers. . As always, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions about NASP and/or national issues. Ψ

NYASP Mission Statement The New York Association of School Psychologists (NYASP) is the statewide organization that represents the profession of school psy chology NYASP serves children their families and the school commu nity by promoting psychological well being excellence in education and sensitivity to diversity through best practices in school psychology




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NYASP AT WORK FOR YOU John Kelly Welcome to a new column that will become a regular feature in our newsletter. As I was thinking about the myriad of activities that NYASP has been involved with over the past couple of months, I was struck by the shear number of projects, response and/or position papers, and issues where the association has played an active, and at times, leadership role. However, I also realized that while our association is growing in stature and strength in the halls of the state legislature and the state education department, many of our members are not aware of these activities. Therefore, in an effort to communicate more effectively with membership, we will be publishing this column on a regular basis, as well as sending out e-mail updates to highlight important and relevant topics. In this column and the e-mail updates, you will find brief summaries and descriptions of NYASP activities throughout New York State. In the Spring of 2004, the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) published the Suicide Prevention Education and Awareness Kit (SPEAK). This was OMH’s first foray into a public awareness/public education campaign. While the kit was a good resource for school psychologists to have, it was limited in the ways that it could be used in the school setting. In a joint project with OMH, NYASP created a series of five workshop based upon the SPEAK material. The workshops include two staff inservices, one for elementary level and one for middle school/high school level, a peer-to-peer workshop for middle and high school students, a parent training for parents of middle and high school children, and a workshop designed for use with an adult population. The authors of these workshops, Nancy Evangelista, Arlene Crandall, and John Kelly, designed the workshops for easy use in the schools. These workshops were reproduced through the assistance of Jeanne Gold and the cooperation of Northern Westchester BOCES. They will be distributed to every school district in New York in the fall of 2006. Further, NYASP will offer train-the-trainer workshops for school psychologists. Anne Englesbe, of the UFT, has requested a training session for NYC school psychologists in January 2007. In addition, a training session will be held at this year’s NYASP conference in Syracuse. Susan Markel and her conference committee are planning three days of presentations and workshops under the theme “Moving Forward with Children in Mind.” The conference will be held at the Wyndham Hotel in East Syracuse on October 19 – 21, 2006. NYASP has been very active in response to the reauthorization of IDEA and the revised regulations in New York. As we are all aware, IDEA was reauthorized in December 2004, but the federal regulations that dictate state compliance with this law have yet to be published. However, all states are still required to adjust their regulations to remain in compliance with the federal law. Therefore, New York State has made changes to the Commissioner’s regulations over the past two years in response to

this law. At each step of the way, NYASP has offered the expertise and knowledge that school psychologists uniquely possess. Numerous position papers, written testimony, and oral testimony have been given by NYASP members. The Legislative Committee co-chairs, Nancy Evangelista and John Kelly, along with NYASP President, Robin Raphael, and NYASP Lobbyist, Pam Madeiros, have provided the resources for members to advocate for school psychological services and best practices for our work in the schools. Through our influence and stature in Albany, NYASP Response to Intervention (RTI) expert, Suzanne Graney, was appointed to the NYSED workgroup that advises the state on how to implement effective models of RTI. Another NYASP RTI expert, Georgia Alderidge, was appointed to this same workgroup through the UFT. In July 2006, Suzanne and Arlene Crandall assembled a group of experts on RTI from throughout the state for a “think tank” in Rochester. Out of these meeting, NYASP will be developing training modules on effective models of RTI. Our newsletter editor, Kelly Caci, produced an entire issue of the The New York School Psychologist on the topic of RTI in the spring of 2006 (this issue and all back issues have been made available online to members by our webmaster Tom Kulaga at the NYASP website, www.nyasp.org). NYASP has responded to a variety of other professional practice issues over the past few months. In June 2006, the state Board of Regents published new guidelines on the use of aversive behavioral modification techniques used in the schools. Nancy Evangelista, John Kelly, and Pam Madeiros, authored a response to these new guidelines and developed testimony for public hearings that NYSED was holding during the month of August. While NYASP generally supports these new guidelines, we strongly advocated for the inclusion of school psychologists as members of district “Human Rights Committees” and state review committees. These committees are convened when a district is either under review for their use of aversive techniques or is requesting the use of these procedures with specific students. The guidelines currently require a licensed psychologist, with experience in ABA, to be a member of these committees. NYASP has stated that school psychologists are highly trained professionals, with unique training in assessment and the development of behavioral supports for children. In addition, school psychologists understand the unique culture of schools that many “outside” professionals do not possess. This knowledge is often vital in the development of behavioral supports for students. Other professional practice issues have been addressed through NYASP’s involvement with related professional committees and associations. Robin Raphael has represented school psychology interests on the NYSED PPS Advisory Council. This has been a vital connection, as State Ed is in the process of reviewing and revising certification standards for pupil personnel staff. NYASP has already offered input into the training and experience stancontinued on p 

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Congratulations You’re Hired written by Stephanie Petrakis I remember the first time I stumbled upon the NYASPJOBS Listserv on Yahoo! Groups. I was looking up graduate schools in New York and wanted to know about the jobs in the state. Honestly, I wanted to know if I was going to get a job after I graduated in New York, or would I have to move. I was ecstatic to find many positions posted on this Listserv, so many more than other state associations’ Listserv on Yahoo! Groups. NYASPJOBS began in November 2000 by Mac Barnett. The goal of the Listserv is to acquire and disseminate job opportunities for school psychologists throughout the state of New York using the Internet as its medium. NYASP members would have access to the Listserv, and could sign up for E-mail notifications as positions were posted. Positions were collected by obtaining information from various resources, which are also available to the general public. Such resources are several websites, newspapers, and school district sites. During the time Mr. Barnett was the moderator, 673 positions were posted from November 2000 through July 2004. Dr. Bill Robelee took over the post as NYASPJOBS moderator, and from November 2004 through June 2006, 625 positions have been posted. There are currently 1272 members. Searching for the positions is relatively easy and anyone can implement their own search. I generally visit the newspapers’ websites. I have found this to be the most effective way to search jobs without having my nose in the classified section of six dif-

