THE YEAR IN REVIEW: OSPA ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 1998-99

1) Appointment of Student Representatives to the Executive Board from each of the 4 school psychology training programs in the state to give equal representation to all four universities--ECU, NSU, OSU, and UCO, and to facilitate increased opportunity for involvement and collaboration;

2) Appointment of the first Web Page Editor to the Board and creation of the first, stand-alone OSPA Web Page to give members more access to OSPA information and services: http://ospaweb.org ;

3) Appointment of the School Psych 2000 Task Force to study ways of increasing the supply of qualified and certified school psychologists in the state and to meet the increasing demand for the provision of psychological services in schools, and the creation of a university trainers' sub-committee to also address this vital need;

4) Appointment of the first Executive Secretary to the board to handle OSPA correspondence and mailings and to expedite communication between members of OSPA and the officers of the organization;

5) Conference attendance records set at both annual conferences this year for recent years (215);

6) All-time membership record of 206 members attained for this year, as well as exceeding the NASP membership goal set for the year;

7) Special Membership Awards created and presented to members with 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of membership at the Spring Conference;

8) Creation of the first OSPA Archives in a special collection at UCO to provide a permanent home for important OSPA documents, including minutes, newsletters, and Charter, and to provide an invaluable resource for historical review, research, operational guidance, and future planning;

9) Selection of the first scholarship recipients for the two graduate student in school psychology scholarships to be awarded annually by OSPA to encourage and support graduate studies and certification completion in this important field (the Paul Warden & Mary Jo Keatley Awards);

10) Creation of a permanent post office box address for OSPA that will no longer change yearly and which will provide a stable and consistent mailing address for the organization and its members: OSPA, P. O. Box 1553, Norman, OK 73070-1553;

11) Installation of an official OSPA business phone number (405-307-0846) for members to use to more readily access information about conferences, membership services, and other questions;

12) Celebration of the "Silver Anniversary" of OSPA being founded 25 years ago in 1974 and special recognition of its Charter and Founding members and other important leaders and visionaries in the birth and development of OSPA as a professional organization;

13) Increased collaboration with related fields, organizations, and agencies, including CSPD, ODSS, CCOSA, OICA, RESC, LDA, SDE, NASP, OPA, etc., through conferences, workshops, and committees;

14) Creation of an official OSPA T-shirt as a public relations tool to enhance the image and visibility of the organization and to promote increased membership and professional pride;

15) Use of the Quicken software by the Executive Board financial officers to track OSPA finances and expenditures and to computerize the annual budget with more efficiency;

16) Provision of professional development/continuing education opportunities and specialized training on Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plans at both of the OSPA conferences this year for the new requirements of IDEA and the resultant federal regulations which were released in this year, also;

17) More communication, including Internet e-mail, among board members and between the Executive Board and individual OSPA members;

18) Purchase of a fax machine for OSPA to better serve members' need for information concerning memberships, conferences, registrations, etc. ;

19) Adoption of the NASP Position Statement on Student Grade Retention and Social Promotion by the Executive Board and presentation of the statement to members at the Spring Conference; and

20) Transfer of all OSPA membership records, conference registrations, invoices and billing, form letters, & other important documents to computer for better record-keeping, quality, & efficiency.

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