2025 ISPA Annual Convention

Registration is Closed!
Please join us In-Person for the ISPA Annual Convention- Collaborating for Advocacy. The convention will include 2 Day PREPaRE Training, Half-day Workshops and Poster Presentations. The Practitioner of the Year Award winner will be announced.
- Governing Board Meeting: 1/29/2025
- Workshops: 1/30-31/2025
- Award Luncheon: 1/30/2025
- ISPA Business Meeting: 1/31/2025
Exhibitors Exhibitor's registration Closed
Please review the attached document for additional details and information regarding exhibiting with us in 2025. Applications to exhibit are due by Friday, January 10th, 2025. If you have any questions, please e-mail Carrie Hutton at [email protected].
Hotel Accommodations
No group reservation of hotel rooms has been officially booked or held at any hotel for the 2025 ISPA Annual Convention. There are a number of accommodation options in the area. We recommend booking early, as Bloomington (site of the IHSA Competitive Dance- State Final Competition) is a very popular destination at this time of year and rooms may sell out.
The listing of hotels below includes only a sample of potential accommodations within a 15 minute drive.
200 Broadway Avenue, Normal
320 S. Towanda Ave, Normal
1621 Jumer Drive, Bloomington
1715 Parkway Plaza Drive, Normal
1781 Bradford Lane, Normal
604 1/2 Iaa Dr, Bloomington
310 Greenbriar Dr. Ste A. Normal
8 Traders Circle, Normal
908 Maple Hill Rd, Bloomington
906 Maple Hill Road, Bloomington
On-Site Convention Parking
Onsite Parking Daily: $14.00
Off -Site Parking
Metered street parking and garage parking located 0.1 miles from venue.
Student/Intern Volunteer Opportunities
We welcome student and intern participation with registration, workshop monitoring, and other convention activities. Volunteers will be reimbursed for each block of time they cover. Reimbursement will not exceed the total amount of registration fees.
Please contact Colleen Hester at [email protected] as soon as possible to indicate your interest or to inquire about the responsibilities. Volunteers are assigned on a first come, first served basis
ISPA Professional Development Paperless Documentation Procedures
During the past two years of virtual professional development offerings, ISPA has successfully utilized a paperless procedure for documenting attendance and completion of required forms for ISBE approval of PD credits provided. We will be utilizing a similar procedure during the January 2025 in person ISPA Convention in Normal on January 30-31, 2025.
When you arrive at the ISPA convention you will still receive a unique ticket for each workshop you have registered to attend. When you arrive at the designated workshop, an attendant will collect your ticket and ask for you to sign-in and verify or enter your IEIN number, as has been done in the past. At the completion of the workshop, attendees will be given access to a Google Form with the required ISBE evaluation questions for the workshop attended. You must access the Google Form ISBE Evaluations within 1 week of the date of attendance at each workshop. For the January convention workshops, all Evaluation forms must be completed electronically no later than Saturday, February 8th, 2025. After February 8th, you must self- document.
At the completion of the electronic evaluation form, attendees will receive a link to their ISPA PD Documentation Form for that session. You must print/save your forms for each session attended as documentation of attendance and maintain for your professional licensure records. Attendees are responsible for retaining records of evidence of completion forms for all professional development workshops they attend.
As always, attendees are expected to stay for the entirety of a workshop in order to receive credit for the session. Attendees must be present for the entire session in order to receive electronic access to the Google Form evaluation and ISPA PD Documentation form. Please contact Mary Satchwell and Carla Ordonez, ISPA Professional Development Co-Chairs, at [email protected] with questions about the paperless documentation process.
Registration Cost
|
ISPA Members |
Non-Member |
Member Student/Intern/Retiree
|
Non-Member Student/Intern/Retiree
|
Thurs/Fri |
$295.00 |
$395.00* |
$185 |
*$235 |
Thur or Fri |
$195.00 |
$295.00* |
$135 |
*$185 |
PREPaRE WS2
|
$55.00 (required additional fee) |
*Please note: Nonmember Student/Intern/Retiree rates are only available through use FAX and Mail- Not available online
For check payment: MAIL completed form to ISPA Convention, Department 4651, Carol Stream, IL 60122-4651 For credit card payment: FAX completed form to (847) 864-7580
***PURCHASE ORDERS ARE NOT ACCEPTED***
Please contact Shirely Pitts at [email protected] with any registration changes or cancellation
Refund Policy
ISPA will attempt to honor requests for substitutions at any time. Refunds (less $25 administrative fee) are only available through January 17, 2025. After January 17, 2025, registration fees are non-refundable. Refunds will be processed 3 weeks following the close of convention in the form of original payment.