ferent papers. The New York Times, Albany Times Union and Rochester Democrat and Chronicle are a few of the newspapers that I access on a weekly basis. Another source that I have found to be useful is Careerbuilder.com. This search engine is linked to various newspapers including Newsday and the Poughkeepsie Journal. Finally, www.olasjobs.org continuously updates their website with new job openings throughout certain geographic areas of the state. One downfall I have found with using this site is that they do not always remove positions that have already been filled or are out of date. Since the end of June 2006, 121 positions have been posted for the 2006-2007 school year and I will supply the number of positions that have been posted since my last article in future issues of the School Psychologist. I will also provide more detailed information about the job market (i.e. geographic locations, public/private settings, trends related to job requirements) in subsequent columns. I encourage all NYASP members to subscribe to the NYASPJOBS Listserv on Yahoo! Groups. I would also encourage all NYASP members to supply either Dr. Robelee or myself with any information you may have about how to make our efforts on the Listserv more effective and informative. I look forward to seeing you in Syracuse in October when we will give a detailed presentation regarding our research on the employment situation in New York State and with Matthew Crandell, a School Psychologist in Pawling CSD, job hunting advice and techniques.Ψ

Stephanie Petrakis is a second year graduate student at Marist College; Dr William Robelee can be reached at billrobelee@maristedu

SAVE THE DATE! NASP’S  th Annual Convention March   
  New York NY Go to nasponlineorg for more information


NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume


STUDENT CORNER Teaching Cultural Understanding through Stories written by Joe Conlon There are areas of disagreement within the mental health community as to the indicators or benchmarks of mental health. Most, however would find common ground in the belief that the degree to which we are able to communicate and relate to others effectively, is a significant benchmark. While communicating and relating to others may come naturally for some, for most of us these skills are learned, beginning at an early age. Acquiring these skills is by no means a simple process… but add to this, the complexity and diversity of today’s society and one begins to realize the obstacles children face. Teachers have the task of informing students of the increasing impact of a variety of different cultural groups, each with its own unique history and approach to the human experience. School psychologists on the other hand have the task of assisting students to learn effective ways to communicate between these groups. Fortunately, there is a new and developing resource for both teachers and psychologists to help them in their respective tasks. Dr. Nora Jachym Brakas, Assistant Professor at Marist College and Professor Sally Pittman-Smith, also at Marist College have developed a fundamentally new procedure that reclassifies culturally diverse children’s storybooks for the purpose of teaching cultural understanding. They have also compiled a data base of children’s literature organized around this new classification system. While the original intention of this reclassification had been for classroom use and instruction, psychologists, in the school setting clearly can benefit also. Children’s literature can and is often used in the therapeutic process, and having easy access to a variety of topics and experiences gives the practitioner needed flexibility. The development of this new approach came from Dr. Brakas’s and Professor Pittman-Smith’s dissatisfaction with the way they used children’s literature in their own instruction. “We certainly recognized the educational value of culturally diverse children’s literature as a way to help children develop an understanding of other cultures”. However, the process of identifying and applying appropriate literature often “lacked structure and consequently a clear purpose”. Given this situation, Dr Brakas and Professor. Pittman-Smith began the process of identifying groups which should be included in the classification system. Considering the definitions of various authorities and their own cultural backgrounds, Brakas and Pittman-Smith concluded that: “a compilation of culturally diverse literature should include two types, one being book’s written about people outside the reader’s

own reality, and culturally diverse readings should include cultures that have historically been excluded, underrepresented or misrepresented in children’s literature.” Given these considerations the following ten groups were selected to be represented in the compilation: The culture of groups living in the United States other that those typically and historically represented as the “idealized American macro culture”; The culture of groups outside the United States other than Western European; The culture of religious groups other than major Protestant and Roman Catholic groups; The culture of regional groups, such as mountain cultures(e.g., southeast Appalachian), river cultures ( e.g., the Louisiana bayou Cajuns) and the culture of the rain forest (e.g., the Amazon rain forest); The culture of exceptionality, the gifted and the physically and mentally challenged; The culture of low socioeconomic status, those people living near, at or below the poverty level ( e.g., migrant workers, minimum wage earners, welfare recipients and share croppers); The culture of families other than the traditional “nuclear” family (e.g., single parent, guardian, multi-racial, multi-generational, same sex, blended and adopted); The culture of females, those demonstrating strong or independent roles, or participating in activities that reflect new careers (e.g., problem solvers, leaders, carpenters, plumbers, scientists, inventors); The culture of elders, those people two or more generations older than the main characters in the book; The culture of groups in crisis (e.g., those confronted with war, natural disaster, fatal illness, homelessness and famine); How can this compilation be useful to a practicing school psychologist? Imagine the following scenario; a third grade student is being constantly harassed at school because both of her parents are female. The student does not understand the reason behind the harassment and becomes afraid of her peers and unwilling to attend school. Also, the harassing students don’t understand the nature of same sex families and require exposure that would create sensitivity in regards to the issue. Age appropriate literature on this and other topics could be chosen which would aide the psychologist in dealing with sensitive issues like this. School psychologists often use literature to expose their clients to

Joe Conlon is a school psychology graduate student at Marist College completing his internship during the   school year NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume


continued on page 




A Proposal for Evaluating School Psychological Services A "Mental Health" Report Card written by Anthony Pantaleno John Kelly John Ochoa Jay David Gassman

Kristen Raju Lindsay Pettine Suzanne Visone Natasha Somwar Jennifer Cammarato & Kristin Fiumefreddo This is the first of three installments of A Proposal for Evaluating School Psychological Services based on the authors’ work and research on Long Island. Parts 2 and 3 will be published in the winter and spring issues of the NY School Psychologist When the New York State Education Department began the innovative practice of reporting academic achievement data utilizing the widely publicized "school report card" system, it was believed that this user-friendly format would allow the public to decipher the complicated maze of data to better understand just how well one’s home school district was performing in reaching the goals of its mission statement. Specifically, each district strives to turn out adult learners who are ready to compete in a global market place, develop the ability to relate to others in a productive and compassionate manner, and take their place as good citizens among their peers. The school report card, it was hoped, would give bragging rights to those districts who excelled in academic performance, while encouraging those at the lower end of the performance scale to reexamine district priorities, leadership, and utilization of financial and human resources. While the mission of encouraging voters to compare their home school district’s performance with neighboring districts has been achieved with respect to academic excellence, the current school report card falls far short of measuring what schools do to nurture and develop the character, the spirit, and the sense of well-being which children universally require as a prerequisite to performing well in academic learning situations. Each year, as Long Islanders prepare for school budget voting, one only need examine the publication of Newsday’s school report cards in order to examine and compare individual school districts. Included in these data are class sizes, percent of students passing the fourth and eighth grade English and Math assessments, percent passing NYS Regents exams, graduation rates, and the percentage of students receiving Regents diplomas and enrolling in four-year colleges. That is quite a mouthful of data, but with easy digestibility in terms of the general public’s understanding of sometimes incomprehensible educational jargon. The down side of this often quoted document has been its use solely to report so-called "hard data" on only one aspect of a total education; student achievement in terms of mastery of basic skills. However, it does not report on what research has often referred to as "the missing link" in education – social and emotional adjustment of students. As school districts have struggled with a demand for lower school taxes and increased performance on the school report card, the




