Final Review of the 2016 GW/NASP Public Policy Institute

In This Section

Education as a Civil Right for All: Implications for Public Policy

From July 18–22, 97 school psychologists, teachers, school administrators, graduate students, and others interested in education policy came to Washington, DC to participate in the 2016 GW/NASP Public Policy Institute (PPI). The institute was cosponsored by the George Washington University (GW) Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD). GW brings to the partnership resources, professional expertise, and professional connections that help make the PPI a rich public policy-training experience for all involved.

This year, PPI participants came from 26 states and the District of Columbia, including: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. PPI participants had the option of taking a 3-day basic training (July 18–20) for NASP Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit or a 5-day advanced training (July 18-22) for NASP Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit or GW Graduate Semester Credit. Additionally, this year was the second time a 2-day Special Topic training was offered to people who have previously attended PPI. This opportunity focused on exploring the theme of the institute in greater depth through participation in Days 4 and 5 of the program. An amazing line up of national experts presented information and engaged in dialogues with PPI participants. Some of the national leaders and scholars who participated in this year's PPI included:

  • Jack Jennings, Founder, Center on Education Policy and author of "Presidents, Congress, and the Public Schools"

  • Diane Stark Rentner, Deputy Director, Center on Education Policy

  • John Monsif Vice President of Government Relations, First Focus

  • Renee Bradley, Deputy Director of the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education

  • James Ferg-Cadima, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education

  • Paul Morgan, Professor and Director of the Center for Educational Disparities Research, Penn State University

  • Dan Losen, Director for the Center of Civil Rights Remedies

  • Gary Galluzo, Professor Emeritus, Center for Education Policy and Evaluation, George Mason University

Members of the NASP Government and Professional Relations Committee, as well as key staff members, led interactive discussions and provided education on the basics of grassroots advocacy. Carol Kochhar-Bryant, GWU Senior Associate Dean of GSHED, also presented, led teamwork sessions, facilitated discussions, and directed the GWU credit participants. You can view the full agenda for both the 3-day and 5-day training experiences and see the entire line up of speakers below.

Capitol Hill Day, July 20, 2016

On July 20, 2016 PPI participants traveled to the US Capitol to engage in a productive day of advocacy. The day began in the Rayburn House Building, in a room sponsored by Representative Katherine Clark (MA-5). Participants enjoyed a continental breakfast and got an inside look at life on Capitol Hill through a question-and-answer session with legislative staff members. We thank Leanne Hotek, Education Policy Advisor, Senate HELP Committee; Lindsay Fryer, Education Policy Advisor, Senate HELP Committee; and Geoff Browning, Legislative Aide, Rep. Clark (MA-6) for sharing their experiences working on Capitol Hill. After the morning session, state teams ventured into the halls of Congress to meet their elected officials and/or legislative staff. Nearly 100 visits to the offices of US senators and US representatives were made that day. NASP materials and resources were presented and specific public policy priorities and issues were discussed.

Sample Presentations

PowerPoint presentations are accessible to current NASP members only. Please log in to see the links. PPI sessions included presentations from national experts, school psychology leaders, GWU faculty, and NASP staff. Samples of some of the presentations are included here: