This study examined artificial intelligence (AI) policies in school psychology training programs. Ninety-six faculty members from US school psychology programs completed an online survey regarding AI policies at the institution, college, and program levels and submitted policy documents. Twenty-seven percent of institutions, 6% of colleges, and 23% of programs had established AI policies. Institution-level policies more comprehensively addressed ethical considerations (100%), data privacy (71%), and diversity concerns (67%) compared to program-level policies (88%, 24%, and 24%, respectively). Program-level policies showed significant gaps in monitoring AI impacts (0%), transparency requirements (6%), and equitable access provisions (12%). Findings reveal substantial disparities between institution and program-level AI governance, with program policies inadequately addressing critical areas including data privacy, bias mitigation, and equitable access.

Multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS) offers a framework for schools to provide equitable learning opportunities. However, implementing MTSS with fidelity can be challenging due to limited resources that many schools experience. As a result, more educators are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) tools as a solution to resource limitations. This article examines how AI tools can strengthen MTSS, specifically, improvements to inclusive practices, data analysis, intervention implementation, progress monitoring, personalized learning, student engagement, and teacher efficiency. The article also examines potential risks related to using AI tools within MTSS such as ethical considerations, data security, data quality, bias potential, financial limitations, and professional development needs. Additionally, practice implications are provided to guide school psychologists in leading responsible AI implementation within MTSS frameworks.

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence in school psychology has created an urgent need for ethical guidance, as practitioners increasingly use AI tools without clear professional standards or institutional policies. This paper applies existing American Psychological Association and National Association of School Psychologists ethical principles to AI-specific challenges in school psychology practice. We examine how fundamental ethical obligations (i.e. beneficence and nonmaleficence, fidelity and responsibility, integrity, justice, and respect for rights and dignity) apply to concerns including algorithmic bias, privacy breaches, professional deskilling, and output inaccuracies. The paper provides comprehensive implementation recommendations for practitioners, trainers and organizations. By grounding AI use in established ethical frameworks, this guidance enables school psychologists to leverage AI benefits while maintaining professional standards, ensuring accurate services, and protecting student welfare in an evolving technological landscape.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to reshape school psychology, with report writing as a primary area of impact. A national sample of school psychologists using AI at work (n = 100) reported on its role in documentation. Of those using AI for report writing (n = 45), most applied it to discrete tasks such as rewriting sections for clarity (69%) or generating recommendations (67%). Far fewer used AI for interpretive or diagnostic purposes, and none relied on it to generate entire reports. Nearly all users (94%) edited AI-generated content before use. On average, practitioners who used AI for report writing saved 6.3 h per week (95% CI: 4.6–8.1), more than double the savings of those using AI for other tasks (≈3 h). AI shows promise for reducing documentation burden and reclaiming time for direct services, though its use raises ethical concerns requiring further guidance and oversight.

School connectedness has been identified as a strong protective factor for student outcomes. While there exists a large body of research on the importance of school connectedness, evaluations of the extant literature on the programs and practices that influence school connectedness are limited. Using the guidelines from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), this systematic review was conducted to synthesize and evaluate the existing research on the programs and practices that are successful at increasing secondary students’ school connectedness. Twenty-three studies were identified that were consistent with the inclusion criteria. Data regarding participant demographics, as well as program descriptions and outcomes, were extracted using a data extraction protocol. Thematic coding was utilized to determine common program features. Results from this review highlight the successful programs and practices that are likely to increase school connectedness for secondary students, such as targeted instruction regarding connectedness and intentional mentorship. Limitations, directions for future research, and implications for practice are discussed.

Anxiety can cause a multitude of negative effects within various facets of a child’s life. Although academic skill-based and therapeutic interventions for reducing test and math anxiety are well-documented, limited research exists on brief, classroom-based techniques to alleviate test anxiety in real-world academic settings. This study investigated the effectiveness of a mindful deep breathing (MDB) exercise as an intervention to reduce test anxiety in middle school settings. Prior to a regularly schedule classroom math exam, 90 sixth graders were randomly assigned to either the MDB intervention or control (e.g. reading a book). Results showed that approximately 2 min of mindful deep breathing significantly decreased self-reported math test anxiety scores prior to the exam (d =.51). Practical implications and future directions are also discussed.

The Mental Health Action Plans (MHAP) Program is grounded in person-centered care planning and was developed to coordinate individualized school mental health services. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to assess student, caregiver, teacher, and school mental health provider perspectives on using the MHAP Program in a suburban, Midwestern middle school through social validity measures, field notes, and qualitative interviews. Two meta-themes developed: (1) There was consistency in defining the purpose of the MHAP Program for each student across participant types and (2) Participants would recommend the MHAP Program to others due to perceived benefits and positive perceptions of the process. By applying the Diffusion Innovation Theory, we describe intervention attributes that could impact future implementation. Limitations and future directions for person-centered school mental health planning are discussed.

This exploratory single-case design study examines the impact of a group counseling program for sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth in a rural middle school (n = 3). Mental well-being was monitored weekly across baseline and intervention phases using measures examining minority stress, psychological symptoms, stress appraisal, and coping. Reliable change index results indicate students experienced increases in mental well-being and decreases in identity-related stressors. Additionally, post-intervention social validity data indicated students found the intervention to be acceptable, felt they belonged, and could trust and be vulnerable in the intervention setting. Findings suggest schools may benefit from providing supportive programming for SGM youth while addressing systemic stressors affecting youth perceptions of school climate and belonging.

The use of self-report measures is an important element in understanding youth mental health, particularly for youth with internalizing problems. Few studies have examined the measurement of internalizing concerns of students employing the dual-factor model of mental health, inclusive of both psychological symptoms and well-being. This scoping review aims to comprehensively organize and examine student self-report measures that have been employed in the school setting using a dual-factor model of mental health to measure internalizing symptoms, well-being, or a combination of both. The systematic search of published studies was conducted across seven interdisciplinary databases to yield 424 included studies for review. Included studies were examined for demographic composition of included studies, how self-report measures were utilized in the study, the constructs being assessed, and characteristics of SRM administration. Results indicate included studies were not representative of population demographics, and few self-report measures assessed both psychological symptoms and well-being with most examining one construct or the other. This scoping review identified numerous self-report measures used in school-based research to capture student internalizing mental health symptoms and well-being and examined both the constructs of such measures and the demographics of the studies utilizing them. Future research and implications for practice are discussed.