Summer 2016, Volume 15, Number 4

The WSPA Sentinel

WSPA Website: wspaonline.net

President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 ISPA Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Call for Submissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 DPI Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Trainers’ Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 New State Rules for CPD. . . . . . . . . . . . .7 WSPA Employment Fair. . . . . . . . . . . .8 NASP News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Promoting Evidence-Based Practices: Tramatic Brain Injury . . . . . . . 9 WSPA Plan 2020. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 RtI Center Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Promoting Trauma-Sensitive Schools. . .13 School Centered Interventions Book Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 New Online Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Considerations for ELLs . . . . . . . . . . .15 Treatment Integrity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Perceptions of Cultural Competence . . 18 WSPA Spirit Award. . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Spring Convention Awards. . . . . . . . . . 22 School Psychologist of the Year . . . . . . 23 Outstanding Dissertation Award . . . . 24 Remembering Ed Shapiro . . . . . . . . . . .25 Reflections on the IES Report . . . . . . 25 Membership Renewal Form . . . . . . . 27

What’s Inside?

Wisconsin School Psychologists Association, Inc.

Advertising Rates: The newsletter of the Wisconsin School Psychologists Association, Inc., is published four times per year. We are the

premier association for the more than 1000 certified school psychologists in the state. Thus, advertisers reach a majority of practicing school psychologists and university trainers in the state of Wisconsin, making advertising in the newsletter of the Wisconsin School Psychologists Association, Inc., the best means of reaching this potential market. Rates established are as follows:

1/4 page - $25 1/2 page - $50 3/4 page - $75 1 page - $100 For additional information, please write or call Jennifer Kamke Black (editorial board) 715-524-4180 (home), 715-526-

2175 x1106 (office), N4212 Townline Rd., Shawano, WI 54166, or email kamkeblj@shawanoschools.com.

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All artwork contained herein Copyright © 2004-2015 Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Washington 98052-6399 U.S.A. All rights re-served.

President: John Humphries

johnhumphriesncsp@gmail.com President-Elect :

Linda Servais lservais@horicon.k12.wi.us

Secretary: Christine Peterson W (715)232-2182 petersonchris@uwstout.edu

Treasurer: Andrea Ganske ganskeam@hudson.k12.wi.us

At-Large Executive Board Member: Amanda Myers almyers@madison.k12.wi.us

For information on contacting committee chairpersons, check the WSPA website at www.wspaonline.net.

Annual membership dues are $65 for full membership, $35 for leave, $45 for Intern membership, $50 for Associate, and $25for student membership, $5 for Retired member.

The opinions and products, including advertising, class/workshop notices, and job announcements, appearing in this newsletter do not necessarily indicate official sanction, pro-motion, or endorsement on the part of the newsletter or the Wisconsin School Psychologists Association, Inc. Articles, announcements, and letters should be submitted to the Edi-tor, Jennifer Kamke Black, N4212 Townline Rd., Shawano, WI 54166, 715-524-4180 (home), 715-526-2175 x1106 (work), e-mail: kamkeblj@shawanoschools.com. RE-MINDER: regional chapters may receive a stipend of $75/year for submitting an article about their region to the news-letter. Deadlines for receipt of material by the editor: #1--November 15 #2--January 15 #3--April 15 #4--August 15

Wisconsin School Psychologists Association Editorial Policy

1. This editorial policy shall apply to all WSPA publications

regardless of originating committee, and to all written editori-

al material distributed as official WSPA activity. This in-

cludes (but is not limited to) the newsletter, monographs, con-

ference newsletters, and committee bulletins. Committee re-

ports, minutes of meetings, conference announcements and

details, and similar material documenting organizational activ-

ities are not included. This policy shall be published annually

in the Fall issue of the WSPA newsletter.

2. Articles and reports of factual information may be edited to

conform to space limitations, format specification, or to im-

prove clarity, without permission of the original writer as long

as the article has not been previously published.

3. Expressions of opinion as in editorials, reviews, and letters

may be edited only with the original writer’s consent, unless

in excess of one page of newsletter text. Writers may request

approval of such modification prior to publication. No editori-

al commentary will be published without citing the source.

4. All original sources will be credited; material used with per-

mission from other sources will identify and credit that

source, and note any approved modifications from original.

5. All items submitted to the appropriate editors/chairs for inclu-

sion in a publication are subject to acceptance or rejection at

the editor’s discretion. Long articles may be returned to the

writer for revision or condensing. Every effort will be made to

insure the content of any WSPA publication provides a bal-

anced viewpoint and that space is allotted for member re-

sponse.

6. Material that appears in WSPA publications may not always

represent official organization policy. Statements of policy of

Executive Board positions will be so identified.

7. Editorial statements and subjective reviews should reflect

ethical and professional standards. Comments that might be

offensive, personal, or reckless will not be published or will

be returned to the writer for appropriate revision.

8. All editorial material distributed by WSPA will be reviewed

by the chair of publications or designee to assure adherence to

this policy and to provide consultation regarding publication.

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WSPA Long Range Planning Meeting Long Range Planning will be held at Cedar Valley near West Bend, WI on June 22nd and 23rd. The Board meeting will be

on Friday, the 23rd. If you are interested in becoming more involved with the WSPA board, please attend LRP to see some of the action behind the scenes! If you are interested in attending, please contact WSPA association manager Kristi Thoreson at wspamanager@gmail.com. A great way to become involved with the WSPA board is becoming a regional representative positions in the following regions: Northwoods and Gateway. If you or anyone you know in those regions has interest in serving on the WSPA board as a regional representative please contact Kristi Thoreson, WSPA Association Manager

at wspamanager@gmail.com.

In this, my final President's column for the Sentinel newsletter, I would like to both inspire and encourage you. If you've read any of my other articles, I've tried to do the same, but we have ongoing challenges across the state of Wisconsin. I hear from school psy-chologists regularly, telling me that their schools are not implementing high quality systems to address academic and behavioral challenges. The role of the school psycholo-gist is critical, and yet some districts it's simp-ly regulatory. And yet outcomes across the state continue to languish. Like you I'm sure, I did not enter this field to support mediocre results. Students in Wisconsin deserve much more. So, by the time you read this, it's likely that things will have begun to change. I have two sons, who are now in college, so I missed "Frozen," but we were pretty involved in "Harry Pot-ter." So, maybe I can quote Hermione Granger by saying, "Everything is going to change now, isn't it?" Yes, it is, and I think that's a good thing. Our state needs to implement high-

quality RtI and PBIS systems. We need to use evidence-based practices to address mental health needs. We need expertise in data-based decision-making. Along with these skills that are central to our roles, we need leaders who understand best practices in instruction and intervention. We need school boards who focus on results. And, we need teachers who can teach to proficiency for at least 80% of students. How do we get there? We reframe the problem from schools, to districts, to the state. It's time for us to lead. I ask you to be ready. There are important decisions ahead, and it's time that we start to repair what's been broken in our state for too long. Our students deserve better, and as educators, we deserve a better profession. I look forward to seeing

you farther down the road to success!

Many thanks, John

President’s Message by

John Humphries

FALL CONVENTION 2016: October 26th-28th at the Marriott Madison West. For Fall 2016, the topics in progress:

PREPaRE2 and Advanced Crisis,

RtI: more on sustainability,

Trauma Sensitive care with children of color,

Classroom coaching

Mental and Behavioral Health.

John Kelly, NASP President Elect speaking about mental health providers in the school.

Upcoming Events

38th ISPA Conference July 20-23, 2016

University of Amsterdam In the Netherlands

Theme: School Psychology 3.0: A World of Connections For more information, go to :

http://www.ispaweb.org/conferences/july2016/

Wisconsin School Psychologists Association presents the

Douglas K. Smith Memorial Summer Institute 2016

The Neuropsychology of Emotional Disorders: A Framework for

Effective Interventions

Discuss the neural architecture of emotion by detailing key brain regions

Explore Specific biological factors related to social competence and emotional self-regulation

Discuss the pitfalls of over-relying upon behavior man-agement plans or

Discusses behavioral self-regulation, anxiety disorders, and depression from a brain-based educational perspec-tive, including cutting edge interventions such as neu-rofeedback.

Explore effective classroom interventions and treatment options for children with behavioral self-regulation is-sues and emotional disorders.

The Neuropsychology of Reading Disorders: An Intro-duction to the FAR

Examine current literacy rates in the United States and the effectiveness of the No Child Left Behind legisla-tion.

Discuss the four universal truths of reading and explain why relying solely upon IQ scores, or a curriculum based measurement approach, can be misleading when identifying reading disorders in children.

Discuss four subtypes of reading disabilities from a brain-behavioral perspective, and link scores of evi-denced based interventions and relevant classroom strat-

egies to address each subtype.

Introduce the Feifer Assessment of Reading (FAR) bat-tery as a more viable means to both assess and remedi-ate reading disabilities in children from a brain-based educational perspective.

Speaker Steven G. Feifer, D.Ed., ABSNP is an internationally

renowned speaker and author in the field of learning disabil-ities, and has authored six books on learning and emotional disorders in children. He has 19 years of experience as a school psychologist, and was voted the Maryland School Psychologist of the Year in 2008, and awarded the 2009 National School Psychologist of the Year. He was also hon-ored as the Distinguished Alumni Scholar by Indiana Uni-versity of Pennsylvania in 2011. Dr. Feifer is a diplomate in school neuropsychology, and currently works as a faculty instructor in the ABSNP school neuropsychology training program. He continues to evaluate children in private prac-tice at the Monocacy Neurodevelopmental Center in Freder-ick, MD, and regularly consults with numerous school dis-tricts throughout the country. Dr. Feifer has authored two tests on diagnosing learning disabilities in children released by PAR in 2015.

June 27-28, 2016; 8:30 am to 4:15 pm Chula Vista Resort, Wisconsin Dells, WI

Detailed Institute Information and Registration available online at https://wspasummerinstitute2016.eventbrite.com Graduate Credit Available through the University of Wis-consin-La Crosse.

The Wisconsin School Psychologists Association is ap-proved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists and by the National Association of School psychologists to offer continuing pro-fessional development to school psychologists. The Wiscon-sin School Psychologists Association maintains responsibil-ity for the program.

Upcoming Events continued

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To increase collaboration between policy makers, re-searchers, clinicians, media, and parents to better coordi-nate school psychological services for children and youth.

To engage key stakeholders throughout the world and especially in Southeastern Asian countries in the devel-opment of and participation with the conference pro-gram, especially those who are concerned with chil-dren's education and provision of psychological services

To bring together the world’s scientific experts and practitioners to share their knowledge and experiences in building school psychology and related disciplines in countries where these fields are absent.

To promote effective action through leadership and shared responsibility at all levels of government and society, and foster leadership in the scientific and pro-grammatic response to children’s needs worldwide among policy makers, scholars, professionals, and mem-bers of civil society.

To increase the knowledge and skills of practitioners and community activists to develop, introduce, imple-ment and advocate for effective school psychology pro-grams and interventions in their communities and coun-tries.

The Consortium to Advance School Psychology - Interna-tional (CASP-I) with its university partners announces:

The Fifth Conference on School Psychology “Developing School Psychology Worldwide”

27-29 July, 2016 College of Education, Danang University, Vietnam CASP-I’s 5th conference will bring together policy

makers, university faculty, leaders of non-profit organiza-tions, practitioners, parents, and representatives of the media to advocate for the building of the profession of school psy-chology and to share experiences in building this field world-wide.

The conference will have a positive impact on the gov-ernments’ and general public’s awareness of children’s edu-cational and psychological needs and consolidate experts’ experiences into actions to advance the discipline, profes-sion, and services of school psychology in countries where the field is emerging or nonexistent, with the following ob-jectives:

To increase understanding of how the evidenced-based practices in school psychology can effectively meet chil-dren’s educational and psychological needs.