issue of raising mentally healthy children has been, in some school districts, forced lower and lower on the priority list of how schools should be utilizing a shrinking economic base. Mental health does not simply mean the absence of a mental illness, but also refers to the development and nurturing of a child’s social, emotional, proactive, and behavioral competencies. Competing demands for limited resources force districts to make drastic decisions, and all too often, to relegate programs and services devoted to mental health to the back burner. In May, 2006, at least one Long Island school district had proposed the rolling back of full day kindergarten classes to half-day classes. Other districts were cutting back on remedial support classes for students, as well as advanced placement classes. This was occurring at the same time that the state was touting higher academic standards for all children in New York State. Preventive mental health services thus faces some stiff competition as school boards must decide what services to cut. Three years ago, the first authors’ daughter (then a third grader), was beginning to struggle in school academically, despite her good intelligence and strong work ethic. It was suggested that a discussion with the district’s school psychologist was warranted. The psychologist observed Katie in her classes, consulted with her teachers, recommended a formal educational evaluation, and eventually brought her case to the district’s Committee on Special Education, where an Individual Education Plan was developed to address what was eventually diagnosed as a learning disability. Katie is not yet out of the woods by any means, but she is doing so much better now with the proper support services in place. The school district was applauded for its ability to hear the concerns of parents and teachers, to respond in a timely manner, and to do what any parent would expect their local school district to do; to help a child to learn to the best of his/her ability. It is wondered how Katie would have fared in a different school district, with more limited mental health resources. Addressing childhood learning difficulties represents only one dimension of how children’s mental health needs are addressed by the public school system. Broadly defined, mental health services within the public school sector are those supportive services that provide for the emotional, social, and interpersonal needs of children and adolescents. Unfortunately, many of these needs go unattended simply because of a lack of personnel and resources committed to prevention and early intervention with childhood mental health problems. In a 1995 research report presented to the American Psychological NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume


Association, the following statement and accompanying data were reported: "One out of every five students in America’s public schools has significant mental health needs. They live with emotional distress that is painful, that threatens their life success, that diminishes their contributions to families and communities, and that leaves them unavailable for learning." In a typical elementary school of 1000 students, this article reported, epidemiological research predicted the following: 42 of these students would have serious conduct disorders - a behavior disorder which would disrupt the learning of every other student in the class. 64 students would have some form of attention disorder - fidgety, impulsive students who are frequently overactive and have difficulty focusing their attention on scholastic tasks for long enough periods of time for them to learn efficiently. 180 students would be likely to have serious anxiety disorders, phobic reactions that would prevent them from making friends, or taking tests, or even prevent them from talking out loud or coming to school at all. 8-14 of the students in our hypothetical school would struggle with clinical depression, a mood disorder causing irritability or lethargy serious enough to warrant consideration for some type of medication intervention. Even sensitive adults, it is suggested, may not sense the profound misery that depressed students struggle with and their pervading sense of worthlessness. This article goes on to state that if our typical school were a middle or high school, the number of conduct disordered students would double and the rate of clinical depression would soar, leading to the following predictions: 57 cases of clinical depression 34 cases of eating disorders 85 suicide attempts In a more recent (2004) article in the American Psychological Association Monitor, it was reported that the above numbers are growing at alarming rates. Witness the astronomical growth in just one clinical marker of adolescent dysfunction --the number of teens who engage in Self-Injurious Behavior (SIB), such as cutting themselves, or in some other way inflicting physical injury to cope with underlying psychological pressures. Five years ago, school psychologists were rarely asked to see a child who was cutting; the phenomenon was relatively unknown. Currently, the topic of Self-Injurious Behavior has been receiving considerable attention in both the scientific and popular media. It is not at all uncommon to hear whispers among students in the hallway that a peer is a "cutter". The current topic is very serious, as it so accurately pertains to the lives of children and adolescents in today's culture. At a recent conference on Self Injurious Behavior held in March of 2006, the following "cycle of emotions and behaviors" was described as often being present: Negative emotions: alienation, frustration, rejection, anger, isolation, depression, sadness Tension: inability to control emotions, thoughts of SIB

Dissociation: coping mechanism to reduce tension and later to mask physical pain SIB act: cutting, burning, hitting, etc. Positive effects: endorphins present, tension and negative feelings reduce Negative effects: shame, guilt, depression Negative emotions: alienation, frustration, rejection, anger, isolation, depression, sadness It was recently reported by the Associated Press that SIB was evidenced in 17% of students surveyed at Cornell and Princeton. These behaviors may have been a maladaptive attempt at stress reduction or a method to make emotional distress visible. In either case the physical results are the same. This leads one to wonder if the incidence of SIB in this population would have been reduced had there been supports during these students’ earlier academic experience. Sadly, it has also been reported that there are hundreds of websites in existence that glorify SIB. It appears that our inability to act when these students were younger has not only had a negative outcome, but major media outlets are now reporting the failure to adequately deliver mental health services. These data strongly suggest a need for interventions, as well as the development of effective alternatives, for any individual engaging in acts of self-injurious behavior. In order to provide the appropriate support and help to those so-called "silent screamers" who walk around wounding themselves, we first need to have mental health providers who are competent in such ways of offering alternatives, self soothing strategies, and, above all, enabling these individuals to better care for themselves. Barry Anton, Ph.D., chair of the 2003 American Psychological Association’s Task Force on Psychology’s Agenda for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, stated in this report, "There is a more universal recognition that we face an epidemic of children’s mental health needs in this country, and with it, the awareness that we need an action plan to address this epidemic and get children and families the help they need." At a recent conference sponsored by the NYS Office of Mental Health, the following additional data were offered: It is estimated that almost 21% of U.S. children ages 9 to 17 have a diagnosable mental or addictive disorder associated with at least minimum impairment. 79% of children aged 6 to 17 with mental health disorders do not receive mental health care. Suicide remains the third leading cause of death of youth aged 15 to 24 in New York State. 74% of students who drop out of school and who are classified as emotionally disabled are arrested within five years of dropping out. 1 in 10 children in New York State have an emotional disorder. Only 30% of emotionally disabled children over age 14 graduate from high school. 66% of boys and almost 75 % of girls in juvenile detention have a least one mental disorder, according to one study. These data indicate quite clearly that more than one fifth of our state’s student body requires intervention. Given the number of continued on p 

