School Psychology Practice Research Articles

School psychology in Italy: A mixed-method study of actual and desired roles and functions

Investigating the scope of international school psychology practices may promote and influence the globalization of the profession. Although some extant studies assessed the presence and functions of school psychologists internationally, little research to date has focused on Italy. This nation-wide study provides up-to-date information about how psychological services are provided in Italian schools, what services are rendered, what populations and issues are addressed, and analyzes discrepancies between existing and desired situations. Data from the concurrent triangulation (simultaneous) mixed-method research consisted of results from an online survey of 565 Italian psychological service-providers who work in schools and 33 key informants’ interviews (i.e., school psychologists, regional /national board representatives, stakeholders’ key representatives, policymakers). Results indicated that, in the provision of school psychological services in Italy, individual counseling to students is predominant and school-based psychological helpdesk is the most common form of provision of psychological services. However, the desired service delivery model differs substantially from the reality. Implications for the development of school psychology in Italy, in terms of promoting policy design and providing more structured psychological services in schools, are described.

Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in School Psychology Science and Scholarship: Changing Training and Practice in the Field of School Psychology

The intentional and sustained actions to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in school psychology science and scholarship, will have reciprocal and dynamic influences on graduate preparation and practice. Herein, the School Psychology Review leadership team provides reflections on several of our intentional efforts, to date, to advocate for and advance DEI in school psychology scholarship, and the associated implications for graduate preparation and practice. Contemporary actions of the School Psychology Review leadership team have included; (a) establishing commitments to advocating for and advancing DEI as the foundation of our scholarship; (b) diversifying journal leadership and editorial board members to reflect the diverse student body school psychologists serve; (c) preparing future diverse journal leadership through mentored editorial fellowship programs, and a student editorial board with members from diverse backgrounds; (d) featuring special topics relevant to further understanding and supporting diverse and minoritized children, youth, families, and school communities; (e) providing professional-development opportunities and resources; (f) implementation of Open Science opportunities in the journal, (g) implementing triple anonymous peer review to reduce bias, and (h) implementing a journal action plan focused on advancing DEI. Collectively these efforts are aimed to influence positive change in advancing and sustaining DEI efforts in school psychology science, scholarship, graduate preparation and practice.

Teaching Students to Read: A Call to Action for Social Justice in School Psychology

Although the accurate diagnosis and effective instruction for reading disorders through multi-tiered systems of support is one of the most foundational components of school psychology training and practice, there are significant opportunities for innovation, renewed excitement, and social justice. In this article, we identify reading assessments, interventions, and systems-level policies shown to be effective through rigorous, empirical research. These effective practices are not well known by school psychologists or commonly implemented in schools. We propose four areas to better align school psychology training and practice with the most cutting-edge reading research to improve student outcomes in the future: (a) building knowledge of reading development, (b) increasing the commitment to school-based careers, (c) implementing more instructionally-useful reading screening and special education assessment practices (including using the hybrid model of identification), and (d) promoting evidence-based reading instruction and intervention. Throughout each of these four areas, we highlight the need for multi-disciplinary collaboration.

"Let's talk about it": Black youths' perceptions on the development of a school-based social media campaign.

The increase in social media mental health (MH) campaigns provides an opportunity to improve awareness and attitudes toward MH. However, racial disparities remain in these social media campaigns. Black youth who participated in MH social media campaigns reported lower levels of improvement in stigma and help-seeking than their White peers. We employed a youth participatory action research (YPAR) process to expand on a previous community-wide MH social media campaign (A. Thompson et al., 2021), focusing on a Central Midwest community. We studied Black adolescents' perceptions of MH stigma and help-seeking to determine essential features of a culturally responsive MH social media campaign for Black youth. With a lead youth-research collaborator, the research team designed the following two-staged study. The first stage consisted of four semistructured focus group interviews (FGIs) (N = 20), analyzed by using a rapid analysis strategy to obtain results for the development of the campaign. In the second stage, using YPAR's iterative and action-based process, five youth researchers collaborated with the research team on the campaign's design. Following the two stages, the researcher's thematic analysis resulted in three themes: (a) broadening horizons for campaign designers and MH professionals; (b) considering mistrust of schools and school personnel; and (c) diverse experiences, sustainability, and accessibility in a campaign. Findings indicated that while culturally responsive social media campaigns to promote MH can be designed, mistrust of adults in schools is likely to hinder the impact of such campaigns. Implications for school psychology practice and research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

