Worksheet A: Module II Critical Issues Form

MODULE III: CHILDREN AND SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY

WORKSHEETS FOR PROBLEM SOLVING STEPS III-A, III-B, III-C,

AND III-D

INSTRUCTIONS

• 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 III-A:Worksheet A: Module III Critical Issues Form
• Step III-B:Worksheet B: Module IIIThreats/Opportunities Form
• Step III-C: Worksheet C: Module IIISolutions/Strategies Form
• Step III-D: Worksheet D: Module III Action Plan Form
  Worksheet A: Module III Critical Issues Form

Children and School Psychology

Step III-A: Define critical issues related to children and school psychology (Complete Worksheet A: Module III Critical Issues Form)

Activity III-A-3: Prioritize the critical issues: Group discussion or individual reflection

Using your group or individual responses to Activity III-A-2 (brainstorming critical issues), as well as the background readings and webcast, select 2-3+ critical issues related to “children and school psychology” that you will emphasize during your completion of the remainder of Module III. Record the critical issues in the first column on “Worksheet A Module III: 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.

Worksheet B: Module III: Threats/Opportunities Form

Children and School Psychology

Step III-B: Identify threats/opportunities related to school psychology addressing critical issues for children

Activity III-B-3: For each priority issue from your “Worksheet A: Module III 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 III-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 “children and school psychology” and record the threats and opportunities on “Module III: 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.

Worksheet C: Module III Solutions/Strategies Form

Children and School Psychology

Step III-C: Brainstorm solutions/strategies; identify the most promising solutions/strategies related to children and school psychology

Activity III-C-3: Using the group or individual responses to Activity III-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 “children 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 III: Strategies/Solutions Form” (see Worksheet C below).

Worksheet D: Module III Action Plan Form

Children and School Psychology

Step III-D: Develop plans for action, implementation, and evaluation related to

children and school psychology

Activity III-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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Consider how the strategy will be implemented and outline the implementation steps that will need to be followed in order to execute the strategy.
4. For each implementation step, identify resources (materials, people, etc.) that can be useful.
5. 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).
6. Determine the date when each implementation step of the action plan will be completed.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.

Action Plan Form for Children and School Psychology

Use one form for each action plan/activity.

Prioritized Critical Issue:

Target Goal/Outcome:

Strategy/Solution:

Check the area(s) below for which the action plan is relevant:

Data Collection, Assessment, and Accountability (how will we know the plan has worked?)

Return to Table ofContentsModule III: Children Page 1