Focus
Group Summary
In preparation
for the Futures Conference, a series of focus groups were held at the
2002 NASP convention in Chicago. School psychology practitioners, students,
and trainers were asked to provide information in response to a series
of targeted focus group questions. Over 100 school psychologists provided
responses to the focus group questionnaire. Additionally we have collected
responses from the focus group questionnaire on the Futures Conference
website (http://education.indiana.edu/~futures/question.html).
It should be noted that the opportunity still exists to provide input.
Click on the above link to see a copy of the questionnaire and to contribute
your views. Below is a summarized version of the responses. The complete
compilation of the raw data may be downloaded as an
Excel file (Please note: click on
the tabs on the botton left side of the Excel file---the tabs correspond
to
individual questions on the focus group survey. Julia Rutely of The
University of Alabama compiled and categorized the focus group data).
Academic
Issues
- promote
quality instruction
- accommodate
diverse learner and meet variable needs
- misplaced
emphasis on teaching to the test (high stakes testing)
- academic
performance monitoring
- increase
evidence-based teaching practices (especially reading)
- equal access
to education (equity)
- achieve
balance of academic and social-emotional instruction
- modify rigid
age of entry point to recognize differences in readiness
- prevention/early
intervention
Mental Health
Issues
- public
recognition of mental health as an area of need
- availability
of services (access)
- early intervention/prevention
- coordinated
services/programs
- school psychologist
recognition as mental health provider
- childhood
depression
- respond
to crises
- violence
prevention
- substance
abuse
- promote
social skills
School Issues
- funding
- personnel
shortages (teachers, principals, support personnel)
- quality
personnel
- unfunded
legislative mandates
- create meaningful
benchmarks (meaningful accountability)
- high stakes
testing
- safety
- developmentally
appropriate practices
Family Issues
- bring families
to schools
- build partnerships
with families and schools
- build trust/confidence
in schools
- community
support of families
- parenting
skills
- poverty
- supports
for working poor
- adapt to
new family configurations
- supervision
of children during non-school hours
- help families
access services
- balance
work and family; spending time with children
School Psychology Professional Issues
- role expansion
- change from
eligibility to intervention focus
- help others
understand what we do
- shortage
- practitioners
- shortage
- trainers
- shortage
of available university graduate programs
- increase
pool of students interested in school psychology
- skill deficits
for expanded roles (trainers and practitioners)
- practitioner
shortages leads to overemphasis on assessment
- use of evidence-based
practices
- better integration
of research/practice (research on real needs)
- adequate
funding for graduate students
- access to
programs for less affluent students
Impact of
Shortage
- high student/practitioner
ratios
- unfilled
openings
- use of less
qualified personnel
- shift to
clinical psychologists
- role change
to an emphasis on assessment without intervention
- length of
day has increased
- increased
stress levels for school psychologists
- stains family/school
collaboration
- (about 25%
of respondents said there was no shortage in their district)
Responses
to School Psychologist Shortage
shift away from traditional assessment services to prevention/intervention
models
- increase
number of school psychology graduate programs
- expand existing
training programs to accommodate more students
- aggressively
recruit prospective students (especially diverse students)
- create awareness
of school psychology among high school students
- recruit
international students
- universities
should return to "school" emphasis rather than pediatric/mental
health
- develop
part-time/alternative programs for non-traditional students
- use distance
education technologies to expand training opportunities
promote respecialization opportunities
- encourage
state/federal funding of training programs and students
- explore
junior or senior year entry to graduate programs
- improve
retention of current school psychologists
- work to
understand factors associated with retention
- increase
salaries/incentives
- promote
loan forgiveness programs for service to schools
- lower entry
level to school psychology
- encourage
development of assessment specialists
- develop
public relations campaign
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