A6+-+Advocacy+Project

=Artifact 6 - Advocacy Project=

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) holds the firm belief that one of a school psychologists’ roles is to serve as an advocate for students and families. In terms of my advocacy project, the heart of the project is provide early universal interventions to aid the prevention of future problems caused by a lack student problem solving and self-reliance skills. The following is excerpted from National Association of School Psychologists’ (NASP) policy paper, //Ready to Learn, Empowered to Teach: Excellence in Education for the 21st Century// and supports advocating for the whole child in order to remove barriers to learning.

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NASP supports School Psychologists in advocating for the needs of parents and families in order to encourage better educational and social emotional outcomes. I believe that by providing students with opportunities and tools to gain independent problem solving skills I am advocating for the most under-represented group in education. Not only does NASP support School Psychologists in advocating for students, but they also support the general theory behind my work with the Wheel of Choice, Positive Behavioral Supports (PBS). PBS focuses on preventing problem behavior by providing more functional replacement behaviors which are positive and more successful in meeting student needs (Boyle & Dee, 2006). The center of attention under a PBS model is teaching students positive life skills that manage possible problems behaviors and empower students to solve problems in ways that are productive and respectful. The PBS model supports my work with the Wheel of Choice, by providing students with alternatives to negative behavior that are positive and kind.

As a way to help students constructively solve problems and conflicts, my advocacy project involves painting the Wheel of Choice out on the playground and training students from each grade to use it as a tool during recess in the same way they use it in the classroom. Teachers were recruited to review the Wheel of Choice with their students and to help them use it during recess time in the same ways they use it in class. To bring the loop full circle parents will also be informed of the implementation of the Wheel of Choice as a problem solving tool to use at home and to talk about with their students.

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