On (Cognitive) Bias in School Psychology

In this essay, I explore how cognitive bias, rather than racial or ethnic bias, may inhibit the ability of school psychologists to advance social justice through research and practice. I begin with the argument that tests advance the cause of social justice because they define problems (i.e., disparities among groups) in objective, measurable terms. I then argue that, rather than doing the cognitively demanding work of collecting, evaluating and applying scientific evidence to enhance outcomes for all students, school psychologists default to less cognitively demanding strategies (specifically, confirmatory and conjunction biases) to guide how they define and respond to the problem of inequities among groups. I propose that research, practice, and professional education in school psychology would be more likely to advance outcomes for all students if we shift our focus from arguing what could cause disparities among groups to a focus on applying the theories and technologies derived from objective, measurable scientific research.

Exposures for anxiety: A survey of practicing school psychologists

AbstractDespite robust evidence supporting exposure‐based interventions for anxiety disorders in youth, these treatments are often underutilized, implemented with low fidelity, and delivered in an unnecessarily cautious manner. Few studies have examined important implementation variables (e.g., knowledge, training, perceptions) related to using exposures in schools. A national sample of school psychologists (N = 318) working in K‐12 public schools reported on their knowledge, training, perceptions, confidence, and use regarding exposures. Over 50% of respondents reported they do not use exposures. Only slightly more than half of the respondents received training in exposures through graduate coursework. Eighty percent endorsed negative beliefs about exposures, with nearly 50% expressing concern about acceptability of the intervention by parents. Barriers to delivering exposures within schools endorsed included inadequate time (79% of sample), training (61%), and access to training materials (51%). Implications for training, practice, and research in school psychology are discussed.

Effects of portable interventions on school psychologists' graph-rating inconsistency.

The visual analysis of data presented in time-series graphs are common in single-case design (SCD) research and applied practice in school psychology. A growing body of research suggests that visual analysts' ratings are often influenced by construct-irrelevant features including Y-axis truncation and compression of the number of data points per X- to Y-axis ratio. We developed and tested two brief interventions, based on the research in cognitive and visual science, to reduce visual analysts' inconsistency when viewing unstandardized graphs. Two hundred practicing school psychologists visually analyzed data presented on standardized graphs and the same data again on unstandardized graphs. Across all conditions, participants were more willing to identify meaningful effects on unstandardized graphs and rated the data as showing significantly larger effects than on the corresponding standardized graphs. However, participants who answered additional (task-relevant) questions about the level or trend of graphed data showed greater rating consistency across the types of graphs in comparison to participants who answered task-irrelevant but challenging questions or control participants. Our results replicated prior research demonstrating the impact of SCD graph construction on practicing school psychologists' interpretations and provide initial support for an intervention to minimize the impact of construct-irrelevant factors. Limitations and future directions for research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A bioecological systems review of ethical practice in educational and school psychology

ABSTRACT This narrative scoping review examines ethical practice in educational and school psychology from a bioecological systems’ perspective. A search of four databases yielded 34 articles in the final narrative synthesis. Informed by Bronfenbrenner and Morris’ bioecological systems theory, the ethical experiences of educational and school psychologists were analyzed using the concepts of Process, Person, Context and Time. The complexity, intensity and frequency of ethical dilemmas are reviewed in Process. The demand, resource, and force characteristics impacting on psychologists as Person are reviewed. Within Context, studies identified dilemmas that arose for psychologists across systems. In Time, issues including implications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on psychologists’ ethical practice with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence are examined. This paper demonstrates the synergies and the interrelated influences on psychologists’ ethical practices arising from a systematic review of their experiences and their professional training needs.

