The School Psychology Shortage and its Impact on Family-Based Programming

Abstract

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) emphasizes the role of school psychologists across a variety of domains, including engaging with families across multiple tiers of support (NASP, 2010a). However, the national school psychology shortage, leading school psychologists to work across various schools, may play a large role in the ability to work with families successfully and provide them with appropriate supports in the school setting. This study investigated the relationship between the current number of schools served by school psychologists, the availability of family-based engagement and intervention programs, and those responsible for implementing such programs. Survey results from 232 practicing school psychologists indicated 75% serve multiple schools. The number of schools served significantly related to the availability of parent education programs in schools, as well as those responsible for implementing parent education, parent involvement, and parent training programs. Other school-based professionals, such as teachers, school counselors, school social workers, and practicum students, were responsible for implementation when school psychologists were serving multiple campuses. Implications for training and future research are discussed.

Appendix

Family Engagement Practices in School Psychology Survey

Demographic Data:

My biological sex is:

• Male

• Female

• Prefer not to answer

My gender is:

• Male

• Female

• Transgender

• Other

• Prefer not to answer

I identify my race as (Please check all that apply):

• White

• Black or African-American

• American Indian or Alaskan Native

• Asian

• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

• Other: Please specify

I identify my ethnicity as:

• Hispanic or Latino

• Non-Hispanic or Non-Latino

• Other: Please specify

I speak more than one language fluently.

• Yes

• No

My highest degree in School Psychology is:

• Master’s degree (M.A. or M.S.)

• Educational specialist degree (Ed.S)/Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS)/Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS)

• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

• Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D)

• Other: Please specify

• I do not have a degree in School Psychology but have a degree in an affiliated field (e.g., School Counseling, Education, Social Work, Child Development)

• I am currently seeking a degree in School Psychology

Are you a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP)?

• Yes

• No

What is your primary job role?

• School psychologist or state equivalent of a school psychologist (e.g., Licensed Specialist in School Psychology in Texas)

• School psychology graduate student/intern

• Director of School Psychology or Psychological Services in a school district

• School counselor

• Behavior interventionist

• Diagnostician

• Psychometrician

• School Psychological Examiner

• Private practice

• Educational consultant

• Special education administrator

• PreK-12 School Principal

• PreK-12 teacher

• University faculty member

• Other- Please specify

I have been practicing school psychology with an appropriate credential for:

• Less than 1 year

• 1-3 years

• 4-6 years

• 7-10 years

• 11-15 years

• 16-20 years

• Over 20 years

How long have you held your job position at the current district/site?

• Less than 1 year

• 1-3 years

• 4-6 years

• 7-10 years

• 11-15 years

• 16-20 years

• Over 20 years

Current School/District Information:

Any information that is provided in this section will remain confidential. This information will used to gather additional demographic information about your district (such as free and reduced lunch status and performance standards).

In which state are you currently employed? (Open text box)

Which district or special education cooperative are you currently employed or practice in? (Open text box)

How would you characterize your school district?

• Urban

• Suburban

• Rural

• Frontier

How would you characterize the racial diversity of the student population in your school district?

• Not racially diverse- primarily Caucasian

• Some racial or ethnic diversity but majority are Caucasian

• Predominantly culturally diverse- majority of students are not Caucasian

How would you characterize the ethnic diversity of the student population in your school district? Ethnicity can be defined as a “social group that shares a common and distinctive culture, religion, or language.”

• Not ethnically diverse (for example, not Hispanic/Latino or another identified subculture such as an immigrant population)

• Some ethnic diversity but predominantly not ethnically diverse

• Predominantly ethnically diverse

• I am unsure of the ethnic make-up of my school district.

How would you characterize the linguistic diversity of the student population in your school district?

• Not linguistically diverse- primarily speak English as a first language

• Some linguistic diversity but the majority speak English as a first language

• Linguistically diverse in the community but not at school- majority of students speak English in the school as a primary language but may speak other languages in the home/community setting

• Predominantly linguistically diverse- majority of students do not have English as a first language

Approximately how many school psychologists does your district or cooperative approximately employ? (Open text box)

How many schools are you responsible for being the provider of psychological services for?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

• 5

• 6 or more

What percentage of time are you employed? (e.g., 50% for part-time, 100% for full-time, etc) (Open text box)

When completing the remainder of the survey, please consider your primary (or one of your primary campus assignments) where you spend the most time completing your job duties.

