MODULE IV: FAMILIES AND SCHOOL
PSYCHOLOGY
WORKSHEETS FOR PROBLEM
SOLVING STEPS IV-A, IV-B, IV-C,
AND IV-D
INSTRUCTIONS
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Record your responses to each of the worksheets on the following pages.
You may wish to save the file with a new file name. Don’t forget to save your file
each time you use it.
To return to the PowerPoint slide show, minimize or save and close the word file.
Press click on the hyperlinks below if you wish to proceed directly to specific
worksheets in the module.
You may return to the Table of Contents at any time by clicking on the left
footnote at the bottom of each page (this usually requires a triple click).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Step IV-A: Worksheet A: Module IV Critical Issues Form
Step IV-B: Worksheet B: Module IV Threats/Opportunities Form
Step IV-C: Worksheet C: Module IV Solutions/Strategies Form
Step IV-D: Worksheet D: Module IV Action Plan Form
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Module IV-Families
Page 1
Worksheet A: Module IV Critical Issues Form
Families and School Psychology
Step IV-A: Brainstorm and define critical issues related to families and school
psychology (Complete Worksheet A: Module IV Critical Issues Form)
Activity IV-A-3: Prioritize the critical issues: Group discussion or individual reflection
Using your group or individual responses to Activity IV-A-2 (brainstorming critical
issues), as well as the background readings and webcast, select 2-3+ critical issues
related to “families and school psychology” that you will emphasize during your
completion of the remainder of Module IV. Record the critical issues in the first column
on “Worksheet A: Module IV Critical Issues Form” below. Then, for each critical issue,
rewrite the issue as a target goal/outcome that would be important for guiding
strategies, activities, and resolution of this issue in the future. Record the target
goals/outcomes in the second column of Worksheet A.
Prioritized Critical Issues
Example: School psychologists spend almost all of
their time in special education eligibility activities and
little time in prevention/intervention activities in
general education.
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Target Goals/Outcomes
Example: School psychologists will spend less time in
special education eligibility activities and more time in
prevention/intervention activities in general education.
Module IV-Families
Page 2
Worksheet B: Module IV: Threats/Opportunities Form
Families and School Psychology
Step IV-B: Brainstorm threats/opportunities related to school psychology
addressing critical issues for families
Activity IV-B-3: For each priority issue from your “Worksheet A: Module IV Critical
Issues Form” identify/prioritize opportunities to address it, as well as threats to the
capability to address it. Threats, or restraining forces, are those factors that prevent,
impede, or minimize your individual or your group’s role in addressing the issue. Threats
might include training program capacity, lack of time for practicing school psychologists,
etc. Opportunities, or driving forces, are factors that facilitate or enhance your individual
or your group’s role in addressing the issue. Opportunities might include practitioner
competencies, school psychology’s reputation, relationships with other professions, etc.
Using the group or individual responses to Activity IV-B-2 (brainstorming
threats/opportunities), as well as the background readings and webcast, select 3-4
threats and 3-4 opportunities related to each critical issue for “families and school
psychology” and record the threats and opportunities on “Module IV:
Threats/Opportunities Form” (see Worksheet B below). Identify threats and
opportunities that are most relevant for the level of focus of your target goals for the
modules: your own individual service delivery goals, local school district goals, state
goals, or national goals.
Prioritized Critical
Issues
Example: School
psychologists spend almost
all of their time in special
education eligibility activities
and little time in
prevention/intervention
activities in general
education.
Return to Table of Contents
Threats—factors that
prevent you from
addressing the issue
Opportunities—factors that
enable you to address the
issue
Some examples of threats might
be administrators stereotyping
school psychologists only as
assessors or high numbers of
teacher referrals for special
education.
Examples of opportunities here might
be school psychologists’ training in
prevention/intervention techniques or
school psychology’s resources to
advocate for better early intervention
resources in general education.
Module IV-Families
Page 3
Prioritized Critical
Issues
Return to Table of Contents
Threats—factors that
prevent you from
addressing the issue
Opportunities—factors that
enable you to address the
issue
Module IV-Families
Page 4
Worksheet C: Module IV Solutions/Strategies Form
Families and School Psychology
Step IV-C: Brainstorm solutions/strategies; identify the most promising
solutions/strategies related to families and school psychology
Activity IV-C-3: Using the group or individual responses to Activity IV-C-2 (brainstorming
solutions/strategies), as well as the background readings and webcast, consider and
select 3-4 of the most promising strategies/solutions related to each of your or your
group’s critical issues for “families and school psychology.” Identify solution/strategies
that are most relevant for the level of focus of your target goals for the modules: your
own individual service delivery goals, local school district goals, state goals, or national
goals.