Cancellation Policy
All cancellations and changes must be made in writing by January 17, 2025 to [email protected]. No cancellations will be accepted by phone. Substitutions are acceptable with prior notification to ISPA.
Events
Supervision Forum
Tracy K. Cruise, Ph.D. Western, Illinois University & Mark E. Swerdlik, Ph.D. Illinois State University
This session will provide a forum for participants to share their experiences supervising interns including successes and engage in collegial consultation regarding supervisory challenges. Attendance at this session will meet the renewal requirements for the ISPA credential program and also awards one hour of approved ISBE and Illinois Department of Professional Regulation continuing professional development
Friday, January 31, 2025, | 7:30am-8:30am (ONLY)
This session will end in time for participants to attend their 8:30 workshops.
Workshop Information / Schedule
*Indicates that a Workshop is REPEATED
Thursday, January 30, 2025 |
8:00am - 4:50pm Full Day
|
Workshop 1: PREPaRE Workshop 2 - Day 1 of 2 (13 PD Credit) |40 person max Rosario C. Pesce, Ph.D., NCSP & Don Sibley, Ed.D.
Workshop Description:
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS INTERVENTIONS:
RESPONDING TO AN ACUTE TRAUMATIC STRESSOR IN SCHOOLS (Third Edition)
The third edition of this PREPaRE workshop develops the knowledge and skill required to provide immediate mental health crisis interventions to the students, staff, and school community members who have been simultaneously exposed to an acute traumatic stressor. The knowledge and skill developed within this session also helps to build a bridge to the psychotherapeutic and trauma informed mental health response sometimes required to address challenges associated with trauma exposure.
WS2 LEARNER OBJECTIVES:
This workshop will help participants:
1. Report reduced anxiety and fear associated with the provision of school mental health crisis interventions;
2. Report increased knowledge and confidence associated with the provision of school mental health crisis interventions;
3. Identify variables that help to estimate the number of individuals traumatized by a crisis;
4. Recognize the difference between common crisis reactions and mental illness;
5. Identify the elements of school crisis preparedness specified by the PREPaRE acronym;
6. Recognize risk factors that predict psychological trauma;
7. Identify the warning signs that indicate psychological trauma;
8. Place PREPaRE mental health crisis interventions on a multitiered continuum ranging from least to most restrictive; and
9. Match the degree of psychological trauma risk to the appropriate school crisis
interventions.
CPD CREDITS
This 2-day workshop offers 13 credit hours of document NASP- Approved CPD. ($55.00 required additional material fee)
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Participants for this workshop must also register through NASP’s InReach system where they will fill out some demographic information and complete a pre-test. They will be sent a link and instructions shortly before the convention once registered for the session. Once completed, they will then be able to download all the handouts of the workshop, including those that will be used for activities throughout the workshop.
|
8:30am -11:50am Half Day |
Workshop 2: Early Identification of Dyslexia (3.0 PD Credit) Milton J. Dehn, Ed.D.
Workshop Description: This workshop begins by discussing dyslexia definitions, characteristics, and misconceptions, followed by a detailed discussion of phonological, orthographic processing, and the other cognitive processes necessary for reading. The focus then shifts to the neuropsychology of dyslexia, followed by assessment strategies, including using a pattern of strengths and weaknesses approach, and examples of relatively new dyslexia-specific measures. This is followed by recommendations for screening and evaluating young children for dyslexia and an introduction to a recently released, norm-referenced screener. Case studies and interventions are included.
- Participants will be able define and describe orthographic processing.
- Participants will be able to list the main cognitive processes necessary for reading.
