Position Papers
School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (SW-PBIS): A Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) for Student Wellness
In many districts, local policies have approached safety and mental health in schools with ad hoc and piecemeal approaches. This is borne out by the very narrow federal and state laws related to student suspension and expulsion that produced reactive discipline policies and increased student exclusion from school. Such practices
The Role of Pragmatics in the Assessment of Autism Eligibility
The intent of this paper is to clarify the meaning of the language used in the autism eligibility criteria as described in the California Education Code (Cal. Educ. Code § 56320 (b)(1)). There has been ongoing discussion among various educational professionals across school districts regarding the current criteria for autism
Online Psychoeducational Assessments
There are a handful of companies that are currently marketing online psychoeducational assessments to school districts within California. Some of these companies are training “aides” who sit next to the students during these online assessment processes. The California Association of School Psychologists (CASP) has concerns about this practice.A shortage of
Internship Placements (Adopted by CASP 3/2003)
The CASP Board acknowledges the critical importance of the internship as the culminating fieldwork experience of school psychology trainees. The internship provides a unique opportunity for school psychology candidates to demonstrate field-based competence in the learning goals of their respective training programs. As such, it is important that internship placements
School-Based Mental Health: School and Community Partnerships
n order to address rising mental health issues, federal and state governments, as well as Local Education Agencies (LEAs), need to invest in capacity building that includes developing comprehensive infrastructures to provide mental health services for all children and youth. Meeting the mental health needs of students is challenging for
Social Justice and Anti-Systemic Racism Practices
Social Justice is both a process and a goal that requires action. School psychologists work to ensure the protection of the educational rights, opportunities, and well-being of all children, especially those whose voices have been muted, identities obscured, or needs ignored. Social justice requires promoting non-discriminatory practices and the empowerment
Mandated Special Education Assessments During the Covid-19 Shut Down
At this time there is a great deal of uncertainty and many questions regarding how California School Psychologists should proceed with respect to mandated Special Education assessments. Given this unprecedented situation, CASP is recommending the following answers to questions received from our membership based on Federal and State laws, regulations
School Psychologists and Response to Intervention
The California Association of School Psychologists Board of Directors supports the implementation of systems that provide students with multiple tiers of support to meet both academic, social-emotional and behavioral needs. The purpose of this paper is to outline the essential knowledge and skills that school psychologists need to actively participate
CASP Statement on Guns in Schools
It is time to acknowledge that access to guns plays an important role in many acts of serious violence in the United States. Multiple lines of research have demonstrated a clear connection between local availability of guns and gun-related violent behaviors, with estimates of close to 2 million children and
Functional Behavior Assessment in California Schools
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) assures that children with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment, including those with interfering problem behaviors. To ensure students received these rights, the IDEA established, under the U.S. Department of Education, the Positive Behavioral Interventions
Specific Learning Disabilities and Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses
CASP adopted this position paper March 31, 2014 to assist school psychologists and their districts in moving beyond the Severe Discrepancy Model in the identification of students with Specific Learning Disability (SLD). CASP took the position supporting a comprehensive evaluation that describes a student’s Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses (PSW)
