The Early Years, 1967-1972

Although SCASP was born in the fall of 1967, complete with constitution and president, Ron McWhirt, its conception goes back to an earlier time, fall of 1966. Dr. Ralph Tindall was teaching a seminar in school psychology for the second time in South Carolina. The students in that seminar produced papers about various professional concerns. One of these papers, authored by Marion Burns, was concerned with the value of a professional organization to a school psychologist. The idea of a professional organization appealed to the school psychology students. The first group of students was about to go forth as interns and they could see the need for an organization to further support them in their attempt to serve the children of South Carolina. In the spring of 1987 the University of South Carolina school psychology majors took the Wisconsin State Association of School Psychologists bylaws and constitution given them by Dr. Tindall and Dr. Emfinger in a Chinese restaurant in Five Points. it was there that the first constitution was accepted by the group in May, 1967. It was termed revised because it was a revision of Wisconsin's or perhaps Ohio's, constitution. In the fall of 1967 Ron McWhlrt became the first president of SCASP (thus, SCASP predates NASP by two years).

Because the membership was cornprised for the most part of doctoral students in school psychology, the constitution at that time provided that enrollment in a doctoral program as a full-time student met the requirements for full membership. Dr. Tindall and Dr. Emfinger were concerned that the organization might become dominated by the school psychology faculty at the University. They tried very hard to make it the students' organization. Dr. Emfinger tried to have inserted into the constitution a statement prohibiting USC faculty members' eligibility for elective office. It is interesting to note that over the years only one faculty member ever served as president of SCASP. As the students moved out across the state as interns or new Ph.D. school psychologists, the meeting place was changed from Five Points to the Dodd's House Restaurant at the Columbia Airport. With a membership whose numbers were small (1970 there were 34 full members, 8 associate members - for a grand total of 42) the speakers at the fall and spring meetings were local experts. For example, in the fall of 1969 Dr. Joseph Hungate, Dean of the USC School of Social Work spoke on the topic "The Social Work Training Program and the Need for Effective Psychologist-Social Worker Relationships in the School Setting." The program for the fall meeting in 1971 was "To Modify or Not to Modify a Debate by the Membership." In the spring of 1971 the spring meeting was held in conjunction with the USC Spring SchooI Psychology Workshop, thus enabling the membership to learn from speakers such as Dr. Donald Ham mill from Temple University and Dr. Leon Liebovitz, Director of Special Services, Memphis, Tennessee. It was during the early years, 1969-1970, in the push toward certification, that the Educational Evaluation position came in-to being. The organization has been fighting for either the proper supervision or elimination of this position ever since its conception.

The Middle Years, 1973-1978

The years 1973 through 1978 saw not only continued growth in the membership but continued enhancement of the attempts to improve psychological services in the state by improving the quality of the service and the preparation of the professional. The School Scene, SCASP's journal, appeared in the fall of 1973, replacing the newsletters which previous presidents had sent to the membership. In 1973 a task force was formed to study 93-380 Guidelines. By 1975 the Treasury was sufficiently large enough to bring Dr. Donald Bersoff of Yale University Law School to speak about DHEW due process regulations.
From 1975 to 1977 Frances Welch served as NASP delegate although SCASP was not officially affiliated with NASP until 1976. In 1976 NASP had 36 members in South Carolina whereas SCASP had 163. In the spring of 1976 the association honored Dr. Edward Emfinger with a plaque of appreciation. By 1978 the membership was divided into seven regions. It was during the 1977-1978 term that Sharon Finuf and Dr. Mackie McQueen made presentations and reports to the Senate Education Committee, the Education and Public Works Committee and Executive Committee of South Carolina Association of School Superintendents. Sharon Finuf also served as an expert witnesss during hearings on the need for services for the handicapped to the Senate Education Committee and the South Carolina Legislative-Governor's Committee on Mental Health and Retardation. During the middle years the membership tripled. The speakers at the meetings were individuals with national reputations and the association had actively entered the political arena.

1978 to 1982

In 1978 two new awards were created: Distinguished School Psychologist and Distinguished Educator. The first recipients of these awards, presented in the spring of 1979, were:
Distinguished School Psychologist - Dr. Ralph Tindall
Distinguished Educator - Dr. Robert Black
Conference themes between 1978 to 1982 included but were not limited to Severe and Profound: A Public School Responsibility, Non Biased Assessment and Adaptive Behavior (Dr. Dan Reschly), and Vocational School Psychology (Dr. Thomas Hohenshil). Other conferences dealt with several issues and included such presentations as Psychopharmacology "Effects of Psychoactive Drugs on Children's Behavior," (Dr. Doug Cowart), Teaching Parents To Handle Behavior Problems of Their Children: A Parent Training Workshop (Dr. Rex Forehand) and general social and school problems such as Children and Divorce, Sexual Abuse, Effective Discipline, and Parenting Techniques.

In the spring of 1982 SCASP met jointly with the Georgia Association of School Psychology in Augusta, Georgia. The conference theme was "A Global Approach To School Psychology" with featured speakers Dr. Asa Hilliard on "Psychological Assessment Beyond Larry P." and Dr. John Guidubaldi on "Changes In Family Status and Their Impact On Children. Small group sessions included Helping Children Cope with Death, Latchkey Children, Evaluation of The Hearing Impaired, Psychoeducational Model for the Identification of Behavior Disorders, and Neuropsychology Bases of Common Learning and Behavioral Problems.