- Participants will be able to identify several measures designed specifically for the assessment of dyslexia.
|
8:30am -11:50am Half Day |
Workshop 3 : *Bridging the Gap: Applying Neuropsychology in Schools for Better Student Outcomes(3.0 PD Credit) Amanda Skierkiewicz, EdD, NCSP
Workshop Description: This workshop is designed for school psychologists seeking to integrate neuropsychological insights into school settings to enhance student success, with a focus on bridging the gap between neuropsychological assessments and practical applications in the school setting. The session will provide tools for understanding and translating neuropsychological reports into actionable interventions that support student learning, behavior, and emotional well-being. Participants will explore how neuropsychological principles, such as executive functioning, memory, attention, and processing speed, influence academic and social outcomes.
Learning Objectives: By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: Understand Key Neuropsychological Principles Relevant to School Settings Apply Neuropsychological Data to Educational Assessments and Interventions Differentiate Between Educational and Neuropsychological Assessments Collaborate with Neuropsychologists and Other Professionals Adapt Neuropsychological Concepts for Diverse Student Populations Integrate Neuropsychological Approaches into Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
|
8:30am -11:50am Half Day
|
Workshop 4: *Implementing AI in Practice and Research (3.0 PD Credit) Dan Florell, Ph.D., NCSP
Workshop Description: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has tantalized practitioners with the feats it can accomplish. However, there are many forms of AI with each having their strengths and weaknesses. This workshop will provide an overview of AI and how various platforms can be utilized in practice including general office work, generating interventions, writing reports, and being used in the assessment process. In addition, AI platforms will be highlighted that can optimize research. Finally, a screening model of the ethical use of AI will give practitioners a framework to consider which activities they want to engage in, and which should give them pause.
Learning Objectives 1. Identify broad ethical issues that commonly occur when using Al. 2. Describe issues regarding algorithms and the introduction of bias into Al. 3. Identify ways in which Al can be incorporated into practice. 4. Identify ways in which AI can be incorporated into research.
|
8:30am-11:50am Half Day
|
Workshop 5: The Provision of Socially Just Mental Health Services (3.0 PD Credit) Brea M. Banks, Ph. D.
Workshop Description: As the number of students holding minoritized identities in schools increases, school psychologists’ engagement in socially just services is increasingly critical. Given our commitment to children and families and based on guidelines set forth by the National Association of School Psychologists and the American Psychological Association, 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 to engage in practices that are culturally responsive and socially just. Session content will focus on 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.
Objectives:
-
Identify socially just practices to address school-wide mental health needs of children and adolescents.
-
Consider how commonly used individual and group counseling practices can contribute to inequities and instead consider the use of practices that are culturally responsive.
Learn about ways to ensure that verbal and written communication used during the provision of mental health services and psychological writing is socially just.
|
8:30pm -11:50am Half Day
|
Workshop 6: Title Updated: *Helping Students Show What They Know; Understanding and Improving Executive /Regulatory Functions.(3.0 PD Credit) Steven Guy, Ph.D.
Workshop Description: Executive functioning difficulties are evident in most conditions cared for by school psychologists. It is critical to have a firm foundation in the topic. This discussion will include recent progress in our understanding of EF including concepts and theory, assessment approaches, and most importantly, evidence-based methods of interventions for improving EF. Special emphasis on understanding how executive functioning impacts social and emotional functioning within the school day will occur. This workshop will answer the following questions about EF: What is it? How do I assess for it? What can I do about it?
Objectives
The primary objectives of the proposed workshop are:
1) to equip school psychologists with knowledge of current concepts and theory of executive functions, especially as they relate to social and emotional functioning within the school day.
2) to equip school psychologists with knowledge of varying assessment approaches for evaluating executive functions in students,
3) to review evidence for a variety of approaches to executive function intervention and enhancement;
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:
(1) explain the neurology and theory of executive functioning including a newer factor structure.