Moving School Psychology Beyond the Clouds of Injustice: A Blue Sky Discussion

This paper based on the opening address for the 2023–2024 School Psychology Futures Conference, reflects on contemporary inequities in school psychology practice, research, and graduate education. Challenges as the profession reckons with its oppressive past are highlighted. Drawing on concepts from liberation psychology, critical school psychology, and the psychology of radical healing, the author presents a vision for school psychology’s reimagined future with steps that can be executed across all levels (e.g., practice, research, graduate education, advocacy and leadership). In order to imagine a new future for school psychology, we must not repeat the mistakes of our past and instead demonstrate cultural humility, center marginalized communities, and embrace anti-oppressive and liberatory approaches. This will allow school psychology to meet its potential and become a profession that effectively serves ALL children and youth. Impact Statement The 2023–2024 School Psychology Futures Conference had an intentional focus on examining school psychology from a social justice lens. This article critically examines contemporary and historical inequities in school psychology to identify mistakes of the past and applies concepts from liberation psychology, critical school psychology, and the psychology of radical healing to describe a more just future for the profession.

Integration of Religion and Spirituality Into Culturally Responsible School Psychology Practice

Religion and spirituality (RS) are distinct, often overlapping constructs that are deeply meaningful to many people in the United States. In this conceptual review, the importance of RS in school psychology is highlighted based on the Culturally Responsible Dual Factor Model of mental health, which emphasizes well-being along with symptom reduction. Given that RS are positively associated with several measures of well-being and negatively associated with many risky or harmful behaviors, RS can be supported in the school system as a protective factor. Equally important is, through a culturally responsible lens, psychological services can be readjusted to foster a safe school climate for students marginalized based on their religious orientation and provide opportunities for religious students to use their beliefs and communities as a resource. After presenting examples of RS integrated tiered services, recommendations are provided in relation to school psychology training and research. Impact Statement Religion is an essential factor of cultural responsibility due to its substantial influence on the values, beliefs, identity, and behavior of students, families, school personnel, and community members. Fostering spiritual development can be an effective way to promote well-being among students.

Scope of School Psychological Practice in Germany: Part 1

Many countries rely on statements issued by professional associations to delimit the scope of school psychological practice. It is, however, not always clear to what extent these statements match current practices and school psychologists’ self-perception of their professional role, as empirical data is often unavailable or limited. This study aims to address this gap by collecting empirical data on the scope of school psychological practice in Germany. In a mixed method study, we first applied the Delphi technique to develop a questionnaire in collaboration with school psychological experts from different federal states of Germany. Second, we collected information on federal policies through semi-structured interviews with regional experts. Third, we invited a representative sample of school psychologists to complete the questionnaire developed through the Delphi technique. In this first report, we focus on the Delphi procedure and overall results of the survey describing the scope of school psychological practice in Germany at a country-wide level. These findings provide a detailed characterization of the broad and heterogeneous scope providing an evidence-base for future research and political decision-making.

A bibliometric and content analysis of Best Practices in School Psychology.

Best Practices in School Psychology is one of the most influential books in school psychology history. Originally published in 1985 by Thomas and Grimes, it was the first book offered by the National Association of School Psychologists. Its six editions have been revised every 5-8 years. Utilizing Publish or Perish as well as cross-referenced tables of contents from Best Practices, a bibliometric analysis of its 589 chapters and 37 appendices was completed. Results yielded 15,812 citations in Google Scholar-most citations (6,448) stem from its fourth edition, published in 2002. One chapter by Good et al. (2002) was cited more than 400 times, and five other chapters were cited more than 300 times. In all, 42 chapters were cited more than 100 times. Content analysis revealed that most chapters primarily addressed domains reflecting data-based decision making and interventions. The 79 most cited chapters generated almost two-thirds of all citations, and at least one-third of the citations to each of the 10 most cited chapters emerged from student projects, such as theses and dissertations. The editors, authors, and reviewers of Best Practices have produced a massive number of chapters across six editions, and although these publications were initially intended to guide practicing school psychologists, they have had a substantial impact on scholarship, including student projects. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

