Communiqué
Th e N e w s pa p e r o f t h e N a t i o n a l A s s o c i a t i o n o f S c h o o l P s y c h o l o g i s t s
October 2009 Volume 38, Number 2
Violent Loss and Urban
Children: Understanding
the Impact on Grieving
and Development
By FranK Zenere
“You don’t know what it’s like to live here; it’s all messed up.”
“This is the fifth friend of mine that has been murdered in the past two years;
I just don’t feel anymore.”
“I am so tired of going to funerals; I don’t have any tears left to cry.”
T hese statements are more the rule than the exception for many
students attending schools in urban communities across the na-
tion. One study revealed that over 70% of students attending inner-
city primary and secondary schools witnessed a violent crime or homicide
(Bell & Jenkins, 1991). A survey of select Chicago Public Schools students
iStoCkphoto
Credit here
revealed that 50% of fifth–eighth graders were aware of a friend or rela-
tive who was shot at, while more than a third lost [ continued on page 7 ]
Multicultural Affairs Communication Matters
confronting inequity in special education, part ii School Psychology
Promising Practices in Awareness:
Addressing Disproportionality A Positive Approach
B y K at h e r i n e C . Co wa n & a n d r e a Co h n
B y a m a n da L . s u L L i va n , e L i Z a B e t h a’ va n t, J o h n B a K e r , da p h n e C h a n d L e r ,
A
s Cot t G r av e s , e d wa r d m C K i n n e y, & t r e m a i n e s ay L e s recent parent visitor to the NASP website made two
informative observations: (a) Wow, NASP has a lot of
This article is one in a series developed by members of NASP’s a previous article (Sullivan et al., 2009), the authors really helpful information; and (b) Wow, I hope my child
African American Subcommittee of the Multicultural Affairs discussed how children from CLD backgrounds are never has to see a school psychologist! At the most basic level,
Committee for school psychologists and other educators working
with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) student popula- more likely to be labeled disabled and placed in this visitor summed up the contradiction imbedded in the role
tions. Last month, we introduced the problem of disproportion- segregated educational settings. This dispropor- of the school psychologist and our efforts to connect with the
ality in special education in part one of a two-part article on tionality is part of the larger problem of systemic broader school community. We spend much of our time deal-
understanding and addressing inequity in special education. In inequity throughout education and society at large. ing with the tough stuff that most people would prefer didn’t
this article, we provide school psychologists with suggestions for
supporting the development of inclusive, equitable schools. Disproportionality in special education creates mar- occur. A school psychologist is kind of like a paramedic: You
ginalization and un- hope never to need one though you sure are glad to see them
R
NASP members can join an
acial disproportionality of culturally and lin- online discussion about this equal opportunities in an emergency.
guistically diverse (CLD) students in special article in the Communities to learn for some
area of our website:
education identification and placement (i.e., Making Positive a Priority
www.nasponline.org/communities groups, thus poten-
unequal rates of disability identification and dispa- tially hindering the Being the “go-to” person who understands how to deal with
rate access to general education environments for well-being and achievement of targeted students. problems and help struggling students succeed is truly some-
CLD students) is a persistent, pervasive problem in School psychologists, as change agents and so- thing to be proud of and promote. We want administrators,
many educational systems throughout the nation. In cial justice advocates, are [ continued on page 18 ] teachers, and parents to view us as [ continued on page 33 ]
6 | Focus on Best Practices Online
i n s i d e
Event: System-Level Change
16 | Dynamic Assessment in
School Psychology
35 | Looking Ahead: School Psychology
Steve Geer / iStoCkphoto
Awareness Week 2009
23 | convention news 2010
An Apatosaur skeleton outside the Field Museum in Chicago. 3
© 2 0 0 9 , Nat io nal A sso c iat io n o f Sc ho o l P syc ho lo g ist s
Elliott, J. (1993). Assisted assessment: if it is
“dynamic” why is it so rarely employed? Edu-
Social Sciences, 56(6-A), 2173.
Jensen, M. (2008). The psychometrics of sta-
Addressing Disproportionality
cational and Child Psychology, 10(4), 48–58. [ continued from page 1 ]
bility and change models. Presentation at
Embretson, S. E. (1987). Toward development the international Association for Cognitive
of a psychometric approach. in C. S. Lidz Education and Psychology 20th Anniversary called upon to consider and implement remedies for special education dispropor-
(Ed.), Dynamic assessment: Interactional ap- Conference, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, tionality. Here, we provide several recommendations for practitioners interested in
proach to evaluating learning potential (pp. Canada, November 2-5.
141–172). New York: Guilford Press. supporting educational equity through practices that challenge and address issues
Kennedy, h. (2006). An analysis of assessment
Embretson, S. E., & Prenovost, L. K. (2000). and intervention frameworks in educational of difference, discrimination, and justice in schools.
Dynamic cognitive testing: What kind of in- psychology services in Scotland: Past, pres-
formation is gained by measuring response ent and possible worlds. School Psychology engage in knowLedge and skiLL BuiLding around diversity issues
time and modifiability? Educational and International, 27(5), 515–534.
Psychological Measurement, 60, 837–863. School psychologists have an ethical obligation to be knowledgeable about servi