(2) discuss the pros and cons of different approaches to assessment of executive functions;
(3) describe evidenced-based approaches to interventions for supporting executive functions in students
NASP Domains: 1,2,4,8,9
|
12:00pm-1:00pm |
Lunch/Award Luncheon
|
1:30pm - 4:50pm Half Day |
Workshop 1: Mental Health Screening: The Long and Winding Road (3.0 PD Credit) Robert J. Dixon, Ph.D., NCSP, LP
Workshop Description: Mental health concerns in youth have been well documented. Success within a MTSS model begins with the screening of all students to move from a reactive process to one that is preventative and proactive. Despite the positive benefits, concerns exist stalling and potentially scuttling these efforts. The presentation will follow a district’s pilot mental health screening leading to some interesting conclusions about the challenges of collecting information, interpreting the results, and changing practices to address the needs of students.
Learning Outcomes: Participants will
-
Review the importance of early identification practices for mental health concerns.
-
Identify important concepts within a MTSS model with a specific application to mental health and wellness.
-
Evaluate critical steps in planning for a mental health screening and some of the roadblocks that can easily derail efforts or sabotage a positive result.
-
Analyze the steps and team responses to develop an action plan to follow within their district.
|
1:30pm-4:50pm Half Day
|
Workshop 2: *Bridging the Gap: Applying Neuropsychology in Schools for Better Student Outcomes(3.0 PD Credit) Amanda Skierkiewicz, EdD, NCSP
Workshop Description: This workshop is designed for school psychologists seeking to integrate neuropsychological insights into school settings to enhance student success, with a focus on bridging the gap between neuropsychological assessments and practical applications in the school setting. The session will provide tools for understanding and translating neuropsychological reports into actionable interventions that support student learning, behavior, and emotional well-being. Participants will explore how neuropsychological principles, such as executive functioning, memory, attention, and processing speed, influence academic and social outcomes.
Learning Objectives: By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: Understand Key Neuropsychological Principles Relevant to School Settings Apply Neuropsychological Data to Educational Assessments and Interventions Differentiate Between Educational and Neuropsychological Assessments Collaborate with Neuropsychologists and Other Professionals Adapt Neuropsychological Concepts for Diverse Student Populations Integrate Neuropsychological Approaches into Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
|
1:30pm-4:50pm Half Day
|
Workshop 3: Title Updated: Helping Students Show What They Know; Understanding and Improving Executive /Regulatory Functions.(3.0 PD Credit) Steven Guy, Ph.D.
Workshop Description: Executive functioning difficulties are evident in most conditions cared for by school psychologists. It is critical to have a firm foundation in the topic. This discussion will include recent progress in our understanding of EF including concepts and theory, assessment approaches, and most importantly, evidence-based methods of interventions for improving EF. Special emphasis on understanding how executive functioning impacts social and emotional functioning within the school day will occur. This workshop will answer the following questions about EF: What is it? How do I assess for it? What can I do about it?
Objectives
The primary objectives of the proposed workshop are:
1) to equip school psychologists with knowledge of current concepts and theory of executive functions, especially as they relate to social and emotional functioning within the school day.
2) to equip school psychologists with knowledge of varying assessment approaches for evaluating executive functions in students,
3) to review evidence for a variety of approaches to executive function intervention and enhancement;
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:
(1) explain the neurology and theory of executive functioning including a newer factor structure.
(2) discuss the pros and cons of different approaches to assessment of executive functions;
(3) describe evidenced-based approaches to interventions for supporting executive functions in students
NASP Domains: 1,2,4,8,9
|
1:30pm-4:50pm Half Day
|
Workshop 4: *Revisiting Best Practices in ASD Evaluations (3.0 PD Credit) Morgan Webb, MOT, OTR/L
Workshop Description: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental impairment defined by individual brain style differences across one’s language/communication, social emotional responses, interests, and sensory experiences. A person’s unique behavioral profile can interfere with their participation in home, educational, and community settings. Under federal law, schools must provide free and appropriate public education for all students, as well as identify and evaluate any child who may need special education and/or related services (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004). This presentation reviews relevant state standards for conducting special education evaluations particularly for ASD. Discussions include eligibility considerations, multi-disciplinary tools for fulfilling assessment requirements (including pragmatic language skills), and educational planning outcomes.