To promote and advocate for psychologists as profes-sionals in educational and community settings

Call for Submissions from WSPA’s Publications Committee

The Sentinel is looking for articles for upcoming issues. All are more than welcome to submit. Please feel free to contact Jennifer Kamke Black, The Sentinel editor, at kamkebj@shawanoschools.com with any questions. For all Sentinel Readers: We have a special request for interesting stories or experiences you have had (and I know any given person has many!) for the new “From the Trenches” column. These stories do not have to be lengthy or relate to any specific issue; rather, we want to publish stories that give us a glimpse of what school psychologists (or other school professionals) experience in our unique profession. For example, you may like to share an interesting case, “a HA!” moments you have had, humorous stories, or other experiences that make you feel fortunate to have a career working with children and families. The door is wide open! For Members Who are Active with Your Regional Group: We are par ticular ly interested in receiving re-ports of any meetings, trainings or other activities that have taken place--or will be taking place in the near future--within your respective regions. We hope you decide to share your

thoughts and expertise with us and with the members of WSPA by submitting a piece to the newsletter. WSPA Would also Like to Honor School Psycholo-gists that have served Wisconsin children dur ing their career. If you ever receive notice or information regarding interesting updates (or the death) of a school psychologist (or retired psychologist) about whom you feel the Sentinel should include an article, please forward the information to Jennifer. A link to any newspaper article (including obituar-ies) is very helpful, or an article written by a school psy-chologist that knew the person would be greatly appreciated. For Anyone, Especially Students or Faculty: Submis-sions could include reflections on attendance at regional, state or national conferences, book or article reviews, de-scriptions of effective interventions either outlined in the literature or observed on student practica or internships, and/or summaries of your research. We reserve the right to pub-lish the abstract from submitted materials and to then put the full work on the website, if deemed appropriate. We look forward to your submissions.

WSPA Needs YOU!

WSPA is still looking to fill regional representative posi-tions in the following regions: Northwoods and Gateway. If you or anyone you know in those regions has interest in serv-ing on the WSPA board as a regional representative please contact Kristi Thoreson, WSPA Association Manager at wspamanager@gmail.com. Regional representatives coordi-nate activities in their region and serve on the WSPA board.

Each region dictates their own types of activities. WSPA board meetings occur four times a year: one in the evening of pre-conference at the fall and spring WSPA conventions, one at Long-Range Planning in the summer, and one online board meeting in the winter. Board members can receive mileage reimbursement from WSPA for board meeting attendance.

ISPA Update By Tracey Scherr

International Journal of School & Educational Psychology Editor: Rik Carl D’Amato, PhD The Chicago School of Professional Psychology rdamato@thechicagoschool.edu 4 Issues per year Print ISSN: 2168-3603 Online ISSN: 2168-3611

IJSEP seeks to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western psychology, special educational, learning, and school-related practice. The journal accepts empirical papers that contribute to the knowledge base of teaching, learning, schooling, cross cultural psychology, school psychological services, applied educational psychology, educational re-search, assessment, new models of instruction, and other psychology-related international areas. The journal empha-sizes the publication of outstanding research articles, but also considers literature reviews, and methodological or theoreti-cal statements relating to any critical international school or

education issues. While we realize that most learning takes place between ages 0 and 21, IJSEP also focuses on adult learning, special education services with individuals of all ages, and learning and schooling across the lifespan.

IJSEP is the official journal of the International School Psychology Association: www.ispaweb.org Manuscript Submissions International Journal of School & Educational Psychology receives all manuscript submissions electronically via their ScholarOne Manuscripts web-site located at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/IJSEP Instructions for Authors on the journal homepage – www.tandfonline.com/USEP

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The 38th ISPA Conference will be held from July 20 to 23, 2016, at the University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands.The theme of the conference is:

School Psychology 3.0: A World of Connections. The conference web page has further information: http://www.ispaweb.org/conferences/july2016/

DPI Update By Kathryn Bush

School Psychology Consultant Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

608-266-1999 Kathryn.bush@dpi.wi.gov

How is your self-care in the final quarter of the school year? Are you eating breakfast, packing healthy food for lunch, have your dinner menu planned before 4:30 each day? How well embedded are your wellness practices in your dai-ly schedule so you can withstand this final push? I encour-age you to consider examining your wellness practices through the lens of self-care for the trauma-exposed. If you aren’t really up to that challenge of self-examination, I en-courage you to form a short-term PLC and take on wellness practices for the trauma-exposed through the end of the year. Everything you need is available to you in the fourth learn-ing module of the Trauma-Sensitive Schools learning mod-ules series. https://media.dpi.wi.gov/sspw/av/trauma_sensitive_schools_mod_4/story.html

For those completely unfamiliar with issues of trauma, secondary trauma, and the neuroscience of trauma, it may be best if modules 1-3 are viewed first. However, for those with a basic understanding of trauma and trauma reactions, this module could be treated as a stand-alone module.

An advantage of this platform is that it can be watched and engaged with in small bites. Should you stop after a few slides, the program will ask you when you return, “would you like to resume where you left off?” If not, the program will start from the beginning. The menu along the left can also be used to jump to a new location in the slide series. If, like me, you experience a buzz in the audio, switch listening devices. Earbuds seem to work best.

This session has everything you might need to get start-ed. Shortly into it, you are introduced to a very helpful re-source which you can download: The Heart of Learning and Teaching: Compassion, Resiliency, and Academic Success Chapter 2: Self-Care- An Ethical Obligation for those who Care. This is a required reading, although there are a number of other resources referenced which you may find help-ful.

There is an opportunity to view the Ted Talk by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky describing the sustainability of our work. This is a twenty-minute stand-alone video which your PLC or just a small group of colleagues assembled informal-ly, can view together and discuss. She uses humor and helps us cut through our own denial about our secondary trauma exposure and responses.

Next, you can learn about compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue, learn more about the behavioral re-sponses to toxic stress and reflect on whether you may be struggling with any of these. There is access to the Profes-sional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) Compassion Satisfac-tion and Compassion Fatigue Version 5. That tool is linked directly from the module. The Reflection Tool can be down-loaded from the Resources tab in the top right corner.

Finally, there is guidance for creating a self-care/wellness plan. I encourage you, at this time of the year when other educators are winding down, and you are still wound up, to make use of this new tool designed to support you, and other educators as you respond to your ethical obligation to take care of your Self. We do not heal the past by dwelling there; we heal the past

by living fully in the present. -Marianne Williamson

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Trainers’ Corner Student Researchers and Future School Psychologists

Christine Neddenriep, UW-Whitewater Professional Preparation and Training Representative

At the spring convention, students were highly visible participating in various aspects of the convention. Ten stu-dents representing UW-La Crosse and twelve students repre-senting UW-Whitewater presented their research. A wide variety of topics were presented including social-emotional learning, bullying prevention, students with recent immigrant histories, and professional learning communities. The poster session was juried and several WSPA members graciously provided feedback to the students regarding their presenta-tions. The Outstanding Poster Awards were given to Kali Olson of UW-Whitewater for her poster titled, “The Effects of the HOPS Intervention on Students with Organization Skill Deficits” and Anna Yeager of UW-LaCrosse for her poster titled, “Seeking Help: How School Climate Influences Adolescents’ Decision” Please see picture below.

Students also participated in a panel discussion titled, “You’re Hired!”: Tips to a Successful First Year as a School

Psychologist. Panelists included Rebecca Stupka, Kimberly Area School District; Melanie Meister, Baraboo School Dis-trict;

Nicholas Pinzke, Madison Metropolitan School District; Matthew Kaemmerer, Oshkosh Area School District; Joe Monroe, School District of Monroe; and

Dani Scott, Baraboo School District. They provided invaluable information regarding applying and interviewing for a position; accepting the position; and being successful in the first year of employment as a school psychologist. The session was very well received, and the students and I are very appreciative of the panel’s expert contributions to the success of the session.

As always, I welcome your input and feedback regard-ing professional preparation and training. Please feel free to contact me at neddenrc@uww.edu with your comments or questions.

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Licensed Psychologists: New State Rules for Continuing Professional Development Rob Dixon, Chair of Continuing Professional Development

For School Psychologists that are licensed by the De-partment of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) as psy-chologists or private practice school psychologists, there are new regulations that were passed and put into effect on Janu-ary 1, 2016. In the past, DSPS (formerly the Department of Regulation and Licensing) accepted only medical credits and continuing education approved by the American Psycholo-gists Association (APA). The board expanded recognized entities for providing continuing professional development hours and now both NASP and WSPA conference certifi-cates will automatically count towards recertification hours. That is great news! In light of this change in policy, WSPA decided to drop its APA-approval. This approval process was a very costly and time intensive application that had to be regularly renewed.

In addition to the traditional professional development,

credit can be obtained by: (a) authoring professional papers or books, (b) teaching courses or workshops, (c) professional service, (d) authoring (first or second author) of a peer re-viewed publication, (e) earning board certification by the American Board of Professional Psychology, (f) completing a program in psychopharmacology, providing supervision, (g) being a reviewer for a peer reviewed publication, or (i) taking graduate courses. Further information can be found at the Wisconsin Government website (http://dsps.wi.gov).

WSPA will continue to provide NASP-approved hours. These hours are important for Nationally Certified School Psychologists (NCSPs) as you need 10 hours (of the 75 hours) every three years. So now whether you have been licensed by the state or achieved your NCSP, active partici-pation at WSPA conferences will easily allow you to contin-ue to maintain your license/certification.

Kali Olson, UW-Whitewater Presenting Anna Yeager, UW-LaCrosse Presenting

WSPA Employment Fair 2016 By Robert J. Dixon, PhD, NCSP

Things just keep getting better for the WSPA Employ-ment Fair. This year’s edition, held at the Wilderness on February 5th, attracted 28 districts/CESAs and 44 Candi-dates/Job Seekers and demonstrated that the employment market for school psychologists continues to be strong. Many of the districts were trying to lure at least one new employee and there were a couple with multiple openings.

We retained the structure of the day to include a “meet and greet” in the morning. This allowed the candidates to wander between the employers and ask some questions be-fore the interviews got started. This also allowed some time for the employers to see who else was hiring in the state. All parties thought that this was a fantastic way to start off the day. In the afternoon, we switched things up to have a dedi-cated screening opportunity with the employers. I called this the “speed dating” round. While we added a few more slots over last year, there were a couple of districts that filled up early and could have used a couple more slots.

The majority of the candidates were from UW schools, namely Eau Claire, La Crosse, Stout and Whitewater. There was also a decent representation from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology seeking to relocate to the Badger State. We continue to have a handful of veterans that want to relocate, but the majority were students looking for intern-ships.

The takeaway point for the candidates was the oppor-

tunity to see so many districts in one place. Allowing them the time to talk to the districts and then interview permitted them to see what options were out there and where they might make the best fit for their future professional home. As one person reported, “it allowed me to be more comfort-able with the whole process and begin to identify important characteristics that I was looking for in a district.” The big-gest concern from the job candidates’ view: not enough em-ployers from different areas around the state. Since we will likely have this event next year, I would encourage anyone that anticipates an opening for next year to begin to talk with their employers now and convince them to buy a table. No-where else in the state can you find 40+ school psychology candidates in one room looking to find a new professional home.

The takeaway point for the employers was that it was an opportunity to promote their school as well as have access to a number of professionals seeking employment. Many had the opportunity for a full slate of candidates to conduct screening interviews. Despite having a bigger room this year, it still seemed a little crowded and noisy. Maybe a big-ger room next year!