This school can best be classified as: (check all that apply)

• Early intervention (ages 0-2)

• Early childhood (ages 3-5)

• Elementary (ages 5-11)

• Middle school/junior high (ages 11-14)

• High school (ages 14-18)

• Early adult (ages 18-21)

Families at my school are classified in the following ranges:

• Low socioeconomic status (First quintile or Bottom 20%, approximately $22,000 per year or less of household income)

• Lower-middle socioeconomic status (Second quintile or 20-40%, approximately $23,000-$43,000 per year household income)

• Middle socioeconomic status (Third quintile or 40-60%, approximately $44,000-$72,000 per year household income)

• Upper-middle socioeconomic status (Fourth quintile or 60-80%, approximately $73,000-$112,000 per year household income)

• Upper socioeconomic status (Fifth quintile or Top 20%, approximately more than $112,000 per year household income)

Family Engagement Practices in Assessment.

My school gathers information for all students in a systematic way from teachers and/or student self-report to determine who is at-risk and may need further behavioral intervention (e.g., BASC-3 BESS, Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders, Social Skills Improvement System)

• Yes, for all grade levels

• Yes, for particular grade levels

• No

• Not sure

My school gathers information for all students in a systematic way from parents, caregivers or other family members to help determine who is at-risk and may need further behavioral intervention.

• Yes, for all grade levels

• Yes, for particular grade levels

• No

• Not sure

When a child is initially referred for a special education evaluation, who speaks with the parent (in person or over the phone) about informed consent and the process of the evaluation?

• Myself

• A team of individuals, including myself

• Another school staff member

During the special education initial or triennial evaluation process, I send rating scales home to gather information about the child’s functioning (including behavioral/social/emotional) outside of school.

• Always

• Often

• Sometimes

• Never

During the special education initial or triennial evaluation process, I gather qualitative information from the parents about the child’s functioning outside of school through interviews or qualitative surveys.

• Always

• Often

• Sometimes

• Never

Prior to an IEP meeting, I meet with the parents to discuss my evaluation report, recommendations or services proposed for the child.

• Always

• Often

• Sometimes

• Never

During an IEP meeting, I work collaboratively with the parents to come up with goals, services etc., and utilize their input in these decisions.

• Always

• Often

• Sometimes

• Never

After an IEP meeting, I contact the parents to follow-up and see if there are any additional questions or needs they may have.

• Always

• Often

• Sometimes

• Never

Which assessment related practices do you feel are most important in engaging families? Please check all that apply.

• Gathering information from families at a school wide level to determine students who are at-risk and need further behavioral intervention

• Speaking with parents to discuss informed consent and the process of special education evaluations

• Sending home rating scales to gather data from parents for special education evaluations

• Gathering qualitative data (interviews, additional forms) from parents for special education evaluations

• Meeting with parents prior to the IEP meeting to discuss evaluation report, recommendations or services proposed for the child

• Collaborating with families during the IEP meeting to come up with goals, services etc.

• Contacting parents after the IEP meeting for additional follow-up

Which assessment related practices do you feel are effective in engaging families? Please check all that apply.

• Gathering information from families at a school wide level to determine students who are at-risk and need further behavioral intervention

• Speaking with parents to discuss informed consent and the process of special education evaluations

• Sending home rating scales to gather data from parents for special education evaluations

• Gathering qualitative data (interviews, additional forms) from parents for special education evaluations

• Meeting with parents prior to the IEP meeting to discuss evaluation report, recommendations or services proposed for the child

• Collaborating with families during the IEP meeting to come up with goals, services etc.

• Contacting parents after the IEP meeting for additional follow-up

Family Engagement Practices in Consultation/Collaboration.

Parent Education is defined as the “systematic presentation of information to parents in order to support their efforts and abilities to promote their child’s development” (Hoard and Shepard 2005).

In my school, there is access to parent education programs at the universal level to prevent the future onset of problems.

• Yes

• No

• Not Sure

What types of concerns do your parent education programs currently target? Please check all that apply.

