Index
Two WSPA Grants Awarded to UWL Alumni
Aimee
(Ostenso-Paulson) Zabrowski
From the Director’s Desk
by
I am hoping that from the time I write
this to the time that you receive this newsletter; the weather will finally
decide that we have had enough snow. I am writing this during a storm warning
for yet another 5-6 inches of snow. My hope is that this is the last snow of
the season. With record snow falls and school cancellations, hopefully we will
all be able to see some green and relax when the school year comes to an end.
In the program’s news, we are happy to be
fully staffed with Dr.
The students continue to thrive in their
internship placements. We continue to have 100% of our interns find jobs. In
fact I still receive calls every August looking for a school psychologist. It
is no wonder that US News & World Report listed School Psychologist as one
of the top jobs in 2008! You can be proud that these students are continuing on
where past alums have left off by providing leadership and talent to their
respective placements. There are several
articles later in the newsletter that feature some of our alumni’s work in the
schools. It is always great to hear
these stories and it’s a privilege to pass these on to you.
Our students closer to home are continuing
the tradition of attending NASP with the whole second year class travelling to
Psychology
Student Society (SPSS). See the last
page of the newsletter.
Finally, in the spirit of passing along a
few humorous comments to close this article, I was shown
two really funny
postings on “youtube” depicting the important
aspects of school psychology. To find them, go to youtube.com and then search
for “type type baby” and “wais’n away” and then settle in for a laugh that only
a school psychologist can fully appreciate. Enjoy!
NASP Conference
by the Second Year
Students
NASP,
Upon arrival to “NOLA,” we had several
days to explore and experience Mardi Gras before the convention began. We canvassed the city on foot, which really
allowed us to take in all the sights and scenes of the area. We stopped by the Café du Monde to eat some
beignets, wandered around the French Quarter, picked up souvenirs at the French
Market, ate local cuisine, journeyed through Bourbon Street, listened to local
music, talked with locals, visited a swamp and caught some Mardi Gras
Parades. Watching the parades and trying
to catch as many beads as possible was both exciting and humorous! After a couple of parades our strategy was
polished and we were bead-catching machines!
We also realized the importance of watching for flying beads from all
angles after a couple of close calls.
The NASP convention got rolling right
after Fat Tuesday, luckily it didn’t start until noon! The number of presentations was overwhelming
and it took some time to figure out our approach. The wide variety of topics fit everyone’s
interests. The conference’s theme was
resiliency and started out with two excellent keynote speakers—one that
showcased an online documentary made about the first public high school to
reopen after Hurricane Katrina, and the other, a presentation by a medical
doctor focusing on helping children who have experienced trauma. It’s amazing that a lot of schools have not
yet re-opened.
All in all,
traveling to NOLA and attending NASP was an excellent experience. It was a great feeling to be surrounded by
thousands of people who knew what a school psychologist was!! Through attending multiple presentations and
walking through the exhibition hall, we all left with great resources that will
be helpful in our practice as future school psychologists.
Although we all fell in love with the city
(especially the warm weather!) and attended some great presentations, by the
end of the week we were ready to head back to snowy
We were partially funded for this trip
through a research grant from the Graduate Council. On March 7 we shared our experiences during
UW-L’s Celebration of Student Research and Creativity with a poster
presentation in
Argentine Adventure
by Dan Naidicz, Class of
1989
Buenos Aries. The Tango.
Malbec wines. School children? While
the first three topics conjure up thoughts of
In the summer of 2006, my wife,
The primary goal for Argentine administrators
was to learn about the American educational system and gain ideas and
strategies that might improve education for Argentine school staff and
children. Working with our current
school district, Stillwater Area Public Schools in
In July 2007, we boarded a plane to
Out of our group of 16, six were placed in
the
In visiting with Nora and the other
participants, we concluded what was most surprising about the visit were the
similarities and differences in schools and students found across
continents. Here area a few: The noise level in Argentine schools is
higher than the level of American schools.
This is due to the differences in the teaching methods used. There is more vivid conversation during the
lessons in Argentine schools, where American schools often have the teacher
instructing, then students working independently or in groups.
Bells to change classes are used in many
There is no tuition for public schools in
Computers for student use and
administrative use were almost non-existent.
Those that had a small computer lab were using machines that were 5-7
years old, with no extensive software programs.
Attendance, grading and announcements were done in large books by
hand. Principals communicated with staff
by handwriting announcements in a daily book.
Teachers then signed off after they had read the Principal’s note. No email communication was used in any of the
schools we visited.
Our Argentine counterparts were most
amazed at the intimate structures of our administrative teams and
meetings. In the
One thing we all agreed on is that no matter
if it is
And while our Argentine counterparts may
not have the advantages of technology, textbooks, equipment, and materials that
we have in the
The Fulbright program has multiple
scholarship opportunities for teachers and administrators. For more information on Fulbright connect to
the following link:
Two WSPA Grants Awarded to UWL Alumni
The Wisconsin School Psychologist
Association awarded three $500 Children’s Services grants. Two of these grants went to UWL Alumni. Their articles follow...