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NYASP  Conference School Psychologists Moving Forward with Children in Mind October

Wyndham Hotel East Syracuse CONFERENCE REGISTRATION Please (PRINT) complete form and mail to: NYASP 2006 Conference registration C/o Pat Collins-Martin, 6 Stanford Place, Binghamton, N.Y. 13905 Phone: (607) 786-8212, Fax: (607) 786-5137 Name: Address: City, State, Zip: Email:

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NYASP at Work for You continued from p


dards that will produce highly qualified school psychologists. Sue Hildebrandt has been involved with the New York State Council of Education Associations (NYSCEA), an advisory group representing approximately 50 educationally related associations. John Kelly is a member of NYSUT’s Health Care Professional Council, an advisory council that assists NYSUT in developing policy and responding to issues related to the health care profession. Lynne Thies has played a vital role as our delegate to NASP and Merryl Bushansky and Pat Manning are the local arrangement co-chairs for NASP’s 2007 Convention, which will be held in New York City. NYASP represents school psychologists who work in a variety of settings. Of particular concern has been the impact of recent changes that the state has implemented in the area of pre-school education. NYASP pre-school experts Lacy Rezek and Pam Madeiros have been monitoring and responding to changes in assessment and documentation requirements. Valuable input has been provided to NYSED on the potential impact of many of the changes. NYASP has also responded to a serious situation involving school psychologists working in Herkimer BOCES. All Herkimer BOCES school psychologists received notice in the spring of 2006 that there positions were being abolished because component districts were “taking back” these related services. The current law states that when a district or BOCES takes over an existing program, “teachers” who taught in these programs are afforded the protection of being hired by the district or BOCES. Although the state legislators had the intent of including all school personnel under this protection, previous legal challenges have not ruled in favor of school psychologists. However, under the leadership of Robin Raphael and John Kelly, NYASP assisted Herkimer BOCES school psychologist, Brian Johnson, craft an appeal to Education Commissioner Mills. This appeal was based upon interpretations of the law by previous commissioners, who in fact found that related service personnel should be protected under the law. Further weight was added to this appeal by recent legislation that passed both houses of the state legislature that closed this loophole and afforded a greater range of protection that included school psychologists. Unfortunately, similar legislation has not been signed into law by Governor Pataki. Therefore, the state legislature is holding the current legislation until they have a sense that the Governor will sign it into law. Pam Madeiros has written a letter of support for this legislation on behalf of NYASP and we are planning to lobby the Governor’s office when the legislation is presented to him. Finally, NYASP interceded on behalf of a pre-school agency in New York City, when the City Department of Education would not recognize provisionally certified school psychologists as eligible to provide services. Through our connections at State Ed., NYASP was able to help resolve this situation in an expedited manner. Just think . . . all of these activities have been accomplished by a small group of volunteer school psychologists, who are passionate and dedicated to the profession of school psychology. We invite all members to become involved in the association’s activities. Please contact your local chapter representative (chapter rep.



information available on our website, www.nyasp.org) for more information. The next NYASP at Work for You will focus on local chapter activities that are occurring throughout the state. Ψ

Acknowledging Strengths continued from p


vant and to pause to share your thoughts is all that it takes. Add a commitment to maintain an interest in the student’s exploration over a long period of time, and the rewards are boundless. It is equally important for adults to receive such acknowledgement, as there is much to learn about ourselves through someone else’s eyes. Are you a supervisor? Then I hope you will consider doing this for your staff members. Make it a responsibility of yours to take the time to acknowledge their strengths and suggest ways for them to pursue their talents. If you do, they will be motivated to achieve at a level higher and be more open to constructive criticism. Let’s say we create this amazingly supportive environment and we tell kids what’s special about them…and so what happens next? You have to give them a chance to lead. Once they have identified an interest or a goal, they need to have an opportunity to explore it. In school, there are many more opportunities for students to lead than we usually provide. Consider offering learning experiences that are not in the course guide and letting the students take an active part in changing the climate of your school. The creative, confident teacher is willing to share the leadership of the class with his or her students. Within the classroom, at any level of schooling, there are countless ways to let students lead…from running class meetings to chairing group projects, most students will welcome an invitation to demonstrate their leadership skills. Let’s think for a moment about creating leading and learning experiences beyond the classroom, which are “custom-made” to fit the interests of an individual student. In the high school, it is quite easy to create internships for individual student interest. In each department, teachers can recommend students to pursue independent study in a particular area. The department supervisor should take responsibility for working with the student and the guidance counselor on designing an individual internship plan. They might arrange for the intern to assist a teacher in an introductory level course, have a mini student teaching experience working with younger children at an elementary school, or work with a mentor at a business in the community. Especially in the senior year, it is possible to give students a block of free periods in their schedule to pursue an internship. In addition to the adult mentor, each student intern should have a high school teacher or administrator who monitors the experience and provides support for the student. Each intern should be required to keep a reflective log of their experiences and be responsible for producing a project or presentation at the end of the year. The program should be credit-bearing, include quarterly evaluation and be listed as a “career internship” on the student’s transcript. continued on next page NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume


