The National Alliance of Pupil Services Organizations (NAPSO) has enjoyed an extremely active period over the last several years. NAPSO has significantly increased its visibility on Capitol Hill and in the larger education community and has enhanced its position as the premier national coalition representing the interests and concerns of related/pupil services.

Following is a brief summary of a few of the many NAPSO activities over the last two years:

Legislative Victories:

• Maintained pupil services language in the reauthorization of ESEA to the No Child Left Behind Act.
• Enhanced related services references in pending House and Senate IDEA reauthorization bills.
• Inserted language on research priorities for related services in both idea reauthorization bills.
• Inserted Senate report language to highlight the importance of highly qualified related services personnel and the need for states to address personnel shortages.

Legislative Activities:

• Maintained regular and frequent contact with key Republican and Democratic committee staff on the House and Senate Education committees on issues related to pupil services and personal staff of the large majority of both House and Senate committees.
• Developed and presented to key members of Congress NAPSO.s principles and recommendations, including specific legislative language, for the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
• Presented higher education concerns to key members of Congress on issues including loan forgiveness and professional development and currently are preparing formal recommendations for the Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization.
• Drafted amendment language to include related services personnel in loan forgiveness in House HEA legislation, and wrote to House Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness to share this language.
• Sent letters to Congress supporting increased funding for critical education programs such as the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program, the IDEA, and No Child Left Behind.
• Developed statement on the use of Medicaid funds in schools

Administration Activities:

• Organized meetings with key Administration staff, including the Assistant Secretary of Education for Special Education & Rehabilitative Services Robert Pasternack, Director of the Office of Special Education Programs Stephanie Lee, staff to the Secretary (Dr. Susan Sclafani, Beth Ann Bryan, and Judge Eric Andell), Director of the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools Bill Modzeleski, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for OSERS Joan Mele-McCarthy, and Director of OSEP Research to Practice Lou Danielson, and Tracy Bethel, Reading First Initiative, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (to coordinate efforts within general and special education programs).
• Discussed possible OSEP-funded research projects on related services with Pasternack, Danielson, and Mele-McCarthy.
• Met with Ann Heilegenstein in the Office of the First Lady (in response to NAPSO correspondence to the First Lady).
• Presented testimony before the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education and in public hearings on the reauthorization of the IDEA.

Outreach Activities:

• Developed descriptive paper on related/pupil services professions describing our training and services.
• Compiled document outlining key research from our fields on the efficacy of related/pupil services.
• Began ongoing data collection on related/pupil services personnel shortages.
• Participated in the IDEA ASPIIRE Partnership and have begun effort to work with NASDSE on new IDEA Partnership grant.
• Using both Washington NAPSO representatives and state members of NAPSO associations, presented sessions on models of collaboration to the national conferences of the National PTA, the American Art Therapy Association, the American Dance Therapy Association, the School Social Work Association of America, and the Center for Mental Health in Schools (Conference on Advancing School-Based Mental Health).

Current and Continuing Activities:

• Creating new NAPSO logo and NAPSO web site.
• Establishing relationships with other education coalitions and individual education organizations.
• Investigating additional presentation opportunities at national conferences.
• Pursuing research opportunities on related/pupil services.