The Obstacles and Opportunities
in Advocating for NCSP Parity in
Indiana
Indiana Association of School Psychologists
October 16, 2006, 1:30-3:00pm
Indianapolis, IN
Presenter:
Stacy Kalamaros Skalski, PhD
Director of Public Policy
National Association of School Psychologists
sskalski@naspweb.org
Agenda for this Session





Overview of NCSP Parity
Developing an advocacy strategy for
NCSP Parity
Understanding the obstacles and
opportunities for Indiana
Crafting Indiana’s advocacy
message using existing data
Planning for the future
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
2
What is NCSP Parity?


Most states and many local school
districts award stipends to teachers
holding national board certification.
NCSP parity refers to the need for
school psychologists holding
national certification to be treated
equally to other educational
professionals holding national
certification.
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
3
Indiana’s School Academic Plan
Public Law 221 established a grant system
through the Indiana Department of
Education to fund school improvement
plans with the goal of improving student
learning. The school improvement plan
must include a professional development
component and monies may be used
for National Board Certification for
teachers.
See Indiana Code 20-20-31-12
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
4
Comparing the NBPTS and the
NCSP
A comprehensive table comparing national
certification across school professionals is
available at
http://nasponline.org/advocacy/certcomparison.pdf
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
5
General Goals of the NCSP


To ensure a consistent level of
training and field experience among
school psychologists who hold the
designation
To promote uniform credentialing
standards across state education
agencies and other bodies who
credential school psychologists
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
6
General Goals of the NCSP continued


To link national accreditation of training
programs (NCATE-NASP Approval) to a
national credential (NCSP
To promote Nationally Certified School
Psychologists as those who have met
national levels of training and who are
committed to ongoing professional
development and to following NASP ethics.
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
7
National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards
Proposition 1: Teachers are Committed to
Students and Learning.
Proposition 2: Teachers Know the Subjects
They Teach and How to Teach Those
Subjects to Students.
Proposition 3: Teachers are Responsible
for Managing and Monitoring Student
Learning.
Proposition 4: Teachers Think
Systematically about Their Practice and
Learn from Experience.
Proposition 5: Teachers are Members of
Learning Communities.
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
8
Pre-Requisites
NBPTS

NCSP
To qualify for national
certification candidates
must have a bachelor’s
degree, a state teacher
certification, and 3 years
teaching experience.



To qualify for national
certification NCSP
candidates must have
completed a minimum of 60
semester hours of graduate
study in “School
Psychology,” culminating in
a MA, Ed.S., Ph.D. or other
recognized postbaccalaureate degree.
Supervised internship and a
culminating 1,200 clockhour supervised internship.
All other applicants must
provide documents of
having met these prerequisite standards.
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
9
Certification Requirements
NBPTS


NCSP
Complete a portfolio which
may include videotapes of
classroom interactions or
discussions, and collections
of certain kinds of student
work.

An analysis of the
teaching reflected in the
videotape or student
work is also required.
 The portfolio also
documents teachers’
work outside the
classroom with families,
colleagues, and the
community.
The second component
involves a written
assessment which is
comprised of four, 90-minute
sessions.




NASP Standards require that
school psychology candidates
demonstrate competency in 11
domains of professional practice
as part of their formal training.
Candidates must complete a
NCSP Case Study.
Complete a 1,200 clock-hour
supervised internship of which
600 hours must be in a school
setting.
Achieve a passing score (660) on
the National School Psychology
Examination, administered by the
Educational Testing Service
(Praxis II: NTE Test #10400)
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
10
Renewal Requirements
NBPTS


NCSP
The National Board for
Professional Teaching
Standards certification is
good for 10 years.
Renewal includes
identifying areas for
professional growth and
demonstrating how growth
has occurred.
Demonstration of
Professional Growth
Experiences (PGE) may be
accomplished with written
responses to specific
prompts, videotape
demonstration, and/or
submission of student work
samples as evidence of
direct impact on learning.