The CIA comes to
by Christy
Rentmeester, Class of 2005
Did you know
that the CIA has come to
After being selected for the CIA program
based on attendance criteria, each student services team member at
Along with the one-on-one and small group
meetings, CIA group members also participate in large group CIA meetings twice
monthly. Similar to the small group
meetings, the large group meetings focus on goal-setting, although these
meetings take a broader focus of helping students determine their aspirations
for the future. In large group CIA
meetings, which are facilitated by student services staff, students participate
in team building exercises as well as activities that help them understand the
purpose of school and how it relates to their future careers. For example, Holly Magness, a guidance
counselor at
The final component of the Community
Involved Adolescents program, as the name might insinuate, is taking CIA
students into the community for field trips and community service
opportunities. Most recently, students
had the opportunity to visit the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC)
in mid-March for a middle school career day.
During the full-day field trip, students had the chance to get hands-on
experience in three different careers, including dental assistant, criminal
justice corrections, and auto mechanic.
The students of
With the support of WSPA and NWTC,
students and staff alike have found to be CIA to be a resounding success! One teacher at Franklin stated, “The CIA
program is working,” as she found her students involved in CIA to have improved
attendance, better classroom behavior, and more engagement in classroom
assignments. Although Brett Favre’s
career in football may have reached its conclusion, the students of Franklin
CIA are learning that their attendance and grades in school today will affect
what types of careers they can have in the future!
by
Link Crew is a
leadership training program that is based on a simple concept: linking freshmen
with successful upperclassmen called Link Leaders. While creating a sense of comfort for the
incoming students, the Link Crew concept also addresses the attitudes of the
upperclassmen toward the freshmen, and respect for freshmen becomes the norm.
By implementing the Link Crew program, we hope to increase academic success
through support of peers and to develop leadership skills in students at
We hope to meet
our objectives by offering a “Cocoa and Cram” Night. The “
participate. The first night was January 15 from 6-9pm.
Participation was approximately 150 freshman, plus 30 Link Crew Leaders. The second night will be June 2.
The anticipated outcome and benefit to
children for the “
Monroe
by Joe Monroe, Class of
1998
For years, public schools have struggled
to provide appropriate educational options for all students at the high school
level. Many families have expressed
concern about the ability of their children to successfully access high school
level education. Despite a great number
of alternative programs and services, traditional high school education still
has its limitations.
The
The curriculum utilized for this program
was developed by
Students are supported by a staff of six
DPI licensed teachers, a guidance counselor, two secretaries, a director of
technology & curriculum integration, and one principal. The staff travels throughout the state to
meet with students and their families to answer questions, assess progress,
proctor tests, and develop plans for program completion. MVHS provides a level of direct support which
is unparalleled in virtual education.
Due to the success of the MVHS, the
You can visit the website at www.virtualdiploma.net for more information or if
you have any questions about MVHS, feel free to contact Joe Monroe, Director of
Pupil Services,
20-, 10- & 5-year Reunion
We
are continuing our six‑year tradition of encouraging graduates from
certain years to attend Roundtable to see fellow classmates. This is a wonderful way to start reunions and
renew friendships, fellowship, and maybe even a little “shop-talk” about how
things are going for you in your schools.
20-year (1988 grads) alumni: Rebecca Brandon,
10-year (1998 grads) alumni: Rebecca Cleary, Amy Kleinfeldt, Susan
Gerken-Ross, Chellie Kingsley, Gina Deutscher, Joe Monroe,
5-year (2003 grads) alumni: Kelly Peterson, Erin Eberhardt, Heather
Holstein,
Ed.S. Theses Oral Defenses Completed
Rosanne Kujak , April 6, 2007, “Early Reading Intervention: Impact of
Group Size” – Chair: Dr. Betty DeBoer ,
Committee: Dr. Carmen Wilson and Dr.
Carol Angell.
This early reading intervention study
investigated the effects of 1:1 tutoring and small group tutoring (1:4, 1:5,
and 1:10). The progress of 45 first-grade students with delayed reading skills
was examined. The students were enrolled in one of three intervention programs:
Reading Mastery, Reading Intervention Model, and
Aimee
(Ostenso-Paulson) Zabrowski, April 10, 2007, Training Factors Affecting School Psychologists’
Comfort in Providing Services to Grieving Students” – Chair: Dr. Robert
Dixon, Committee: Dr. Kent Koppelman and
Dr. Jon Hageseth.
This study examined training factors that
affect a school psychologist’s comfort providing services to grieving
students. It also examined the frequency
in which school psychologists provide grief counseling as a part of their job
duties and factors that impede the provision of services to grieving
students. Previous research showed a
lack of training and comfort in professionals in the area of providing services
to children affected by death and grief.
