SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY:
A Career That Makes a Difference
© 2010 National Association of School Psychologists
PRESENTER:
If you want to …
• Help children reach their potential
• Promote children’s mental health and
academic competence
• Work collaboratively with parents, school
staff, and community agencies for children
• Have a variety of career options, including
working in schools or as a professor or
researcher in a university setting
then…
School Psychology could be the career
for you!
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Who are school psychologists?
School Psychologists understand
that all children learn when given:
• Adequate supports and resources
• Recognition of their individual needs
• Connection to and trust in adults
• Affirmation of their cultural and individual
distinctiveness
• High expectations and encouragement
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School Psychologists link mental
health to learning and behavior to
promote:
• High academic achievement
• Positive social-emotional skills and
behavior
• Healthy relationships and connectedness
• Tolerance and respect for others
• Competence, self-esteem, and resilience
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When do children need a
School Psychologist?
Learning difficulties
Behavior concerns
Problems at home or with peers
Depression and other mental health issues
Coping with crisis, transitions, or any other
life changing event
• Coping with poverty, violence and other
environmental stressors
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What is the role of a
School Psychologist?
• Assessment for educational planning (e.g.,
academic skills, behavior and social-emotional
development, special education eligibility)
• Consultation with school and community
• Prevention
• Intervention
• Staff, parent, and student education
• Research and program development
• Advocacy
• Systems change
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Where do School Psychologists
work?
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Public and private schools
Colleges and universities
Institutional/residential facilities
Criminal justice system
Community mental health centers
Public agencies
Pediatric clinics and hospitals
Private practice
Test and curriculum publishing companies
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What are some reasons people
choose school psychology as a career?
“I wanted a career that focused on youth advocacy
in the schools but would allow me to integrate my
passion for cultural awareness, equity and diversity
into the school community.”
--Christina Noel, School Psychologist, Dartmouth, MA
Why We Need You:
Current Demographics
Demographic Variable*
U.S. Population
(2007)
School
Psychologists
(2005)
Female Gender
50.7%
74.0%
White/Caucasian
66.0%
92.6%
Latino
15.1%
3.0%
Black
12.3%
1.9%
Asian American/Pacific Islander
4.4%
0.9%
Indigenous American
0.8%
0.8%
Other
1.4%
0.8%
*Race categories exclude persons
of Latino ethnicity
Percentages are based
on data from the U.S.
Census Bureau (2007).
Curtis et al. (2008)
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Diversity in the Workforce Needed
“The field of school psychology has been
largely Caucasian throughout its history…
Although individuals from diverse ethnic
backgrounds and those fluent in languages
other than English continue to be seriously
underrepresented in the field, many
school psychologists work in settings in
which they serve an increasingly diverse
student population.”
(Curtis, Grier, & Hunley, 2004, p. 52)
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Greater Number of Bilingual
School Psychologists Needed
• 10.8 million children in U.S. public schools speak a language
other than English at home, and 25% of them speak English with
difficulty (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2008).
• 11% of NASP regular members are fluent in a language other
than English (NASP, 2008).
• Of 30 languages reported by NASP regular members, the top 3
are Spanish (48%), French (13%), and American Sign Language
(8%) (NASP, 2008).
• 55% of the NASP members who are fluent in a language other
than English provide psychological services to students/families
in that language (Curtis et al., 2008).
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Real Challenges:
You can make a difference
• Asian Americans speak more than 100 languages, and
40% of Chinese American households are linguistically
isolated, as the only or one of few households in a
district that speak their perspective language
• About 1 out of 2 Asian Americans have difficulty
accessing mental health treatment due to limited
English ability—approximately 70 providers for every
100,000 in need (SAMHSA, 2008)
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Real Challenges:
You can make a difference
• Black children are over 4 times more likely to be
identified for special education programs based on
intellectual limitations or emotional disabilities
• A Black male born in 2001 has a 1 in 3 chance of
going to prison in his lifetime, and his female
counterpart has a 1 in 17 chance—up to 5 times
more likely than other cultural groups
(Children’s Defense Fund, 2007)
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Challenges (continued)
• 1 in 4 Latino children are born into poverty and are
therefore 3 times more likely to drop out of school
• 16% of Latino 4th graders are reading at grade level,
and 15% are performing at grade level in math
(Children’s Defense Fund, 2007)
• Youth aged 12-17 who identify as two or more races
have a Major Depressive Episode rate almost twice
as high as single race youth—13% (SAMHSA, 2008)
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Challenges (continued)
• Indigenous Americans aged 12-17 experience about
twice the overall rate of illicit drug use for all
youth—18.7% (SAMSHA, 2008)
• 18% of Indigenous American students have been
retained in the same grade at least once, compared
to 17.5% of Black students, 13.2% of Latinos, and
9.3% of Whites (Children’s Defense Fund, 2007)
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School Dropout Rates
Race/Ethnicity*
Percentage
of Students (2006)
Latino
22.1%
Indigenous American
14.7%
Black
10.7%
White/Caucasian
5.8%
Asian American/Pacific Islander
3.7%
Other
7.0%
*Race categories exclude persons of Latino ethnicity
(U.S. Department of Education,
National Center for Education
Statistics, 2008)
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Where do most children and
families receive support?
• Of the average 3.3 million youth age 12-17 who need
specialty mental health and education services a year,
about 3 million of them receive only school-based care
(SAMHSA, 2008)
School Psychology May Be a Key Part of the Solution—But
We Need Your Help.
