Jill Sharkey (sixth from left) at the Central Coast Association of School Psychologists symposium on Janaury 24, 2020
On January 24th Professor Jill D. Sharkey and student researcher Daniel Del Cid presented at the Central Coast Association of School Psychologists (CCASP) on the topic of implicit bias in report writing.
Dr. Sharkey was asked to present at this symposium in order to help inform school psychologists on what the best practices are for assessing and writing culturally appropriate reports for diverse student populations, ethical considerations, and implicit bias writing. Amongst the attendees were Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology (CCSP) program alumni Santiago Cardenas, Amber Walz, and Kaitlyn Bathel, as well as Yolanda Mejia, current CCASP secretary. Additionally, two current CCSP doctoral students are CCASP student board members. They, along with their fellow team members, are working to uphold CCASP’s goal to establish and foster positive relationships between members of the community, school psychologists, and all allied professionals on the central coast to develop a network of professionals striving to make a difference in the community.
CCASP is an organization of school psychologists that’s mission is to assist in the development of evidence-based educational practices in order to promote children’s socio-emotional well-being, celebrate diversity, and promote best practices for all students in the areas of learning, behavioral, and prevention strategies.
Jill D. Sharkey is a Professor in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology. She earned her school psychology credential in 2002 and received her Ph.D. in Special Education, Disability, and Risk Studies from UC Santa Barbara in 2003. As a professor in CCSP Sharkey not only teaches, but also coordinates the school psychology credential program, mentors students, and models the scientist-practitioner program philosophy with an active applied research program. Her research interests involve promoting student engagement, primarily for children who have experienced a variety of personal, family, and community risk factors. She is focused on understanding optimal family, school, and community response to youth at risk. She is passionate about transforming school systems to respond to students with challenging behavior with restorative rather than exclusionary approaches.
Dr. Sharkey also plays a major role in the coordination and accreditation of the School Psychology Program in CCSP. She dedicates her time to maintaining core standards of excellence across credential programs, collecting and monitoring data on applicants, current students and their supervisors, and alumni, and scrutinizes the curriculum to ensure that the requirements of accrediting bodies are met.
Del Cid is a graduate student researcher at UC Santa Barbara within the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education. His research explores contextual stressors that impact indicators of adjustment and explore potential protective factors. He is also interested in understanding the negative consequences of discrimination on undocumented adolescents and adults.