All in all, both Employers and Candidates overwhelm-ingly supported the employment fair and the opportunities that it brought to both parties. WSPA was happy to provide the location and structure to make this happen.

Employers and Candidates “Meet and Greet” in the morning

One round of “Speed Dating” with 15-minute screening interviews

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NASP News Robert J. Dixon, PhD, NCSP

WI Delegate & NASP Board of Director

Greetings! I trust that you are gearing up for the final push of the school year. It always seems that the time after Easter to the end of the school year is quite hectic. So as you race to the finish line, there are some activities “after the race” to think about.

Membership in NASP allows you the opportunity to have access to the richest single source of materials directed to the the activities that you do on a daily basis. Membership for the 2016-17 school year is now open. Please consider renewing (or joining for the first time!) as the year winds down so you do not have to interrupt that steady stream of professional information. One option is to spread your pay-ments out over the school year with three installments. Once a member of NASP, consider joining one of the many elec-tronic Communities. There is sure to be many people talking about the same things that are important for your district!

Summer time brings with it the NASP Summer Conferences. This year, we will be in Denver (July 11-13) and Bethesda (July 25-27). In fact, the Bethesda conference is a short walk to NASP headquarters! At both conferences, you will receive practitioner-based information to allow you to intervene on “Monday morning!” Over the years that I have been associated with the conference, I recognize a num-ber of practitioners that come year in and year out to connect

with colleagues from around the world. Plan now to attend one of these two great conferences – or both!

The Public Policy Institute (PPI) is set for the sum-mer (July 18 to 20 or 22). The focus of this opportunity to learn public policy and advocacy skills is “Education as a Civil Right for All!” During the summer 3- or 5-day insti-tute, participants will be exploring the difference between “equitable access” and “equitable quality.” We have had a number of Wisconsin school psychologists attend in the past and all walk away inspired and committed to advocating for children and school psychology. Maybe you want to add your name as a participant.

It is never too early to think about the NASP nation-al conference in San Antonio, TX. This week, NASP leader-ship is there to work on the final details of the convention site. Before we put the NASP conference in New Orleans to rest, the keynote presentation was one of the best that I have ever seen (and I have seen quite a few). Janet Mock was very powerful and moving in her advocacy for transgender indi-viduals and the whole LGBTQ community. A link to her conversation with NASP President, Todd Savage, is on the NASP Website. Take a moment to hear her impressive and unscripted conversation.

WSPA Plan 2020 By Chris Weins

WSPA’s new strategic plan for the next five years is accurately titled Plan 2020. The final version of this plan is the product of many conversations/debates that were aimed at accurately and honestly outlining what WSPA plans to accomplish in the next five years. Brainstorming for this plan began a year and a half ago and many revisions have been made since that time. Areas of focus within Plan 2020 were condensed from five to three areas (Advocacy, High Quality Professional Development, Values and Perceptions of the Membership). The board felt it was important to nar-row the focus to increase the effectiveness of the strategies used to achieve the goals set in this plan. We approached goal development with a growth mindset and focused on measurable outcomes whenever possible in place of state-ments describing proposed action.

WSPA is involved on many issues on the legislative front. Outlined in this plan are the efforts WSPA is putting forth to advocate for and advance school psychology at the district and state levels. WSPA prides itself on providing high quality professional development opportunities for pro-fessionals currently delivering services. One of the focuses was to determine how valuable these opportunities are for professionals. We wanted measurable results so we could continue to improve and adapt to the needs of professionals in our communities. WSPA values its member’s ideas and opinions and worked hard to focus our strategic direction within this area. We wanted the voice of all school psycholo-gists within the state of Wisconsin represented through the goals listed in Plan 2020. We feel this is a valuable tool to guide our efforts over the next five years.

Promoting Evidence-based Practices By Christine Peterson

Spotlight on: Traumatic Brain Injury Website address: National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke - TBI: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tbi/tbi.htm From the NINDS website: “The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) supports TBI research through grants to major medi-cal institutions across the country and conducts TBI research in its intramural laboratories and Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a form of acquired brain injury, occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue. Symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the ex-tent of the damage to the brain.” The website includes resource links for understanding TBI, related organizations and websites, and research and clinical tri-als. There are also links to information specific to Shaken Baby Syndrome and other related disorders.

Mission, Goals, and Strategic Plan Presented for Final Adoption at Long Range Planning; June 2015

VISION & MISSION The Wisconsin School Psychologists Association facilitates and supports effective school based practices in Wisconsin schools that allow school-based practitioners to deliver the highest quality mental health and educational services to best meet the needs of all children.

By 2020: STRATEGIES AND OUTCOMES

WSPA will increase advocacy for school psychology as meas-ured by:

The Legislative Committee leading the development of official WSPA positions on legisla-tive matters including biennial state budgets, changes in state special education laws and ad-ministrative rules, and will communicate those positions to members and elected officials.

The Mental Health and Legislative Committees collaborating to actively promote school psy-chologists as mental health professionals through the adoption of at least one position state-ment, a white paper, and/or official positions on policy and guidance documents from state and/or federal agencies.

Standards and Practice and Public Relations Committees constructing a recruiting tool that can be used by school psychologists in high schools or undergraduate programs. This tool/presentation will be used at least 10 times annually.

The WSPA board maintaining membership with Wisconsin Alliance Pupil Services Organi-zation (WAPSO), annually attend Wisconsin Counsel of Administrators of Special Services (WCASS) board meeting and continue to work on DPI projects as they emerge.

WSPA will provide high quali-ty profes-sional de-velopment opportuni-ties by:

Providing professional development opportunities in diversity (once a year) and mental health (a strand at every convention).

Offering high quality professional development as measured by the convention summary report (80% of speakers rated a 4 or 5).

WSPA coordinating at least two conventions annually for practitioners to earn completion certificates, APA/NASP CPD and graduate credit.

Maintaining profitable conventions as measured by annual profits of at least $7,000 as re-ported to the board in the convention summary report.

WSPA will maintain percep-tions of value of association member-ship as measured by:

80% attendance of board members at every WSPA board meeting. 80% Wisconsin content or authorship in WSPA newsletter. Every regional group having at least one annual meeting. All Board positions filled. 80% of students move to regular member status. 80% of members renewing membership annually. Membership at 550. Surveying the membership two times during the duration of this plan to assess the value and

perception of WSPA membership.

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RtI Update By The Wisconsin RtI Center

Reviewing and Planning Your System Implementation As another school year comes to a close, it is a time to

recognize and acknowledge the hard work put in over the last year. It is also a time to learn from the data in order to move forward. The Wisconsin RtI Center assists schools in implementing a culturally responsive multi-level system of support. This article will share key resources that can be used to reflect on the past year and inform plans for next year and beyond. REFLECTING ON THE PAST YEAR

To reflect meaningfully on the past year, here are sever-al questions teams might ask:

Is the school examining the successes of a universal core?

Is core instruction being relevant and engaging to all students?

Is the school getting the intended results from inter-ventions? What’s working? What’s not?

Are the interventions matched to student need?

What has the school identified as current victories, challenges, or obstacles in moving the system for-ward?

RESOURCES FOR ASSESSMENT OF YOUR SYSTEM When schools self-assess the implementation of their

culturally responsive system of support, they acquire critical data to provide purpose and direction for action planning. Meloney Markofski, the principal at Sheboygan Falls Middle School, has been using the School-wide Implementation Re-view (SIR) tool since 2011 as a way to look at school-wide practices in math and reading. She states, “the more we re-search, learn, and put into practice interventions - for all stu-dents - the more we have found the SIR very helpful in pin-pointing areas of need.”

The Wisconsin RtI Center has several self-assessment tools available to schools, to assist them in evaluating system implementation.

Academic System Implementation Assessments*: Overview of academic self-assessments including the School-wide Implementation Review (SIR) and RtI All Staff Perception Survey

PBIS System Implementation Assessments*: Over-view of a range of PBIS self-assessments

Additional resources and supports for schools to begin or continue their conversations and planning are also avail-able including e-learning modules, webinars, and the items listed below:

Reviewing Your Selected and Intensive Levels of Support*: Overview of the process developed by the Center to guide schools in creating and sustain-ing a school-wide approach to respond to student needs

PBIS* and Academic* Resource Libraries: Tools and resources developed both by the Center and schools <<to match structure of previous bulleted list leading with nouns

TECHNICAL SUPPORT If you would like assistance using these resources, or

have other questions about implementing a culturally respon-sive multi-level system of support, be sure to contact your Regional Technical Assistance Coordinator (RTAC), who are available throughout the state. To look up and connect with your regional TAC, visit http://www.wisconsinrticenter.org/regional-coordinators.html or http://www.wisconsinpbisnetwork.org/regional-coordinators.html.

Be sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @WisRtiCenter, or sign up for our e-newsletter * to receive ongoing updates and information! *Links for resources found within article Academic System Implementation Assessments: http://

tinyurl.com/jrj5ddt PBIS System Implementation Assessments: http://

tinyurl.com/pozgumh Reviewing Your Selected and Intensive Levels of Support:

http://tinyurl.com/jgzht4m PBIS Resource Library: http://tinyurl.com/jhv2zeo Academic Resource Library: http://tinyurl.com/z7t67py E-newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/66njacb

Attend WSPA’s Long Range Planning Meeting Long Range Planning will be held at Cedar Valley near West Bend, WI on June 22nd and 23rd. The Board meeting will be

on Friday, the 23rd. If you are interested in becoming more involved with the WSPA board, please attend LRP to see some of the action behind the scenes! If you are interested in attending, please contact WSPA association manager Kristi Thoreson at wspamanager@gmail.com. A great way to become involved with the WSPA board is becoming a regional representative positions in the following regions: Northwoods and Gateway. If you or anyone you know in those regions has interest in serving on the WSPA board as a regional representative please contact Kristi Thoreson, WSPA Association Manager

at wspamanager@gmail.com.

WSPA works with DPI to promote Trauma Sensitive Schools in Wisconsin

By Betty V. DeBoer, WSPA Legislative Committee/ WSPA School Crisis Committee, University of Wis-consin-La Crosse

WSPA has a Legislative Committee that currently un-dertakes the responsibility of working with Wisconsin’s De-partment of Public Instruction (DPI) to assist Wisconsin schools in becoming more trauma sensitive. Wisconsin’s DPI work on trauma has been recognized nationally at NASP’s Summer Public Policy Institute in Washington DC and in two recent journal articles*. Betty DeBoer has been the WSPA liaison to the DPI work group and has attended trainings, presented on trauma sensitive schools at WSPA conferences, NASP and other venues, and has participated on projects with the DPI trauma work group over the past 3 years. Kris Rivet from the Marinette School District, Dave Kwiatkowski from CESA 8, and Jeff Krukar from Genesee Lake School in Oconomowoc are the other work group members that were trained as school psychologists.

Thanks to the leadership of DPI’s Nic Dibble, the trau-ma work group developed an excellent bank of information and resources on trauma sensitive schools.

The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the excellent resources that the DPI trauma work group has cre-ated, compiled and made available to you for free on the DPI website.

A great place to start any process in school psychology is with assessment. To assess how trauma sensitive your school currently is, go to DPI’s website to Trauma, Trauma Checklists, Trauma Sensitive Schools Checklist. Here, you can complete a checklist that will help you determine your school’s strengths and areas that need improvement. This can be used as a sort of progress monitoring tool as you pro-ceed on your journey to becoming a more trauma sensitive school.

