Policy Events

Disclaimer:  Speakers’ materials and any opinions expressed therein that are available by link from this page should not be construed as the work or opinions of SPSSI or its membership.  They are solely the product of individuals and/or groups participating in the events described, and are included here for information only.

A Conversation on Education Reform  (NEW MATERIALS NOW AVAILABLE!)

On March 24, 2010, SPSSI hosted a briefing to explore several pivotal issue areas pertaining to the future of American education reform.  The conversation was initiated in response to President Obama's stated goal of tackling the reauthorization of the controversial No Child Left Behind legislation, which has been on the books since the Bush Administration.  The discussion was designed to highlight current projects and new scientific research being conducted by the invited panelists, in an effort to inform policymakers and reformers about this work. 

SPSSI members Oliver Moles, Research Analyst, formerly of the U.S. Department of Education, Carl Kallgren, Associate Professor of Psychology, Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and Julie Carvalho, Professor of Psychology, NOVA all brought their unique expertise to the conversation, as did guests from the education policy community Gary Ratner, Founder and Executive Director, Citizens for Effective Schools, Betty Demarest, Senior Research Associate, National Education Association and author of the upcoming book on capacity-building "A Learning-Centered Framework for Education Reform:  Implications for National Policy," and Mary Jo Greil, Co-founder, Imagine Memphis.  This event was facilitated by SPSSI Policy Coordinator Chris Woodside and SPSSI James Marshall Scholar Jutta Tobias.  SPSSI plans to host a follow-up event of this nature in the near future.  To access speaker biographies, event photos and materials please click here.  For more on this event, including speaker bios and presentation materials, please click here.

"Every Child Deserves a Family Act" Congressional Briefing
On March 11, 2010, SPSSI cosponsored a briefing addressing the issue of prohibiting states from discriminating in the placement of foster and adoptive children on the basis of sexual preference alongside PFLAG, APA, Family Equality Council, and Congressman Pete Stark's (D-CA-13) office.  Amongst the featured speakers was SPSSI member and Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia, Charlotte Patterson, who provided an overview of over 30 years of LGBT research on parenting, adoption, and related outcomes for children.  For more on this event, including photos and video clips, please click here.

An Experiential Workshop on Applying Science to Advocacy for Social Change
On January 26, 2010, SPSSI James Marshall Scholar Jutta Tobias hosted an introductory workshop designed to mentor young policy advocates on the body of research related to techniques and practices that can help to enhance the effectiveness of attitude change and personal advocacy efforts, and to introduce them to SPSSI as a resource for scientific data on social issues.  View a PDF of the complete workshop and event photos. 

Addressing Disparities in Immigrant Women's Reproductive Health and Health Care
This briefing (1) highlighted reproductive health disparities affecting immigrant women, (2) addressed factors contributing to their poor reproductive health outcomes, and (3) offered policy recommendations to improve immigrant women’s reproductive health. Our hosts for this event were Representatives Michael Honda (CA) and Madeleine Z. Bordallo (GU). More details can be found on our briefing web pages. If you have questions, please contact SPSSI’s Central Office.

Affirmative Action: Dead or Alive? Perspectives of Educators and Administrators from California, District of Columbia, Michigan, New York, and Texas
On April 1, 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in two cases that could profoundly change the landscape in higher education admissions and also have implications for employment in the United States. SPSSI hosted panel discussion on affirmative action on Thursday, March 27, 2003 in the Senate Hart Office Building, to discuss these issues. More details can be found on our Affirmative Action Web Page.  If you have questions, please contact SPSSI’s Central Office.

Understanding the Harm of Hate Crime
SPSSI held a timely panel discussion about the psychological and social impact of hate crime on Wednesday, October 2, 2002 in the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C..  Our hosts for this event were Representatives Diane Watson (CA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL). To help bridge the gap between science and public policy, SPSSI presented the science-based findings in our recent issue of the Journal of Social Issues entitled, "Understanding the Harm of Hate Crime". The uniqueness of this special issue lies in the application of empirical research, as issue contributors used careful analyses to examine the nature and impact of hate crime acts upon victims. More details can be found on our briefing web pages.  If you have questions, please contact SPSSI’s Central Office.