Angelo J. LaRocco, Ph.D Market Street, Rm Philadelphia, PA Curriculum Vitae.

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1 Angelo J. LaRocco, Ph.D Market Street, Rm Philadelphia, PA Curriculum Vitae. Education: Ph.D., School Psychology APA and NASP Accredited Program of Study Ed.S., School Psychology APA and NASP Accredited Program of Study Areas of emphasis: CBM/RtI, psychometrics, and reading interventions Graduate Coursework, Experimental Psychology Areas of emphasis: psychopharmacology, memory, and cognition B.S., Psychology (Minor: Sociology) Additional coursework in K-12 education and musical performance. Professional Experience: 2011-Present Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Psychiatry Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Currently employed as a post-doctoral researcher and clinical consultant at Penn, which to date has entailed the provision of psychological/behavioral assessment and interventions to a lowincome school district in Southern New Jersey. Future work is also planned in the Center for Autism Research (CAR), commencing in early Consulting Psychologist, Services for Students with Disabilities ACT, Inc.; Iowa City, Iowa Recruited by not-for-profit research organization ACT, Inc. to become one of three, in-house ADA consultants. Essential duties entailed the review of complex, high-stakes requests for ADA accommodations on various ACT programs and services, as well as the National Council of Bar Examiners (NCBE) legal examination. This involved the critical analysis of reported DSM- IV TR diagnoses and evaluation procedures, integration of historical/etiological information with current diagnostic data, and the conceptualization of functional impairment per Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990), as amended (2008). Consulted and problemsolved with other psychologists, parents and schools regarding accommodation cases. Was responsible for disseminating research and best practice to contingent consultants, parents, 1

2 and support staff, as well as helping to craft official positions and statements in letters sent to applicants, schools, and attorneys School Psychologist Assessment Coordinator Lake Forest School District 67; Lake Forest, Illinois Acted as a building-level psychologist and assessment coordinator for an elementary school in Lake Forest, Illinois, under the direction of Dr. Michelle Shinn, co-creator of the widely-used AIMSweb online CBM database system. Duties entailed the psychological evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of children with learning, emotional, and behavioral disabilities. This included psychometric and functional behavioral assessment, counseling, parent/teacher consultation, behavior modification, and medication management. Responsible for school-wide screenings of early literacy skills under the RtI (Response to Intervention) model. Implemented new systems for problem-solving and reading teams, behavioral tracking, and socio-emotional wellness initiatives. Trained in CPI and crisis prevention, and functioned as the building principal during instances where the principal was not present Pre-Doctoral Psychology Intern Ossining Union Free School District; Ossining, New York Was employed as a pre-doctoral psychological intern in Westchester County, NY, under the supervision of Dr. Richard Dale, a NYS licensed psychologist. Duties included traditional and curriculum-based assessment, report writing, progress monitoring, counseling, behavioral observations/assessment, and consultation. Assisted in the collection and entry of CBM benchmark data as well as PBIS initiatives. Familiarized self with NYS regulations and typical practices, including the CST/CSE process, IEP Direct, AIMSweb, SASI, and SWIS. Total hours: Testing Accommodations Consultant (External/Contingent) ACT, Inc.; Iowa City, Iowa Reviewed student requests for testing accommodations on the ACT college-entrance exam, as well as IL, MI, and CO state tests. This involved the critical analysis of reported DSM-IV TR diagnoses and evaluation procedures, integration of historical data with standardized testing results, and the interpretation of functional impairments under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Spoke with parents and schools over the phone regarding accommodation decisions Teaching Assistant, Psychodiagnostic Assessment Course Assisted departmental professor in the teaching and grading of a graduate-level course on personality and psychological assessment. Duties included holding office hours for students and the grading/critique of assessment protocols and videos for standardized tests, such as the BASC, MMPI-II, MCMI, H-T-P, etc Teaching Assistant, College of Ed. Assessment Center Responsible for running a private library of testing kits and materials for the College of Education. Duties also included tutoring students on test scoring and interpretation, report writing, recommending appropriate assessments, and grading protocols for the Assessment of Learning Difficulties graduate course. 2

3 Teaching Assistant, Assessment of Intelligence Course Assisted departmental professor in the teaching and grading of a graduate-level course on intelligence assessment. Duties included holding office hours for students and the grading/critique of assessment protocols and videos for standardized tests of cognitive ability (WISC-IV, WAIS-III, WPPSI-III, SBV, etc) Researcher, Iowa Department of Education CPI Study Coded and entered data for an Iowa Department of Education (DE) study on Competent Private Instruction (CPI), more widely known as home schooling. Duties included contacting district superintendents and AEA s, entering survey data into a database, and conducting literature reviews regarding children receiving instruction in a home-school environment Graduate Assistant, Psych. & Quantitative Foundations Performed various duties as a departmental graduate assistant. These included the collection and dissemination of class materials, in addition to performing literature reviews and other duties as requested. Also helped to code and summarize research data for studies and grants Teaching Assistant, Office of Student Services Tutored students per week in the areas of Psychology, Sociology, and Statistics, in addition to supervising their study habits and note-taking skills. Also operated as a liaison between the student s academic advisor and professor(s) and held open review sessions for exams Research Assistant, Department of Psychology Collected and analyzed data from several professors research experiments, in addition to grading papers and assisting faculty with various academic items upon request. Practica/Externships: 2006 Advanced Practicum Student/Extern Central City Elementary School; Central City, Iowa Helped to conduct a summer reading intervention program, involving one-on-one reading assessment and intervention with first-graders, for a total of 160 clock hours. Activities included conducting preliminary assessment, implementing appropriate reading interventions, conducting CBM-based progress monitoring probes, and disseminating information to parents Advanced Practicum Student/Extern Grant Wood Area Education Agency (AEA 10); Cedar Rapids, Iowa Worked under the supervision of a licensed school psychologist 1-2 days per week, for a total of 320 clock hours. Activities included group counseling, behavioral observations, attending Child 3

