Registration is Closed!

Workshop 1: Ethics, Test Standards, & Test Interpretation(3.0 PD Credit)
Presented by Gary L. Canivez, PhD

Workshop Description: Ethics guide school psychology practice in all areas for beneficence and nonmaleficence.  All professional associations have ethical principles and standards, many of which are the same or similar.  Ethical standards of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP, 2010) and the American Psychological Association (APA, 2010) include both general and specific ethical principles and standards that relate to test use and APA produced Guidelines for Test User Qualifications (Turner, DeMers, Fox, & Reed, 2001) that interface with professional ethics so are also important to consider.  This workshop details the specific ethical principles and test standards that relate to test use so that school psychologists remain mindful of their implications and act in accordance.  Weiner (1989) cogently noted, psychologists must “(a) know what their tests can do and (b) act accordingly.  …expressing only opinions that are consonant with the current status of validity data—is the measure of his or her ethicality” (p. 829).  Ethical standards related to general competence, test selection, test administration, test scoring, and test interpretation will be addressed with examples and discussion. Test standards address psychometric fitness of tests or procedures that guide ethical practice. Details of what is necessary to practice ethically sound assessment and test interpretation will be provided.

Learning Objectives: Workshop participants will:

1. Articulate how ethics generally and specifically apply to test selection, administration, and interpretation.

2. Describe why measurement principles and test standards are important to consider in the selection, administration, and interpretation of psychological tests.

3. Recognize the four broad measurement principles (reliability, validity, utility, norms) that provide the empirical foundation for ethical test score/discrepancy interpretations.

Workshop 2: Conducting Targeted and Useful FBA's (3.0 PD Credit)
Presented by Gary Cates, PhD, BCBA, NCSP

8:30am-11:50am

Workshop 3: Treatment Planning and Progress Monitoring for Social Emotional Concerns (3.0 PD Credit)
Presented by Brea Banks, PhD 

Workshop Description: The development of treatment goals that center on referral concerns and client goals is an essential first step that facilitates the use of effective therapeutic techniques and progress monitoring. Writing goals that are behaviorally focused may prove difficult when clinicians are presented with referral concerns that are vague or are primarily focused on social and emotional problems. As part of the session, the presenter will discuss strategies to help develop such treatment goals and progress monitoring strategies. Session content will specifically focus on use of targeted interview questions, baseline data collection, and linking goals to progress monitoring techniques.

8:30pm -11:50am

Workshop 4: Illinois Safe2Help (3.0 PD Credit)
Presented by Samantha Kanish, M.S. and Nicole Pieranunzi, M.A. 

Workshop Description: Safe2Help Illinois is a comprehensive resource for students, teachers, and the community to support students’ social, emotional, and behavioral health and includes a 24/7 program where students can use a free app, text/phone, website, and other social media platforms to report school safety issues in a confidential environment. In the absence of a trusted adult, Safe2Help Illinois offers students a safe, confidential way in which to share information that might help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence or other threats to school safety. The goal of Safe2Help Illinois is to get students to “Seek Help Before Harm”. This session will highlight the services and resources available to students, parents, and school communities through Safe2Help Illinois as well as provide an interactive session using the Safe2Help Illinois Mental Health Toolkit. The Mental Health Toolkit serves to is a supplemental piece to support current curriculum and end the stigma associated with mental health. 

      Learning Objectives: 

1. Understand what Safe2Help Illinois is and how it works 
2. Familiarization with the services and resources available to students, parents, and school communities 
3. Understand the Safe2Help Mental Health Toolkit and training available for educators to support social, emotional, and behavioral health of students 

Workshop 5: Social Justice in School Psychology Practice: Examining the Impact of Diversity and Justice on Everyday Practice (3.0 PD Credit)
Presented by Laurie Klose, PhD

Lunch

Workshop 1:  Dispelling Myths & Combating Pseudoscience in School Psychology: Applying Scientific Principles to Psychological Assessment and Intervention (3.0 PD Credit)
Presented by Gary L. Canivez, PhD

Workshop Description: Numerous factors influence our susceptibility to beliefs in myths and misconceptions in both our personal and professional lives.  Lilienfeld, Lynn, Ruscio, & Beyerstein (2010) wrote about 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology, many with direct or indirect relations to educational and school psychological practices. Watkins (2009) outlined factors that influence errors in diagnostic decision–making and clinical judgment and Lilienfeld, Ammirati, & David (2012) wrote how pseudoscience also influences our beliefs and practices in school psychology and education.  Our defense against these negative influences is constant vigilance and application of science. This workshop identifies common myths in educational and school psychological practice, factors influencing such beliefs, how to recognize pseudoscience, and how to guard against such influences so that practices are evidence-based.

Learning Objectives:  Workshop participants will:

1. Recognize common myths in educational and school psychological practice

2. Identify factors or influences that lead to and perpetuate beliefs in common myths

3. Identify methods or factors that indicate pseudoscientific practices

4. Identify and apply scientific principles that guard against beliefs in myths and pseudoscientific “evidence”

Workshop 2:  Effective Behavioral Intervention Plans: From Start to Finish(3.0 PD Credit)
Presented by Gary L Cates, PhD, BCBA, NCSP

Workshop 3:  Culturally Responsive Psychological Services(3.0 PD Credit)
Presented by Brea Banks, PhD

Workshop Description: As the number of students holding minoritized identities in schools increases, school psychologists must think critically about how the psychological services they provide are culturally responsive. Given our commitment to children and families and based on guidelines set forth by the American Psychological Association and National Association of School Psychologists, we are charged to respond to the needs of children and adolescents using a lens of equity and justice. As part of this session, the presenter will discuss strategies that practitioners may employ across their training and professional careers to engage in practices that are culturally responsive. Session content will primarily focus the importance of self-reflection and examination, while attendees will also be encouraged to consider the impact of traditionally implemented therapeutic techniques on individuals, groups, and families holding marginalized identities.

