School Psychology Students Research Articles

Considerations for Research Focused on Minoritized Students in School Psychology

There continues to be a call for research focused on better understanding and supporting the needs of students with minoritized identities. A review of school psychology research reveals that while the field has made strides, there still is an underrepresentation of research in this area. The trend toward centering diversity in research demonstrate efforts within the field to include more representation of minoritized groups despite the lack of diversity plaguing the profession. It is, therefore, vital for researchers to determine whether their practices cause undue harm to students in ways that fail to understand their strengths, muting their voices, and de-centering their experiences. As such, researchers must intentionally and iteratively examine their research aims and methodology to more equitably incorporate diverse student groups in their studies. In this paper, we discuss the significance of how minoritized groups are included (e.g., aggregated) and methodological considerations for advancing singular research methods. We propose the integration of mixed methods research to mitigate the shortcomings of a single method and obtain a more holistic view of students. Together, this is a call of action for researchers to intentionally and more consistently include minoritized students in research in ways that authentically affirm their identities.

Wellness as an Ethical Mandate: Examining the Mental Health, Stress, and Self-Care Practices of School Psychology Graduate Students

Previous literature has found that psychology graduate students experience clinically significant rates of mental health problems. Self-care practices at the individual and program level may help to mitigate these outcomes and benefit student wellbeing. However, minimal research exists about the mental health and self-care practices of school psychology graduate students. The current study examined prevalence rates of anxiety, depression, and stress in a sample of school psychology students (N = 202) as well as self-care utilization and perceptions of programmatic self-care emphasis. Results indicated that most participants reported clinically significant rates of stress, depression, and/or anxiety. In contrast to prior findings, participants who identified with minoritized identities did not report significantly different rates of mental health outcomes. Correlational analyses revealed significant negative relationships between participants’ self-care utilization and mental health outcomes, and between perceived programmatic emphasis on self-care and participants’ mental health outcomes. Coding of open-ended survey responses identified barriers to and facilitators of participants’ self-care and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on participants’ mental health. Findings highlight that school psychology students face significant threats to their mental health throughout training and indicate that encouraging self-care practices may support student wellbeing. Implications for training and future research are discussed. Impact Statement This study found that most of the school psychology graduate student sample reported clinically significant levels of stress, depression, and anxiety and that rates did not differ significantly across student subgroups. Additionally, results indicated individual use of self-care strategies as well as a broader emphasis on implementation of self-care across programs were positively related to students’ wellbeing. Barriers and facilitators of self-care services, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, were also explored. The results of this study contribute to our knowledge of school psychology graduate trainees’ experiences of stress and mental health challenges during their training, as well as offer practical steps for graduate programs to implement wellbeing supports desired by their students.

Reputable and affordable programs with a strong commitment to diversity: Factors influencing school psychology student admission decisions.

A current issue in the field of school psychology is the extreme shortage of school psychologists, and this is likely to persist in the future. Effective recruitment into school psychology programs is one of the most important strategies to increase the number of school psychologists. Within the present study, researchers created the Graduate Enrollment Admissions Rating Scale (GEARS), a survey measuring several different factors that school psychology students consider when applying to graduate programs, to determine what factors contributed to school psychology students' choice of program. The GEARS was sent via email to current school psychology graduate students. Overall, current students rated program quality, including faculty friendliness, as the most important factor influencing their decision. Second, considerations reflecting the program cost were influential. Diversity issues were the third most important factor in students choosing their school psychology programs. Costs and research/teaching opportunities were more important in the recruitment of doctoral students than specialist students, but specialist students valued convenience of a program more than doctoral students. Results of this study suggest that faculty members in charge of recruiting need to consider ways to manage tuition costs, develop relationships with future students, and strive toward high-quality programs as the best ways to increase the likelihood that students will attend their university. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Women of color and the hidden curriculum of school psychology doctoral programs

Doctoral training programs educate future practitioners, scholars, and researchers. They therefore are an important site of inquiry for critical school psychologists interested in interrogating and confronting the inequities that exist within the field. We conducted four focus groups with 15 Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color (BIWOC) students in various APA-accredited school psychology Ph.D. programs to understand how they experienced their programs. We argue that the programs delivered a hidden curriculum to the participants through various socializing, vicarious, and disciplinary events, in addition to the official curriculum delivered to all students. Data analysis indicated that the hidden curriculum was delivered in four settings and consisted of six lessons, including (a) you do not belong here, (b) you cannot be trusted, (c) you are on your own, (d) you are not safe here, (e) you are a token, and (f) you will only get performative allyship from us. We discuss each of these lessons and contemplate on ways in which programs and faculty can combat their deleterious impact on the students.

