Will The Real School Psychologist Please Stand Up: Is The Past a Prologue for the Future of School Psychology?

Abstract

At the 1978 NASP Convention, as the profession was approaching the 80s, three leaders in the field of school psychology offered their views on entry level to the profession and other crucial topics. These included accreditation, relationships with special education, school psychologists' salaries, and emerging roles. This article is an edited version of the author's current opinions and interpretations of issues discussed in 1978. In 1992, and in 1994 when the presentation was edited, it appears that many of the previous predictions materialized including: (a) most school psychologists would rather have doctoral degrees, which are increasingly being provided by innovative programs for working practitioners; (b) the medical model is still rarely applied appropriately and still has many adherents; (c) the special education juggernaut has developed a strangle-hold on school psychologists' functioning; (d) we have failed to protect practitioners from teacher salary schedules; (e) most school psychologists are prevented from moving into administration positions; (f) although trained to be “resident intellectuals,” most school psychologists are prevented from applying their full range of abilities and skills; and (g) the problem of nonbiased assessment still plagues the field without the development of any valid set of measures to significantly improve the education of minority children.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Irwin A. Hyman

Irwin A. Hyman, EdD, is Professor of School Psychology at Temple University. In the 1960s and 1970s he published widely about professional issues. Research interests include school and parental discipline, school violence, posttraumatic stress disorder, and social policy towards youth misbehavior.

Karen Kaplinski

Karen Kaplinski is completing her doctoral studies in school psychology at Temple University and is Associate Professor of Education and Psychology at Bucks County Community College. Her professional interests include assessment and treatment of preschool and autistic children.