School Psychology Graduate Students’ Experiences with Ethical Dilemmas: Implications for Training and Practice

Most prior research on the ethical dilemmas in school psychology has focused on certified school psychologists. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to survey school psychology graduate students about their experiences with ethical dilemmas, perceived preparation to respond to ethical dilemmas, responses to ethical dilemmas, and most concerning ethically challenging situations. We also examined differences in preparation and response across background (i.e., degree track, year in program, program NASP approval, ethics training). Results indicated that, although participants generally reported experiencing relatively few ethical dilemmas in the past year, they reported experiencing more ethical dilemmas related to programming and supervision than specific applied skills (e.g., intervention). Most participants reported receiving both formal and informal training, with formal graduate coursework the most frequently reported. Participants generally indicated they were well-prepared to respond to ethical dilemmas, but less so to respond to unethical conduct of those in power (i.e., administrators, supervisors). Implications for training and practice in school psychology are discussed. Our findings suggested that trainers need to facilitate open communication and feedback with students and convey and enact a willingness to listen to students’ concerns and suggestions. Impact Statement School psychology graduate students reported that they experience relatively few ethical dilemmas, but they were more likely to encounter ethical dilemmas related to programming and supervision than applied skills (e.g., intervention), highlighting the importance of systematic planning and reflection in training and applied experiences.

Youth as coresearchers: Social justice means youth as knowledge makers too

Dominant knowledge systems rely on a Western perspective of creating and disseminating new information. These systems marginalize traditional ways of knowing including co-creating knowledge, personal narratives and lived experiences, as well as inherited cultural knowledge. Additionally, Western knowledge systems have centered the White adult male as the primary knowledge creator both through what has been valued in contemporary scientific traditions and culturally in the image of who is considered capable of creating knowledge. Those who do not fit this image have historically been marginalized and exploited in the pursuit of knowledge making including youth and particularly youth with diverse racial/ethnic identities. It is these narrow epistemological systems that have informed school psychology research and practice since its inception. Recent calls for social justice as central to school psychology work have challenged the status quo and emphasized the amplification of marginalized voices in research and practice. Therefore, this article outlines methodologies that subvert more traditional knowledge-making strategies foundational to school psychology work and critiques these to provide guidelines for methodologies that can truly incorporate youth as co-researchers, particularly Black, Indigenous and youth of color within a US context. A case study illustrating the implementation of these guidelines is included.

A call for increasing the use of mixed methods research in school psychology: Introduction to the special issue.

This article introduces the special issue, Using Mixed Methods to Advance Science and Practice in School Psychology. The goals of this special issue are to (a) provide conceptual, theoretical, and practical recommendations for increasing the use and quality of mixed methods research in school psychology and (b) feature studies that use a range of mixed methods designs and analyses. In this introduction, we assert that implementing high-quality mixed methods research can help our field solve urgent, complex problems in schools, yet mixed methods research remains underutilized. We summarize the articles featured in this special issue to help establish the merit of mixed methods research, and we close with a call for increasing the use of mixed methods research in school psychology by: (a) creating a pipeline of researchers trained in mixed methods, (b) bridging mixed method and school psychology research, and (c) increasing funding opportunities that support this research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Commentary: Mixed methods research in school psychology.

This commentary argues that mixed methods research provides an opportunity to advance research and practice in school psychology. This commentary summarizes the four articles featured in the special issue, including identifying fundamental concepts relevant to mixed methods research and common themes that cut across these publications. The commentary also draws readers attention to future directions and the need to advance mixed method and qualitative research in several domains. This includes using more complex mixed methods designs that reflect stronger integration of strands throughout the research process along with leveraging qualitative methods that represent participant views and experiences more fully. In addition, future studies would also benefit from the integration of more complex designs that allow for quantitative and qualitative strands to be joined across the life of a research study, including the use of complex joint displays which can inform theory and practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Virtual Assessment of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in the Schools.