Introduction to the Special Issue–School psychology and Indigenous Peoples: Critical Perspectives and Indigenous-led Approaches

This issue of the Canadian Journal of School Psychology is the first of two parts of a special issue devoted to the intersection of school psychology and Indigenous Peoples within the Canadian context. Given the limited existing literature that is squarely focused on this intersection, the articles in these two issues are collectively a substantive academic contribution to school psychology educators, practitioners, researchers, and students. These articles challenge mainstream practice, training, ethics, and intervention approaches within school psychology, while also describing exemplary collaborations with Indigenous communities and advancements in Indigenizing and decolonizing school psychology training and practice.

Increasing the recruitment and retention of REM students within school psychology: The potential of diversity committees

AbstractRacially and ethnically minoritized (REM) youth have been historically underrepresented in the field of school psychology due, in part, to poor program climate. Numerous strategies to increase the recruitment and retention of REM school psychology students have been put forth. Despite this, concerns regarding program climate remain and calls for the increased diversification of the field continue. The purpose of this article is to put forth the use of diversity committees (DCs) as a way to increase the recruitment and retention of REM students within school psychology. We present two case examples of DCs implemented in school psychology graduate programs. We conclude with implications, as well as future research needs as it relates to the examination of effectiveness and implementation of DCs.

Perceptions of Poverty across Three Disciplines at One Urban University

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore college students’ perceptions of poverty and if a change in these perceptions occurred from the beginning to the end of the semester. Self-reported perceptions of people in poverty were provided by 112 undergraduate education majors and graduate level sociology and school psychology majors. Results indicated that undergraduate students had more negative perceptions, while school psychology students had the least negative perceptions. Results suggest that all students, regardless of course of study, require more intensive training in the needs of diverse students and students living in poverty, including authentic experiences and direct instruction.

The Results of a Federally Funded Long-Term Consultation Training Model

ABSTRACT For over 10 years, and prior to the release of the 2020 NASP standards, school psychology faculty at California State University, Long Beach have sought to broaden the training and preservice experiences of our students in consultation and systems change. The coauthors sought and obtained federal funding to provide scholarships for our students to engage in extensive readings, discussions, and fieldwork activities that went beyond our core program to increase students’ skill development and confidence in promoting a multitiered system of support (MTSS). Simultaneously, we sought to recruit, retain, and graduate more diverse school psychology students. Our nontraditional training and recruitment activities as well as the short- and long-term outcomes of this project are described. The results of this initiative include a significant increase in diverse school psychologists, curriculum changes to incorporate training grant opportunities for all program students, and alumni who report competence in engaging in consultation at the systems-level.

School Mental Health Trainees’ Perceptions of a Virtual Community-Based Partnership to Support Black Youth

This phenomenological study used individual interviews with ten graduate students in school counseling and school psychology to understand their experiences in a University-Church service-learning partnership to support PreK–12th grade youth in response to COVID-19. Most graduate participants identified as White/Non-Hispanic, and all youth served identified as Black. Hence, the study’s purpose was to examine participants’ (a) general perceptions of the program and (b) perceptions of how the program contributed to their multicultural competence and social justice-orientation. Findings reflect two broad themes for research aim one: (a) adaptive and holistic direct intervention skill development and (b) presence and connection with marginalized youth. Four broad themes emerged relative to research aim two: (a) multicultural attitudes and beliefs development, (b) multicultural knowledge development, (c) multicultural skill development, and (d) advocacy and allyship relative to social justice practice. Recommendations for school mental health training programs are offered. Impact Statement School psychology training programs have historically utilized community-based service-learning opportunities to cultivate graduate students’ multicultural competence and social justice-orientation. However, few studies have examined outcomes associated with service-learning training initiatives using online didactic training, telesupervision, and experiential learning through telehealth service delivery. Because COVID-19 has resulted in graduate programs exploring remote methods of training mental health trainees, key findings illustrate the benefits of virtual service-learning opportunities for facilitating school mental health trainees’ (including school psychology graduate students) capacity to provide accessible (i.e., telehealth), culture-centered academic, social–emotional, and behavioral support for minoritized families.