Learning Objectives: By attending this session, participants will: • Reflect on their understanding of state special education evaluation requirements, as well as other assessment-based practical, legal, and ethical considerations • Review specific eligibility criteria and student evaluation components for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) • Explore a showcase of psychometric instruments available to qualitatively and quantitatively collect data needed for ASD case conceptualization and eligibility determination • Consider practices in which district teams can streamline assessment practices to better facilitate collaboration across disciplines and to ultimately improve student outcomes NASP Practice Domains: 1, 2, 10
|
1:30pm-4:50pm Half Day |
Workshop 5: “They” are Not the Problem: Working in Complex School Climates to Promote Safe, Affirming, and Supportive School Climates for LGBTQIA+ Students and Families (3.0 PD Credit) Julie Herbstrith, PH.D.
Workshop Description: This workshop will present approaches for supporting LGBTQIA+ students and families in a complex and ever-changing landscape. Using a strengths-based, affirming approach, participants will learn everyday strategies to challenge anti-LGBTQIA+ norms in school systems and build supportive environments for all students and families.
OBJECTIVES:
Participants will understand the current school climate for LGBTQIA+ students and families.
Participants will be able to apply a strengths-based conceptualization of LGBTQIA+ identities.
Participants will learn how to adapt their consultation skills to provide support for LGBTQIA+ students and families.
Participants will be introduced to strategies that affirm LGBTQIA+ identities at the systems level by leveraging common psychological principles.
|
Friday, January 31, 2025 |
8:00am - 4:15pm Full Day
|
Workshop 1: PREPaRE Workshop 2- Day 2 of 2 (13 PD Credit) |40 person max Rosario C. Pesce, Ph.D., NCSP & Don Sibley, Ed.D.
Workshop Description:
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS INTERVENTIONS:
RESPONDING TO AN ACUTE TRAUMATIC STRESSOR IN SCHOOLS (Third Edition)
The third edition of this PREPaRE workshop develops the knowledge and skill required to provide immediate mental health crisis interventions to the students, staff, and school community members who have been simultaneously exposed to an acute traumatic stressor. The knowledge and skill developed within this session also helps to build a bridge to the psychotherapeutic and trauma informed mental health response sometimes required to address challenges associated with trauma exposure.
WS2 LEARNER OBJECTIVES:
This workshop will help participants:
1. Report reduced anxiety and fear associated with the provision of school mental health crisis interventions;
2. Report increased knowledge and confidence associated with the provision of school mental health crisis interventions;
3. Identify variables that help to estimate the number of individuals traumatized by a crisis;
4. Recognize the difference between common crisis reactions and mental illness;
5. Identify the elements of school crisis preparedness specified by the PREPaRE acronym;
6. Recognize risk factors that predict psychological trauma;
7. Identify the warning signs that indicate psychological trauma;
8. Place PREPaRE mental health crisis interventions on a multitiered continuum ranging from least to most restrictive; and
9. Match the degree of psychological trauma risk to the appropriate school crisis
interventions.
CPD CREDITS
This 2-day workshop offers 13 credit hours of document NASP- Approved CPD. ($55.00 required additional material fee)
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Participants for this workshop must also register through NASP’s InReach system where they will fill out some demographic information and complete a pre-test. They will be sent a link and instructions shortly before the convention once registered for the session. Once completed, they will then be able to download all the handouts of the workshop, including those that will be used for activities throughout the workshop.
|
8:30am -11:50am Half Day
|
Workshop 2: Assessing Contextual Reasoning: The Overlooked Form of Reasoning in Diverse Populations (3.0 PD Credit)
Milton J Dehn, Ed.D. & Carl Romstad, M.S., Ed.S.
Workshop Description: The reasoning abilities of recent immigrants and diverse populations are often underestimated because of the traditional emphasis on abstract reasoning when assessing students who are struggling with academic learning. This presentation will explain contextual reasoning, how it relates to fluid reasoning, how best to assess it, and the roles it plays in academic learning and daily life. The presentation will also introduce a new standardized scale designed to measure contextual reasoning. The workshop concludes with recommendations for classroom instruction and interventions for students who have strengths in contextual reasoning.
- Participants will be able to describe the differences between contextual reasoning and abstract reasoning.
- Participants will be able to list some advantages of measuring contextual reasoning in diverse populations.