• Reading strategies to support learning at home

• Mathematics strategies to support learning at home

• Written language strategies to support learning at home

• Homework compliance and completion

• Behavior compliance

• General parenting strategies

• Other- Please specify

• None- we do not currently utilize systematic parent education programs

Who implements these parent education programs? Please check all that apply.

• Me

• Another school psychologist in the district

• Practicum students or interns

• General Education Teachers

• Special Education Teachers

• Allied professionals (school counselor, school social worker)

• Community-based professionals that partner within the school

• Other: Please specify

• N/A- We do not have systematic parent education programs in our school.

Where do these parent education programs take place? Please check all that apply.

• In the school building

• At another school in the district

• At a district level building (administration office)

• At a family counseling clinic

• Other- Please specify

• N/A- We do not have systematic parent education programs in our school.

Which parent education practices do you feel are most important in engaging families? Please check all that apply.

• Reading strategies to support learning at home

• Mathematics strategies to support learning at home

• Written language strategies to support learning at home

• Homework compliance and completion

• Behavior compliance

• General parenting strategies

• Other- Please specify

• NA- we do not currently utilize systematic parent education programs

Which parent education practices do you feel are effective in engaging families? Please check all that apply.

• Reading strategies to support learning at home

• Mathematics strategies to support learning at home

• Written language strategies to support learning at home

• Homework compliance and completion

• Behavior compliance

• General parenting strategies

• Other- Please specify

• NA- we do not currently utilize systematic parent education programs

Parent Involvement is defined as “participation of significant caregivers in the educational process of their children in order to promote their academic and social well-being” (Fishel and Ramirez 2005).

In my school, there are established methods for involving all parents within the educational process to support children’s behavioral, social and emotional well-being.

• Yes

• No

• Not Sure

What methods are utilized to involve parents in the educational process? Please check all that apply.

• Making families aware of positive behavior support strategies that are utilized at school

• Sending home regular information through newsletters, websites, or social media

• Meet the teacher events/parent-teacher conferences

• Curriculum nights for parents to learn about the educational curriculum

• Inviting families to school functions regarding behavior

• Asking families for feedback about strategies and policies that are used at school

• Including family members on PBIS or other school-wide behavioral teams or committees

• Including family members on multi-tiered systems of support teams or other school-wide academic teams or committees

• Sharing information and resources with parents about activities they can do at home to promote learning

• Inviting parents to serve on a parent-teaching organization (PTA or PTO)

• Asking parents to volunteer in the classroom or the school

• Other- Please specify

• None- we do not routinely utilize parent involvement methods/programs in our school.

Who implements these parent involvement methods/programs? Please check all that apply.

• Me

• Another school psychologist in the district

• Practicum students or interns

• General Education Teacher

• Special Education Teacher

• Allied professionals (school counselor, school social worker)

• Community-based professionals that partner within the school

• Other: Please specify

• N/A- We do not have parent involvement methods/programs in our school.

Where do these parent involvement methods/programs take place? Please check all that apply.

• In the school building

• Through email or school newsletter

• At another school in the district

• At a district level building (administration office)

• At a family counseling clinic

• Other- Please specify

• N/A- We do not have parent involvement methods/programs in our school.

Which parent involvement practices do you feel are most important in engaging families? Please check all that apply.

• Making families aware of positive behavior support strategies that are utilized at school

• Sending home regular information through newsletters, websites, or social media

• Meet the teacher events/parent-teacher conferences

• Curriculum nights for parents to learn about the educational curriculum

• Inviting families to school functions regarding behavior

• Asking families for feedback about strategies and policies that are used at school

• Including family members on PBIS or other school-wide behavioral teams or committees

• Including family members on RTI or other school-wide academic teams or committees

• Sharing information and resources with parents about activities they can do at home to promote learning

• Inviting parents to serve on a parent-teaching organization (PTA or PTO)

• Asking parents to volunteer in the classroom or the school

• Other- Please specify

Which parent involvement practices do you feel are effective in engaging families? Please check all that apply.

