Patti L. Harrison, Theuniversity of Alabama

DEVELOPED BY

Patti L. Harrison, TheUniversity of Alabama

Jack Cummings,IndianaUniversity

Advisory Board:

Rachel Brown-Chidsey, University of Southern Maine

Sandra Christenson, University of Minnesota

Michael Curtis, University of SouthFlorida

Peg Dawson, Seacoast Mental Health Center, New Hampshire

John Desrochers, New Canaan Public Schools, Connecticut

Sissy Hatzichristou, University of Athens, Greece

Cathy Lines, Cherry Creek Schools, Colorado

JoAnne Morgan, Graduate Student, University of Massachusetts

Diane Smallwood, PhiladelphiaCollege of Osteopathic Medicine

Gary Stoner, University of Massachusetts

Chris Willis, NewportCounty Regional Special Education, Rhode Island

Acknowledgements:

Many of the resources contained in the learning modules were developed from materials generated prior to, during, or following the 2002 conference on the Future of School Psychology. We thank our fellow co-chairs for their many contributions: Peg Dawson, Rick Short, Susan Gorin, and Ron Palomares. In addition, many hundreds of on-site and remote site participants contributed to the conference, and we thank them expertise, ideas, and time.

Special thanks goes to the technical support personnel at IndianaUniversity in Bloomington (Steve Egyhazi, James McGookey, Joe Stevens, & Britt Thornton) and in Indianapolis (Gary Curto, Steve Feldman, Greg Filter, Angie Hill, Bill Hinesley, & Mary DeLellis) who assisted with the conference.Xiaojing Lim created the conference Internet site. Michele Rudge gave generously of her time in coordinating the registration, finances, and correspondence to the participants. Julia Rutley of the University of Alabama assisted with the content analysis for a number of tables for the conference, which are contained in appendices of the learning modules.

BACKGROUND: THE 2002 FUTURES CONFERENCE

The comprehensive, online learning modules on the “future of school psychology” can be used across the United States and internationally in graduate courses, intern training, continuing education/inservice programs of school psychologists working in school districts, and strategic planning by professional associations and other groups. The modules also may be used by individuals for independent self study.

The online learning modules are based, in part, on materials developed for the Conference on the Future of School Psychology, held in November 2002. The 2002 conference was held in the tradition of previous future’s conferences in school psychology, including the Thayer Conference (1950s) and Spring Hill and Olympia Conferences (1980s) that established the professional identity of the field of school psychology. The 2002 conference was sponsored by eight major national and international professional associations in school psychology.

The 2002 conference was needed because, althoughschool psychology has undergone tremendous growth in the last 25 years, current and future personnel shortages in school psychology threaten the capacity to meet the needs of children in schools. In addition, needs and pressures facing children, families, and schools are greater than ever. The initial conference goals were as follows: (a) achieve consensus on current and future demands for school psychology and how we can meet those demands; (b) conceptualize the practice of school psychology in the face of diminishing numbers of school psychologists and increasing need for services, and (b) develop an agenda to use school psychology resources to maximize the benefits to children, families, and schools. Thus, the 2002 futures conference was one of the major events in the profession of school psychology and is being used to set priorities for the profession in the 21st century.

Through modern technology, the 2002 conference integrated activities from on-site participants in Indianapolisand from remote groups and individuals across the country.About 70 school psychologists, including school psychology practitioners, graduate faculty, and graduate students, were invited to participate on-site. In addition, hundreds of school psychologists in almost 40 remote group sites in school districts and universities across the country simultaneously participated in all conference activities, viewed live webcasts of conference speeches, posted comments on the conference e-forum, engaged in group problem-solving exercises, and posted resulting strategies and action plans on the conference website. Individuals across the world participated in the conference via their own personal computers. Individuals and groups are continuing to participate by viewing archives of webcasts, posting updated information to the e-forum, reading background articles available on the website, reviewing integrated compilations of strategies and actions plans generated during the conference, and implementing action plans.

The conclusion of the 2002 conference led to a number of outcome goals related to expanded roles of school psychologists in providing education and mental health services for children in school settings, with a number of outcome goals related to preservice (graduate study) and inservice activities for school psychologists. The goals focus on increasing the knowledge and skills of graduate students and practicing school psychologists and preparing them for the current and future demands in our profession. The conference goals are currently being implemented under the framework of the “future of school psychology.” The major professional associations in school psychology are continuing to address action plans to achieve the goals of the conference.

DESCRIPTION OF THE

LEARNING MODULES

OVERVIEW

The online learning modules provide an important next step in the implementation of the future conference goals and will assist instructors and students in graduate classes, interns and their supervisors, practicing school psychologists, and professional associations in organizing relevant learning activities for preservice and inservice education. The online learning modules utilize technology that facilitated successful participation of hundreds of school psychologists in multiple sites during and following the 2002 conference. The modules may be used in groups or for individual self-study.

