KAPS Advocacy: Ready to Learn, Empowered to Teach

Guiding Principles for Effective Schools and Successful Students

All children and youth must be ready to learn in order to achieve their best in school and to graduate prepared for college or a career. This preparation requires a public education infrastructure that empowers teachers to teach and prioritizes investments to ensure that schools effectively address the learning, behavioral, social–emotional, and mental health needs of students. When not met, those needs can create barriers to achievement. Furthermore, promoting success and reducing barriers to learning requires sustained access to a comprehensive and rigorous curriculum, high-quality instruction, and comprehensive learning supports within safe and respectful learning environments.

Comprehensive learning supports that integrate academic, social and emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs are most effective when provided through a multitiered system of supports (MTSS). Essential to this system are specialized instructional support personnel who collaborate with other educators, families, and community providers to identify needs and provide appropriate services at the individual, classroom, school, and district-wide levels.

Guiding Principles

  • Combine high expectations for all students with high-quality instruction across rigorous and comprehensive curricula.
  • Create positive school climates to ensure safe and supportive learning environments for all students.
  • Provide access to comprehensive school-based mental and behavioral health services by ensuring adequate staffing levels of school-employed mental health professionals.
  • Increase family and community engagement to support students’ success.
  • Create systems that support the recruitment and retention of properly trained and prepared professionals.
  • Create accountability systems that reflect a comprehensive picture of all students’ and schools’ performance, inform instruction, and guide school improvement efforts.

Legislative LINKS & NEWS

Voting Registration

One of the simplest and most important ways of influencing your legislator is to register and vote.  To register to vote in Kentucky please visit http://www.elect.ky.gov/register.htm.

Advocacy Action Center

Make your voice heard. NASP’s Advocacy Action Center is a one-stop shop for you to advocate on the policy issues that matter to school psychologists by writing or calling your congressional representatives.

To write or call your elected officials, select one of the campaigns below. You will then be prompted to enter in some basic information about yourself. After you hit submit, a template letter will populate. Be sure to add your personal touch to the letter and edit it as you see fit – then hit submit. That’s it! In just two minutes, you’ll encourage your elected officials to support public policy issues that are important to school psychologists and NASP.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Join the KAPS Listserv

The KAPS listserv provides professionals across the state with a plethora of information and announcements pertaining to the practice of school psychology in Kentucky.

The Kentucky Association for Psychology in the Schools developed the KAPS listserv to allow professionals from across the state to connect and share information pertinent to school psychology. This listserv allows school psychologists and other professionals to consult with each other on appropriate actions, ethical dilemma, useful resources, pertinent events, upcoming school psychologist positions, and much more. The listserv also acts as a means of distributing association announcements and information to KAPS’ many members. The listserv is not restricted to KAPS members or even school psychologists. This listserv is useful for anyone interested in the practice of school psychology, including administrators, special ed directors, educators, psychologists, diagnosticians, elected officials, behavior specialists, etc.

If you are interested in signing up for the KAPS listserv please click the link below. This will bring you to the University of Kentucky Listserv database for the state of Kentucky. Please fill in your name and e-mail address in the slots provided and scroll down and click the KAPS icon. You should then receive a message in your inbox that you have been successfully signed up for the KAPS listserv.

TO SIGN UP FOR THE KAPS LISTSERV PLEASE CLICK BELOW:
http://www.coe.uky.edu/lists/kylists.php

Kentucky Legislatures

Legislative Papers & Resources

KAPS Legislative Coalitions

KAPS Awards

KAPS Advocacy News