Defined in the No Child Left Behind Act (Sec. 9101, paragraph 36), pupil services personnel are also the providers of related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, Sec. 602, paragraph 22). To capture all aspects of these job descriptions, we will refer to these individuals as pupil/related services personnel. Pupil/related services personnel provide many professional services in our schools. These important services include providing a variety of prevention and intervention services that promote effective classroom learning and teaching and collaborating with teachers and school staff to ensure that students receive high quality instruction that is responsive to the diverse and developmental needs of all students.

Pupil/related services personnel perform critical tasks in schools, including

• Supporting effective teaching and improved student learning and facilitate collaboration among school staff, families, and the community;
• Providing a variety of prevention and intervention services in schools that promote effective classroom learning and teaching;
• Working together with teachers and administrators to develop a positive school climate, improving classroom management skills, providing behavioral interventions to reduce discipline infractions, improving school safety, and removing barriers to learning.
• Providing educational programs and activities that support student learning and teaching, including consultation with teachers and families, assessments linked to instruction, individual and group counseling, problem-solving instruction, and remedial interventions;
• Collaborating with teachers and school staff to ensure that students receive high quality instruction that is responsive to the diverse and developmental needs of all students, create a continuum of support services for all students, and providing various instructional strategies to facilitate learning in all classrooms;
• Participating, as members of the school team, in professional development to ensure high quality learning; and,
• Fostering collaboration not only between general and special education, but also between community and schools and schools and parents.

The National Alliance of Pupil Services Organizations (NAPSO) is a coalition of national professional organizations whose members provide and support a variety of school-based prevention and intervention services to assist students in becoming effective learners and productive citizens.

NAPSO organizations represent over a million members, including school counselors, school nurses, psychologists, school psychologists, social workers and school social workers; occupational therapists, physical therapists, art therapists, dance/movement therapists, and music therapists; speech-language pathologists and audiologists; teachers, students, parents, and administrators.

NAPSO promotes interdisciplinary practice and cooperation and advocates for ensuring access to quality pupil services for all students.

See the member organizations page for out current national members.