Introduction to School

Psychology
Key Ideas
• By the end of this week, you should be able to answer the
following questions:

• What is school psychology?

• What do school psychologists do? Where do they work?
• Which professional organizations represent school psychology?
• What is the NASP Practice Model? What are its 10 domains?
• How is school psychology different from school counseling (i.e.,
guidance counseling) and clinical psychology?

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School Psychology
• What is school psychology?

• A specialty area of professional psychology in which practitioners are

trained to provide psychological and educational services to children,
families, and schools.

• School psychologists work to promote the academic, social, emotional,

and behavioral well-being of school-age youth.

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School Psychology Professional
Organizations in the U.S.
• National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
• Largest national association of school psychologists (SPs) in the U.S.
• Represents school psychologists who practice at the non-doctoral and
doctoral levels

• American Psychological Association (APA)

• Comprises more than 50 divisions that represent a variety of specialties
in psychology
• Division 16 of the APA represents school psychology specifically
• Represents only doctoral-level school psychologists

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NASP Practice Model
• The Practice Model was developed by NASP and outlines the
major roles and responsibilities of the SP. It comprises two parts:
• Professional practices
• Organizational principles

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Practices that Permeate All Aspects of Service
Delivery
• Domain 1: Data-based Decision Making and Accountability
• SPs use valid and reliable data collection procedures to understand the
strengths and needs of students and systems.
• Domain 2: Consultation and Collaboration
• SPs collaborate with families, teachers, administrators, community
members and others to support positive outcomes for youth.

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Direct and Indirect Services: Student-Level
Services
• Domain 3: Interventions and Instructional Support to Develop
Academic Skills
• SPs support the academic success of students through assessment,
prevention and intervention.
• Domain 4: Interventions and Mental Health Services to Develop
Social and Life Skills
• SPs support the social, emotional, and behavioral well-being of
students through assessment, prevention and intervention.

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Direct and Indirect Services: Systems-Level
Services
• Domain 5: School-wide Practices to Promote Learning
• SPs foster respectful, supportive, and high-quality learning
environments for students.

• Domain 6: Preventive and Responsive Services

• SPs promote protective and adaptive factors that influence student
functioning.

• Domain 7: Family-School Collaboration Services

• SPs work with families to support student success in and out of school.

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Foundations of School Psychological Service
Delivery
• Domain 8: Diversity in Development and Learning
• SPs possess competencies related to serving students and families from
diverse backgrounds.

• Domain 9: Research and Program Evaluation

• SPs possess knowledge and skills related to conducting research and
assessing program outcomes.

• Domain 10: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice

• SPs have knowledge of the field itself and apply legal and ethical
principles to their practice.
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Employment Contexts
• As you can see from Table 1.1 in your textbook, most SPs
practice in public schools, but they can be found in many other
settings.

• One reason that most SPs practice in K-12 schools (public and
private) is that practitioners who work outside of schools often
must have a doctoral degree to do so.

• Most SPs (75%) hold non-doctoral degrees, whereas only 25% of SPs
hold doctoral degrees.

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Professional Activities of School Psychologists

• SPs wear many different hats, as you can see from the NASP Practice
Model.

• However, national data show that SPs spend most of their time
(approximately 50% ) conducting assessments, specifically to
determine students’ eligibility for special education services.

• Note: Special education services are provided only to students with

disabilities. In order for a child to receive special education services,
the school must identify that child as having a disability.

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School Psychology and Related Professions

• How is school psychology different from school counseling?

• School counselors require only 2 years of training (SPs require 3).
• They practice in schools only.

• How is school psychology different from child clinical

psychology?
• Child clinical psychologists hold a doctoral degree.
• They are most often found in hospitals, clinics, and private practice
(but rarely in schools)

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