The modules provide self-contained sets of materials and learning activities on specific topics related to the outcomes goals of the 2002 futures conferences, including the following:

Module I: Introduction: The Future of School Psychology

Module II: School Psychology Personnel Shortages and Service Delivery

Module III: Children and School Psychology

Module IV: Families and School Psychology

Module V: Schools and School Psychology

Module VI: School Psychology Today and Tomorrow: Next Steps?

The modules are available free of charge on the official futures website. Websites of professional associations and other agencies may also link to the modules.

CONTENTS OF THE MODULES

Several activities are included in each module, including group discussion and individual reflection questions. Modules include webcasts of conference presentations and other reading materialsand resources developed during and after the conference. Additional resources for reading and review are provided, including journal articles, web resources, and written reflections of school psychologists. When available, the modules link to readings and other resources that are availablefree to the public. However, some readings and resources may require journal articles available only through subscription, through association membership, or through a library. Several reading materials are in texts available from their publishers.

A number of the background readings were selected from those used in the actual 2002 future’s conference, and additional background readings report the outcomes of group problem-solving from the conference. These are provided as background information about national trends and priorities. However, the user of the learning modules are encouraged to use conference resources as background only and to adapt the learning modules, the issues and priorities in problem solving, etc. to meet the specific needs of the group or individual. For example, target goals for the modules may include individual service delivery goals, local school district goals, state goals, or national goals, depending on the individuals or groups using the modules.

The readings in the learning modules include articles from a combined special issue “Proceedings of the Multisite Conference on the Future of School Psychology” that appeared concurrently in School Psychology Review and School Psychology Quarterly. Both journals contain identical articles for the special issue, and users of the learning modules may select which journal they wish to read. NASP members receive subscriptions to School Psychology Review and may also access the journal online at; APA Division 16 members receive subscriptions to School Psychology Quarterly. These journals are also available at many university libraries in print or electronic formats.

The following sections are found in the modules:

The Purpose and Overview provides a general orientation to the contents of the module.

A list of Resources for Reading and Review includes primary resources from the futures conference (e.g., webcasts, journal articles, etc.) and additional, optional resources (e.g., journal articles, book chapters, websites) related to the module’s topic.

Questions for Group Discussion or Individual Reflection include two types of questions for users to answer when completing the modules. Focus questions are similar to those used in focus groups prior to the 2002 Futures Conference; these brief questions promote an initial orientation and consideration of the topic. The more comprehensive target questionsrequire consideration of specific issues and findings from background readings and application of the issues.

Problem Solving Steps: Modules II, III, IV, and V include comprehensive activities related to problem-solving about issues facing school psychology, children, families, and schools; the problem-solving steps were adapted from those used at the 2002 conference. When completing the problem solving-steps, users consider outcomes from the futures conference, follow instructions to engage in brainstorming and prioritization of the issues and their potential solutions, and complete worksheets to record the outcomes of each step. Activities for four problem solving-steps are included:

• Step A: Brainstorm and define critical issues
• Step B: Brainstorm threats/opportunities related to school psychology addressing the critical issues
• Step C: Brainstorm solutions/strategies; identify the most promising solutions/strategies
• Step D: Develop plans for action, implementation, and evaluation

Appendices for each module include reading materials from the futures conference and detailed outcomes for each problem solving step generated by futures conference participants.

Worksheets correspond to the problem-solving steps and allow users to record their outcomes for each step.

Each module concludes with an optional Professional Development Activity Documentation Form to keep a record of learning activities and time spent in them, if needed for documentation for graduate courses, credentialing, licensure, etc.

PowerPoint presentations also are provided for each learning module, in order to facilitate use of the modules in group instruction or workshops.

USES OF THE LEARNING MODULES

GENERAL USES

The modules have many uses and applications, including but not limited to the following:

• Graduate courses, internship training, and other preservice training venues.They are intended to be used as major tools in courses taught by graduate instructors of beginning school psychology students (e.g., in an introduction to school psychology class), seminars of graduate students taken throughout their graduate study, or specific courses (e.g., intervention, consultation, family issues, etc.). The modules are not intended to be used as a complete graduate course but it is hoped that they can contribute to learning activities. The modules can be adapted for on-campus, online and distance courses.

• Inservice activitiesor workshopsfor practicing school psychologists in school districts and other agencies

• Continuing education programs offered by psychological services units of school districts professional associations, orother agencies.

