School psychology: Professional issues and practices

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the practice and profession of school psychology through a social justice lens. School psychologists strive to promote the welfare of all children and families, and in the absence of socially just learning environments, this goal cannot be fully achieved. Therefore, social justice issues must be studied in tandem with all areas of school psychological service delivery. This book is organized into three main sections containing 14 chapters. The first chapter presents a general overview of the field of school psychology by introducing readers to the National Association of School Psychologists’ Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services. Chapter two describes the history and development of the field. The next three chapters discusses graduate preparation and credentialing, multicultural foundations, and legal and ethical foundations. Chapter six assumes a broad approach to conceptualizing assessment by considering its applications for planning (before intervention), monitoring (during intervention), and evaluating (after intervention) services. Chapter seven describes foundational concepts in intervention, which are important prerequisites for understanding domain-specific interventions (e.g., academic, behavioral, social, and emotional interventions). Chapter eight describes academic assessment and intervention. Chapter nine explores social, emotional, and behavioral interventions. Chapter 10 discusses cognitive assessment in school settings. Chapter 11 and 12 describe services for empowering school personnel and systems to better serve children. These services include consultation, and program evaluation and systems-level reform. Chapter 13 presents emerging issues and anticipates future directions for the field. Topics include personnel shortages, virtual psychological service delivery, and the evolution of professional organizations and standards. Chapter 14 describes considerations for pursuing a career in school psychology. It covers topics such as choosing specialization coursework, selecting mentors, and identifying potential career paths. It also includes resources such as a curriculum vitae development checklist and graduate planning worksheet.