When selecting the most promising solutions/strategies, consider using such criteria as
relevance (Does idea have direct implications for this issue?), feasibility (How likely is it
that I, or my group, can put this idea into action?), and effectiveness (Will this idea really
work?) to make selections. Record your final list of the most strategies/solutions for
each issue on “Module IV: Strategies/Solutions Form” (see Worksheet C below).
Prioritized Critical Issue
Most Promising Strategies/Solutions
Example: School psychologists spend
almost all of their time in special
education eligibility activities and little
time in prevention/intervention
activities in general education.
Example: Possible solutions might be a national or local
education campaign for administrators to promote the
indispensability of school psychology in prevention/intervention,
or inservice training for school psychologists in specific
instruction techniques for at-risk learners.
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Module IV-Families
Page 5
Prioritized Critical Issue
Return to Table of Contents
Most Promising Strategies/Solutions
Module IV-Families
Page 6
Worksheet D: Module IV Action Plan Form
Families and School Psychology
Step IV-D: Develop plans for action, implementation, and evaluation related to
families and school psychology
Activity IV-D-3: The most critical phase of strategic planning and problem-solving is creating the Action
Plan that describes how you, or your group, will go about implementing the strategy chosen to address the
issue and achieve the priority goal/outcome. Worksheet D is provided to facilitate action planning. After
selection of the critical issue and strategy that will be the focus of your or your group’s action plan, use the
following guidelines to complete Worksheet D. Complete a separate Worksheet D for each action plan that
you will implement.
a. In the first two boxes of the action planning form, record the critical issue and its priority goal/outcome
that you, or your group, have already selected. You may copy your or your group’s critical issue and
priority goal/outcome from Worksheet A, or, if you have made revisions, record your modified critical
issue and its priority goal/outcome.
b. Then, write a description of the selected strategy or solution that you, or your group, prioritized to use
to address the critical issue and achieve the priority/goal outcome.
c. Consider how the strategy will be implemented and outline the implementation steps that will need to
be followed in order to execute the strategy.
d. For each implementation step, identify resources (materials, people, etc.) that can be useful.
e. For each implementation step, list the name(s) of people who will be responsible for carrying the step
(for plans developed as part of group activities, rather than self-study/independent learning).
f. Determine the date when each implementation step of the action plan will be completed.
g. At the bottom of the page for Worksheet D, you may categorize the action plan into one or more of six
general categories (Research and Knowledge Base, Advocacy/Public Policy, Collaboration and
Communication, Practice and Service Delivery, Preservice/Inservice Training), if the categories will
assist you, or your group, with implementing or communicating the plan or with assigning
responsibilities.
h. Worksheet D concludes with a section for you to record a brief statement of the “Data Collection,
Assessment, and Accountability” to assist with monitoring of the plan and evaluating its effectiveness.
How will you measure and demonstrate that the action plan is working and that you have successfully
achieved your priority goal/outcome? In this section, identify types of data and data collection
procedures that you will use. Remember to record the criterion or expected result to determine that
the action plan has been successful.
i. Repeat the process for each remaining prioritized strategy that you or your group has selected for
implementation. After selecting the next solution/strategy, follow steps a-h above and complete a new
Worksheet D for the action plan.
Example (adapted from plan by the New Hampshire Association of School Psychologists):
Strategy: Sponsor state-wide conference for school psychologists on general education assessment practices that are
evidence-based and linked to interventions.
Implementation Steps:
1. Call for volunteers to serve on Conference Committee.
2. Meet to decide conference format, speakers, and date for conference.
3. Contact speakers and potential conference sites.
4. Select conference location and finalize speaker list.
5. Create a plan for publicizing the conference to key constituents, including school psychologists, administrators, and
teachers (regular, special education teachers, reading specialists) and create brochure.
6. Send out brochure and implement publicity plan.
7. Hold two-day conference in October and follow-up with conference participants at 6 and 12 months to evaluate their use
of content and strategies.
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Module IV: FAMILIES
Page 7
Action Plan Form for Families and School Psychology
Use one form for each action plan/activity.
Prioritized Critical Issue:
Target Goal/Outcome:
Strategy/Solution:
Implementation Steps
Potential
Resources
Responsible
Person(s)
Completion
Date
Check the area(s) below for which the action plan is relevant:
Research and Knowledge Base
Practice and Service Delivery
Advocacy/Public Policy
Inservice Training/Continuing Education (for practitioners)
Collaboration and Communication
Preservice Training (for graduate students)
Data Collection, Assessment, and Accountability (how will we know the plan has worked?)
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Module IV: FAMILIES
Page 8