Mark Edward Swerdlik

Biography

Dr. Mark E. Swerdlik has over 40 years of experience as a school psychologist and as a university educator at Illinois State University. Dr. Swerdlik is licensed as a School Psychologist to work in the public schools and as a clinical psychologist for independent practice. He is currently a Professor of Psychology and has served as coordinator of the ISU APA accredited doctoral (Ph.D.) and NASP approved specialist programs in school psychology for over 30 years. In addition to coordinating the ISU program, Dr. Swerdlik has served as chair and member of the Executive Board of the Council of Directors of School Psychology Programs, is currently NASP Workshop Coordinator, Co-Chair of the Graduate Education Committee, and was chair of the Illinois inter-university council of approved school psychology programs, the Directors of University School Psychology Program (DUSPP) for over 25 years.

At ISU, he has taught a variety of graduate and undergraduate courses including a doctoral level Seminar and Practicum in Supervision of School Psychological Services. He has also provided clinical supervision for scores of specialist and doctoral level students in the Psychological Services Center and in area schools and doctoral students as part of an advanced practica in supervision.

Dr. Swerdlik has been involved in a number of training initiatives related to field supervision of school psychologists including the annual intern/intern supervisor workshop sponsored by the Illinois School Psychologists Association and the Directors of University School Psychology Programs.  As noted above, he has also coordinated professional growth workshops for the National Association of School Psychologists for over 25 years.

With his colleague, Dr. Dennis Simon, Dr. Swerdlik has provided training to the field supervisors of the Illinois School Psychology Internship Consortium (ISPIC). This training has included annual workshops and facilitating quarterly metasupervision groups. They have also presented a number of supervision training workshops at the annual conferences of the NASP and the Illinois School Psychologists Association.  Based on his work as a clinical supervisor of practicum students for over 30 years and with ISPIC field supervisors, he co-authored with Dr. Simon Supervision in School Psychology: The Developmental, Ecological, Problem-solving Model. This supervision model represents the only one developed specifically for the multi-faceted role of the school psychologist in a school setting.

Dr. Swerdlik has also published and presented papers at professional conferences related
to Multi-Tiered Systems of support (MTSS)/Response to Intervention, school-based
health clinics/full service schools, psychological assessment, training issues in school
psychology, and the impact of deployment on military families. Dr. Swerdlik co-
authored (with Drs. Ronald J. Cohen and Edward Sturman) a textbook, Psychological
testing and assessment: An introduction to tests and measurement, currently in its 9th
edition and Effective RTI Training and Practices: Helping School and District Teams
Improve Academic Performance and Social Behavior with Drs. Gary Cates and Craig
Blum.

Dr. Swerdlik also maintains an independent practice of school psychology. He consults
with school districts around a variety of issues including MTSS/RtI and professional
issues in school psychology.

Dr. Swerdlik is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association-Division of School
Psychology, has been awarded a Diplomate in School Psychology from the American
Board of Professional Psychology, a Diplomate in Assessment Psychology from the
American Board of Assessment Psychology and is a member of the Society for the Study
of School Psychology. Based on his career long contributions, Dr. Swerdlik received the
Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of School Psychologists
(NASP) in 2014 and in 2016 was honored by the Council of Directors of School
Psychology Programs (CDSPP) for “contributions to the field of school psychology”.

Education

Ph.D., in School Psychology , Michigan State University

Areas of Research / Professional Expertise

Current work focuses on clinical supervision of school psychologists, training issues in school psychology, Multi-tiered Systems of Support/Response to Intervention, impact of deployment on returning war veterans and their families, and professional issues in school psychology.

Personal Interests

History, photography, travel, and basketball

Books