• Futures planning activities by school districts, professional associations, university graduate programs, etc. Thus, the modules may be used as a “toolkit” that organizations may use for their own long-range planning activities and establishment of goals and priorities.

• Courses, workshops, or other activities in other fields. Although the online modules are written for school psychology, users are welcome to adapt them for other fields (e.g., inservices for teachers or administrators, workshops for mental health professionals, college courses for undergraduate or graduate students in other fields, etc.).

• Individual self-study/independent learning activities of professionals and students.

GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL USE

The modules may be used by individuals, for self-study or independent learning, or in groups, during workshops, courses, inservices, etc. Instructions are provided in each module for approaches to use during individual self-study or in groups. Users of the modules are encouraged to record their responses to target questions, focus questions, and problem-solving steps. Groups are encouraged to allow a recorder to note and display outcomes on an easel, computer monitor, or other display that can be viewed by everyone in the group.

EXAMPLES OF FLEXIBLE USES AND ADAPTATIONS

The modules have been designed for flexible use and the possibility for extensive adaptation for the above uses. Users are encouraged to modify, delete, or supplement each learning module, depending on their goals in using the modules, time constraints, instructional delivery system (e.g., online, on-site) etc. Users are welcome to download the files containing each module and modify or adapt the files as needed.

There is great flexibility in how participants may use these learning modules, as demonstrated in the examples below:

• Users may elect to complete only those learning modules of particular relevance for them. Users may decide to complete only one or two modules or all six modules.
• Users may elect to complete some but not all of the sections within each module. For example, some users may decide to complete only the “Questions for Group Discussion or Individual Reflection.” Other users may elect to complete only the “Problem Solving Steps.” Thus, users may elect to have a comprehensive focus on the topic by completing an entire module for a selected topic, or may elect to obtain an overview of a number of topics by completing only one section across all modules. If the modules are being used in a workshop, the leader may adapt the modules and delete sections to fit time constraints of the workshop. Thus, a leader may decide to develop “mini-modules” by deleting and adapting materials.Users may decide to complete an entire module, for example in long-term self-study, group inservices, or courses.
• Each learning module includes an extensive list of readings and resources. Users may select readings and resources that are most relevant for their goals. For example, graduate instructors may select only the readings that would be practical, given the constraints of a course, or may supplement the reading list with additional resources. Workshop leaders may elect to use the webcasts during their workshop, but eliminate the other readings and resources entirely.
• Instead of assigning all participants to complete all readings, instructors or group leaders may elect to assign specific readings to individual participants and ask each participant to provide a report of the reading.
• Instead of leading groups themselves, instructors and others may assign individual modules to each group participant. The group participant could be responsible for presenting the module in the group session and recording the results.
• To promote interaction between current and future school psychologists, a university program or school district may wish to offer group seminars or weekend retreats with a combination of school psychology practitioners and graduate students to engage in the problem-solving activities of the modules.
• Additional collaborative activities that promote interaction across training programs and practitioners would be useful. School psychologists from local school districts may met with groups of graduate students and faculty to work collaboratively to discuss critical issues and generate action plans that take advantage of the strengths of graduate students and faculty. For instance, more background research may be needed on a given topic. Graduate students could do the literature searches and compile the findings freeing practicing school psychologists to allocate their time to other aspects of the action plan.

• There are a variety of focus and target questions embedded in the learning modules. Users of the modules can select specific questions that address particular goals, but eliminate other questions.
• Specific target or focus questions could be assigned to individual participants (or dyads) to reflect about the question and then provide some responses in the group setting.
• The modules will be useful in online courses oronline continuing education programs. Alternatively, an instructor or group leader may assign some activities to be completed online and other activities to be completed when the group meets together.
• Throughout the modules, users are instructed to provide responses for the level of service delivery on which they are focusing: individual service delivery goals, local school district goals, state goals, or national goals. For example, a graduate course may focus on national goals, but a self-study user may focus on individual service delivery goals.
• The modules may be adapted for use with instruction or workshops with other professionals, including teachers, principals, counselors, and others. The problem-solving steps, in particular, may be adapted for professionals from many fields.

Users are encouraged to contact the module developers with additional examples of special uses and adaptations of the modules. If one was to complete all the readings, respond to all the discussion questions, and develop all the suggested action plans, it would require an extensive commitment of time. In planning use of each module, it is appropriate to be selective. All the background readings may be desirable, but it is also possible to tailor the readings and selection of discussion questions to your specific goals. You have flexibility in using each module. Leaders of group inservices may wish to select readings in advance and reserve group sessions for discussion only. Adapt however you wish. Delete readings. Add additional readings or utilize additional speakers. You may select which modules you wish; again use your goals as a guide. You need not to do all.