4 Study/IEP meetings, CBM assessment, scoring and interpreting progress monitoring probes, and studying case files of students receiving services Advanced Practicum Student/Extern Robert Young Center for Community Mental Health; Moline, Illinois Acted as a weekly consultant to Robert Young social workers and therapists, for a total of 300 clock hours. Conducted psychological testing and case reviews and for children on both the inpatient and outpatient units of Trinity Medical Center in Rock Island Beginning Practicum Student/Extern Grant Wood Area Education Agency (AEA 10); Cedar Rapids, Iowa Shadowed a licensed school psychologist 1-2 days per week, for a total of 160 clock hours. Activities included recording behavioral observations, attending Child Study/IEP meetings, IQ assessment, scoring and interpreting standardized assessments, and studying case files of students receiving services. Affiliations: Member, American Psychological Association (APA) Member, National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Member, National Italian-American Foundation (NIAF) Licensure/Certifications: Iowa Licensed School Psychologist (B-21) # Illinois Certified School Psychologist (Certificate 73) # Pennsylvania Clinical Psychologist examination planned for Selected Research: Guest Reviewer, School Psychology Review, December LaRocco, A.J. (2008). An Investigation of the Repeated Reading Intervention for Improving Reading Fluency. (Doctoral Dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Database. (AAT ). LaRocco, A.J. (2005). Investigating the use of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) by school psychologists in the state of Iowa. (Unpublished EdS thesis). LaRocco, A.J. (2001). An investigation of the effects of St. John s Wort (hyperforin) on memory and motor behaviors in Long-Evans rats. (Unpublished study). Selected Presentations: 2010, August. Evaluations for Accommodations Requests: Legal, Ethical, and Practical Concerns. An APA Continuing Education Workshop presented to members of the American Psychological Association; San Diego, CA. 4

5 2006, November. Exploring school psychology: A brief background and discussion of graduate studies. A presentation to an undergraduate psychology course at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA. 2006, September. Investigating the use of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) by school psychologists in the state of Iowa. A poster presentation at the 2006 conference of the Iowa School Psychology Association (ISPA). 2005, April. Exploring school psychology: A brief background and discussion of graduate studies. A presentation to an undergraduate psychology course at Augustana College, Rock Island, IL. 2001, November. An investigation of the effects of St. John s Wort (hyperforin) on memory and motor behaviors in Long-Evans rats. A poster presentation of research at the 2001 Western Illinois University research forum. Grants, Scholarships and Awards: University of Iowa Tuition Scholarship Western Illinois University Tuition Waiver Western Illinois University Music Talent Grant 1999 Leadership 2000 Student of The Year, WIU 1998 Office of Student Activities Scholarship, WIU 1998 Illinois Teacher Education Pilot Program, WIU 1997 Village of Streamwood, IL Community Scholarship 1997 Guest Musician, Pine Mountain Music Festival, Houghton, MI Leadership and Volunteer Experience: Student Rep., National Association of School Psychologists Treasurer, School Psychology Student Association Member, Mandatory Student Computing Fee Committee 2003 Volunteer, Broadway Neighborhood Center, Iowa City, IA Principal Bassist, Quincy Symphony Orchestra, Quincy, IL Principal Bassist, WIU Symphony Orchestra 1999 Volunteer, Habitat for Humanity, London, KY Campus Liaison, Bureau of Cultural Affairs, WIU Secretary, Leadership 2000 Program, WIU Volunteer, Franciscan Outreach Soup Kitchen, Chicago, IL 5

6 1998 President, Student Education Association, WIU 1997 Vice President, Student Education Association, WIU References: James Connell, Jr., Ph.D. Research Associate, UPenn (CMHSPR) University of Pennsylvania (215) Richard Dale, Psy.D. School Psychologist, Ossining UFSD Ossining School District (914) x305 Debby Feeny, Ed.D. Principal, Lake Forest District 67 Sheridan Elementary School (Retired 06/2009) Stewart Ehly, Ph.D. Professor, University of Iowa School Psychology Program (319) Susan Michaelson, Ph.D. Manager, ACT, Inc. Testing Accommodations (319) Gretchen Holt, J.D. Senior Consultant, ACT, Inc. Testing Accommodations (Retired 01/2011) Susan Piper, M.S. Consultant, ACT, Inc. Testing Accommodations (319) Joe Malin, Ed.S. Research Coordinator, Lake Forest District 67 Lake Forest District 67 (847) Marla Ferencz, M.S. Speech/Language Pathologist, Highland Park District 112 Highland Park District 112 (847) Kathryn Gerken, Ph.D. Director of Training, University of Iowa School Psychology Program (319) Christine Novak, Ph.D. Advisor, University of Iowa School Psychology Program (Currently: Lehigh University) 6