• Making families aware of positive behavior support strategies that are utilized at school

• Sending home regular information through newsletters, websites, or social media

• Meet the teacher events/parent-teacher conferences

• Curriculum nights for parents to learn about the educational curriculum

• Inviting families to school functions regarding behavior

• Asking families for feedback about strategies and policies that are used at school

• Including family members on PBIS or other school-wide behavioral teams or committees

• Including family members on RTI or other school-wide academic teams or committees

• Sharing information and resources with parents about activities they can do at home to promote learning

• Inviting parents to serve on a parent-teaching organization (PTA or PTO)

• Asking parents to volunteer in the classroom or the school

• Other- Please specify

Family/parent consultation is defined as a “structured, indirect, collaborative, problem solving relationship between the consultant and one or more parent consultees” (Guli 2005).

In my school, we utilize family/parent consultation by targeting individual families and collaborating with them when children are experiencing behavioral or emotional difficulties and may require Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions.

• Yes

• No

• Not Sure

What practices are used during family/parent consultation? Please check all that apply.

• Informing parents when their child meets data-based decision rules requiring more behavioral support through Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions

• Inviting parents to planning meetings (e.g., parent conferences, SST meetings) to develop Tier 2 and 3 interventions

• Sharing information with parents about child progress during Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions on at least a weekly basis

• Including parents as part of Tier 2 or 3 interventions (e.g., daily behavior report cards, training parents how to implement interventions at home)

• Utilizing parent data to inform intervention effectiveness

• Gathering additional data from parents regarding home behaviors (e.g., interviews, ongoing consultation, rating scales) to inform intervention

• Assisting parents in developing relationships with community behavioral and mental health supports

• None- we do not use any family/parent consultation methods in our school.

• Other: Please Specify

Who implements family/parent consultation? Please check all that apply.

• Me

• Another school psychologist in the district

• Practicum students or interns

• General Education Teacher

• Special Education Teacher

• Allied professionals (school counselor, school social worker, behavior interventionist)

• Community-based professionals that partner within the school

• Other: Please specify

• N/A- We do not use family/parent consultation methods in our school.

Where does family/parent consultation take place? Please check all that apply.

• In the school building

• On the telephone

• Through email communication

• At another school in the district

• At a district level building (administration office)

• At a family counseling clinic

• Other- Please specify

• N/A- We do not use family/parent consultation methods in our school.

Which parent consultation practices do you feel are most important in engaging families? Please check all that apply.

• Informing parents when their child meets data-based decision rules requiring more behavioral support through Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions

• Inviting parents to planning meetings (e.g., parent conferences, SST meetings) to develop Tier 2 and 3 interventions

• Sharing information with parents about child progress during Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions on at least a weekly basis

• Including parents as part of Tier 2 or 3 interventions (e.g., daily behavior report cards, training parents how to implement interventions at home)

• Utilizing parent data to inform intervention effectiveness

• Gathering additional data from parents regarding home behaviors (e.g., interviews, ongoing consultation, rating scales) to inform intervention

• Assisting parents in developing relationships with community behavioral and mental health supports

• Other: Please specify

Which parent consultation practices do you feel are effective in engaging families? Please check all that apply.

• Informing parents when their child meets data-based decision rules requiring more behavioral support through Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions

• Inviting parents to planning meetings (e.g., parent conferences, SST meetings) to develop Tier 2 and 3 interventions

• Sharing information with parents about child progress during Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions on at least a weekly basis

• Including parents as part of Tier 2 or 3 interventions (e.g., daily behavior report cards, training parents how to implement interventions at home)

• Utilizing parent data to inform intervention effectiveness

• Gathering additional data from parents regarding home behaviors (e.g., interviews, ongoing consultation, rating scales) to inform intervention

• Assisting parents in developing relationships with community behavioral and mental health supports

• Other- Please Specify

Family Engagement Practices in Intervention.

Family intervention can be defined as “a therapeutic process that helps modify individuals’ psychological distress by targeting their interpersonal relationships in the family” (Valdez et al. 2005).

In my school, there is access to family intervention programs when children are experiencing significant behavioral or emotional difficulties.

• Yes

• No

• Not Sure

In my school, referrals for family intervention programs in the community are provided if the school cannot provide them.

• Yes

• No

• Not Sure

What types of family intervention programs are currently available in your school? Please check all that apply.