The Madison Metropolitan School District created a great “first place to go” for those with minimal understand-ing of trauma sensitive schools who want an outstanding, but brief, overview. The DPI link to the Madison Metropolitan School District’s modules can be found under Trauma, e-Resources, Madison Metropolitan School District Modules. The modules cover: An Introduction to Trauma, A Sense of Safety, Creating Safety, Trauma and the Brain, Self-Regulation, Empowerment, Self-Case, and Disciplinary Practices. If your school is just thinking about learning more about trauma sensitive school practices, these 9-15 minute modules are a potential resource to share with administrators or to use across a series of staff meetings or in-services. You can view all 9 modules in about 2 ½ hours. You, as the school psychologist, can lead discussions in a “study group” approach with key stakeholders using these videos as your base as well.

If you are ready for more in-depth training, DPI is creat-ing modules with Sara Daniel from “StA” in Milwaukee and Pam Black from Trauma Sensitive Education, LLC. These modules are being released in “tiers.” Most of the tier 1 training modules are available on the DPI website under Trauma, Learning Modules, Trauma Sensitive Schools Learning Modules. Keep an eye out for future modules at tiers 2 and 3 in 2017 and 2018.

Once you are ready to read more detailed information on Trauma Sensitive Schools, go to Trauma, Strategies, Strate-gies and Resources, where you will find a document that the trauma work group painstakingly developed. In this docu-ment, we list key areas related to trauma sensitive schools (such as Academics, Behavioral Support, Crisis Prevention and Response, Emotional and Physiological Regulation, Leadership, Relationships, Policies, etc.). For each Key Ar-ea, we have a brief description of what the Key Area “looks like” in a trauma sensitive school and Strategies that schools can use to promote best practices in each area. Finally, for each Key Area, we provide well-vetted resources that will give you high quality information on the strategies we pro-vided.

When you feel ambitious enough to give a presentation on Trauma Sensitive Schools, everything you need is at Trauma, Presentation Materials, Creating Trauma Sensitive Schools Speaker Notes. Here, you will find a PowerPoint and detailed information that will help you feel comfortable presenting an in-service.

If you are in a PBIS School, check out how to integrate trauma sensitive school training into your existing model. Go to Trauma, Trauma and PBIS for an informative docu-ment.

DPI has various other excellent resources and links to other high quality websites that are worth exploring for those interested in trauma sensitive schools. Good luck on your journey.

*Journals

Chafouleas, SM, Johnson, AH, Overstreet, S., & Santos, NM (2016).Toward a Blueprint for Trauma-Informed Service Delivery in Schools, School Mental Health 8:144–162. DOI 10.1007/s12310-015-9166-8

Weed Phifer, L & Hull, R (2016). Helping Students Heal:

Observations of Trauma-Informed Practices in the Schools. School Mental Health Volume 8, Number 1 8:201-205. ISSN 1866-2625 DOI 10.1007/s12310-016-9183-2

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If you have an interest in helping WSPA flourish, please contact Kristi Thoreson, WSPA association manager, at wspamanager@gmail.com because the WSPA board is always looking for additional people to help the WSPA organization be as strong and effective as possible. Please join us!

School-Centered Interventions: A Book Review by Rob Dixon, PhD. Member of the WSPA Mental Health Committee

Simon, D. J. (2016) School-Centered Interventions: Evi-dence-Based Strategies for Social, Emotional, and Aca-demic Success. Washington, DC: American Psychologi-cal Association.

This book is for the practitioner that is seeking to trans-

form his/her role to a mental health focus. The basic premise reflects the mental health concerns that have been widely published (e.g., 1 in 5 children have a mental disorder, etc.) and challenges the practitioner to take advantage of the time children and adolescents spend in school to do something. That “something” is to advance evidence-based interventions (EBIs) that tend to have a foundation in cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT), which is consistent with teaching and learn-ing practices found in all schools. By placing these interven-tions for different disorders within an RtI or MTSS frame-work, Simon asserts that these interventions focusing on so-cial, emotional, and behavior concerns will have a positive impact on academics. One of the points that I appreciated as a practitioner was the concept of “flexibility within fidelity.” In other words, let’s not get caught up in the details and be rigid about implementing an intervention. Rather, take the time to adapt the constructs to your local school population and the needs of the child sitting across from you.

From setting the stage on why the focus on mental health is important to learning, Simon shifts his attention to the practitioner. To be effective there are two key factors that transcend technique: therapeutic alliance and developmental considerations. Both of these are firmly within the talents of school psychologists and are prerequisites for using subse-quent EBIs. With the goal of CBT squarely set on the child or adolescent developing self-understanding and self-control,

it is critical to respect that this is a process embedded within a diverse background and set of cultural values. He advances the “self understanding model” as a heuristic for case con-ceptualization.

The remainder of the book is devoted to specific disor-ders and includes: Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Disruptive Behavior Disorders (including both Conduct Dis-orders and Oppositional Defiant Disorders), Pediatric Bipo-lar Disorder, Depression, Anxiety and Related Disorders, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Each chapter is divided into: (1) diagnostic characteristics and assessment frameworks, (2) developmental considerations, (3) child- and adolescent-specific intervention strategies, (4) instructional supports, educational accommodations, and classroom protocols, (5) crisis intervention protocols, and (6) family and systematic supports and interventions. Overall, I found these sections well written and provided a good bird’s eye view of the dif-ferent problems. With the author claiming three decades of school and clinical experience and published under APA Division 16 (School Psychology) book series, the examples and relationship to specific school issues is appreciated in a book on clinical disorders. With each area potentially having enough content to be its own book, I thought the author did a good job of identifying key characteristics and suggesting potential courses of action with the key being evidence-based interventions. Certainly some areas will be a review for school psychologists (e.g., assessment) and some areas will leave the reader wanting more (e.g., specific intervention protocols), the nature of the book and the depth seems to be at that sweet spot of depth and breadth to inform the reader and identify further areas to follow up.

NEW Online Program for School Psychology at UW-La Crosse Robert J. Dixon, PhD, NCSP

Working within the NASP community as a Delegate and the Board of Directors as well as the WSPA Board of

Directors, the topic of shortages of school psychologists has been frequently talked about. As a clear example, I organ-ize the Employment Fair every year. This year it brought in 44 candidates. Unfortunately, many of the candidates flocked to the urban and suburban settings leaving the smaller and rural districts wondering what to do. I hear about similar concerns across the Midwest and this lack of educated professionals can create a sizeable hurdle in ensuring that school children have access to school psychologists and the range of services they can provide. So in the last two months, I have been working diligently with the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse to extend our program by translat-ing classes to an online environment. This will allow individuals that are place-bound to learn about the important con-structs and practices of school psychologists in the hope that they can use their talents in these smaller and rural dis-tricts across the State.

While this is a mammoth undertaking, we are making progress and hope to have our first online cohort selected in the Spring of 2017 and attending classes in the Fall of 2017. Since the current array of school psychology programs across the State are already staffed and stretched to the max, I am looking for interested practitioners that will form the faculty of this online version of our program. If you have an interest in teaching, please send a letter to our psychology pool positions (https://employment.uwlax.edu/pools/4983) outlining your interest and qualifications to teach one of our current classes. All of the classes are listed on our website: http://www.uwlax.edu/School-psychology/ We will be providing training in the online platform as well as ongoing support to make sure that this is a successful experience.

If you are in a district that sees the need to “grow your own” school psychologist, please consider spending some time to encourage them to apply to our program. They can be a member of the first cohort group. The program is being set up as three academic years and three summers with the fourth year being their internship year. That means the first graduates of the program will be interns in 2020. For districts facing the potential retirement of a school psychologist or calling back a retired one, this may be the light at the end of the tunnel for a long term solution to meet the shortages in our state.

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Core Instruction and Intervention Considerations for ELLs By Amanda Myers

For the third article in the series on English Language Learners (ELLs), we will review best practices related to core instruction and interventions. In previous articles, lan-guage development and the impact of culture were discussed. When there are concerns about students who are ELLs, whether they are academic, behavioral, or attendance con-cerns, it is important to first consider the student’s language development and culture and consider how those elements may be playing a role in the concern. After information on language skills and culture is considered, it is then crucial to reflect on how language development, especially academic language, is supported within core instruction.

Teachers can strategically support the development of student language skills in core instruction. In a previous arti-cle, the WIDA Can-Do Descriptors were mentioned as one available tool for staff to look at student language skills re-lated to the ACCESS domains. Another resource/model for strategic language instruction is the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model from Echevarria, Vogt, and Short (2013). There are several key elements to the SIOP model including language objectives for lessons so students and the teacher know what language skill is being targeted each day, and incorporating ways for students to demonstrate knowledge through engaging activities. The emphasis is on developing academic language to make content accessible for students. Core instruction needs to strategically support the language development of students who are ELLs in order to support student skill growth.

When completing academic progress monitoring probes for students who are ELLs, AIMSweb does have norms ta-bles that can be used specifically to compare ELLs with their similar peers on the different academic probes (Pearson, 2012). The AIMSweb ELL Norms further differentiate be-tween performance of students based on their English lan-guage proficiency levels on the ACCESS test.This infor-mation can be used when considering the performance of students who are ELLs during benchmark periods, and when looking at overall progress within intervention. Comparing students to similar peers often provides another way to con-sider student performance data, and help determine when student skills are truly different than their similar peers.

When there are concerns with students who are ELLs, it is critical to match the intervention to the area of skill deficit

(Francis, Rivera, Lesaux, Kieffer, & Rivera, 2006). This is true for both academic and behavioral interventions. Just as targeted language instruction is important in core, academic language and oral language development can also be sup-ported through academic interventions. It should be noted that academic interventions are provided in the language of instruction, so if the student is learning to read, write, and do math in English, the academic intervention should also be provided in English (Francis, et al., 2006). Research has shown that students who are ELLs may demonstrate the abil-ity to read individual words similar to their English speaking peers, but then may have difficulty when it comes to fluent text reading and overall reading comprehension due to a combination of the oral language demands, lack of back-ground knowledge, or insufficient practice with comprehen-sion strategies that facilitate making meaning of text (Geva & Wiener, 2015). With this knowledge, it underlines the importance of supporting students who are ELLs to gain the foundational reading skills to help them decode and read words while simultaneously supporting the development of oral language, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies to support overall reading and language skills. References Echevarria, J. J., Vogt, M. J., & Short, D. J. (2013). Making

content comprehensible for secondary English learners: The SIOP model. Pearson Higher Ed.

Francis, D. J., Rivera, M., Lesaux, N., Kieffer, M., & Rivera, H. (2006). Research-Based Recommendations for In-struction and Academic Interventions. Practical Guide-lines for the Education of English Language Learners. Book 1 of 3. Center on Instruction. Retrieved from: https://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/lep-partnership/interventions.pdf

Geva, E., & Wiener, J. (2015). Psychological Assessment of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children and Ado-lescents: A Practitioner's Guide. Springer Publishing Company.

Pearson, (2012). AIMSweb ELL Profile Report and Norms Development Guide. Retrieved from: http://www.aimsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/ELL_Profile_Reports_and_Norms_Development_Guide.pdf on April 12, 2016.

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FALL CONVENTION 2016: October 26th-28th at the Marriott Madison West. For Fall 2016, the topics in progress:

PREPaRE2 and Advanced Crisis,

RtI: more on sustainability,

Trauma Sensitive care with children of color,

Classroom coaching

Mental and Behavioral Health.

John Kelly, NASP President Elect speaking about mental health providers in the school.