Workshop 4:  Become a Data Hero: Data Analysis Tips and Tricks from the “Graphman”(3.0 PD Credit)
Presented by Joel M. Grafman, SSP, NCSP

Workshop Description: The purpose of this workshop is to provide school practitioners with ideas and examples of how they can collect, organize, and interpret data to gain a better picture of both their local population of students as a whole and individual students, all as part of a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) process.  Participants will learn how to extract student demographic information from their student information system (e.g. NWEA MAP, IAR, FastBridge, Attendance, etc.) and then use different formulas in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets to combine information into an easily readable format for staff.  We will also go through the use of Google Forms for data collection and the use of the Autocrat Google add-on to create forms to send to administrators and parents.  Bring your laptop and be ready to dive deep into your data!

     Learner Objectives:

     This session will help participants:

1. Extract data from online software programs and organize it to meet their needs, using Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
2. Use formulas to easily combine and organize data and calculate basic statistics that are easily interpretable.
3. Learn how to use Google Forms to collect, graph, and share behavioral data with all stakeholders.

Workshop 5:  Illinois Safe2Help/Mental Health Toolkit (3.0 PD Credit)
Presented by Samantha Kanish, M.S. and Nicole Pieranunzi, M.A.

Workshop Description: Safe2Help Illinois is a comprehensive resource for students, teachers, and the community to support students’ social, emotional, and behavioral health and includes a 24/7 program where students can use a free app, text/phone, website, and other social media platforms to report school safety issues in a confidential environment. In the absence of a trusted adult, Safe2Help Illinois offers students a safe, confidential way in which to share information that might help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence or other threats to school safety. The goal of Safe2Help Illinois is to get students to “Seek Help Before Harm”. This session will highlight the services and resources available to students, parents, and school communities through Safe2Help Illinois as well as provide an interactive session using the Safe2Help Illinois Mental Health Toolkit. The Mental Health Toolkit serves to is a supplemental piece to support current curriculum and end the stigma associated with mental health. 

      Learning Objectives: 

1. Understand what Safe2Help Illinois is and how it works 
2. Familiarization with the services and resources available to students, parents, and school communities 
3. Understand the Safe2Help Mental Health Toolkit and training available for educators to support social, emotional, and behavioral health of students

8:30am -11:50am

Workshop 1: Enhancing Outcomes for Preschool Students: Resources for School Psychologists(3.0 PD Credit)
Presented by Mary Satchwell, PhD, NCSP

8:30am -11:50am

Presented by William Pfohl , Psy.D.

8:30am -11:50am
  

Workshop 3: Improving Student Mental and Behavioral Health: Opportunities at Tier 1(3.0 PD Credit)
Presented by Robert J. Dixon, PhD, NCSP 

Workshop Description: Schools are faced with a number of challenges that require our attention: academic, behavioral and more recently mental health.  Rather than focus exclusively on behavioral compliance, School Psychologists can positively impact the mental health of students that may be the trigger of the behavioral problems. This includes attention to reducing the negative risk factors of mental illness and increasing the positive resilience factors. Interventions points for the school psychologist will focus on both the classroom system and the school system. Objectives for the presentation

1. Define Mental Health
2. Describe how MTSS can be adapted to meet Mental Health needs
3. Examine universal intervention programs
4. Differentiate types of screening data and the impact on educational decisions
5. Create an action plan to address mental health at your school

8:00am-12:00pm

 Job Placement

 Workshop 2: Become a Data Hero: Data Analysis Tips and Tricks from the “Graphman” (3.0 PD Credit)
Presented by Joel M. Grafman, SSP, NCSP

Workshop Description: The purpose of this workshop is to provide school practitioners with ideas and examples of how they can collect, organize, and interpret data to gain a better picture of both their local population of students as a whole and individual students, all as part of a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) process.  Participants will learn how to extract student demographic information from their student information system (e.g. NWEA MAP, IAR, FastBridge, Attendance, etc.) and then use different formulas in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets to combine information into an easily readable format for staff.  We will also go through the use of Google Forms for data collection and the use of the Autocrat Google add-on to create forms to send to administrators and parents.  Bring your laptop and be ready to dive deep into your data!

     Learner Objectives:

     This session will help participants:

1. Extract data from online software programs and organize it to meet their needs, using Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
2. Use formulas to easily combine and organize data and calculate basic statistics that are easily interpretable.
3. Learn how to use Google Forms to collect, graph, and share behavioral data with all stakeholders.

Workshop 4: Becoming Grief Informed in the Era of Covid-19 (3.0 PD Credit)
Presented by Kathleen Loomos Ostry, PhD & Natalie LaDuke, PhD, LCP, NCSP

Workshop Description: Since March 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic has brought grief, a once avoided topic, into the everyday lexicon and awareness of everyone, especially educators working in schools.  This new reality has created the opportunity for us as school psychologists to bring grief into the foreground and embed grief-informed practices into our professional work. Grief has often been conceptualized as an individual problem rather than as a universal normal experience. Since grief touches us all, approaches to treatment must be multi-systemic, culturally sensitive, developmentally appropriate and meet the griever where they are.

 Participants will learn the history of and current theories of grief. They will understand the impact of grief on children from a cultural-development perspective and tiered implementation of grief informed practices in the schools. By developing a grief-informed lens, it is anticipated participants will be grief-advocates who promote grief-sensitive practices that support the social-emotional and academic well-being of the students they serve.