- Participants will be able to identify some unique features of the new standardized contextual reasoning scale.
|
8:30am -11:50am Half Day
|
*Workshop 3: Implementing AI in Practice and Research (3.0 PD Credit) Dan Florell, Ph.D., NCSP
Workshop Description: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has tantalized practitioners with the feats it can accomplish. However, there are many forms of AI with each having their strengths and weaknesses. This workshop will provide an overview of AI and how various platforms can be utilized in practice including general office work, generating interventions, writing reports, and being used in the assessment process. In addition, AI platforms will be highlighted that can optimize research. Finally, a screening model of the ethical use of AI will give practitioners a framework to consider which activities they want to engage in, and which should give them pause.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify broad ethical issues that commonly occur when using Al. 2. Describe issues regarding algorithms and the introduction of bias into Al. 3. Identify ways in which Al can be incorporated into practice. 4. Identify ways in which AI can be incorporated into research.
|
8:30am -11:50am Half Day
|
Workshop 4: Understanding the Nuance in SLD Eligibility in Illinois (3.0 PD Credit) Brandon K. Wright
Workshop Description: What are the key elements to a legally compliant evaluation and eligibility process for student suspected of having a specific learning disability in Illinois? What role does RTI/MTSS play? How are the Illinois rules different from the federal rules? Join Attorney Brandon K. Wright as he explores the nuance in SLD Eligibility in Illinois.
Participants will:
-
Understand how the Illinois rules apply to evaluation and eligibility decisions for SLD
-
Understand the proper role of RTI/MTSS in making eligibility decisions
-
Understand the key trends in the case law and agency guidance on SLD eligibility
|
8:30am -11:50am Half Day |
Workshop 5: Support Before SPED: Creating a Game Plan for Efficient, Effective, and Equitable Referral Practices Robert J. Dixon, Ph.D., NCSP, LP
Workshop Description: One of the frequent complaints from the field are the various challenges associated with referral practices. Descriptions range from a glorified speedbump to excessive red tape to the Wild West to define a school’s practice and this can change as administration, faculty, and school psychologists enter and leave the system.
Learning Outcomes: Participants will
-
Identify key components of a referral system and the importance of early intervention strategies in a MTSS model.
-
Discover leadership and collaborative practices that lead to increased efficiencies in the referral practices.
-
List critical data and documentation models that can be collected and how it can lead to better decisions.
-
Design evaluation strategies that can uncover inequities in the referral and identification practices.
-
Conduct a self-analysis on your school’s process and procedures leading to an action plan to enhance the current practices.
|
8:30am -11:50am Half Day
|
Workshop 6: *Interpreting Contemporary Intelligence Tests: Ethics and Evidence-Based Interpretation (3.0 PD Credit) Gary L. Canivez, Ph.D.
Workshop Description: The Professional Standards of the National Association of School Psychologists (NSAP, 2020) serve as both standards of school psychology practice and guidelines for training and specify Data-Based Decision Making as the first domain for guiding school psychology practice. Because such decisions are often high-stakes decisions, particularly when used for determining the presence or absence of disability, test scores and score comparisons must have strong evidence of reliability, validity, and diagnostic utility for ethical use. Professional ethics guide school psychology practice in all areas, including assessment, for beneficence and nonmaleficence. 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. More recently, educational and training guidelines in psychological assessment for health care psychologists (Wright et al., 2021) reiterated these test user qualifications. 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). As such, ethical principles, test standards, and measurement principles provide the foundation for evidence-based assessment practices.
Contemporary intelligence tests are frequently used to provide information regarding the cognitive abilities of children and adolescents and provide numerous scores and score comparisons. These scores and score comparisons are detailed in test administration and scoring manuals and in test technical and interpretation manuals. Among the scores and score comparisons provided by test publishers are omnibus, Full-Scale scores; factor-based broad ability (index) scores; subtest scores; ipsative factor-based score comparisons denoting strengths and weaknesses, ipsative subtest-based score comparisons denoting strengths and weaknesses, pairwise score comparisons, and pseudo-composite scores of contrived scales based on rational combinations of various subtests. Test technical manuals, while often extensive, do not fully describe methods or procedures for the psychometric evaluation of all provided scores and score comparisons or fully report statistical features of test scores or comparisons necessary for users to determine score adequacy, so test users must rely on the independent evaluations and the report of these psychometric properties published in the extant peer-reviewed literature. This workshop details the substantive limitations of information provided in, or absent from, the test technical and interpretive manuals for frequently used intelligence tests (viz., WISC–V, WJ IV, WAIS–5) and details results from peer-reviewed studies assessing the psychometric fitness of the various scores and score comparisons needed to provide ethical, evidence-based test score interpretation. Knowledge and application of these psychometric results must guide interpretations and are foundational to NASP Standards Domain
1: Data-Based Decision Making; and ethical intelligence test use.