Treatment Integrity in the Real World By Chris Birr and Todd Hrenak

Intervention Integrity Did you know that the MTV show The Real World has

been on for approximately 24 years now. When it comes to the “Real World” for schools to implement treatment integri-ty or intervention fidelity checks, many probably think being on a reality tv show is more appealing and less challenging. Within the research, the term ‘treatment integrity’ is inter-changeable with ‘treatment fidelity’ when used to describe delivery of an intervention. Both terms are receiving more attention in the fields of education, psychology, and medi-cine.

Without knowing how well an intervention1 was deliv-ered, how can one know the obtained results are a reflection of the practice or the delivery? Treatment integrity is a con-cept that is becoming more familiar to school psychologists but continued attention is needed to ensure students receive the highest quality instruction. Even in research, few studies documented the level of implementation and the impact on outcomes (Dane & Schneider, 1998).

The original definition of treatment integrity involved the “methodological strategies used to monitor and enhance the reliability and validity of behavioral interven-tions” (Bellg et al., 2004, p. 443). There have been several researchers and workgroups that have provided definitions and categories of intervention integrity (Bellg et al., 2004; Dane & Schneider, 1998; Perepletchikova, Treat, & Kazdin, 2007). Dane and Schneider (1998) provided five components of intervention integrity and these components are cited in Best Practices in School Psychology: 6th Edition (2015). The five components provided by Dane and Schneider are:

Adherence: how closely an educator attends to and fol-lows specified procedures in the intervention. Was train-ing adequate?

Quality of Delivery: includes consideration of the edu-cator’s skill, decisions, timing, choice making and judgement when implementing the intervention

Program Differentiation: the degree that the proposed intervention differs and is distinct from other practices

Exposure or dosage: refers to the number, length, fre-quency, or duration of intervention sessions

Participant responsiveness: the level of educator and student engagement in the intervention. Is the student’s behavior a factor?

As school psychologists, we understand how treatment

integrity with interventions can be difficult. Odom (2009) suggested that implementation in classrooms demonstrated that a maximum of 80% of a given lesson plan is implement-ed, with a more realistic treatment integrity of 60% to 80%. This indicates that 20% to 40% of a lesson plan may not be essential to achieving positive outcomes for students. Shaw, Boulanger, Gomes (2016) stated that “despite the clear effec-tiveness of treatment integrity-based implementation of evi-dence-based interventions, there are a host of challenges to be addressed.” The following are some of the challenges regarding treatment integrity:

1. Response to diversity. 2. Relevance to target population. 3. Resources. 4. Match to school culture (i.e. are teachers prepared, have

they done this before) 5. Coercive nature of treatment integrity (i.e. teacher re-

sistance) 6. Sustainability (i.e. many teachers report that they will

not continue the intervention after treatment integrity ends)

Shinn (2016) indicated that the decisions we make with

students based on data and determining student outcomes is a critical aspect when planning for a student’s instructional needs. Translating this to day to day practice for school psy-chologists would include targeting the intervention based on skill, setting ambitious goals, and monitoring to ensure ade-quate growth using curriculum based measures. To target skills, use of Haring and Eaton’s (1978) Stages of Learning using Acquisition, Fluency, and Generalization and Adapta-tion can be used to accurately target skills by intervention. Analyzing the data and outcomes based on the decisions made by teams is a critical role for school psychologists and will lead to improved outcomes for students in the future. Before treatment integrity can be addressed, interventions must be aligned to skill deficits. Proposed Checklist:

Interventionists must have adequate initial and continu-ing training to deliver the intervention with adherence. To ensure continued quality and to highlight critical components of the intervention, development of checklists may help to maintain and increase intervention integrity. According to Gawande (2010), checklists remind us of the minimum nec-essary steps and make them explicit. Gawande (2010) con-tinues that checklists instill a kind of discipline of higher performance. Development of intervention integrity check-lists could provide frequent reminders and verification that what was intended was actually delivered in a high quality manner. The checklist is meant as a quick check, not a re-placement for quality training and support. Theoretical Proposal to Evaluate Intervention Integrity through Intervention Integrity Checklist: The following items could be used to develop a tailored checklist for a specific intervention, point values are suggestions only. 1. Reliable and valid assessment data is present to correct-

ly target skill and Stage of Learning (Acquisition, Fluen-cy, Generalization: Haring & Eaton, 1978), 0 or 1

2. The intervention is defined in specific terms: What spe-cific skill(s) does the intervention target? Based on question 1, is this the best intervention? 0 or 1

3. Broad categories of strategies, procedures, and tasks required during the intervention are developed for each intervention (Perepletchikova, 2016).

4. Broad categories are subdivided and subcategories are explicitly defined as to which areas are necessary each time the intervention is delivered. Discriminate between

1For simplicity, the term “intervention” is used but intended to encompass any additional instruction a student receives that is not provided to all students in core instruction.

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behaviors that necessary each session or those that are used as needed. Provide examples (Perepletchikova, 2016).

5. For each item, the following scale will be used:

0-not done, not required; 1-required, not done; 2-required, done

Using the 0-2 scale, interventionists will strive for 80% on each self-report checklist (Perepletchikova, 2016).

Use of the Checklist:

In theory, checklists could be developed for each inter-vention delivered by a school. The main purpose of the checklist would be a reminder to the interventionist of the critical components used for self-reflection. Another purpose would be to provide a clear, objective method for teachers or administrators to observe and provide feedback to the inter-ventionist if critical components are evident. However, this feedback would be intended to be “low stakes” and not of an evaluative nature. Peer observation or observation by teach-ers or administrators would be conducted in more of a ‘walk through’ format. The desired outcome is improved student outcomes through increased intervention integrity.

The Wisconsin SLD rule has treatment integrity compo-nents that are part of the criteria, which had been highlighted with enthusiasm by many presenters at the 2016 NASP con-vention in New Orleans. For example, the DPI technical Guide for SLD (2013) indicated that during the SLD evalua-tion process there must be systematic observations of class-room instruction and intensive scientific research-based or evidence based interventions (SRBI). The interventions must be implemented with adequate fidelity by applying them in a manner highly consistent with its design and at least 80% of the recommended number of weeks, sessions, minutes. Many of us have observed how the the SLD rule has driven districts to implement many components of the RTI/MTSS process. School psychologists may already have existing checklists that may be used as a starting point in developing general practices for treatment integrity in their districts.

Intervention integrity is readily discussed among school psychologists yet few of us have definitive answers how to achieve true integrity. Even when integrity is monitored, achievement of 100% is not a realistic expectation. Prior to any discussion about treatment integrity, school psycholo-gists are encouraged to assist teams to accurately target skills using data and matching intervention to the skill. Next, en-suring data is collected regularly and with adequate duration will lead to increased confidence for decision making. When intervention integrity can be addressed, school psychologists are urged to seek available entry points such as intervention integrity during the SLD process and then scaling the prac-tice to other interventions. Although treatment integrity is

not a ‘clean’ concept to measure, efforts by school psycholo-gist to improve intervention delivery will lead to improved outcomes for students.

References: Bellg, A. J., Borrelli, B., Resnick, B., Hecht, J., Minicucci,

D. S., Ory, M.,& Czajkowski, S. (2004). Enhancing treatment fidelity in health behavior change studies: best practices and recommendations from the NIH Behavior Change Consortium. Health Psychology, 23(5), 443.

Dane, A. V., & Schneider, B. H. (1998). Program integrity in primary and early secondary prevention: Are implementation effects out of control? Clinical Psychology Review, 18(1), 23.

Gawande, A. (2010) The checklist manifesto: How to get things right. New York, NY: Holt, Henry & Company.

Haring, N. G., & Eaton, M. D. (1978). Systematic instruc-tional procedures: An instructional hierarchy. The fourth R: Research in the classroom, 23-40.

Odom, S. L. (2009). The tie that binds evidence-based prac-tice, implementation science, and outcomes for children. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 29(1), 53–61.

Perepletchikova, F. (email correspondence, 4/5/2016). Perepletchikova, F., Treat, T. A., & Kazdin, A. E. (2007).

Treatment integrity in psychotherapy research: analysis of the studies and examination of the associated factors. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 75(6), 829.

Roach, A. T., Lawton, K., & Elliott, S. N., (2014). Best prac-tices in facilitating and evaluating the integrity of school based intervention. In A. Thomas and P. Harrison (Eds.), Best Practices in School Psychology VI. Bethes-da, MD: NASP.

Sanetti, L.H.M. and Kratochwill, T.R. (eds.) (2013) Treat-ment integrity: A foundation for evidence-based practice in applied psychology. United States: Magination Press, (American Psychological Association).

Shinn, M. (2016). Panel: Bracing for the common core crash: Preventing more children left behind: NASP Na-tional Convention, New Orleans.

Shaw, S. R, Boulanger, M. M., Gomes, P. (2016). Enhanc-ing Treatment Integrity: A Proposed Model for Improv-ing Implementation and Supporting Teachers. Commu-nique. Volume 44 Issue 4.

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (2013). Wiscon-sin’s Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) Rule: A Technical Guide for Determining the Eligibility of Stu-dents with Specific Learning Disabilities.

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Perceptions of Cultural Competence in the Mental Health Services for Diverse Youth By John Hirman, MS Ed., Ed.S. Candidate

Children with mental health needs are typically identified by the schools when emotional or behavioral problems can no longer be managed by their teacher in the general education classroom. Of these students who do experience mental health concerns, some research indicates only 50% will have only the school system as a means of mental health support (U.S. De-partment of HHS, 2000). However, connections between schools and related community systems such as mental health, juvenile services, and child welfare are a barrier, and as mental health providers are not in attendance in Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings regularly. Based on these conclusions out-side mental health services involvement and participation in student education could benefit in their effectiveness.

The Mental Health in Schools Act that was introduced to Congress in May 20th, 2009 and would require that (1) school-based mental health services provide comprehensive school mental health programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate as well as age-appropriate, (2) makes only a partner-ship between a local educational agency and at least one com-munity program or agency that is involved in mental health, and (3) the program will include training of all school personnel, family members of children with mental health disorders, and concerned members of the community (111th U.S. U.S. Con-gress, 2009). As reported by Ortiz, Flanagan, & Dynda (2008), these changes warrant the need for confident and competent mental health professionals that work with other nontraditional, nonwhite background children. From IDEA there has been a significant impact on how schools provide services to children with special needs, including those with mental health concerns. A Coordinated School Health Program Review of School Laws and Policies Concerning Child and Adolescent Health (2008) explained in an overview how legal mandates have shaped pub-lic education of students with disabilities by promoting a school climate that is physically and psychologically safe and healthy. Doll and Cummings (2008) emphasize the need for population based services in schools for servicing mental health needs. These points present potential for new models and support sys-tems in better servicing student's mental health needs, and are changing the way service providers who work in school set-tings.

In the past decades, school psychologists have been chal-lenged to participate as leaders in mental health care by adopt-ing a public mental health perspective (Splett & Maras, 2011). In training, school psychologists associate mental health with behavior and learning for prevention, intervention and evalua-tion of outcomes. To meet the challenges of mental health in schools, there are several qualities that are being asked of school psychologists outside of the sole position of being an evaluator. School psychologists providing mental health services in schools would require an expanding recognition to being cultur-ally competent when working with minority students, and it is important to recognize the worldview of a student and student groups that differ from one another. According to the National Association of School Psychologists (2009) providing increased representation of diverse school psychologists is also a position the organization holds to as demographics shift in the national representation. The needs in training of future school psycholo-gists for handling cases with underserved populations, mental health services, and school psychology training are inter-related and therefore, should be incorporated in training practices to meet NASP and APA standards (Lopez & Rogers, 2007). School psychologists becoming culturally competent will view each child through a cultural context would be a challenge that offers the most rewards based on the demographic changes (Miranda, 2008). This would include changes in the field with

only 10 percent of practitioners being from a culturally and lin-guistic backgrounds.