In addition previous research showed an increase in comfort providing
grief counseling following training in the area. A survey of training background and grief
counseling comfort was completed by 126 members of the National Association of
School Psychologists. A multiple regression showed that level of graduate
degree was the best predictor of total comfort, followed by total training
hours and likelihood to pursue additional training in grief counseling. Results also showed that school psychologists
do participate in grief counseling as a part of their job duties and that there
are several factors that limit or impede their ability to provide grief
counseling. The results of this study
support a need for both pre-service and professional development training in
grief counseling in order to increase school psychologist comfort providing
grief counseling as a part of their job duties.
Renee Johnson , April 12, 2007, “The Effect of High and Low Athletic
Identity on Academic Self-Efficacy in Secondary Students” – Chair: Dr. Robert
Dixon, Committee: Dr. Carol Angell and
Ms. Susan Wabaunsee .
Previous research has found that athletics
positively impact students’ development in multiple ways. Instead of focusing
on actual participation in athletics, this study focused on athletic identity,
which is how strongly a person identifies with the athletic role. This research
examines the differences between levels of athletic identity on the academic
self-efficacy of adolescents in 247 Midwestern middle and secondary students.
Academic self-efficacy was chosen for this study because it has been found to
be a very strong predictor of academic performance. Brewer’s Athletic Identity
Measurement Scale (AIMS) and the Morgan-Jinks Student Efficacy Scale (MJSES)
were used to determine a main effect was found between students with a high and
low athletic identity. Students with a higher athletic identity were found to
have significantly higher academic self-efficacies than students with a low
athletic identity. However, an overall
significant difference was not found between gender, grade level, and students
with a high and low athletic identity on their academic self-efficacy. As School
Psychologists, we can use this information when we are consulting with parents
and teachers and share with them the benefits of having a strong athletic
identity.
Ashley Baker , June 21, 2007, “Peer Acceptance Attitudes: Exploring
the Differences Between Transfer, Retained, and Accelerated Students” – Chair: Dr. Robert Dixon, Committee: Dr. Tracie Blumentritt and Dr. Emily Johnson.
Peer acceptance
has been found to be an important predictor of future adjustment in children.
Additionally, peer acceptance levels have been linked to school transitions,
such as changing schools, as well as academic success. The current study
surveyed 297 middle school students in grades four through six in order to
determine the participants’ peer acceptance attitudes towards hypothetical
students of particular transitions. Peer acceptance attitudes were measured
using the Attitude Questionnaire. The independent variables of gender and
transition type were analyzed using a two by three analysis of variance. The
analysis revealed no significant differences based on the interaction between
gender and transition, or between transition types. Peer acceptance attitudes
were found to be significantly different between males and females with male
participants being more accepting of their peers regardless of the transition
type. Qualitative data collected on the Attitude Questionnaire found that
retained students were described using more negative adjectives than were
transfer or accelerated students. Results of this study indicate that personal
child characteristics may be more important in determining the appropriateness
of a transition than the type of transition involved.
Aaron Geiger , June 21, 2007, “Goal Orientation among Students
Identified with Specific Learning Disabilities” – Chair: Dr. Robert Dixon, Committee: Dr. David Reineke and Dr. Carol Angell.
Extensive research has been conducted on
achievement goals, though no studies have focused on the literature’s most
researched achievement goals among students identified with specific learning
disabilities (SLD). The current study investigated whether there may be
differences between students with respect to the extent to which they endorse
particular achievement goals based upon their gender and educational disability
status (SLD or regular education [RE]). The tendency of 350 7th and
8th grade participants to endorse learning, performance-approach,
performance-avoidance, and work-avoidance goals was assessed with a 22 item
survey. A MANOVA revealed that females more strongly endorsed
performance-avoidance goals than males and that students identified with a SLD
more strongly endorsed work-avoidance goals than RE students. There were no
other significant main effects and no interaction effects. The current results
were somewhat inconsistent with those found in previous studies with respect to
the relationships between both gender and SLD to particular goal orientations.
It is believed that this is due in part to inconsistencies in the
operationalization of achievement goals between researchers. Further research
with more robust sample sizes and clear differentiation and operationalization
of achievement goal constructs is needed to clarify the questions investigated
in the current study.
Christine Rentmeester , August 6, 2007, “Goal Orientation among Students
Identified with Specific Learning Disabilities” – Chair: Dr. Betty DeBoer ,
Committee: Dr. Tracie Blumentritt and Dr. Abdul Elfessi.
This study
examined the link between school psychology interns’ knowledge about
homosexuality and attitudes toward homosexual individuals. It also examined the
link between training-related factors and interns’ attitudes about
homosexuality. Previous research
demonstrated a link between knowledge about homosexuality and positive
attitudes toward the gay men and lesbians (Herek, 1984). Previous research also
showed a lack of training for school psychologists in the area of providing
services to youth affected by issues related to sexuality (Savage, Prout, &
Chard, 2004). A total of 67 school
psychology interns from