In my experience in developing internship programs, there have been many benefits for the school program, as well as the student. Many of our interns have created new program components that would not have occurred without their involvement. In several instances, we have expanded our program offerings based on the work done by student interns. They also provide service to their mentors, as a responsible extra pair of hands, which is much appreciated. Their presence in the other schools or places of business speaks volumes about the quality of your high school, as they represent young people contributing positively to our society. The students learn a lot about themselves, about this type of career opportunity, about how difficult it can be to get a group of people to work together and listen to you, about planning, responsibility, motivating others and more. For the most part, the students blossom during the experience. Their communication skills improve and they are easily able to identify what they would like to focus on during their college years. The benefits of an internship program far outweigh the time that is needed to develop and monitor it. The best way to do this is with a team of educators, working together with the students in each department or area of concentration. Another very powerful leadership experience is the opportunity to participate in a Peer Leadership program. This experience should have multiple levels of involvement and be open to any student. It should not include elected positions, like student government. Unexpected leaders will emerge as students demonstrate their interests and skills by simply participating. In the Peer Leadership program we have been developing at Huntington High School, there are many different avenues for a student to accept responsibility and leadership. Here are some of the components we are experimenting with: Community Period: Students run a nine-minute school business meeting twice a week, leading a discussion about school events or issues in their extended second period classes. Peer Leadership Course: Students participate in a credit-bearing course designed to develop interpersonal, group facilitation and leadership skills. They take responsibility for running open forum discussions during lunch periods, preparing the information for the Community Periods, serving as Peer Mediators during free periods, developing teen teaching presentations for freshmen, middle school and elementary classes, running the orientation program for incoming students and representing the student body at the Student Faculty Forum. Community Room Discussions: A new lounge for student discussions was built in the cafeteria. The room is manned by staff members who supervise open student-led discussions during every lunch period twice a week. All staff members and students are invited to attend. Teen Teaching: In addition to the Teen Teaching programs developed by the Peer Leadership Course students, other programs about bullying and character development are designed and presented by the Theatre classes, Art Honor Society and Foreign Language students. Freshmen Mentors: National Honor Society members and other student volunteers serve as mentors for a small group of freshmen throughout the fall semester. They meet once a week with counselors who supervise the program. NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume


Student-Faculty Forum: Twice a month, students and staff involved in peer leadership meet with the Principal to review issues in the school. Peer Leadership programs provide opportunities for students to practice communication skills while discussing issues that are important to them. Younger students are always excited to work with the visiting high school students and hang on every word they say. The once self-absorbed teen is now focusing outward, thinking of others and discovering the gift of doing for others. One of the best products of this endeavor is that the student body actually takes responsibility for improving the school climate. They model, teach and practice respectful, welcoming behavior. The students never fail to provide valuable insight into school issues and student viewpoints that we as adults cannot always see for ourselves. In short, there is much wisdom to be learned from the younger generation. In order for peer leadership programs to be successful, you need a team of participating staff members and a structure for meeting and training students. Staff members may volunteer to participate in the Peer Leadership programs in lieu of a duty assignment. Once students see that they have a true voice and are permitted to lead, they will embrace the programs and involvement will grow. One of the most successful ways for adults to connect regularly with students is through a school advisory program. This is usually a small group of students that meet regularly with a teacher to discuss issues of interest and provide important information and support. Many schools have difficulty scheduling the advisory period, but, it is well worth the time commitment if sufficient planning and teacher training is provided. Most of the goals of the multi-level peer leadership program outlined above can be accomplished in an advisory program. I hope you will consider starting a “chain reaction” of acknowledgement and leadership opportunities for your students this year. When you take a moment to acknowledge a student’s strength, you are communicating that you are confident in their ability to be successful. When you provide a leadership experience for a student, they take responsibility for their own learning. Accepting responsibility develops ownership and “buy in.” So, simply put, because of what you see in them and the chance you give them to explore their talent, they become motivated to work harder at “doing school.” In addition, if you offer students a true voice in the school…the school climate will improve and YOU will learn more, too. The opportunity to help someone discover themselves is one of the most fulfilling moments of an educator’s career. Choose someone to “raise up” this September and watch how easily they blossom. If you are interested in participating in training or discussions on these or related issues, I invite you to join the LI SEL Forum. This organization is devoted to sharing information about social emotional literacy and student leadership. LI SELF is sponsoring a full day conference at Hofstra University on November 3rd. Please contact me at [email protected] if you would like your email address added to the SELF information network. Best wishes for a fulfilling school year. Ψ



Legislative Update continued from p

process procedures for preschool students consistent with the procedures and timelines for school-age students. Amend section 4410 of the Education Law and section 2541 of the Public Health Lawto allow a parent to retain his or her child in an early intervention program until the last day of the school year in which the child turns age three. Amend section 372 of the Social Services Law to authorize the disclosure of parent and evaluation information to school districts as necessary to enroll the student in school. Ψ

ISPA Colloquium continued from p


easiest thing. But when I visit a foreign country I feel it is incumbent on me to speak the language, not the other way around!) In any case, it certainly was manageable. Prof. Hongwu included a “cheat sheet” of Chinese phrases in the program-that certainly came in handy!. While at the conference, the expectation was that all presentations would be made in English. Not being bilingual at all, that suited me just fine and I found presentations, workshops, etc., to present no problem. This was unlike the International Special Education Conference I attended in Turkey several years ago, which used interpreters. Hearing the presentations, first hand, in English was much easier, at least for me. (I did try to learn some Chinese before I departed, but was quite discouraged when the CD instructed me to go on to the next lesson if I retained about eighty percent of the conversations-and I was having difficulty remembering more than a few words!). Technology for the conference was also fine. Computers were readily available in the lobby for checking email, and laptops were in all presentation rooms as well. As long as presentations were in Powerpoint, the technology was seamless. In fact, most presentations are available on the ISPA website (www.ispaweb.org). Professionally, the conference offered many opportunities-both in terms of formal presentations as well as networking with people from all over the world. A preponderance of attendees did seem to come from the US, with a large contingent from California. I am not sure if that is typical of ISPA, or just this conference. The conference began with 2 Pre-Colloquium Workshops, one on Dynamic Assessment offered by Bob Burden (UK), Ruth Kaufman (Israel), and Judy Silver (UK). Concurrently, Insoo Kim Berg presented on Classroom Situations: Working on What Works. Both workshops were well received. Insoo also was a Keynote speaker for one of the general sessions, speaking on Sunday on Putting Solutions Inside the Classroom. Several people found this particularly useful and were pleased to hear her speak, since they are using some of her textbooks in college classes they are teaching.



