Reflections on the Futures Conference from the Perspective of a School Psychology Educator

1. Reflections on the Futures Conference from the Perspective of a School Psychology Educator Joel Meyers Georgia State University Jpmeyers@gsu.edu

2. Comparisons to the Spring Hill Symposium • Many issues discussed here have been discussed previously at the Thayer Conference, the Spring Hill Symposium and the Olympia Conference, but the following important perspectives may be important differences. • Focus on Empirically Based Interventions • Focus on Intervention and Prevention More than Assessment • A Constructivist Perspective (even empirically based interventions must be implemented, evaluated and modified based on local situations; qualitative research)

3. Additional Comparisons to Spring Hill • A Sharper Focus on Families (suggesting needs for future research in this area) • A context of predicted shortages in school psychologists and school psychology educators • Context of Violence and Fear (post-Columbine and post-September 11th) • Focus on “subjective well-being” • Technology

4. Other Useful Ideas • Diversity has multiple potential effects on all elements of our field and must be taken seriously in training and practice • We must have input from those who have been marginalized…..the missing voices (parents, students, teachers) • We must have input from practicing school psychologists • If we are to change schools then we must change universities as well…..Interdisciplinary Training for School Psychologists

5. Other Useful Ideas (continued) • Reasonable expectations? Change is the responsibility of each of us, not the conference. Individuals must decide what, if anything, to implement following the conference (i.e., practitioners, university faculty, state and local organizations) “What can we do on Monday?” • Emphasize meaningful linkages between assessment and intervention • We have tried to focus on outcomes for children, families and schools rather than the profession • Emphasis on ecological and systems theories. Child in family and school within the context of community & culture

6. Other useful ideas (continued) • Consultation, competence enhancement and prevention (focus on children from birth and potential parents from middle school; use ecological context) • Include families in assessment and intervention • Our focus on intervention must include consideration of social validity (treatment acceptability) and treatment integrity • Create research communities in schools…practitioner-researchers. Use (and teach) research methodologies that are relevant to practitioners • Sophisticated ideas about advocacy and lobbying

7. What needs more attention? • How do we organize and deliver psychological services given projected shortages in school psychologists? Does the focus on specific goals keep us from some big ideas? • Productive futures require adaptability and flexibility; the ability to make rapid change in response to changing circumstances. How can this be accomplished by institutions like universities, schools and our profession? • Consideration of treatment integrity in intervention research and practice. • What are effective approaches to practicum and internship? Need creativity and data. • Crisis response and violence prevention • Training Dilemma: “What to leave in and what to leave out?”