Learning Objectives: Workshop participants will:
-
Articulate how ethics generally and specifically apply to test selection, administration, and most importantly, test score interpretation.
-
Understand limitations of psychometric information provided in test technical manuals and how this impacts test interpretation of the various scores and score comparisons in clinical practice.
-
Understand and apply what independent analyses and results published in the peer-reviewed literature show for reliability, validity, and diagnostic utility of various intelligence test scores.
|
12:00pm-1:00pm |
Lunch/Business Meeting |
1:15pm - 4:30pm Half Day
|
Workshop 1: Evidence-based mental health support in schools: When MTSS meets transdiagnostic psychotherapy(3.0 PD Credit) Kristy Hayward, Ed.S., NCSP, Kristen Johnson, Ph.D., & Sawyer Harmon, M.A.
Workshop Description: A hands-on workshop teaching a principle-guided approach to psychotherapy in schools (FIRST). Attendees will have opportunities to practice clinical skills with feedback from workshop presenters.
Objectives: At the end of the workshop, attendees will be able to...
-
Describe the FIRST approach to transdiagnostic psychotherapy and how it fits within an MTSS model in schools
-
Core components of FIRST
-
Identifying eligible students
-
Progress monitoring
-
Maintenance and follow-up
-
Generate language to describe FIRST and its components to...
-
Students
-
Families
-
Teachers
-
Implement FIRST flexibly within an MTSS
-
Access resources to support implementation
|
1:15pm - 4:30pm Half Day |
*Workshop 2: Interpreting Contemporary Intelligence Tests-Ethics and Evidence Based Interpretation (3.0 PD Credit) Gary L. Canivez, Ph.D.
Workshop Description: The Professional Standards of the National Association of School Psychologists (NSAP, 2020) serve as both standards of school psychology practice and guidelines for training and specify Data-Based Decision Making as the first domain for guiding school psychology practice. Because such decisions are often high-stakes decisions, particularly when used for determining the presence or absence of disability, test scores and score comparisons must have strong evidence of reliability, validity, and diagnostic utility for ethical use. Professional ethics guide school psychology practice in all areas, including assessment, for beneficence and nonmaleficence. 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. More recently, educational and training guidelines in psychological assessment for health care psychologists (Wright et al., 2021) reiterated these test user qualifications. 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). As such, ethical principles, test standards, and measurement principles provide the foundation for evidence-based assessment practices.
Contemporary intelligence tests are frequently used to provide information regarding the cognitive abilities of children and adolescents and provide numerous scores and score comparisons. These scores and score comparisons are detailed in test administration and scoring manuals and in test technical and interpretation manuals. Among the scores and score comparisons provided by test publishers are omnibus, Full-Scale scores; factor-based broad ability (index) scores; subtest scores; ipsative factor-based score comparisons denoting strengths and weaknesses, ipsative subtest-based score comparisons denoting strengths and weaknesses, pairwise score comparisons, and pseudo-composite scores of contrived scales based on rational combinations of various subtests. Test technical manuals, while often extensive, do not fully describe methods or procedures for the psychometric evaluation of all provided scores and score comparisons or fully report statistical features of test scores or comparisons necessary for users to determine score adequacy, so test users must rely on the independent evaluations and the report of these psychometric properties published in the extant peer-reviewed literature. This workshop details the substantive limitations of information provided in, or absent from, the test technical and interpretive manuals for frequently used intelligence tests (viz., WISC–V, WJ IV, WAIS–5) and details results from peer-reviewed studies assessing the psychometric fitness of the various scores and score comparisons needed to provide ethical, evidence-based test score interpretation. Knowledge and application of these psychometric results must guide interpretations and are foundational to NASP Standards Domain 1: Data-Based Decision Making; and ethical intelligence test use.