In addition to formal presentations, “interaction groups” were built into the schedule. Each conference attendee was assigned to an interaction group, the purposes of which were to assist getting to know colleagues, to share personal and professional experiences, and to comment on the current Colloquium. The conference included workshops, keynotes, paper presentations and poster sessions on a wide variety of issues, as illustrated by the following topics: Developing School Psychology Preparation at an International Level, The Management of Self Injury in the School Environment, and Suicide Prevention in Schools: Is it Possible and How can it be Managed, and other presentations on social skills and gifted education. It was apparent that people all over the world have many of the came concerns and struggles that we do here in the US. i.e., managing challenging behaviors in children, children’s mental health concerns in an environment of ever increasing demands, teaching social skills, working in and changing school systems, developing effective assessment techniques, and professional development and training, to name a few areas. In addition to the formal and informal sessions, the networking opportunities were outstanding. I had the good fortune of doing some traveling before the conference with Shane Jimerson, School Psychology Professor at University of California—Santa Barbara. Shane has recently completed editing the Handbook of International School Psychology, and facilitated a symposium on Advancing an Understanding of School Psychology. Ironically, I ran into some old, and new, Albany connections. Bonnie Nastasi, former School Psychology Professor at the University at Albany, is a frequent attendee at ISPA, and has a special interest in International School Psychology Training. I also discovered that Helen Bakker (Netherlands), president elect of ISPA, holds her Ph.D. from the University at Albany. Finally, I met another Albany alum, Sue Goldman, now in California and on the CASPA Board, who, as it turns out, was an undergraduate at Albany at the same time that I was. Needless to say, I am still quite excited about this experience, and I would encourage anyone with an interest in international travel and international perspectives on children’s mental health issues and/or school psychology to consider attending a future ISPA conference. Conferences are planned for Finland in 2007 and the Netherlands in 2008. ISPA holds conferences in locations where there is at least some school psychological presence in the country; I have now learned that is not always the case! In addition to the professional knowledge and contacts gained from attending this Colloquim, the opportunities to make new friends and network are extraordinary. I have met colleagues with similar interests who will be lifelong friends. Traveling with people in a foreign country like China has that effect, and having something in common like school psychology helps break the ice!Ψ

NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume


Tech Talk continued from p 

In summary, I can highly recommend the NASP site on culturally competent practice as an important resource to help produce better outcomes for all our students. Ψ

Working with Bilingual Families continued from p 

ment levels, it may be possible that some parents may only be able to supervise the completion of homework and listen to their child read (as opposed to actually helping with math and reading). Give specific suggestions as to how this can be done. Consider that problems are not universal. Culture and values shape behaviors of all involved (teachers, parents, children). Unless we participate in self-awareness and culture training, it is difficult to know how our culture is expressed through our behavior and how in fact we may be disrespecting others while expressing our own values. Culture influences how we define problems, the behaviors we teach and expect of our children, whether or not we consider certain behaviors problematic, and our willingness to address or change the behavior. Therefore, parents and educators may hold a different interpretation of a problem situation due to differences in values. For example, eye contact, independent behavior, and assertiveness are behaviors that are not always expected in different cultures yet may get a child identified as deficient. (See Sheridan [2000] for a discussion of the application of behavioral consultation within a multicultural paradigm.) "Setting events" or conditions that are temporarily or contextually distal to a target behavior may include variables mediated by culture (for example, rigid sex role definition in Hispanic cultures may affect the unwillingness of a male student in a life-skills class to clean the dishes after cooking instruction). It is better to identify problems from the perspective of a mismatch between the child and his uniqueness and the requirements of the environment (Sheridan, 2000). School bureaucracy may be inconsistent/discontinuous with cultural beliefs. For example, the traditional formal parent/ teacher conference format may be intimidating and threatening for parents who feel disconnected. Welcome and accept different ways of communication. (As my son's teacher put it "please call me any time and as much as possible because the more you and I communicate the better your child will do").  Mutual understanding. Understanding of the family's experience and demographics can help the teacher better comprehend the extent of culture shock or life transitions faced by the family. Similarly, parents need to understand the culture of the school, expectations and strategies for involvement, and communication (Ingraham, 2000). Identify barriers within the school. Sometimes the well intended efforts of school psychologists and other school personnel are sabotaged by individuals in the front lines (e.g., a secretary who reprimands parents for not speaking English in front of him/her).

NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume


Empower parents to recognize that despite limited formal education they "graduated from the school of life," and as such they have much to impart to their children (Raffaele & Knoff, 1999).  In absence of multicultural knowledge, rely on old fashion interpersonal skills and give others the kindness, respect, manners and treatment you would want for yourself. Hospitality can open many doors and is a common language spoken by many. Ψ References can be found at the ASPP website at: www.aspponline.

Student Corner continued from p


new information. Information about an issue or problem can often help the therapeutic process. Creating sensitivity within a client either about themselves or others can often be reached through the utilization of literature within therapy. Fostering understanding and sensitivity towards groups that are different from one self often requires exposure and discovery that can not often be facilitated quickly within a school setting. Easy access to the compilation of culturally diverse children’s literature can be a very effective tool in promoting communication within a school and consequently a healthier environment. The ease with which a practitioner can access this compilation is likely the most exciting aspect of Dr. Brakas and Professor Pittman-Smith’s project. They have created a web site; www.academic.marist.edu/culturalvoices, which is accessible to teachers, psychologists and parents interested in informing and fostering cultural diversity. Visit the site and you will become quickly familiar with materials. All the information that you need to navigate the site can be found in the category “Downloads”. Here you will find more details about the coding procedure used to categorize the selected books. Presently there are 140 titles in the data base and it is growing! Users of the site can, via the search procedure, find literature related to their specific needs. What is also exciting about the site is that users can submit entries to be added to the database. If a practitioner has a specific title that they feel would be a good addition to the data base they can submit it, and it will be considered for entry. Positive communication between divergent groups does not come easily. There needs to be mechanisms that help “bridge the gap” between groups that would not likely communicate. Fostering empathy for others in their clients and consequently in their school community should be an important role of the school psychologist. Dr. Brakas and Professor Pittman-Smith’s database of culturally diverse children’s literature is one of those mechanisms! Ψ

Evaluating Psychological Services continued from p


available personnel in the schools, one cannot help but question why additional staffing is not available to provide preventative services. When one is placed in the reactive role, many times the damage may be contained, but rarely is it eliminated. Ψ Look for the next installment in the winter issue.