NCSPs must engage in
activities designed to
maintain, expand, and
extend their professional
training and skills
Specifically, each NCSP
must be renewed every
three years with 75 contact
hours of continuing
professional development
(CPD) activities
The hours must be fulfilled
through a variety of NASP,
state affiliate, or equivalent
programs.
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
11
What is commonly heard
about how NBPTS and
NCSP compare?
NCSP Challenges to Parity



3-year pre-requisite practice
requirement
“Entry level” Licensure
Grandfathering
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
13
Arguments for NCSP Parity with
NBPTS






Graduate level training requirement.
Specific coursework training components
Supervised practice requirements are
more extensive.
Highest level of certification currently
available.
Ongoing professional development
maintains high standards of practice
Significant benefits to states with NCSP
parity
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
14
Focus on the Benefits to States
1.
2.
3.
Salary stipends for NCSPs attract more highly
qualified school psychologist applicants
Salary stipends demonstrate that the state or
school district recognizes and acknowledges the
importance of hiring school psychologists who
meet nationally recognized standards for
training and supervision.
Salary stipends promote higher levels of
knowledge and competency as NCSP school
psychologists must engage in ongoing and
meaningful continuing professional
development. (NOTE: NCSPs share burden with
district for professional development by active
pursuit of the 75 CPDs required for renewal.)
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
15
Where are you more likely to get
board policies?




Districts with a current or future shortage
of school psychologists
Districts where teachers and
administrators are awarded a stipend for
NBPTS
Districts where employment competition
between school districts exists
Districts with a good relationship between
school district bargaining entities (i.e.
union) and school mental health
professionals.
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
16
Where are you more likely to get
board policies? continued



Districts where school psychologists
are serving on district-level
committees
Districts where the benefits of
school psychologists are well known
Districts with a School Psychologist
Coordinator/ Supervisor in Central
Administration
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
17
Where are you more likely to get
board policies? continued



Districts where school psychologists have
specific data supporting the cost-benefit
of their services within the mission of
schools.
Districts interested in broadening the role
of school psychologists from diagnostician
to intervention/prevention specialist
(Example: RTI)
Districts where employee contract
language refers to all certified employees
as “teachers.”
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
18
Top 10 Advocacy Tips for
Achieving NCSP Parity
Tip 1:
Convene a group of school
psychologists interested in
pursuing this issue.
Key Question:
Are you willing to commit to this process
long term?
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
20
Tip 2:
Begin your committee discussions
by evaluating what your assets
and obstacles are in getting NCSP
parity passed.
Key Question:
What do we need?
(State Laws? School Board Policies?
Both?)
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
21
Tip 3:
Collect and Evaluate Data
Key Question:
What do you have and what do you
need?
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
22
Tip 4:
Know who your allies are and be
willing to build and nurture other
essential relationships.
Key Question:
Who will be the champions of your
cause?
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
23
Tip 5:
Determine where there is “fertile
ground” for NCSP Parity.
Key Question:
Are there existing school districts that
support this cause or should support
this cause due to a shortage or
narrowly defined professional
practices?
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
24
Tip 6:
Prepare materials that clearly and
simply explain why NCSP parity is
essential and important for
schools.
Key Question:
What existing data, resources, and
materials supports our cause?
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
25
Tip 7:
Talk to leaders who have tackled
NCSP parity successfully and
unsuccessfully in their state or
local communities.
Key Question:
What are the major “lessons learned”
about how to manage achieving NCSP
parity?
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
26
Tip 8:
Build a “grassroots” movement of
practitioners committed to
getting the message out and
talking to key decision makers on
the local and
state level.
Key Question:
What infrastructure support (who,
what, where, when) do you need to
actively campaign for NCSP parity?
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
27
Tip 9:
Teachers, students, and families
need schools to recruit the best
professionals and maintaining the
highest standards for school
psychological practice.
Key Question:
Can you show how NCSP parity
promotes high quality services, the
mission and purpose of schools, and
the goals of NCLB?
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
28
Tip 10:
Be resilient and patient in your quest.
Alter your course as necessary with the
expectation that you will
achieve your goal.
Key Quote:
“Success is the ability to go from failure to
failure without losing your enthusiasm.”

