Tomorrow's School Psych

Where do your score tables live? Throughout your psychoeducational report, right alongside your explanations, or tucked neatly into an appendix at the end?

I’ve tried both over the years, and while I keep coming back to putting scores throughout my reports, a recent conversation made me stop and reconsider why.

In this episode, I’m looking beyond personal preference and asking a much more important question: Who are we actually writing these reports for?

We’ll talk about score tables, confusing appendices, parent-friendly language, and why maybe it’s time for us school psychs to do what we’re always asking everyone else to do: get some actual data before deciding what works best.

Highlights:

(01:30) - Score tables throughout or tucked in the back? Let the school psych debate begin

(03:40) - I asked other evaluators what they do, and yep, we definitely have opinions

(04:59) - Plot twist: Who are we actually writing these reports for?

(06:05) - When the appendix is so confusing that even the school psych is confused

(07:22) - Parent-friendly report... or does someone need AI to figure out what we wrote?

(08:30) - We love data, so why are we guessing what families actually prefer?

Need some report writing or explaining results help? Check out the Prepared School Psych community: https://jennyponzuric.com/prepared-school-psychologist/

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

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There are a few phrases that make me cringe as a school psychologist, and “we never” is right up there.

We never test kindergarteners. We don’t look at SLD this young. We can’t find them eligible. But is that actually what the law says, or have we turned common practice into a rule that doesn’t really exist?

In this episode, I’m looking at SLD eligibility for younger students and why the language we use matters.

We’ll talk curriculum, reading instruction, exclusionary factors, and how to build clear, defensible evidence for the “why” behind our decisions, while still taking early concerns seriously.

Highlights:

(01:30) - “We never” and “we don’t ever”, two phrases that should make us pause

(03:20) - The better question to ask when considering SLD in younger students

(05:08) - Can we identify a reading disability before reading instruction has really begun?

(06:40) - Why timing matters when we’re looking at kindergarten reading skills

(07:30) - “We don’t do that here” is not evidence, and it probably won’t hold up

(09:00) - Early intervention still matters, even when eligibility isn’t the answer today

The Prepared School Psych Community - For 50% off the first month, use code PSP50 at checkout for the month-to-month option: www.jennyponzuric.com

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

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Have you ever left a meeting where everyone talked, nobody really listened, and somehow nothing got resolved?

I’m joined by licensed educational psychologist and coach Tracie Hewitt to explore why what looks like a communication problem may actually be a connection problem.

Tracie shares her Three Pillars framework for moving difficult conversations away from power struggles and toward genuine influence. We talk about self-regulation, committed communication, transparency, and why leadership doesn’t mean having all the answers.

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is stop trying to solve the problem and start getting curious about it.

Highlights:

(02:02) - Why disconnection is turning conversations into power struggles

(05:16) - Self-regulation and the space between a trigger and your response

(10:34) - Why understanding matters more than being right

(13:39) - What it really means to become a committed listener

(16:00) - How transparency builds trust instead of simple compliance

(21:02) - What happened when a leader stopped directing and started listening

https://www.advantagelep.com/

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

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In this episode, I’m sharing why I created The Prepared School Psych Community and why having a place to ask questions can make such a difference.

I was lucky to begin my career surrounded by experienced school psychologists who shared resources, talked through cases and made it normal to ask for help.

Not everyone gets that kind of support. So I’m walking through the office hours, content specialists, community forum, private questions, resources and mini courses available inside the community, all designed to help school psychologists feel more prepared and less alone in the work.

Highlights:

(01:35) - Why asking lots of questions is a normal part of being a school psychologist

(02:10) - The reason I created The Prepared School Psych Community

(02:49) - Three different ways members can get their questions answered

(03:41) - Why having multiple content specialists matters in such a broad field

(04:24) - The resources, checklists and mini courses available to members

(05:01) - What “prepared” really means when so much of the job is outside your control

The Prepared School Psych Community - For 50% off the first month, use code PSP50 at checkout for the month-to-month option: www.jennyponzuric.com

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

Connect with Jenny:

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In this episode, I’m talking about what you really want in front of you when it’s finally time to write that evaluation report.

Scores, protocols, and input forms matter, but they’re only part of the picture. The real work is understanding what the data actually means for this student, in this school, in this life.

We’ll look at attendance, behavior, anxiety, and educational impact, and why context can completely change the story behind a number.

I’m also sharing why thoughtful data collection needs to start early, so future you isn’t scrambling the night before the meeting.

Highlights:

(01:42) - Reporting a number versus actually analyzing what it means

(02:25) - Why attendance data without context only tells part of the story

(03:12) - What discipline records may be missing about student behavior

(04:08) - Why anxiety scores don’t automatically explain educational impact

(05:15) - The questions to ask during days 1 through 5 of an evaluation

(07:05) - How a few extra minutes of data collection can save future you from scrambling

Want to talk more about days 1-5? Join the Prepared School Psych community today and let’s get your questions answered: https://jennyponzuric.com/prepared-school-psychologist/

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

Connect with Jenny:

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In this episode, I’m answering a question that came up during a professional development session: should I really have this many questions?

My answer is yes.

School psychology is a huge field, and there is simply too much to know for any one person to have every answer ready at all times.

I’m talking about why curiosity is part of the job, not a sign that you are behind. From eligibility criteria and legal questions to behavior, mental health and crisis response, we are constantly learning.