CHAPTER REPS

B

A C G

D H

C

hapter representatives are appointed officials that, with the executive committee, comprise the voting members of the NYASP board. Chapter reps serve for a two-year term and attend three to four meetings per year. Alternates for each chapter are selected by the chapter representative and appointed by the president. They attend meetings and arrange chapter functions when the elected representative is not available. Chapter reps are encouraged to hold regional meetings to forward the practice of school psychology.

E I

F J

K L N O

A Jefferson Lewis & St Lawrence CYNTHIA BURNS-MCDONALD •[email protected] 414 Elizabeth St, Ogdensburg, NY 13669 315-393-4992 h / 315-393-7729 w AND MARY KAY HAFER • [email protected] 101 S.H. 72, Potsdam, NY 13676 315-265-9033 h / 315-265-4642 w

B Clinton Essex & Franklin NANCY DUPREE • [email protected] 518-293-8105 h / 518-565-5665 w Alt: LACY REZEK • [email protected] 1304 Pine St, Saranac Lake NY 12983 518-891-2548 h / 518-359-7518 x108 w

C Erie Genessee Niagara Orleans & Wyoming BARBARA MURPHY • [email protected] 296 Fruitwood Terr, Williamsville, NY 14221 716-983-0104 h / 716-848-6432 w Alt: RUTH STEEGMANN • [email protected] 5218 Pendale Ct, N Tonawanda NY 14120 716-694-0719 h / 716-645-2484 x1063 w

D Monroe Ontario Seneca & Wayne SUZANNE GRANEY • [email protected] 46 Maida Dr, Spencerport, NY 14559 585-475-2765 w / 585-349-0244 h

Any member who is interested in service as a chapter representative should contact

P

Tom Kulaga, President-Elect [email protected] 383 Milton Tpk, Milton, NY 12547 845-790-4382 h / 845-795-2730 w for information and assistance. Ψ

E Cayuga Cortland Madison Oneida Onondaga & Oswego SUSAN MARKEL • [email protected] 190 Robineau Rd, Syracuse NY 13207 315-422-3585 h / 315-488-5422 w Alt: CHRISTOPHER MARTIN •[email protected] 9278 Butler Rd, Sauquoit NY 13456 315-737-7104 h

F Fulton Hamilton Herkimer Montgomery Saratoga Warren & Washington OPEN

G Allegany Cattaraugus & Chautauqua GREGORY LEONARD • [email protected] 28 Fairfield Ave, Jamestown, NY 14701 716-484-8534 h / 716-386-4932 (G Alternate OPEN)

H Chemung Livingston Schuyler Steuben & Yates NANCY FOREMAN • [email protected] 113 Genesee St, Hornell NY 14843 607-324-7834 h / 607-324-3703 w AND BRIDGET REAGAN • [email protected] 58 South St, Addison, NY 14801 607-359-2171 h / 607-527-8367 w

(D Alternate OPEN)



NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume


CHAPTER REPS “Chapter representatives serve to communicate the needs and interests of their chapter members      and to advocate best practices strategies in their geographical region” (NYASP Operations Handbook


)

I Broome Chenango Delaware Otsego Tioga & Tompkins MAGGIE NUGENT • [email protected] 809 Elliot St, Endicott NY 13760-2101 607-748-6232 h / 607-648-7589 w Alt: LINDA LOGALLO • [email protected] 8 Whiting Way, Conklin, NY 13748 607-775-1634 h / 607-655-8247 w

J Albany Columbia Schenectady Schoharie & Rensselaer KIRSTEN EIDLE-BARKMAN • [email protected] 20 Fairlawn Ave, Albany, NY 12203 518-453-1243 h / 518-869-0293 AND KATRINA EMMERICH • [email protected] 2373 Switzkill Rd, Berne, NY 12023 518-281-1608 h AND BRITTON SCHNURR • [email protected] 9 E Downing Sq, Guilderland, NY 12084 518-221-7411 h

K Dutchess Greene Orange Sullivan & Ulster JEFF FRIEDMAN • judyoptonline.net 3 Janice Dr, Highland Mills, NY 10930 845-928-6180 h / 845-782-8139 w (K Alternate OPEN)

N Queens

(N2 Alternate OPEN)

RICHARD GAMES • [email protected] 142-16 168th St, Jamaica NY 11434 718-341-0230 h / 718-327-9536 w AND GEORGIA ALDRIDGE • [email protected] 47-14 217 St Apt 2D, Bayside NY 11361 718-225-3231 h / 718-391-6174 w

N Brooklyn DAVID BORG • [email protected] 19 West 34th St, Penthouse Suite, NY NY 10001 718-638-4707 w (N4 Alternate OPEN)

N Staten Island DOMINICK BORTONE • [email protected] 63-18 75th Pl, Middle Village NY 11379 718-894-5478 h / 718-720-8260 w (N5 Alternate OPEN)

O Nassau CHERYL MENDELSOHN • [email protected] 59 Eastwood Ave, Deer Park, NY 11729 631-243-0349 h / 516-256-0164 w Alt: CHRISTINE GOLDBERG • [email protected] 1974 Bedford Ave, N Bellmore, NY 11710 516-826-4868 h / 516-773-8390 w

L Putnam Rockland & Westchester JEANNE GOLD • [email protected] 21 Shaw Ln, Irvington NY 10533 914-591-8634 h / 914-248-2382 w Alt: PETER FAUSTINO • [email protected] 1 Old Orchard Road, Rye Brook, NY 10573 914-939-5610 h / 914-241-6119 w

N
Bronx ELZBIETA BLACK • [email protected] 5414 Arlington Ave Apt J31, Bronx NY 10471 718-549-2714 h / (N1 Alternate OPEN)

N Manhattan ROBERT EVANS • [email protected] 620 W 171st St #3E, New York NY 10032 212-781-2758 h / 212-281-9625 w NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume


P Suffolk JOHN KELLY • [email protected] 65 Middle Rd, Blue Point, NY 11715 631-912-2122 Alt: JODY JAKOB •[email protected] 209-80 18th Ave, Bayside, NY 11360 718-225-0790 h / 631-912-2183 w

Student Reps SARA LITTMAN OLITZKY • [email protected] 917-575-7985 JESSICA PLEWINSKI • [email protected] 130 Delta Rd, Amherst, NY 14226 716-834-4310 Alts: ARIELLE D’APRILE • [email protected] KERRIAN EDWARDS • [email protected]