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Importance of Diversity in
School Psychology
• School Psychologists serve an increasingly diverse
student population (Curtis et al., 2004).
• There is a wide gap between ethnic and linguistic
diversity of School Psychologists and students (Curtis et
al., 2008).
• People of color often express preference for therapists
of the same background (Whaley, 2001).
• More than one third of School Psychologists receive only
one or no diversity training experiences (Loe & Miranda,
2005).
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Children and families from all
backgrounds need to be supported
by School Psychologists who
understand their experiences,
beliefs, and concerns.
“As a Diné (Navajo) School Psychologist, I am
working back in my ancestral homeland with my
people, using my cultural knowledge and
indigenous language to provide a diverse service
delivery. I am making a difference by being
accessible.”
--Elvina Charley, EdS, School Psychologist,
Chinle, AZ
(Rosebud Lakota Flag,
2007)
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Career Opportunities
• Ethnically and linguistically diverse
practitioners are underrepresented in the
field (Curtis et al., 2004).
• Excellent employment outlook. Shortage
of almost 15,000 school psychologists by
2020; ongoing shortage of university faculty
(Curtis et al., 2004).
• School Psychology named one of the “Best
Careers for 2009” by U.S. News and World
Report (Wolgemuth, 2008)
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Salaries of School Psychologists
• Practitioners: Mean = $62,513
• University Faculty: Mean = $65,398
• Top salaries exceed $100,000.
• Salaries vary by state and region.
(Curtis et al., 2007)
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School Psychology
A Great Career Choice
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Work with children who need you
Help parents and educators
Enjoy a flexible school schedule
Have a variety of responsibilities
Receive training in useful skills
Choose from a variety of work
settings
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So how do I become a
School Psychologist?
Undergraduate Training
• Consider an education, psychology,
or related undergraduate major
• Take courses in
»
»
»
»
»
»
»
Child development
General and child psychology
Statistics, measurement, and research
Philosophy and theory of education
Instruction and curriculum
Special education
Ethnic studies or cultural diversity
• Complete a Bachelor’s degree
program
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Graduate Training
Degree Options
• Education Specialist
» In most states, certification as a School
Psychologist requires training at the specialist
level.
» Specialist-level training includes 60 graduate
semester credits in school psychology
» Specialist-level degrees can be identified by
several acronyms, including Educational
Specialist (EdS), Master’s (MA, MS, MEd),
Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies
(CAGS/CAS), etc.
- or • Doctorate (PhD, PsyD or EdD)
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Applying to a Graduate Program
• GRE: Graduate Record Exam
» Some programs may require the GRE—Psychology
• Undergraduate transcripts
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement(s)
• Practice or research interests
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NASP Minority Scholarship
Program
• To foster diversity among professional
school psychologists, NASP offers annual
$5,000 scholarships to CLD students
pursuing careers in school psychology
• Only students who are NASP members and
pursuing specialist-level graduate training
in school psychology are considered for the
award
• For more information or an application, see
www.nasponline.org/about_nasp/minority.
aspx
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QUESTIONS?
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Interested in a School Psychology Career?
• Visit NASP’s Facebook Page
• Become a NASP Student Associate
Member and receive access to all
member benefits.
• For membership benefits and
enrollment information link to:
www.nasponline.org/membership/benefits.aspx
References
Children’s Defense Fund. (2007). A report of the Children’s Defense Fund:
America’s cradle to prison pipeline. Washington, D.C.
Curtis, M. J., Grier, J. E. C., & Hunley, S. A. (2004). The changing face of
school psychology: Trends in data and projections for the future. School
Psychology Review, 33, 49-66.
Curtis, M. J., Hunley, S. A., & Grier, J. E. C. (2004). The status of school
psychology: Implications of a major personnel shortage. Psychology in the
Schools, 41, 431-442.
Curtis, M. J., Lopez, A. D., Batsche, G. M., Minch, D., & Abshier, D. (2007,
March). Status report on school psychology: A national perspective. Paper
presented at the annual convention of the National Association of School
Psychologists, New York City.
Curtis, M. J., Lopez, A. D., Castillo, J. M., Batsche, G. M., Minch, D., & Smith,
J. C. (2008). The status of school psychology: Demographic characteristics,
employment conditions, professional practices, and continuing professional
development. Communiqué, 36, 27-29.
Loe, S. A., & Miranda, A. H. (2005). An examination of ethnic incongruence in
school-based psychological services and diversity-training experiences
among school psychologists. Psychology in the Schools, 42, 419-432.
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References
National Association of School Psychologists. (2008). [Fluency in and use of
languages other than English among NASP members.] Unpublished data
from the 2004-05 NASP Membership Survey.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2008). Results
from the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National
findings (DHHS Publication No. SMA 08-4343). Rockville, MD: Author.
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. (2007). Annual estimates of the
population by sex, race, and Hispanic origin for the United States: April
1, 2007 to July 1, 2007 (NC-EST2007-03). Washington, DC: Author.
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.
(2008). The condition of education 2008 (NCES 2008-031). Washington,
DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Whaley, A. L. (2001). Cultural mistrust and mental health services for
African Americans: A review and meta-analysis. Counseling Psychologist,
29, 513-531.
Wolgemuth, L. (2008, December 11). The 30 best careers for 2009. U.S.
News & World Report.
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For More Information Contact:
National Association of School Psychologists
www.nasponline.org/about_sp/spsych.aspx
(301) 657-0270
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