1

The Changing Face of School Psychology: Past, Present and

Future

Michael J. Curtis

2

A Historical Perspective

Demographic Characteristics– Gender– Ethnicity– Preparation– Credentialing– Age– Experience

3

A Historical Perspective (cont’d)

Professional Practices– Initial Special Education Evaluations– Special Education Reevaluations– Percent Time in Spec. Education-Related Activities– Consultation– Counseling– Student Groups– In Service Programs

4

A Historical Perspective (cont’d)

Conditions for Professional Practice

-Ratio of Students to School Psychologist

-Supervision

5

Demographic Characteristics

6

Gender

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

1969-70 1980-81 1989-90 1999-2000

Male

Female

7

Gender for University Faculty

80

18

49 51

0

20

40

60

80

1969-70* 1999-00

% Male

% Female

*As reported; does not equal 100%

8

Ethnicity

1980-81 1989-90 1999-2000

African-American 1.5% 1.9% 1.9%

Caucasian 96% 93.9% 92.8%

Native American/

Alaskan Native <1% 1.1% 0.6%

Asian/Pacific Is. <1% 0.8% 0.6%

Hispanic 1.5% 1.5% 3.1%

Other <1% 0.9% 0.9%

9

Minority Representation: Enrollment in Training Programs vs Total Field

6.1

12.8

7.2

17

0

5

10

15

20

89-90/86-87 99-00/96-97

% Field

% Programs

10

Level of Preparation by Degree

0

20

40

60

80

100

1969-70 1980-81 1989-90 1999-00

Masters

Specialist

Doctorate

11

Preparation: Specialist Level* or Higher

0102030405060708090

1969-70 1980-81 1989-90 1999-00

Less than Specialist

Specialist or Above

*60 Graduate Semester Hours

12

Level of Preparation: Entry to Practice and to Present

74

76

78

80

82

84

86

88

At Entry To Present

Graduate Hrs

+7.7

13

State Credentials

0

20

40

60

80

100

1989-90 1999-2000

Certification

Licensure

14

Credentials & Practice Settings

For 23.2%, certification allows practice outside the school setting

For 73.9%, licensure allows practice outside the school setting

15

Percent Holding Doctoral & Non-Doctoral License

11.3

17.8 17.4 17.7

0

5

10

15

20

Doctoral Non-Doctoral

1994-95

1999-2000

16

Primary Employment Setting

Public Schools: 77.5% Private Schools: 6.8% University: 6.3% Private Practice: 4.3% Hospital/Medical: 0.9% State Department: 0.8% Other: 3.5%

17

Private Practice

Primary Employment Setting: 4.3%

32 Hours or More per Week: 1.5%

18

Mean Age

38.8

45.2

34

36

38

40

42

44

46

1980-81 1999-2000

Years

19

Percent Age by Category

0

10

20

30

40

50

1989-90 1999-2000

<40

>50

20

Mean Years of Total Experience

10.9

16.7

0

5

10

15

20

1980-81 1998-99

Years

Total= School Psychology & Education

21

Twenty or More Years Experience

10.2

20.7

0

5

10

15

20

25

1989-90 1999-2000

Percent

22

Age and Experience

Mean Years for both Age and Experience are Higher for University Faculty than for Practicing School Psychologists

14/46 (30.4%) positions vacant 2002-03

23

Projected Retirements

State-by-State Survey (Thomas, 2000)-End of 1998-99 Academic Year

Median = 12 Yrs/Mean = 14 Yrs Estimated to Retirement

50%+ Retirements in 27 States by 2012

24

Projected Retirements at 30 Years of Experience by Degree

Retirement

By

Masters

(41.0%*)

Specialist

(28.2%*)

Doctoral

(30.3%*)

2010 39.1% 25.1% 46.4%

2015 54.4% 37.4% 62.9%

2020 67.6% 52.2% 75.8%

Cumulative Percentages for 1999-2000 Data

*Percent of Total Field

25

Graduates of School Psychology Programs

About 1,900 graduates each year

1986-87: 1940 (McMasters, Reschly, & Peters, 1989)1996-97: 1897 (Thomas, 1998)

Includes 300 – 320 doctoral graduates, with an estimate of 150 being new to the field

1900– 150

1750 new school psychologists each year

26

Past Personnel Shortages

U. S. Department of Education Reports of Unfilled Positions in Public Schools

More than 1,400 vacancies in 1988-89

Almost 500 vacancies in 1996-97

27

Personnel Needs by Region

Greatest consistency between supply and demand:New England- CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VTMid-Atlantic- NJ, NY, PA

Greatest discrepancy – Greatest Shortage:East South Central- AL, KY, MS, TNWest South Central- AR, LA, OK, TX

(Lund, Reschly, & Martin, 1998)

28

Professional Practices

29

Section 504 Plans

77.7% of responding school psychologists who are full-time in school settings participated in developing Section 504 plans.

