As the end of the summer nears, I want to share with you a few NASP updates. As you begin to gear up for the new school year, you will want to check out the back-to-school resources available on the NASP Website. The offerings include several handouts and audio articles for parents on topics such as homework, school refusal, anxiety disorders, and much more. Don’t forget to utilize the Resource Library, which is organized alphabetically by topic, throughout the school year to easily find resources on the topics you need.

You can download NASP’s latest podcast on treatment integrity, featuring Lisa Sanetti. Don’t miss the additional resources on the topic, including an article from School Psychology Review and a chapter from Best Practices in School Psychology V.

Consider getting your school year off to a strong start with two top references. As a NASP member, if you act before September 30, you can save $100 off the list price on the practice essential, Best Practices in School Psychology V. For even more up-to-the minute material, consider purchasing access to the NASP EBSCO Online Library, which consists of peer-reviewed journals with more than one million full-text articles.

While on the NASP website to view these helpful resources, please visit ‘View My Account’ in the top right corner of the website to update your contact information. You can update your mailing address if you’ve moved over the summer or provide a preferred e-mail address. You can also choose which member e-mail and print communications you want to receive from NASP.

I hope you enjoy the final weeks of summer, and I look forward to bringing you more NASP news in September.

Sincerely,

Bob Trant
NASP State Delegate – MA

It has been a busy and exciting year at NASP. I wanted to share some of our proudest accomplishments with you.

This year, our Delegate Assembly approved three new NASP position statements and the NASP 2010 Professional Standards. You will be hearing more on the standards and related Practice Model in the coming months. Also, critical to the identity and practice of school psychologists, NASP advocated for the retention of the school psychologist exemption in APA’s Model Act for State Licensure of Psychologists. Thanks to your help, the 2010 Model Act continues to recognize the authority of state education agencies to credential and title school psychologists.

In addition to these accomplishments, I have some great new member benefits to share with you this month.

As a NASP member, you can save $100 off the list price on the latest edition of the practice essential, Best Practices in School Psychology V.
Check out NASP’s latest podcast on school discipline, featuring expert George Bear, co-editor of Children’s Needs III and a featured speaker at the 2011 convention in San Francisco. You can also find an online discussion on the topic there and read a related article for principals by Dr. Bear. If you missed the 2010 Annual Convention keynote addresses by Salome Thomas-EL and Alexa Posny, you can watch the videos, synced to Powerpoint presentations on the NASP website.

I would like to encourage you to mark your calendar now for NASP’s 2011 Annual Convention in San Francisco, February 22-25,

The school year is coming to an end, but things at NASP continue to be very busy. I am pleased to share the latest updates with you.

The new NASP 2010 standards, which were adopted by the Delegate Assembly in March, are now available online. Visit the NASP website to review the standards on graduate preparation, credentialing, ethics, and model for comprehensive services. You can also keep an eye out in the June 2010 issue of School Psychology Review for the ethical principles and model for comprehensive services standards.

NASP has added two podcasts to the growing collection available. Check out the podcasts addressing social justice, featuring David Shriberg, Brianna Sarr, and Nathan von der Embse; and children’s executive functions, featuring expert Denise Maricle.

There is still time to take advantage of the early registration discount for the NASP 2010 Summer Conferences in Denver, CO, July 12-14 and Nashville, TN, July 26-28. You can earn up to 18 hours of NASP- or APA-approved CPD credits and get advanced skills development on critical topics. As a special thank you for renewing your NASP membership, you can save up to $50 on your registration.

Time is running out to submit a proposal for the NASP 2011 Annual Convention in San Francisco. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to share your knowledge, contribute to the profession, and enhance your convention experience. Don’t delay, the submission deadline is June 16, 2010.

NASP would like to thank all members who asked their elected officials to recognize school psychologists for loan forgiveness over the last few years. NASP recently confirmed that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PL 111-148) that was passed into law specifically recognizes people holding a license or certification in school psychology as eligible for a new loan repayment program in the new health care bill.

It has been a pleasure serving as your NASP representative this year. I hope you continue to find your membership of great value.

Sincerely,

Bob Trant
NASP State Delegate – MA

The proposed MLA being considered for adoption by APA significantly restricts the exemption for school psychologists. NASP leadership, members, and staff have been actively engaged in a 3-year effort to preserve the right of school psychologists to use their title and engage in the practice for which they are trained and credentialed. NASP will continue to communicate our position to APA until the vote in February. Right now it appears that there is no formal opportunity for individuals to send comments to APA. Mass communications to the APA Council will not be helpful and are likely to be harmful. You can be confident that if the proposed MLA becomes APA policy, NASP is prepared to assist you and our state association in protecting school psychologists’ title at the state level. NASP is currently updating key messages, coordinating with state leaders, and preparing for strong state-level advocacy.

NASP members can access several sessions from last year’s NASP Annual Convention at no cost. The topics offered include Conducting RTI Tier Three Case Studies, Combining Academic and Behavioral Supports for a Universal System, Things That Make You Go HLM: Getting Comfortable With Hierarchical Linear Modeling, Consuming Research: There Is Significantly More to Research than Significance, and Grant Writing: Getting Funds for Your Education Research Project.

I look forward to writing to you next month with more news from NASP and I hope to see you at the NASP 2010 Annual Convention in Chicago next month.

Sincerely,

Bob Trant
NASP State Delegate – MA

Happy New Year! I wanted to start the year off right by sharing with you the latest NASP resources.

NASP podcasts offer a convenient way to stay up-to-date with recordings you can listen to on the go. ‘In the Know With NASP,’ a monthly podcast, focuses on what’s new and noteworthy at NASP. You can find the latest edition along with two recent podcasts, Military Families: The Deployment Cycle and Home-School Collaboration.

While online, I encourage you to visit the NASP blogs and add your comments. A blog for graduate students was added this fall, and the ‘Early Career,’ ‘School Psychologists-On the Job,’ and ‘Response to Intervention’ blogs continue.

NASP has a wonderful new research webpage, which offers data about workforce, salary, and demographics; research evidence about the positive impact of school psychological services; fact sheets; and more! This is a valuable resource to use in advocating for the profession, supporting jobs and services, documenting evidence-based programs in schools, and providing resources for administrators.

The Multicultural Affairs Committee has developed a series of articles addressing several key issues, including equity in education, disproportionality, the need for cultural responsiveness, and homeless children. These articles and others on related topics are available on the NASP website.

There are just a few weeks remaining to take advantage of the special rate of $44 for a full year’s access to the NASP EBSCO Online Library. Save 10% off the regular annual rate by signing up or renewing today. The Library consists of thousands of peer-reviewed journals and more than one million full text articles from six comprehensive databases. A new mobile application puts the most important features of the Library right in the palm of your hand.

There is still time to register for the NASP 2010 Annual Convention, March 2-6, 2010 in Chicago, IL, and expand your knowledge, improve your skills, and connect with colleagues. Act before February 3 to take advantage of the significant early registration discounts. Convention registration includes all special and featured sessions, more than 1,000 reviewed presentations, and the Keynote Addresses presented by Alexa Posny, the assistant secretary for special education and rehabilitative services, Department of Education, and Salome Thomas-EL, nationally recognized educator and best-selling author.

I encourage you to reach out to those who may find the profession of interest and invite them to join NASP and learn more. NASP offers a Student Associate membership category for undergraduate students and graduate students in related programs.

I look forward to writing to you next month with more NASP member highlights.

Sincerely,

Bob Trant
NASP State Delegate – MA