Based on a review of research this study investigated views of School Psychologists on current mental health services that are provided, and whether school psychologists perceive them-selves as competent in the mental health services of culturally diverse students. This study attempts to answer the questions do school psychologists perceive themselves as competent in providing mental health services for culturally diverse popula-tions? Is there a relationship between prior training experiences and perceived competency in providing mental health services to culturally diverse populations? Is there a relationship between years in the field of school psychology and perceived competen-cy in providing mental health services to culturally diverse pop-ulations?

For participants, there were a total of 68 participants in-cluded in the study. All of the participants were currently prac-ticing as school psychologists at the time of participation. From the 68 participants, 25% identified themselves as male, 71% identified themselves as female, and 4% of participants did not report their sex. Approximately 98% reported being born in the United States, and 6% of participants reported speaking more than 1 language proficiently for practice in the field. Approxi-mately 96% of participants identified themselves as Caucasian, 1% identified as Hispanic, and 3% did not report their back-ground. Participants reported their levels of education with ap-proximately 65% having a masters and specialist degree, 1% with a master's degree, 31% with a master's plus additional cred-its, and 3% with a doctorate degree in school psychology.

For methodology, this study attempted to measure the per-ceptions of mental health competency of school psychologists using the California Brief Multicultural Competence Scale (CBMCS; Gamst, Dana, Der-Karabetian, Aragon, Arellano, Morrow, & Martenson, 2004). The CBMCS is a 21-item self-report assessment of knowledge, awareness and skills in work-ing with clients from diverse backgrounds and ethnic groups. It was developed by researchers at the University of La Verne with support from the California Department of Mental Health to identify training needs in the delivery of culturally competent mental health services. The items were developed from previous measures. Participants in the normative sample were 1244 com-munity mental health providers throughout the State of Califor-nia. The scale is research based and has served as the foundation for the development of a multicultural training program.

The collection of data was through an online survey format with the items transposed into the online survey generator "surveygizmo". Surveys were first distributed with Minnesota and Wisconsin school district employers, Wisconsin School Psychology Association, and Minnesota School Psychology Association over a 6-month period Starting in September, 2013. After 2 months of inactivity, the survey was closed. The partici-pants were provided a link via email directly to the survey where after reading the title page gave implied consent to con-tinue to the survey items. The final page was for demographic information used for analysis.

Analysis of the data collected from the CBMCS survey used to answer the first research question used the raw scores with items 7, 11, 14, 17, and 21 to represent cultural competen-cy in mental health services. Raw scores were calculated by totaling each participant's responses on the items selected for CLD mental health competency. In the analysis the mean score and standard deviation were calculated. The frequency and dis-tribution of the responses were also calculated.

For results in item 7, 84% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that they have an excellent ability to identify the

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strengths and weaknesses of psychological tests in terms of their use with persons from different cultural, racial and/or ethnic backgrounds while only 15% disagreed or strongly disagreed. For item 11, 96% of the participants agreed or strongly agreed that they are aware of how their cultural background and experi-ences have influenced their attitudes about psychological pro-cesses while only 4% disagreed. For Item 14, 80% of partici-pants agreed or strongly agreed that they are aware of institu-tional barriers that may inhibit minorities from using mental health services while 20% strongly disagreed. For item 17, 65% agreed or strongly agreed that they can discuss research regard-ing mental health issues and culturally different populations. For item 21, 63% agreed or strongly agreed that they have an excel-lent ability to assess, accurately, the mental health needs of per-sons who come from very poor socioeconomic backgrounds. While the majority of participants reported that they were com-petent, 37% disagreed that they could accurately assess mental health needs of those from lower economic backgrounds.

For the second question three groups were created to run the analysis: (1) no prior training, (2) just workshop, (3) just coursework, and (4) both workshop and coursework. Using the same items from the CBMCS survey the mean score and stand-ard deviation was used. A histogram was completed in order to test the assumption of normality and calculate the mean of all four groups. A one-way ANOVA was run with these 4 groups. A post-hoc analysis for the ANOVA was run. Results from the ANOVA concluded no significant difference between course-work, and workshop groups in comparison to the no prior train-ing group. There was a significant difference from the both types together from the no prior training group. This suggests participants were more confident in reporting competence with these two methods together and supports prior research of hav-ing multiple types of training experiences to increase cultural competency.

Finally, analysis for the third research question used the same CBMCS items that were used in research questions one and two. For this analysis, 6 groups were created: (1) internship, (2) 1-5 years, (3) 6-10 years, (4) 11-15 years, (5) 16-20 years, (6) over 20 years. A histogram was run for checking normality to see if the assumption was met. A one-way ANOVA was run with these groups. Results from the analysis between the 6 groups indicated no significant difference between the different groups. This suggests that experience in the field of practice has no impact on cultural competency.

Some limitations inherent to the study include a small sam-ple size and the method of using exclusively listserv emails. Consequently, a true random representative sample could not be obtained. The survey used in the study also has limitations in that several items pertain exclusively to cultural competence with few items that address mental health services. Future re-search may benefit from a more mental health focused survey given to a larger sample of participants.

This study purposes recommendations that practitioners could pursue further training experiences post-graduation from school psychology programs. Results suggest some areas where there may be a need in development despite study limitations. School Psychologists based on the NASP model for develop-ment in school based mental health and organizations employing

school psychologists should advocate including these opportuni-ties in school psychologist professional development (Suldo et al., 2010). Using the NASP practice model (2010) recommends 500-700 student ratio as a guide for districts to deliver a com-prehensive level of services. This would be beneficial for practi-tioners who provide services to increasingly diverse student populations with both direct and indirect types of services.

School psychologists as mental health professionals need to have appropriate skills, knowledge, and awareness when work-ing with culturally and linguistically diverse students. A combi-nation of coursework and workshop training is associated with a substantial increase in perceived competency in mental health services for culturally diverse students supported by this study. The literature suggests a combination of experiences to be effec-tive, but from this literature review it was unclear which combi-nation was most effective. Moreover, experience in the field is no substitute for explicit training and coursework experiences related to multicultural competency. These findings should be investigated further to identify quality training experiences for practitioners and measures their skills. References 111th U.S. Congress, (2009). Mental health in schools (H.R.

2531). Washington DC: Retrieved from http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-2531

A CDC review of school laws and policies concerning child and adolescent health. (2008). Journal of School Health, 78(2), 69-128.

Doll, B., & Cummings, J. A. (2008). Transforming school men-tal health services: Population-based approaches to pro-moting the competency and wellness of children. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.

Gamst, G., Dana, R. H., Der-Karabetian, A., Aragon, M., Arel-lano, L., Morrow, G. & Martenson, L. (2004). Cultural competency revised: The California Brief Multicultural Competence Scale. Measurement and Evaluation in Coun-seling and Development, 37(3) 163-183.

Lopez, E., & Rogers, M. R. (2007). Multicultural competencies and training in school psychology: Issues, approaches, and future directions. In G. B. Esquivel, E. Lopez, & S.G. Na-hari (Eds.), Multicultural handbook of school psychology (pp. 47-66). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

Miranda, A.H. (2008). Best practices in increasing cross-cultural competence. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best prac-tices in school psychology V (pp. 1739-1749). Bethesda, MD: NASP Publications.

National Association of School Psychologists. (2010). NASP practice model: Improving outcomes for students and schools. Retrieved from. http://www.nasponline.org/standards/2010standards/2_PracticeModel.pdf

National Association of School Psychologists. (2009). Recruit-ment of culturally and linguistically diverse school psy-chologists. (Position Statement). Bethesda, MD: Author.

U.S Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General. (2000). Report of the Surgeon General's conference on children's mental health: a national action agenda Washington, DC: Retrieved from http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/cmh/childreport.html

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WSPA Spirit Award 2016 by Rob Dixon

Memorable! That is the only word that can describe this year's WSPA Spirit Award competition. Building off the success of last year, we had three student groups vying for the coveted Spirit Award. Cheered on by a throng of onlookers, the groups sang and danced their way through the competition. Original lyrics. Choreography. Encouragement from the onlookers. The first year cohort from La Crosse started us off with original lyrics to "What do you Mean?" and set a strong bar for the other two groups. Whitewater second year cohort followed with their lyrics to the tune, "I'll Make a Man Out of You" from Mulan. Final-ly, the second year class of La Crosse performed a cappella to the tune of "Cups."

I’ll Make A Psych Out Of You Sung to I’ll Make a Man Out of You

from Mulan UW-Whitewater 2nd Year Cohort

Let's get down to business To become school psychs Practicum is ending, and we have survived! We worked with lots of kids and staff Can’t believe it, but it’s true Somehow we made it through year two Tranquil as a forest But on fire within Once we find our test kits We can squeeze you in Intervention data’s looking great And we’ve run a group or two Somehow we made it through year two I'm never gonna catch my breath Say goodbye to those who knew me Boy, was I a fool in school for cutting gym This parent’s got me scared to death Hope he doesn’t see right through me Probably shouldn’t have run this meeting on a whim! [Chorus:] (Be a psych!) You must be swift as a coursing river (Be a psych!) With all the force of a great typhoon (Be a psych!) With all the strength of a raging fire Mysterious as the dark side of June! Time is racing towards us till the IEP Gather valid data and you might see If your student qualifies for sped Now pack up, go home you're through Somehow we made it through year two (Be a psych!) You must be swift as a coursing river (Be a psych!) With all the force of a great typhoon (Be a psych!) With all the strength of a raging fire Mysterious as the dark side of June! (Be a psych!) You must be swift as a coursing river (Be a psych!) With all the force of a great typhoon (Be a psych!) With all the strength of a raging fire Mysterious as the dark side of June!

WISC Do You Mean Sung to What Do You Mean by Justin

Bieber UW-LaCrosse 1st Year Cohort

What do you mean? ohhhhhhhhhh When you answer vaguely and we have to query? What do you mean? Heeeehhhheeey When you say I don’t know Please just try your darn best What do you mean (wait) What do you mean Said you’re running out of time What do you mean Oh Oh Oh what do you mean Gotta make up your mind What do you mean You’re so indecisive on the subtests A red circle isn’t a blue square Don’t know if you’re working or just starin’ Wait how old are you, where do I start? I wanna establish basal then the ceiling Wanna erase your mistake, but you can’t kid First you up and you’re down then you’re average Oh I really want to know… = What do I do? Oh, oh, oh When he flicks a booger And you wanna say stop What do I do? Ay Ay Ay When she’s touching the page Of the stimulus book? What do I do? (wait) What do I do? Said we’re running out of time What do I do? Oh Oh Oh What do I do? Better make up your mind What do I do? I hope you’re not crying when you’re leaving It’s been three hours and I can’t stop You wanna get a point but you keep staring Why won’t you ceiling out and let this end Mer: Okay, let’s get serious. Joci, Rob, Dan, Betty ohm Buddy we’re from LAX makin’ big stacks playing in the school gonna be a school psych some day We got smile on our face We’re no disgrace Rollin’ the Cog all over the place Singin’ We will we will assess you We will we will assess you

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"Cups" by Anna Kendrick UW-LaCrosse 2nd Year Cohort