NYASP EXECUTIVE BOARD DIRECTORY Executive Committee (  ) President

John Kelly [email protected] 65 Middle Rd, Blue Point, NY 11715 631-912-2122

Treasurer Eban Shor

PresidentElect

Tom Kulaga [email protected] 383 Milton Tpk, Milton, NY 12547 845-790-4382 h / 845-795-2730 w

TreasurerElect

[email protected] 1 Pt Comfort Rd, Morristown NY 13664 315-375-8628 h

Mac Barnett [email protected] 720 Sara Ct, Lewiston, NY 14092 716-807-3855 h / 716-754-2406 w

Secretary

Newsletter Editor

Peter Faustino [email protected] 1 Old Orchard Rd, Rye Brook NY 10573 914-939-5610 h / 914-241-6119 w

PastPresident Robin Raphael

[email protected] 85 Foxcraft Ln, Williamsville NY 14221 716-632-1755 h / 716-250-1457 w

NASP Delegate Lynne Thies

[email protected] 41 Shore Park Rd, Great Neck NY 11023 516-466-5477 h / 516-379-3394 w

Kelly Caci [email protected]

499 Lake Rd, New Windsor NY 12553 845-567-4815 h / 845-563-3715

Committee Chairpersons Awards

Ethics & Professional Practices

[email protected] 24 Parkview Ct, Lancaster NY 14086 716-684-1097 h

[email protected] 3530 Henry Hudson Pkwy 8A Riverdale NY 10463 718-548-2386 h / 914-576-4415 W

Judy Harwood

Children’s Issues Arlene Crandall [email protected]

36 Gazebo Ln, Holtsville, NY 11742

Conference  Susan Markel Chapter E Rep

Merryl Bushansky

Dominick Bortone Chapter N5 Rep

Legislative

Nancy Evangelista John Kelly President

Conference  Britton Schnurr Katrina Emmerich

Listserves Kelly Caci

Newsletter Editor

Job Information Network William Robelee

[email protected] 31 Kalina Dr, Saugerties, NY 12477 914-388-0476 h / 845-575-3000 w

Continuing Professional Development Kathy Peterson

John Kelly

President Elect

Membership

Nancy Foreman [email protected] 113 Genesee St, Hornell NY 14843 607-324-7834 h / 607-324-3703 w

[email protected] 299 S Grove St, East Aurora NY 14052 716-652-9547 h / 716-250-1529 w

Multicultural/Diversity Issues Julia Rodriguez 3 Hook Rd Unit 52 Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 845-797-0214 h [email protected]

Early Childhood Lacy Rezek

Chapter B Alt

Public Relations Susan Hildebrandt

[email protected] 23 Sierra St, Glens Falls NY 12801 518-761-0703 h

Publications

Ruth Steegmann Chapter C Alt

Research

Mac Barnett [email protected] 720 Sara Ct, Lewiston, NY 14092 716-807-3855 h / 716-754-2406 w

Web Site

Tom Kulaga [email protected] 383 Milton Tpk, Milton, NY 12547 845-790-4382 h / 845-795-2730 w

Liaisons & Affiliates Archivist

ISPA Liaison

Patricia Collins-Martin

Chapter I Rep

[email protected] 6 Stanford Pl, Binghamton NY 13905 607-770-1995 h / 607-786-8271 w

Maggie Nugent

SPECNYS to NYASP Nancy Evangelista Legislative

NYASP to NYSCEA Susan Hildebrandt Public Relations



NY School Psychologist Volume XXV volume


New York Association of School Psychologists Membership Application First Name ________________________________________ Last Name ________________________________________ Address ________________________________________

__ Certified as a school psychologist in New York __ Provisional Certification __ Permanent Certification Certificate  _________________________Date:_____________

City State Zip ________________________________________ County ________________________________________ Home Phone ________________________________________ Work Phone ________________________________________ Email Address ________________________________________ Present Employer _______________________________________ Job Title _______________________________________

__ Nationally certified (hold the NCSP credential) NCSP ________________________________________________

__ Licensed as a psychologist in New York License  ________________________________________

Degrees held & years obtained _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

___ PartTime Private Practice ___ Full Time Private Practice

_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

___ Currently functioning as a school psychologist ___ Primarily engaged in the training of school psychologists at a college or university ___ Trained as a school psychologist but currently functioning as a supervisor of psychological services ___ Trained as a school psychologist but currently functioning in another position

Years of experience in the field Professional Affiliations

NASP _____________________APA___________________ NYSPA____________________NYSUT ________________ Other(s): ________________________________________

___ Student enrolled in a school psychology training program ___ Regular





___ Retired



___ Student



___ Common

Address 


(two members at same address)

Applicant’s Signature __________________________________________________________Date ________________________ Indicates agreement to abide by the ethics and standards of NYASP

Note: please verify your professional status by enclosing a copy of your state certification

Student membership requires supervisor’s signature and program information below Signature of Advisor or Supervisor ______________________________________________Date ________________________ Program / Employer Name and Location______________________________________________________________________

MAIL TO: NYASP Membership • PO Box
 • Hornell NY •




WE’RE ON THE WEB!

NEWSLETTER STAFF Editor

Kelly Caci [email protected]

Review Editor

Peter Faustino [email protected]

Publications Chair Ruth Steegmann Staff Ned Engel

Kristin Condon Jeff Friedman

www.nyasp.org Check It Out

Tom Kulaga Steve Rappleyea

New York School Psychologist is published four times per year by the New York Association of School Psychologists for its members. Views expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect the position of NYASP’s Executive Board. Editorial policy: All articles and reports of factual information may be edited to conform to space and format specifications and to improve clarity, with permission of writers. Expressions of opinion as in editorials and letters to the editor may be edited only with the writer’s consent. All writers will be given credit via byline. Material used with permission from other sources will identify and credit the source. Submission guidelines: Preferred document size is approximately 750 words (review) or 1500 words (article). Submissions are accepted via email attachment or on 3 1/2” disk with revisions and corrections already made. Photos, cartoons, and drawings should be submitted as a .tiff file when possible. We will make every attempt to return hard copy submissions of art and photography. REPRINT AUTHORIZATION: Editors of state school psychology association newsletters, NASP publications and other psychology organization newsletters are authorized to reproduce only uncopyrighted articles in the NYASP newsletter provided the author and newsletter are credited. State editors please note: If you modify or condense a reprinted article, please note that to your readers.

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