Winston Churchill
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
29
NCSP Parity in State Law




Louisiana
Nevada
Oklahoma
Delaware
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
30
NCSP Parity in INDIANA Data
References:
Charvat, J. (2005, March) NASP Study: How many school psychologists are there?
Communiqué, 33, 12-14.
Curtis, M., Lopez, A., Batsche, G., & Smith, J. (2006, March) School Psychology 2005: A
National Perspective. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of
School Psychologists, Anaheim, CA
Curtis, M., Lopez, A., Batsche, G., & Smith, J. Unpublished and unofficial results of the
2004-2005 NASP Membership Survey. Final results are expected soon! Stay tuned….
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
31
Average Salary of School Psychologists
70000
60000
58955
52630
61857
60581
50174
Dollars
50000
40000
Series1
30000
20000
10000
0
Indiana Kentucky
Ohio
Illinois
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
National
32
Average Number of Special Education
Assessments Completed Annually
111
Number of Evaluations
120
92
100
80
60
40
81
64
61
57
47
35
44
37
Initial Evaluations
Reevaluations
38
23
Total Assessments
20
0
Indiana Kentucky
Ohio
Illinois
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
33
2500
2179
2192
2000
1541
1500
1439
1037
1000
Series1
1000
500
Na
ti o
na
l
M
ax
Re
c
Il li
no
is
hio
O
Ke
nt
uc
ky
0
In
dia
na
Number of Students
Average Number of Students per School
Psychologist
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
34
Number of Nationally Certified Training
Programs
10
9
8
8
6
Series1
4
3
3
Indiana
Kentucky
2
0
Ohio
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
Illinois
35
Average Number of Individual Counseling
Cases
Number of Cases
12
10
8
6
Series1
4
2
0
Indiana
Kentucky
Ohio
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
Illinois
36
Average Number of Consultation Cases
Annually
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
41
36
33
19
Indiana
Series1
Kentucky
Ohio
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
Illinois
37
Skill Utilization of School Psychologists in
Indiana
What we’re doing
most of the time
now:

Special Education
Assessment
What we’re trained to do:









Assessment
Prevention activities
Crisis intervention
Behavioral interventions
Academic interventions
Consultation with teachers
and parents
Counseling / Direct Services
In-services and Workshops
for school staff & parents
Research and Data Analysis
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
38
Recruitment Competition with
Neighboring States





Indiana has narrowly defined school psychology
practice to the assessment of special education
students.
Broader role practiced in OH, IL, and KY
Ratios of School Psychologist to Student are
better in OH and IL. All states are sill above the
national average and the maximum recommended
NASP ratios.
Graduates tend to stay in state to practice. More
graduate training programs to meet the demand
in OH and IL.
Salaries in OH and IL are more on par with
national average.
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
39
What Would NCSP Parity Cost
in Indiana?



Total number of NCSP’s in Indiana: 197
Percentage of School Psychologists working
in public schools with NCSP: 50%
Typical Annual Stipend of $2000
ESTIMATED PROGRAM COST:
$394,000
First Year if only for Public School
Employees:
$197,000
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
40
Other Data Needed?

Vacancies (School District and State)





Number of unfilled positions
Number of positions filled by qualified and
unqualified (temporary certification,
contractual) personnel
Current attrition rates due to job or role
dissatisfaction
Current attrition rates due to retirement
Future Shortage of School Psychologist


Average age of school psychologists
Capacity of IN training programs to meet the
future demand for school practitioners
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
41
Lessons Learned from Other Sates






States need to build the capacity of
school psychologists to become advocates
(i.e. PPI)
An advocacy agenda (legislative or policy)
for the state organization is essential
Strategies for accomplishing the advocacy
agenda must be developed
Coalition building is fundamental
Information must be disseminated in a
very timely fashion
Targeting key legislators/policy makers to
enlist their support of legislation is critical
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
42
NCSP Questions and Resources
Joan Bohmann
NASP Director of Professional Standards and Continuing
Professional Development
jbohmann@naspweb.org
Sawyer Hunley
National School Psychology Certification Board, Chair
sawyer.hunley@notes.udayton.edu
NASP Website:
http://www.nasponline.org/certification/index.html
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
43
NCSP Parity
Advocacy Questions & Resources
Stacy Kalamaros Skalski
NASP Director of Public Policy
Email: sskalski@naspweb.org
Candis Hogan
Oklahoma Delegate and
GPR Committee, Central Region Leader
hcandis@juno.com
NASP website:
http://www.nasponline.org/advocacy/NCSPstateinitiatives
.html
Advocate NCSP Parity/Skalski
44
Final Thoughts, Questions,
Discussion