Got my bags packed for my next journey Two box’a Kleenex for the road Cuz I sure would like to take you with me And I’m leavin’ in May, what’d you say? When we’re gone, when we’re gone I’m gonna miss you when we’re gone I’m gonna miss you and your sass I’m gonna miss seeing you in class, oh I’m gonna miss you when we’re gone When we’re gone, when we’re gone I’m gonna miss you when we’re gone I’m gonna miss you by your laugh Might even miss livin’ in Graff, oh I’m gonna miss you when we’re gone I’ve got my contract for my new job now, The one with the loveliest of schools I’ve got SST’s, and IEPs FBAs and PLCs But the one thing it’s missing is you When we’re gone, when we’re gone I’m gonna miss you when we’re gone I’m gonna miss you and your smarts I’m gonna miss our heart to hearts, oh I’m gonna miss you when we’re gone When we’re gone, when we’re gone I’m gonna miss you when we’re gone We’ll engage in consultation We’ll encourage collaboration, oh I’m gonna miss you when we’re gone When we’re gone, when we’re gone I might still need you when we’re gone Text you everyday, I swear But for now, let’s not despair, oh We’ll still have WSPA when we’re gone

UW-Whitewater Second Year Cohort

UW-LaCrosse Second Year Cohort

UW-LaCrosse First Year Cohort

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WSPA Awards Presented at 2016 Spring Convention By Rene Staskal, Recognition and Scholarship Chair

Bernice Krolasik Memorial Scholarship: Stephanie Hotujec received the Bernice Krolasik Memo-rial Scholarship. The Krolasik Scholarship is awarded to a WSPA member who is non-traditional stu-dent currently enrolled in an Ed.S. school psychology training program in Wiscon-sin. The scholarship is gener-ously funded by the Krolasik family in memory of Bernice and her years of dedication to the field of school psy-

chology and commitment to the welfare of children. Stepha-nie is a student at UW-River Falls. She was nominated by Dr. Scott Woitaszewski. Stephanie’s ability to juggle home obli-gations, work, school, and leadership roles in WSPA is very impressive. Stephanie brings a unique perspective to school psychology as a veteran special education teacher. While maintain employment as a district support teacher, Stepha-nie’s academic progress at UW-River Falls has been out-standing. She is described as a thoughtful and engaged stu-dent. Stephanie is also engaged in research endeavors in the field reviewing the effectiveness of tier two math interven-tions. She is active in WSPA as the student representative on the board and the WSPA mental health committee.

Melissa Thorson and Amber Buxton were also nominat-ed for the Bernice Krolasik Scholarship. They both attend UW-Whitewater. Allard Award: Celine Marie Santos

Candidates for the award are Ed.S. graduate students who are recommended by the faculty in their training pro-

grams based on outstanding aca-demics, research skills and strong leadership skills. Celine was nomi-nated by Dr. Tracey Scherr from UW-Whitewater. Celine’s strong academic record earned her a posi-tion as a graduate assistant in her program. Her excellent assessment and report writing skills have served as an example for other stu-dents. She is active in WSPA by attending conferences and present-ing her own research. Her research

focuses on the important topic of academic achievement of students with recent immigration histories.

Jessica Muehlbauer, who attends UW-LaCrosse, was also nominated for this award. WSPA School Psychologist of the Year: Jessica Skaaland

Each year, WSPA recognizes one school psychologist in the state of Wisconsin who has been recommended by col-leagues for his/her efforts and excellence in their professional practice. The award of “School Psychologist of the Year” is presented to the candidate who demonstrates exceptional dedication, proficiency, and leadership in their work with children and colleagues. The recipient of this award is Wis-consin’s nominee for the “NASP School Psychologist of the

Year” award. Jessica Skaa-land was nominated to re-ceive this statewide honor by Matthew Kaemmerer, the Director of Pupil Services and Lina Jones-Pierron, the Director of Special Educa-tion in the Oshkosh Area School District. Jessica’s leadership in the district, positive relationships with staff and community mem-bers, and warm interpersonal nature make her an ideal recipient for the School Psy-chologist of the Year. She is

a leader in her district that is often called on for consultation in difficult situations due to her expertise and solid judge-ment. She has developed strong relationships throughout the district and is knowledgeable about community resources. She has moved the district forward on vital prevention and early intervention programs in the 4K program and plays a key role in the district’s PBiS team.

Other nominees for the 2008 WSPA School Psycholo-gist of the Year were:

Scott A. Moline, Westby Area School District Suzanne Gentry, Racine Unified School District Jessica Thorson, Somerset School District Elizabeth Stegemann, Germantown School District Ann Rumpf, Watertown Unified School District Stephanie Pittman, School District of Rhinelander Sara Ollman, Chippewa Falls School District Dawn Kuehl, Chippewa Falls School District Todd Hrenak, School District of New Berlin Nicole Heller, School District of Elmbrook Britny Gabert, Chippewa Falls School District

Minority Scholarship Award: Amanda Yenter

The WSPA Minority Scholar-ship Award supports students of minority status who are pur-suing a Ed.S. in school psy-chology. Amanda Yenter is a student at UW-La Crosse. She was nominated by Dr. Robert Dixon. Amanda has demon-strated excellent academic, research, and school based skills. She excels as a first gen-eration college student and

seems to genuinely enjoy learning. She builds positive con-nections with teachers and children in her field based experi-ences. She has demonstrated a strong knowledge base in sta-tistics and is presenting her capstone research project, RTI in High School: Teacher Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, and Burnout, at NASP’s annual convention.

Erica Saldana, who attends UW-Whitewater, and

Tatenda Chimboza, who attends UW-Milwaukee were also nominated.

Congratulations to all of our award recipients. 22

School Psychologist of the Year Candidate Statement The Role of the School Psychologist in Addressing Mental Health Needs of Children and Adolescents

By Jessica J. Skaaland, Ed.S., NCSP

The Nature of the Issue Addressing the mental health needs of students is by no

means a new issue in the field of school psychology. In WSPA’s position statement on mental health, statistics on risk factors and prevalence of mental illness were derived from data sources published as early as 2007. As one reads through these statistics, it is logical to question how the num-bers have changed in the years since this position statement was first published. Has awareness of this issue resulted in more positive outcomes when it comes to youth mental health? Unfortunately, this topic is still as relevant a concern today as it was almost one decade ago.

On a national level, approximately one in 25 Americans live with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression (USDHHS). Mental health issues do not only impact adults: half of all individu-als with mental health disorders show signs and symptoms prior to the age of 14 (USDHHS). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013) report that one in 10 youth have experienced an episode of major depression. What is more, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Ameri-can youth between the ages of 15 and 24, and the third lead-ing cause of death among youth ages 10-14.

Our state is not immune to concerns surrounding the mental health of our youth. According to the results of the 2013 Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey (DPI, 2014), approximately 17 percent of males and 33 percent of female youth report experience feeling sad or hopeless every day for a 2-week period. Ten percent of males and 16 percent of females have contemplated suicide, while 9 and 15 percent (males and females, respectively) have formed an actual plan for taking their life. Six percent of youth report attempting suicide. While data from 1993 - 2013 related to symptoms of depression and contemplation of suicide show a slight downward trend, these numbers are still a concern for mental health providers, including school psychologists.

Since this is not a new issue facing our children and adolescents, school psychologists have long been aware that there is a particular need to support the mental health of our youth. However, practitioners face real barriers when it comes to meeting the mental health needs of all students. Often, one of the primary barriers is a high pupil-to-school psychologist ratio. According to national data reported in 2008, the estimated school psychologist to pupil ratio was 1:1482 (Charvat). In comparison, the maximum ratio recom-mended by the National Association of School Psychologists is 1000 pupils to every school psychologist. With this in mind, school psychologists need to be more mindful than ever that they are utilizing practices that will have the maxi-mum benefit for their efforts. Mental Health: Effectively Addressing the Issue

And so, focus now shifts to this question: What actions can be taken that will have the largest impact on the preven-tion and intervention of mental health concerns in the school setting? As professionals with specialized training in the area of mental health intervention, school psychologists would ideally work directly with students who pose the greatest mental health risks. However, a 2009-2010 survey of NASP members shows that less than 9 percent of a psy-chologist's time is dedicated to individual counseling or stu-

dent intervention. Moreover, as the psychologist-to-pupil ratio increases, the amount of direct service provided to stu-dents decreases (Castillo, Curtis, & Gelley, 2012). In order to free up time for our most highly trained mental health interventionists to provide direct intervention to students with greater needs, time needs to be freed up at the base lay-er of mental health prevention.

At the most basic level of prevention, school psycholo-gists can work in concert with administrators and educators to review current educational practices and identify areas in which social and emotional wellness can be incorporated into the existing curriculum and culture of the school. For example, school psychologists can apply knowledge on top-ics such as student engagement, school climate, and mental illness to educate staff on how they might alter instructional practices in order to build relationships and foster resiliency in their classrooms. Practitioners can also work with build-ing administrators, pupil services staff, and leadership teams to identify ways that social-emotional skills can be explicitly taught to all students. For example, lessons related to social problem solving, goal setting, or stress reduction could be incorporated into universal lessons within a PBIS frame-work, health classes, or guidance lessons. At this universal level, school psychologists must focus on providing educa-tion and empowerment to all staff members so that mental health prevention becomes a shared responsibility among all stakeholders.

As universal, preventative practices are solidified within the school systems, school psychologists may find they are capable of “moving up the triangle” of intervention and in-creasing their involvement in direct intervention for the stu-dents who demonstrate the greatest need. In order to effi-ciently and effectively identify students with higher levels of risk, school psychologists must draw on their knowledge of data-based decision making and accountability to help devel-op a system of identifying these students in need of more resources. When students are identified as posing a greater risk for mental health concerns, psychologists can assist with the identification of evidence-based strategies of intervention and methods for monitoring student progress during these interventions.

Also at the secondary and tertiary levels of support, psy-chologists can advocate for school-related accommodations and supports that are appropriately matched to the nature of the concern. For example, facilitating the creation of a be-havior plan that addresses school refusal for a student with an anxiety disorder, or helping to coordinate times and loca-tions for students to engage in relaxation exercises may help the student function more successfully during the school day. Psychologists must also exercise their competency in the area of collaboration and consultation when working with youth with significant mental health needs. School psy-chologists help bridge the gap between school and communi-ty interventions by facilitating communication between the school, family, and community supports. In cases where families recognize the need for ongoing treatment, school psychologists can draw from their knowledge of community mental health options in order to support parents seeking comprehensive care for their child. Regardless of the intensi-ty of the service required, one of the school psychologists’

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key missions should be to promote building and district cli-mates where social-emotional wellbeing is a collective con-cern and responsibility, to be valued and addressed at a level comparable to student academic achievement. Concluding Thoughts: A Message of Encouragement from One Practitioner to Others

Clearly, the mental health of students continues to be an area of concern that needs to be addressed within the school setting. As school psychologists, we face the challenge of providing effective services to students, often times in spite of high staff to pupil ratios and large numbers of students in need of mental health support. However, we must not stop looking for opportunities to engage in this important work. For some of us, the implementation of an RtI framework may mean less time needs to be devoted in the area of spe-cial education evaluations. Could more time (no matter how small an amount) be devoted to providing direct intervention to students? For others, an opportunity may look like in-creasing our involvement in activities at the preventative level that have previously been facilitated solely by other staff members in the building. Still others may find that op-portunity lies in working with district or building administra-tors on the selection and implementation of a screening tool to better identify students with greater mental health risk factors. As trained mental health professionals, we cannot afford to miss any opportunity to enhance mental health pre-vention and intervention within our spheres of influence.

