Here are 5 steps to submitting a successful NASP Convention Presentation Proposal.

1. Plan Ahead

• The submission deadline is June 14, 2023. Work backward from that date.
• Identify potential co-presenters, if any.
• If you plan to present original research, only submit a proposal if you are confident that your study will be complete in time to present it meaningfully at the convention (February 14–17, 2024).
• Identify which type of session you plan to propose (listed by order of the amount of space available for that type of session, highest to lowest)
  • Poster
  • Paper (50 minutes)
  • Mini-skills (80 minutes)
  • Practitioner Conversation (50 minutes)
  • Symposium (80 minutes) [which should include an explanation of how the various presentations fit together into a coherent whole]

2. Prepare the Summary
(the most critical element of the proposal)

• Do not include your name or any identifying information in your summary or in the name of your summary file, or your proposal will be automatically disqualified. Seriously. We mean it.
• Stay within the word limit.
• Create an Action-Oriented Title
  • 10-word limit
  • Avoid blaring “it’s academic” and focus on why “this matters”
  • Don’t use a colon unless the second part conveys a key idea
    • Reducing Defiant Behaviors: Tips for School Psychologists—NO
    • Reducing Defiant Behaviors: Helping Teachers Help Their Students—Better
    • Boosting Teachers Capacity to Reduce Defiant Behaviors—Better still
• Maintain Organization and Clarity
  • Begin with a brief, introductory paragraph that introduces your topic and gives a quick overview of a few key issues
  • Use short, declarative, active-voice sentences
  • End with a brief discussion of limitations.
  • Review for spelling, grammar, and usage errors. Then do it again. Then have a colleague or friend review it for you.
• Describe the Evidence Base and Methodology
  • Draw from a sound theoretical and/or research base
  • Go beyond describing a new technique – be sure to include relevant evidence of outcomes that supports the approach
  • If presenting original research, include methodology, results, and implications for research and practice. If you have not completed your research, discuss the expected analyses and outcomes
• Develop Learning Objectives
  • Provide 3-5 learning objectives that identify what a participant will gain by attending the proposed session.
  • Outline specific, measurable anticipated benefits to participants, including skills or knowledge they would acquire.
  • See tips for writing attention-grabbing session descriptions and effective learner objectives

3. Don’t Become a Statistic – Avoid Common Errors

• Stay within the 800-word limit (exclusive of the title and supporting documentation—e.g., tables, figures, and references—but inclusive of appendices.)
• Be sure that the summary document does not include information that identifies the author. Check headers, references to your own previous work, or including your name in the file name that you save and upload.
• Avoid submitting files with track changes and comments still included

4. Identify a Skill Level

• Introductory: Aimed at participants with basic preparation in the topic area.
• Intermediate: Aimed at participants with basic preparation and some advanced study and/or experience in the topic area.
• Advanced: Aimed at participants with significant experience and/or expertise in the topic area.
  
  Hint: We want more sessions for advanced practitioners

5. Write a Session Description

• Provide a 30 or less word description of your session that will appear online and in the Final Program. [This is NOT considered as part of the proposal review].
• See tips for writing attention-grabbing session descriptions and effective learner objectives