Asking questions, finding the right people and knowing where to look are all part of becoming a stronger advocate for students and families.

Highlights:

(01:30) - No, you are not supposed to know everything about every disability area

(02:20) - The part where school psych somehow also requires a minor in special education law

(03:15) - Why different school psychs build different strengths depending on the jobs they are actually doing

(04:58) - Professional development exists because the learning never actually stops

(05:40) - Staying curious is not a weakness. It is literally part of the job.

(06:45) - Raise your hand anyway. That question might help a student later.

Have a question? Join the Prepared School Psych community today and let’s get your questions answered: https://jennyponzuric.com/prepared-school-psychologist/

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

Connect with Jenny:

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In this episode, I’m joined again by Kelly Mobeck to talk about one of those team challenges that sounds simple until somebody stops doing what they agreed to do.

We’re breaking down how to create clear agreements with evaluation team members, even when you are not technically anyone’s boss.

Kelly shares how to get clear on purpose and outcome, bring agreements to the group without sounding controlling, and follow up when things fall apart.

We also talk about curiosity versus judgment, how tone can completely change a conversation, and when AI tools can help you soften an email before you hit send.

Highlights:

(02:48) - What actually makes an agreement different from a nice idea everyone forgets about

(04:07) - Kelly’s P and O rule: get clear on the purpose and outcome before you do anything else

(08:54) - How to put on your courage pants and lead the conversation without acting like the boss

(10:50) - Someone broke the agreement. Now what?

(13:37) - Why “We’re all adults, just do your job” probably isn’t going to move anything forward

(20:00) - When your email sounds way snarkier than it did in your head, AI might actually save you

Coach Kelly’s Agreement Guide: https://kellymobeck.myflodesk.com/schoolpsychs

Goblin Tools: https://goblin.tools/

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

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In this episode, I’m joined again by Serena Renee, certified trauma coach, leadership coach and founder of Forward Thinking Trauma Coaching.

We’re talking about what can happen to executive functioning when the brain is dealing with chronic stress or trauma, and why skills like working memory, planning, flexibility and emotional regulation can suddenly feel much harder.

Serena explains the difference between an executive functioning skill deficit and a more context-dependent performance challenge, plus why feeling safe matters so much.

We also talk about procrastination, overwhelm, slowing down before speeding up and why resilience is not about handling everything alone. Sometimes, connection is one of the most powerful tools we have.

Highlights:

(02:54) - What happens when your brain starts prioritizing protection over performance

(05:41) - Why working memory, emotional regulation and planning can take such a hit under stress

(12:06) - ADHD or trauma-related executive functioning challenges? The difference context can reveal

(18:20) - Why “What’s wrong with me?” might be the wrong question to ask

(21:07) - Serena’s “slow down before I speed up” strategy for overwhelm

(24:15) - Resilience is not about doing everything alone, connection matters

Serena’s website for the free quiz to determine if you are living from safety or survival - click on it for some strategies: coachingfortrauma.com

Serena’s email: [email protected]

IG: @forwardthinkingtraumacoach

Substack: @forwardthinkingtraumacoach

FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580203794172

Serena’s Newsletter: https://www.coachingfortrauma.com/#newsletter-signup

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

Connect with Jenny:

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In this episode, I’m sharing a simple framework to help you figure out what is actually getting in the way of your workflow before you start throwing random productivity strategies at the problem. Because honestly, none of us has time to test 25 new hacks just because TikTok said they work.

I’ll walk you through my GAP framework: gather the data, analyze the breakdown and prioritize one strategy to try. We’ll look at common issues around knowledge, systems and executive functioning, plus practical ways to make overwhelming tasks feel more manageable.

The goal is simple, choose a strategy that actually fits the problem you have and give yourself enough time to see whether it works.

Highlights:

(01:30) - Stop collecting productivity tips and start figuring out what is actually slowing you down

(03:04) - The GAP framework: gather, analyze and prioritize

(05:12) - When the system is the problem, here’s how to start fixing it without overhauling everything

(07:08) - Why overwhelming tasks often lead to doing absolutely nothing

(08:38) - Report writing on the calendar, but somehow email suddenly feels very important

(10:04) - Pick one strategy, test it, collect the data and adjust from there

Prepared School Psych Community: https://jennyponzuric.com/prepared-school-psychologist/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=workflow&utm_term=august

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

Connect with Jenny:

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Before we start throwing strategies at our workflow, we need to know what problem we’re actually trying to solve. In this episode, I’m breaking workflow challenges into three key areas: knowledge, systems, and executive functioning.

Because sometimes the issue isn’t that you need another planner, another app, or another color-coded system.

I’ll walk you through practical questions to help you spot where things may be getting stuck, from district expectations and team communication to procrastination, distractions, emotional control, and flexibility.

Think of this as your workflow check-in before we move on to strategies in the next episode.

Highlights:

(01:42) - The knowledge gaps that can quietly make your workload harder

(03:36) - Why your personal systems matter before you ever sit down to write a report

(05:11) - The workflow struggles I still recognize in my own practice

(06:02) - Why executive functioning can derail even the best systems

(07:05) - A quick self-check for procrastination, distraction, and emotional control

(08:12) - The three workflow categories to assess before choosing your next strategy

Prepared School Psych Community: https://jennyponzuric.com/prepared-school-psychologist/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=workflow&utm_term=august

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

Connect with Jenny:

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