Mean of 9.3 504 Plans for 1999-2000

30

Initial Special Education Evaluations

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1 to 25 1 to 50 100 +

1989-1990

1999-2000

Mean for 1999-2000= 39.9 initial evaluations

31

Special Education Reevaluations

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1 to 25 26 to 50 51 to 75 75+

1989-1990

1999-2000

Mean for 1999-2000 of 37.0 reevaluations

32

Number of Consultation Cases

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 1 to 25 50 +

1994-1995

1999-2000

33

Students Served: Individual Counseling

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 1 to 10 11 to 20 30 +

1989-1990

1999-2000

34

Number of Student Groups

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 1 to 5 6 to 10 11 +

1989-1990

1999-2000

Mean for 1999-2000 of 3.2 groups

35

Inservice Programs

0

10

20

30

40

50

0 1 2 3 to 4 5 +

1989-1990

1999-2000

Mean for 1999-2000 of 3.4 inservice programs

36

% Time in Special Education Activities

52.3

79.1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1989-1990

1999-2000

37

Special Education-Related Activities

Meetings25%

Other8%

Assessment41%

Report Writing

26%

38

Conditions for Professional Practice

Ratio of Students to School Psychologist Supervision

39

Ratio of Students to School Psychologist

35.7

55.7

25.2

8.10

10

20

30

40

50

60

< 1000 < 1500 > 2000 > 3000

1989-1990

1999-2000

Mean Ratio in 1999-2000 of 1681.5:1

40

Regional Differences in Ratio

New England- CT,MA,ME,NH,RI,VT: 1049Mid-Atlantic- NJ,NY,PA: 1377Mountain- AZ,CO,ID,MT,NM,NV,UT,WY: 1667East North Central- IL,IN,MI,OH,WI: 1816Pacific- AK,CA,HI,OR,WA: 1964West North Central- IA,KS,MN,MO,ND,NE,SD: 2120South Atlantic- DC,DE,FL,GA,MD,NC,SC,VA,WV: 2329West South Central- AR,LA,OK,TX: 2632East South Central- AL,KY,MS,TN: 3858

*1996-97 (Hosp & Reschly, 2002)

41

Ratio and Professional Practices

Ratio of <1500:1 associated with more intervention-based services and less assessment (Smith, 1984)

Higher ratios: more initial special education evaluations, more reevaluations, and greater percentage of time spent in special education-related activities, overall. Lower ratios: more students served through individual counseling, the conduct of more student groups, and more students served through groups (Curtis, Hunley, & Grier, 2002)

42

Ratio and Practices (Cont’d)

Higher ratios: more initial special education evaluations and reevaluations, and greater percentage of time spent in special education-related activities, overall. Lower ratios: more time spent in intervention services and non-special education services (Curtis, Grier, Abshier, Sutton, & Hunley, 2002)

43

Supervision (1999-2000)

No Supervision Received= 47.2% Supervisor’s Degree:

School Psychology= 46.5%

Doctorate= 34.1% Average Number of School Psychologists

Supervised by Supervisor= 16.9

44

Potential Implications of Shortage

Higher Ratios: > time in special education activities

< time in intervention-based services

Limit or Reversal of Role Expansion in Schools Lower Standards for Credentialing Emergency/Alternative Credentialing Larger Enrollments in Training Programs, but with

fewer faculty

45

Implications (cont’d)

Introduction/Expansion of Other Professional Roles

Emergence of New Professional Roles More options for and interest by school

psychologists in alternative settings Competition/Incentives for school

psychologists Alternative Service Delivery Models

46

Considerations

No Child Left Behind

President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education

References Curtis, M.J., Hunley, S.A., & Grier, J.E.C. (2002). Relationships among the professional

practices and demographic characteristics of school psychologists. School Psychology Review, 31, 30-42.

Curtis, M.J., Hunley, S.A., Walker, K.J., & Baker, A.C. (1999). Demographic characteristics and professional practices in school psychology. School Psychology Review, 28, 104-116. Curtis, M.J., Grier, J.E.C., Abshier, D.W., Sutton, N.T., & Hunley, S.A. (2002). School psychology: Turning the corner into the twenty-first century. Communique, 30,8, 1-5. Farling, W.H., & Hoedt, K.C. (1971). National survey of school psychologists. Washington, DC: National Association of School Psychologists. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. O61 553) Graden, J.L. & Curtis, M.J. (1991). A demographic profile of school psychology: A report to the NASP Delegate Assembly. Silver Spring, MD: National Association of School Psychologists. Hosp, J.L., & Reschly, D.J. (2002). Regional differences n school psychology practice.

School Psychology Review, 31, 11-29. Lund, A.R., Reschly, D.J., & Martin, L.M. (1998). School psychology personnel needs:

Correlates of current patterns and historical trends. School Psychology Review, 27, 106-120.

McMaster, M.D., Reschly, D.J., & Peters, J.M. (1989). Directory of school psychology

graduate programs. Washington, DC: National Association of School Psychologists.

Smith, D.K. (1984). Practicing school psychologists: Their characteristics, activities, and

populations served. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 15, 798-810. Thomas, A. (1998). Directory of school psychology graduate programs. Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.