The COVID-19 pandemic placed stress on all aspects of the educational system. Many state departments of education acknowledged the disruption to individualized education program evaluation and implementation but insisted that evaluation timelines and services continue undisrupted. School psychologists were therefore forced to navigate the viability of virtual assessment without established research supporting this type of student evaluation. Formal assessments used in the identification of learning disabilities and other areas of disability were not standardized with virtual administration procedures; however, many test publishers have offered guidelines for online administration. These guidelines may not be suitable for test administration with deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children. Through the presentation of two case studies, this article explores some of the available administration guidelines and evaluates their appropriateness for use with DHH children. Information in this article informs current practice of school psychology in a virtual environment.

Demystifying longitudinal data analyses using structural equation models in school psychology

Structural equation models (SEM) are a method of latent variable analysis that offer a high degree of flexibility in terms of modeling methods for applied research questions. Recent advancements associated with longitudinal SEM have unlocked innovative ways to decompose variance and to estimate mean trends over time (e.g., Allison et al., 2017; Berry & Willoughby, 2017; Hamaker et al., 2015; McArdle & Nesselroade, 2014). However, these longitudinal methods are not necessarily readily accessible to scholars seeking to advance theory and practice in school psychology. Importantly, not all longitudinal data are the same and not all longitudinal SEMs are the same; thus, analytic approaches must be appropriately matched to specific research aims to meaningfully inform school psychology theory and practice. The present article highlights recent advances in longitudinal SEMs, clarifies their similarities to other—perhaps more familiar—methods, and matches their applications to specific types of research questions. The intent of this work is to promote careful thinking about the correspondence between estimands, developmental theory, and practical applications to foster specificity in testing quantitative questions in school psychology research and advance a more rigorous evaluation of longitudinal trends relevant to research and practice in the field.

Early adolescents' perspectives on factors that facilitate and hinder friendship development with peers at the time of school transition

Supportive peer relationships are fundamental for mental health and well-being. Hence, peers and friends are a valuable resource, especially at the time of transition from primary to secondary school. Yet, current literature lacks both novel approaches to studying friendship development and how to involve early adolescents in research that is being conducted about them. Within the present study we used novel participatory research methods involving early adolescents who were active in the analysis of their own generated data. We aimed to better understand their perspectives on factors that facilitate and hinder friendship development with peers during the time of school transition between primary and secondary schools. A total of 916 pupils (Mage = 10.44 years, range = 9–16) participated in 54 participatory workshops that were conducted in Austria. We used reflexive thematic analysis to analyze qualitative data from portions of a large series of participatory workshop activities. Moreover, we actively involved participants in the analysis of their own generated data. Themes were structured into personal, interpersonal, and external factors. We found that early adolescents valued kind peers that (a) give them a feeling of safety, (b) show supportive and empathic actions, (c) manage conflicts, (d) avoid negative behavior, (e) spend time with them, and (f) communicate in the offline and online environments. Although shared norms of behavior can support friendship development, friendship jealousy and tolerating bigger friendship groups were identified as important potential barriers. Additionally, external factors (i.e., given circumstances), such as similarities, physical proximity, and duration of acquaintance were included in our data but were perceived as less important by early adolescents. Our results supplement the existing peer relationship literature by showing which factors early adolescents themselves chose as most relevant for friendship development. We conclude with a discussion regarding the implications for school psychology practice and future research.

Engaging and collaborating with families across multitiered systems of support: Current school psychologists' practices

AbstractThe National Association of School Psychologists emphasizes consultation, collaboration, and family–school–community collaboration as domains within school psychology practice. Family engagement is defined as caregiver participation in children's learning and instruction. While research outlines best practices in engaging and collaborating with families across multitiered systems of support (MTSS), there has been little examination of the current practices of school psychologists within this domain. This study investigated family engagement practices in schools, school psychologists' involvement in these practices, and their perceived effectiveness. Results indicated that while family engagement and problem‐solving consultation methods were used within MTSS, school psychologists were less involved in implementation. Implications and future research are discussed.