• Family therapy

• Multisystemic therapy (MST)

• None- We do not use family intervention methods in our school.

• Other- Please specify

Who implements these family intervention programs? Please check all that apply.

• Me

• Another school psychologist in the district

• Practicum students or interns

• Allied professionals (school counselor, school social worker)

• Community-based professionals that partner within the school

• Other: Please specify

• N/A- We do not have family intervention programs in our school.

Where do these family interventions take place? Please check all that apply.

• In the school building

• At another school in the district

• At a district level building (administration office)

• At a family counseling clinic

• Other- Please specify

• N/A- We do not have family intervention programs in our school.

Which family intervention practices do you feel are most important in engaging families? Please check all that apply.

• Family therapy

• Multisystemic therapy (MST)

• Other- Please specify

Which family intervention practices do you feel are effective in engaging families? Please check all that apply.

• Family therapy

• Multisystemic therapy (MST)

• Other- Please specify

Parent training “focuses on systematically teaching parents to implement specific behavior management techniques as a method of reducing a particular childhood problem” (Valdez et al. 2005).

In my school, there is access to specialized parent training programs when children are experiencing significant behavioral or emotional difficulties.

• Yes

• No

• Not Sure

What types of parent training programs are currently available in your school? Please check all that apply.

• Incredible Years Training

• Parent Child Interaction Therapy

• Helping the Noncompliant Child

• Kazdin Parent Management Training

• None- We do not use parent training programs in our schools.

• Other- Please specify

Who implements these parent training programs? Please check all that apply.

• Me

• Another school psychologist in the district

• Practicum students or interns

• Allied professionals (school counselor, school social worker)

• Community-based professionals that partner within the school

• Other: Please specify

• N/A- We do not have family intervention programs in our school.

Where do these parent training programs take place? Please check all that apply.

• In the school building

• At another school in the district

• At a district level building (administration office)

• At a family counseling clinic

• Other- Please specify

• N/A- We do not have parent training programs in our school.

Which parent training practices do you feel are most important in engaging families? Please check all that apply.

• Incredible Years Training

• Parent Child Interaction Therapy

• Helping the Noncompliant Child

• Kazdin Parent Management Training

• Other- Please specify

Which parent training practices do you feel are effective in engaging families? Please check all that apply.

• Incredible Years Training

• Parent Child Interaction Therapy

• Helping the Noncompliant Child

• Kazdin Parent Management Training

• Other- Please specify

Family Engagement Variables.

You indicated that some of the previous family engagement practices, methods and interventions are not being utilized at your school. Please identify the barriers to implementation. Please check all that apply.

• Lack of time

• Lack of financial resources

• Lack of staff to implement these methods/interventions

• Lack of administration buy-in or support

• Lack of teacher/staffbuy-in or support

• Lack of parent interest/attendance/participation

• Lack of training or ongoing professional development to implement these methods/interventions appropriately

• School psychologist is viewed in a limited/traditional role

• Other efforts are seen as more important and are devoted more resources

• Other- Please specify

What additional methods/programs do you utilize to work with families who may be more difficult to engage or partner with in the school setting? Please check all that apply.

• Researching the family’s culture prior to working with the family

• Meeting in a place that may be more comfortable for the family (e.g., church, home)

• Meeting at a time outside traditional school hours to accommodate the family’s schedule (e.g., before 7:30 am, after 4 pm, on the weekends)

• Incorporating other important adults (e.g., extended family, community member, religious figure) in the child/family’s life into family engagement activities

• Providing materials/training in the family’s native language if their predominant language is not English

• Offering a translator/interpreter or translation services if needed

• Providing transportation for family-based activities hosted by the school or district

• Providing meals for family-based activities hosted by the school or district

• Providing childcare for family-based activities hosted by the school or district

• Going to community events to learn more about the culture and population of my school

• Going to community events so parents see me as an active member of the community

• Other- Please specify

What other family engagement methods or programs are utilized in your school that may have not already been asked about? (Open text box)

In some situations, participants may have interesting information to provide beyond the survey. If you would be willing to be contacted by the researchers for further information, please provide your email address. Should you not wish to be contacted, you can leave this section blank.