Learning Objectives: Workshop participants will:
-
Articulate how ethics generally and specifically apply to test selection, administration, and most importantly, test score interpretation.
-
Understand limitations of psychometric information provided in test technical manuals and how this impacts test interpretation of the various scores and score comparisons in clinical practice.
-
Understand and apply what independent analyses and results published in the peer-reviewed literature show for reliability, validity, and diagnostic utility of various intelligence test scores.
|
1:15pm - 4:30pm Half Day |
Workshop 3: Section 504’s Emergence and Stagnation in the 2020s (3.0 PD Credit) Brandon K. Wright
Workshop Description: Where have we been, and where are we going with Section 504? As Section 504 has evolved through case law, OCR decisions, and the like, what do we expect for Section 504’s impact on school districts and school attorneys in the 2020s? What will the pending regulatory changes bring? What do all educators need to know about these changes? Join Attorney Brandon K. Wright for this session and come away understanding the key trends in decisional law; being prepared for current expectations from OCR for school district decisions; and updated on recent regulatory proposals or changes.
Participants will:
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Understand the child find and eligibility trends under Section 504
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Understand the differences between Section 504 and IEP eligibility
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Understand the key trends in case law and agency guidance on Section 504
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1:15pm -4:30pm Half Day
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Workshop 4: *Revisiting Best Practices in ASD Evaluations (3.0 PD Credit) Morgan Webb, MOT, OTR/L
Workshop Description: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental impairment defined by individual brain style differences across one’s language/communication, social emotional responses, interests, and sensory experiences. A person’s unique behavioral profile can interfere with their participation in home, educational, and community settings. Under federal law, schools must provide free and appropriate public education for all students, as well as identify and evaluate any child who may need special education and/or related services (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004). This presentation reviews relevant state standards for conducting special education evaluations particularly for ASD. Discussions include eligibility considerations, multi-disciplinary tools for fulfilling assessment requirements (including pragmatic language skills), and educational planning outcomes.
Learning Objectives:
By attending this session, participants will:
• Reflect on their understanding of state special education evaluation requirements, as well as other assessment-based practical, legal, and ethical considerations • Review specific eligibility criteria and student evaluation components for autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
• Explore a showcase of psychometric instruments available to qualitatively and quantitatively collect data needed for ASD case conceptualization and eligibility determination
• Consider practices in which district teams can streamline assessment practices to better facilitate collaboration across disciplines and to ultimately improve student outcomes
NASP Practice Domains: 1, 2, 10
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1:15pm - 4:30pm Half Day
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Workshop 5: Navigating a New World: Supporting Student Newcomers (3.0 PD Credit) Kristal Shelvin, PH.D., Maggie Lakebrink , Ph.D., & Leslie Webb
Workshop Description: For newcomer students, entering a new school or classroom presents significant challenges, including navigating shifts in identity as they learn a new language and adjust to unfamiliar cultural and community norms. As school psychologists, we are uniquely positioned to support these students through their transition by fostering an environment of understanding and inclusivity. This presentation will explore the experiences of newcomer students from the perspective of school psychologists and multilingual service providers, who play a critical role in acknowledging the difficulties they face while also celebrating the enrichment these students bring to our school communities.
We will discuss key considerations for engaging and supporting families with linguistic and cultural differences while emphasizing the school psychologist’s role in addressing cultural adjustments, transition shock, and related academic challenges. School psychologists can leverage their specialized skill sets to create a positive and supportive educational environment for newcomer students. This can be achieved by promoting bias-resistant, data-based decision-making, implementing evidence-based interventions, and advancing culturally competent educational practices. By understanding the unique experiences of newcomer students, school psychologists can offer essential support that helps these students thrive in their new educational settings. This session will provide practical strategies and evidence-based interventions to address the multifaceted needs of newcomer students and their families, ensuring students receive the support they need to succeed academically and socially.
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