By the early 1980's it was very evident that SCASP had broadened its areas of interest and expertise over the years. While SCASP's conferences have improved in quality and scope, SCASP had also broadened its efforts in professional issues. Dr. Reid Johnson dedicated several years and many hours in efforts to have South Carolina's standards for school psychology certification upgraded. While efforts were not one hundred percent fruitful at that time some revisions were made. Effective July 1,1983 no new educational evaluator certificates will be issued and provisions for the internship of Level I, II, and Ill school psychologists are provided for. John Reeves, Sue Forman, and Leah Burriss directed efforts at licensure of school psychologists in South Carolina. Their ad hoc committee went on record as supporting licensure of non-doctoral school psychologists when individuals met certification standards of NASP. Positive outcomes of efforts included SCASP participation in the nomination of a school psychologist to the Board of Examiners and the addition of a lay person to the board. NASP's Olympia conference was held in 1981 to examine issues influencing school psychology into the 21st century. From that conference, SCASP planned a working retreat in the fall of 1982 on the future of school psychology in South Carolina. Continuing professional development had been pursued by Garry White and Reid Johnson. Garry had made contacts in coordinating higher institution offerings with the state association. Garry also distributed a CPD needs survey in the Spring 1982 Conference materials.

A constitution revision in October of 1981 added a student membership status, changed the member-at-large board member to two regional representatives, and added an article of dissolution where upon dissolution of SCASP assets will be contributed to NASP. In February of 1982 SCASP held its first Executive Board retreat where board members, regional chairpersons, and committee chairpersons met to study and plan future course adtions for SCASP.

Thus, by the early 1980's SCASP had emerged as a full-fledged professional organization, viable, growing, concerned and independent with a membership of approximately 200 members and a treasury of over $3,000.00 from a group of a dozen or more improvised graduate students and two concerned professionals.

During the 70's SCASP spent considerable time attempting to get school psychologists into the Defined Minimum Program, working on the "identity" of school psychologists, attracting enough psychologists and money to keep the organization going and the like. during the 70's I witnessed many individuals giving a great deal of their valuable time.

During the 1980's SCASP worked on getting school psychologists into the Defined Minimum Program, worked on our "identity," worked with the Legislature on the abolition of corporal punishment in the schools, made efforts to convince the SACS to incorporate school psychologists as part of their standards and thought of finally revising the REDBOOK. As it was in the 70's, the 80's witnessed many individuals on the executive board of SCASP, committee members and some regional groups giving a great deal of their time and energy.

During the 90's SCASP updated its computer system, developed a Website, continued to work on, you guessed it, our "identity," were counted in the Defined Minimum Program (we finally made this one under a different name) and actually revised the REDBOOK (but then it was hidden in a pile of red tape). [It was also during this time that in 1991, after several years of planning the Board decided to hire a staff person to assist the volunteer Board and to provide continuity and a central point of contact for SCASP. Sandy Manning, Ph.D., a school psychologist was hired as this person, and continues to be SCASP's Executive Director.]

It was within the last few years that I believe SCASP became an adult. The evidence of that began at the start of the REDBOOK revision process, and culminated in passage of the Masters' Licensure for School Psychologists. During the REDBOOK process no longer was the Executive Board of SCASP the driving force behind the initiative. Through the structure set up by the State Department of Education, and input by the Executive Board, either through nomination, volunteer or coercive efforts by all those described above, a good many members were engaged with the REDBOOK process in the first year. Some were caught in the REDBOOK vortex as "the editing team" for years, but this was the start of SCASP working as a team.

But in my opinion, it was SCASP's efforts to pass the Licensure Bill that the final change occurred. The preview of that change started in 1994 when Don Graham, the president of SCASP received 16 to 18 requests from members urging SCASP to pursue a Bill for Licensure of Master's level school psychologists. In response, that next fall, Gary Alderman, then current president, called for an "ad hoc" committee to be formed to study their proposal. This was the start over five years ago that saw SCASP's executive board, executive director, regional chairs, regional groups, and individual members working together for a common purpose which culminated in passage of that bill in the summer of 1998.

As members of SCASP it is time to recognize not only our accomplishments as an organization but also to recognize individuals. Thank you Mark Posey for setting up SCASP's computer system, setting up our web site and its maintenance. Thank you all of you who served on a REDBOOK committee. A special thanks to you who spent the last few years serving as final editors. Beth Lowman, Laura Mohr, Bob Hatchette, Shirley Vickery, Kathy Trout, Sandra Hamlin, Deborah Williams and Marlene Meetze

Thank you all of you who helped out in some way with the Licensure Bill. A special thanks to those who had major or supporting roles throughout the last few years with this SCASP endeavor: Joe Prus, Gary Alderman, Sandy Manning, Antigo Martin, Gloria Marcus, Mary Lou Drummond, Penny Rogers, Tom Brandner, Doug Williams, Roy Fowler, Jack Lieb and Jan Harbison. Within our membership there was a core group, that I do not believe without their general and individual efforts that this bill we call the licensure for Master's level psychologists would have come into being. They gave thousands of dollars of their own money and countless hours of their time. They are Dave Evans, who wrote the bill, Connie Schulze, Joann Claytor, Jan Willis, Madge Connor, Naomi Palmer and Trisha Pruitt. Thank you for hanging in there.

We want to give the award for the OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE FIELD OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY to one of these individuals who I believe, that if not for their work within the last few months of the legislative action, that we would not today have the privilege of putting LPES on our signature line. It was not only her central location to be of use in this endeavor but her willingness to dedicate her effort for timely intervention. These interventions were carried out with the passion of a missionary, the accuracy of a cruise missile and the effect of a B-1 bomber. Of course, I am talking about our very own friend and colleague, Dr. Trisha Pruitt.