Correction to: An Exploratory Study of School Psychology Students’ Perceptions of Religious and Spiritual Diversity Training in their Graduate Programs

Correction to: An Exploratory Study of School Psychology Students’ Perceptions of Religious and Spiritual Diversity Training in their Graduate Programs

An Exploratory Study of School Psychology Students' Perceptions of Religious and Spiritual Diversity Training in their Graduate Programs.

Religiosity and spirituality are essential aspects of individuals’ cultural identities. However, the field of school psychology has generally avoided in-depth discussion regarding the implications of religious/spiritual diversity within the context of multiculturalism and culturally responsive practice. One aim of this study was to examine school psychology students’ perceptions of their current training relative to religious and spiritual diversity, because graduate training is critical for helping emerging practitioners develop attitudes, knowledge, and skills to employ culturally responsive services. Results showed that students received limited preparation and explicit teaching to address issues related to religious and spiritual diversity; and programs most frequently addressed disability diversity, socioeconomic diversity, and racial/ethnic diversity. Furthermore, the participants most frequently identified practicum experiences as facilitating their capacity to respond to religious and spiritual diversity in their professional practice. Key results suggest that school psychology graduate students may benefit from more explicit instruction during their graduate training to respond to religion and spirituality as aspects of cultural diversity in their professional work.

Recruitment and retention of bilingual graduate students in school psychology: Efforts and challenges in increasing professional diversity

The main goal of this paper is to illustrate recruitment efforts, strategies, and challenges in the process of training bilingual school psychologists to serve diverse schools. First, we address the acute and chronic shortage of bilingual school psychologists in the United States, particularly in urban schools where student populations are increasingly diverse. Then we provide a review of strategies and efforts to recruit and retain bilingual graduate-level learners in one school psychology program in an urban university. Quantitative data regarding recruitment and retention efforts are discussed. We identify challenges and future directions to increase diversity in the field of school psychology.

Student perspectives on recruiting and orienting prospective school psychology trainees.

This study investigated current school psychology students' perspectives on recruiting and orienting prospective trainees to the profession. Two hundred sixty-two student members of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) responded to two open-ended survey items regarding: (a) information they wished they had known prior to beginning their training and (b) their beliefs about effective recruitment practices for increasing racial and ethnic (R/E) diversity in the profession. Qualitative analyses revealed that approximately one-third of participants from R/E minoritized backgrounds reported wishing they had known more about the roles and functions of school psychologists. Participants also generated a wide range of potentially valuable recruitment strategies. Implications for improving recruitment practices are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Behavior Analytic Skills Training in School Psychology Programs

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) has played an important role in the practice of school psychology. Despite the field’s expectation of school psychologists to effectively address student behavior, little attention has been placed on the development of school psychology graduate students’ training in ABA. An extensive review was undertaken to assess the amount and content of required ABA coursework in school psychology training curricula. Findings, discussed within the context of meeting the training needs of school psychology students, indicated that the majority (77%) of programs offered only one or no course focused on ABA knowledge and skills. Content focus varied between specialist level and doctoral level programs.

Knowledge of Trauma-Informed Care Among Graduate Students in School Psychology

Current research highlights the need for trauma-informed care within schools, yet the literature suggests that many practicing school psychologists feel underprepared to engage in such practices. Very few studies have examined the preparedness of school psychology graduate students to engage in trauma-informed care practices. This is unfortunate, as school psychologists are uniquely prepared to play a central role in trauma-informed school-based practices. In the current study, graduate students in school psychology programs in the Northeastern United States completed an online survey examining their knowledge, beliefs, competencies, and anticipated preparedness and willingness to engage in trauma-informed practices within the schools. Most participants felt minimal to adequate preparedness to engage in trauma-informed care practices. Implications for graduate training and field-based work are discussed.

