COVID-19 and School Psychology: Contemporary Research Advancing Practice, Science, and Policy

Abstract

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which began in January 2020, has had numerous deleterious impacts on children, families, schools, and communities around the world and in the United States. Schools around the globe have implemented an array of instructional strategies, including in-person, remote/distance learning, and assorted hybrid configurations involving both. This second series of articles in this special topic section of School Psychology Review further informs innovations and adaptations in research, training, and practice relevant to the field of school psychology during the COVID-19 pandemic. This introductory article highlights the impacts on children, schools, and communities around the world, offers reflections on recent scholarship focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and school psychology, and also shares a synthesis from the next five articles featured in this second edition of the special topic section focused on adaptations and new directions for the field of school psychology. Impact Statement The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had extensive implications on the fields of education and school psychology around the globe. Recent scholarship informs innovations and adaptations further informing practice, graduate preparation, scholarship, and policies that help to advance the field of school psychology within and beyond the COVID-19 syndemic. Contemporary research contributes important knowledge and guidance related to the impact on teacher’s mental health and harm, coping, teaching, self-efficacy, compassion fatigue, and concerns, as well as the concerns and perspectives of parents, and also the measurement of increased stress reported by students.