And so, it is my hope that we can each look for opportu-nities within our individual roles to increase our involvement in mental health prevention and intervention. In a time when students are in great need of mental health support, we must take advantage of opportunities to increase the support avail-able to all students. In a time of uncertain budgets, we must capitalize on opportunities to show our colleagues and supe-riors the unique skills we bring to the table on issues of stu-

dent mental health. The concern for the mental health of our students is not changing. It’s up to us to look for ways to maximize our effectiveness as mental health practitioners. In doing so, we can rise to the challenge and meet the mental health needs of all students. References Castillo, J., Curtis, M., & Gelley, C. (2012). School Psychol-

ogy 2010 - Part 2: School Psychologists’ Professional Practices and Implications for the Field. Communique, 40(8). Retrieved January 10, 2016, from http://www.nasponline.org/publications/periodicals/communique/issues/volume-40-issue-8/school-psychology-2010-part-2-school-psychologistsandrsquo-professional-practices-and-implications-for-the-field

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). 10 Leading Causes of Death by Age Group. Retrieved Jan-uary 10, 2016 from http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/pdf/leading_causes_of_death_by_age_group_2013-a.pdf

Charvat, J. (2008, September). Estimates of the School Psy-chology Workforce. Retrieved January 10, 2016, from https://www.nasponline.org/assets/Documents/Research and Policy/Advocacy Resources/SP_Workforce_Estimates_9.08.pdf

Mental Health Position Paper. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2016, from http://www.wspaonline.net/schoolpsychology/mentalhealth.cfm

United States Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). Mental Health Myths and Facts. Retrieved January 10, 2016 from http://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/myths-facts/index.html

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (2014). 2013 Youth Behavior Risk Survey Executive Summary. Re-treived January 10, 2016 from http://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/sspw/pdf/yrbs13execsum.pdf

WSPA Outstanding Dissertation Award: Paige L. Mission

Each year, WSPA proudly recognizes the out-standing work of doctoral students in completing research that informs and enhances the daily prac-tice of school psychologists in the field. The criteria for the Outstanding Dissertation Award require that the recipient is a Ph.D. student in school psychology or a school psychologist who has completed a dis-sertation that merits special recognition and has the potential to contribute to the science and practice of school psychology. Nominees must have success-fully defended their dissertation within the 12 months prior to the award nomination due date. School Psychology faculty at each of the UW-System Doctoral Programs in School Psychology may nominate one candidate for the outstanding research award. The recipient of the 2016 WSPA Outstanding Disser-tation Award is Paige L. Mission, nominated by Dr. Craig Albers of UW-Madison. Her dissertation titled, Social-Emotional and Behavioral Assessment in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learner Populations: An Examination of the Validity and Reliability of the Social Skills Improve-ment System in School-Aged Spanish-Speaking English Lan-guage Learners, truly merits special recognition as it con-tributes significantly to the science and practice of school psychology. Having universal screening tools to assess the

social and emotional needs of students who are Eng-lish Language Learners is essential to ensure that students receive needed early intervention services. Dr. Albers noted, “Paige’s dissertation was designed to begin assessing the appropriateness of a universal screening social-emotional measure for use with ELLs. Her future intentions, however, go much be-yond assessment and validation work, as she sees this universal screening need as a critical first step in ultimately developing appropriate interventions for ELL students. Consequently, her dissertation work was timely, important, and unique, and I anticipate her project leading to multiple sustainable research lines within the near future.” Ms. Mission was invit-

ed to write an applied article for the WSPA newsletter re-garding her work which will appear in a future issue. In sum, Dr. Albers noted of Ms. Mission, “She has been a once-in-a-career advisee who has excellent research and clinical skills, and an outgoing personality! She has made significant con-tributions to the UW-Madison School Psychology Program in her time here, and I am confident she will make signifi-cant contributions to the profession of psychology and edu-cation in the future.” Ms. Mission is currently completing her predoctoral internship within the Division of Pediatric Be-havioral Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota Medi-cal Center in Minneapolis, MN. 24

Remembering Dr. Ed Shapiro By Rob Dixon

During our WSPA Spring Conference, word came that Ed Shapiro had passed away. Ed was a champion for school psychology and is credited with authoring and co-authoring several books on academic skills assessment, promoting children’s health, and identifying learning disabilities. We had the pleasure of having Dr. Shapiro present on Progress Monitoring and RtI as well as the closing keynote, What to do about Tier III at our WSPA Spring 2012 conference at Ho-Chunk Casino in the Dells area. Over my time as a professor, I have seen first hand the passion, energy and enthusiasm that Ed has shared. At the Trainer’s of School Psychologist meeting in New Orleans in 2016, he was awarded the Trainer of the Year and given a standing ovation in recogni-tion of his contributions. Little did we know that in less than six weeks, he would be gone. One of the sentiments repeated over and over in the last few days, was his commitment and passion to research and teaching. Many have labeled him as one of the most influ-ential people in their lives. As a profession, we have been lucky to have such a strong voice in our field advocating for children, youth, and the future professionals that will be working in the schools. He will be missed.

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Letter to the Editor: Reflecting on the Recently Released Controversial

IES Report About RtI Effectiveness By Ed O’Connor and John Humphries

This past week, the Institute of Educational Sciences (IES) published a report on RtI effectiveness (Full report and Exec. Summary available at: http:// ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20164000/). This report has created a substantial reac-tion from educators, researchers and others including report-ers covering the education field. The controversy around this report stems from the fact that one of the findings reported was that first grade students receiving reading intervention labeled “Tier 2” performed worse than similar peers on measures of reading performance after participating in the intervention. Results at grades 2 and 3 found essentially no effects for those participating in the intervention as compared to similar peers. Education week summarized the report in an article titled “Study: RTI Practice Falls Short of Prom-ise” (http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/11/11/study-rti-practice-falls-short-of-promise.html).

We want to make members aware of this report and the evolving discussion that is occurring among educators and to encourage careful consideration of the report details before developing interpretations conclusions. We provide here some critical issues to consider as you review the study and consider the various reactions and responses that are sure to follow. As is the case in most situations that incite intense responses, this report creates the possibility of both danger and opportunity. Because many of us are deeply involved in RtI/MTSS practices, our reaction may naturally be to become defensive and resistant to the report findings and the interpre-tations being made. We have already observed that type of reaction from nationally recognized proponents of RtI mod-els for school improvement. There have been proposals to challenge the validity of the study design and multiple “from the hip” hypotheses promoted for why the study did not find

positive results to be associated with RtI interventions for improving reading outcomes in this sample.

These initial responses reflect some of the danger in responding impulsively to results that do not support a per-sonal world-view. In this scenario we run the risk of letting emotions and personal beliefs move us to responses that do not align with a commitment to systematic and scientific evolution of understanding. Quoting Matt Burns on this top-ic: “when people are presented data that are not consistent with their beliefs or positions, they are more likely to dis-credit the data than change their beliefs.”

The fact of the matter is that this is a substantial study involving more than 20,000 students in 13 states, conducted using a validated methodology (Regression Discontinuity Design –RDD is a legitimate choice for investigating effects when random assignment is not possible. http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/statrd.php) and produced by highly credible education researchers.

Instead, this is an opportunity for us to demonstrate and model responses that are measured and reflective. As with any research there are multiple interpretive hypotheses that will need to be explored to help us understand this initial result and the implications for practice. At this point it would be wise to continue the dialog regarding these findings from the perspective that these data should cause us to pause and consider thoughtfully the results and the various explana-tions that should be tested.

We list here some issues that should be considered and questions to be asked as a starting point. Hopefully this can be the beginning of a rich and thoughtful discussion as well as an opportunity to deploy further scientific investigation of the current findings that will lead us to better understanding

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and point us to more effective methods for improving learn-ing outcomes for students. Issues for Consideration:

The study results align with much of the anecdotal evi-dence discussed in the field that suggests we are still struggling to improve student outcomes substantially using RtI/MTSS-MLSS frameworks. This is especially true for subgroup populations.

The study uses self-assessment and self-report as well as self-reported implementation timelines to determine levels of RtI implementation. One might wonder if actu-al levels of quality implementation structures and rou-tines align with these self-reports?

What Tier II students received in the study was broadly defined as “small group” or “intervention group.” There was no consideration for the quality or match of the in-struction delivered.

The above issues notwithstanding, the study seems to reflect typical RtI implementation routines across schools and thus suggests that the current routines are not sufficient to produce the desired results and should be evaluated carefully.

This study reflects results that are inconsistent with oth-er studies that found positive effects when RtI was im-plemented well (See Hattie, 2012: Visible Learning For Teachers which finds RtI to have the third largest effect size overall)

These issues beg the following questions be explored:

Are self-reported levels of RtI implementation con-sistent with more direct and objective measures?

What routines for feedback to systems would be helpful for clarifying “true” implementation quality?

If RtI works when implemented under research condi-tions, but not in real-world settings, what are the obsta-cles that prevent implementation with sufficient quality to produce results?

Is it possible to scale-up high quality RtI systems in “real-world” school settings?

If it is possible, what are the factors that are necessary to support high quality implementation?

Additional discussion of this IES article can be found at: http://www.rtinetwork.org/rti-blog/entry/1/227 http://www.texasldcenter.org/education-research-matters/

item/november-2015 References: Balu, R., Zhu, P., Doolittle, F., Schiller, E., Jenkins, J., &

Gersten, R. (2015). Evaluation of response to interven-tion practices for elementary school reading. Washing-ton, DC: National Center for Educational Evaluation and Regional Assistance.

Sparks, S.D., (2015). Study: RTI practice falls short of prom-ise. 35(12). 1-12. http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/11/11/study-rti-practice-falls-short-of-promise.html

Trochim, W., (2006). Regression-Discontinuity Analysis. In The Research Methods Knowledge Base: Third Edition. Retrieved from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/statrd.php

Brief Summary of the Shinn-Brown Review of the IES Report on Response to Intervention

Among the IES Report’s major findings, it was reported that RTI intervention had no effect at Grades 2 and 3 and potentially harmful effects at Grade 1.

Release of the IES Report has led to widespread mis- and over-interpretation of the study’s conclusions about effects of RTI on achievement of students with reading difficulties.

The report should be interpreted as a study of RTI prac-tices and not RTI outcomes.

Attributions about the lack effects about RTI as a whole need to be interpreted with caution due to concerns with external validity, including:

The subjects that formed the basis for the conclu-sions were those with mild, if any, reading achieve-ment difficulties;

These students are typically not the primary focus nor intent of RTI efforts.

Conclusions about RTI effects must be tempered by the fact that:

Up to 45% of schools reported additional interven-tion to all students, not just those students “somewhat” or “far below” grade-level reading achievement through their RTI approach.

RTI interventions detailed in the report supplanted sizeable proportions of core instruction for most students, rather than being supplemental; and

RTI interventions were only a few more minutes each day in groups that were smaller by one stu-dent.

Results of this report should be interpreted more as an indictment of the difficulty of high fidelity educational improvement implementation, like other educational reforms and not be used to discourage RTI efforts.

Please find the full article by Shinn and Brown at http://www.rtinetwork.org/images/content/blog/rtiblog/shinn%20brown%20ies%20report%20review.pdf

2016 – 2017 New Member Application/Membership Renewal Wisconsin School Psychologists Association, Inc. Membership for September 15, 2016 through September 14, 2017

Region:

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bers can be invited to join NASP if they are not active NASP members. □ Do not include my contact information in the NASP exchange. WSPA occasionally sells members’ names, addresses, and emails for one time use when such requests are professionally appropriate for

school psychologists. □ Do not share my contact information with outside agencies. Return membership form & dues to: Make checks payable to WSPA, Inc. Purchase Orders cannot be accepted. Or, renew membership online & pay via PayPal at: wspaonline.net

Kimberly Knesting-Lund Department of Psychology UW-Whitewater LT 1213 800 W. Main Street Whitewater, WI 53190

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The WSPA Sentinel would like to feature school psychologists from across Wisconsin. Please contact Jennifer Kamke Black at kamkeblj@shawanoschools.com if you have suggestions for our next issue.

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