Interprofessional Experience for Future Education Professionals: School Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology Students

Educational training programs are tasked with addressing potential barriers to interprofessional practice through experiences that promote interprofessional collaborations. The present study of interprofessional experiences (IPE) had both research and pedagogical purposes. The research purpose was to describe graduate student self-perceptions related to interprofessional teaming/collaboration before and after an IPE involving two educational training programs, school psychology and speech-language pathology. The pedagogical purpose was to convey a detailed description of a case-based IPE offered as a course assignment and offer implementation suggestions. Participants in this course-based IPE were 109 students in the school psychology and speech-language pathology graduate programs at a medium-sized midwestern university over a four-year period. Students in both programs engaged in the IPE as part of a graded class assignment involving case studies. Pre- and post-IPE surveys were used to determine changes in students’ perceptions of their own profession and training, others’ professions, and collaboration and teaming. Results indicated that the perception of students from both programs significantly improved following the IPE. Improved perceptions of collaboration, teaming, and one another’s professions were sustained over four years of implementation. Implications for research, practice, and training are discussed.

Going Digital to Address the School Psychologist Shortage.

Given the shortage of school psychologists, especially in rural areas, school psychology programs are beginning to emerge that provide students with the opportunity to attend classes through distance education (DE) methods (i.e., virtually). Despite many school psychology students and faculty holding negative perceptions of DE methods, the use of DE is expanding within the field of school psychology. This article provides an overview of existing DE programs and existing DE research, specific to school psychology, followed by a brief history of a DE option at Stephen F. Austin State University that began in Fall 2018. Solutions to common issues encountered with DE are also presented.

A Case Study Exploration into the Benefits of Teaching Self-Care to School Psychology Graduate Students

It has long been established that school psychology practitioners experience high levels of burnout. As a means of preventing burnout among future practitioners, school psychology training programs are frequently encouraged to teach and model self-care to students. This is particularly important as the current generation of graduate students experience high levels of anxiety and depression, but there have been very few examples in the research literature of how training programs should teach self-care and whether it is actually effective. The current study presents results from an exploratory case study, which integrated self-care instruction into graduate school psychology curriculum with a small sample (N = 22) of first-year school psychology students across two separate cohorts. Students created written plans with self-care strategies that they attempted to implement over the course of their first semester in graduate school. A qualitative review of their plans and written reflections revealed that students described many sources of stress upon entry into training, and most needed to revise their strategies for coping as stresses changed during the semester. Overall, student reflections revealed that the self-care activities were helpful to meet the demands of their graduate education.

Training Experience in the US School Psychology Program: Understanding Asian International Students' Assets, Challenges, and Coping.

To address the rapidly increasing demand for culturally and linguistically diverse school psychologists and training needs for international school psychology students in the USA, this study was grounded in the risk and resilience framework and used semi-structured interviews to explore the nuanced experiences of Asian international trainees in school psychology programs in the USA. Participants included 11 Asian international students who were enrolled in or recently graduated from school psychology programs in the USA. Thematic analysis revealed that Asian international school psychology students identified some assets they have brought to the program, including their diverse perspectives and experiences, awareness and commitment to social justice, and the potential to diversify the school psychology workforce. Participants also identified several challenges they were facing, such as acculturative stress, microaggression and discrimination, training program–related issues, and working restrictions related to their visa status. Moreover, they identified some effective strategies (i.e., seeking resources and increasing internal strengths) they have used to cope with these challenges. The findings provide important implications for school psychology graduate programs in the USA to improve the training experiences and training outcomes for international students from Asia and other countries.

Preparation of School Psychologists to Support Black Students Exposed to Police Violence: Insight and Guidance for Critical Training Areas

The extrajudicial killing of Black people, particularly unarmed Black boys and men, at the hands of police is one of the most pressing social and racial justice issues in the USA. The awareness of, and indirect exposure to, police killings of Black people has a detrimental impact on the academic achievement, school attendance, mental health, and social development of Black children and youth. Despite this, there has been silence from the school psychology profession regarding police violence against Black people and ways to provide school-based support to Black children and youth who are exposed to such violence. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore school psychology students’ and school psychologists’ knowledge about police violence against Black people, their experiences with graduate education preparation for providing professional support to Black students who are exposed to police violence against Black people, and their perceptions of training areas in which school psychology programs could improve. Findings indicated that participants gained knowledge about police violence against Black people from multiple sources, including personal and professional experiences; few discussed police violence or Black Lives Matter specifically in their programs; none had specific training to support Black students exposed to police violence against Black people; and most recommended programs improve multicultural training.