The National Association of School Psychologists champions the use of evidence-based approaches to support all children and families, especially those belonging to historically marginalized groups. To ensure the protection and success of the most vulnerable students, practitioners must dedicate themselves to continually developing their ability to…

Devastating school shootings have spawned a cottage industry of untested responses to school violence. Some involve target hardening, or making schools less vulnerable to violent attacks. School administrators and community members can be quick to gravitate towards target hardening measures for preventing school violence. However, crime prevention…

Positive mental health is more than the absence of psychological symptoms. Considerable research has focused on positive indicators of strengths, including emotional strengths such as gratitude, life satisfaction, and hope. These three constructs, which have been referred to as the "triad of positive emotions"represent emotional…

The coronavirus is a pandemic, meaning that it affects the whole world, and as such it has made everyone into disaster responders. Pandemics typically last 12-18 months (Crimando, 2020a), so SARS CoV-1, and the disease that it causes, COVID-19, will probably continue to affect society in general and education in particular well into 2021. The…

In 2010, Scott Huebner authored an article in "Communiqué" in which he suggested that happiness was a neglected but important topic in education in general and school psychology in particular (Huebner, 2010). At the time, there was a rapidly developing, but still rather modest body of evidence to support the contention. The purpose of…

Tourette's disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects many school-age children and adolescents across the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2019), one in every 160 school-age children in the United States has Tourette's disorder. School psychologists are called to work with these students…

The concept of intergenerational trauma acknowledges the potential of exposure to adverse events to carry on from trauma survivors to their offspring through biological, psychological, and social pathways. In this article, the authors offer an overview of intergenerational trauma and posttraumatic growth. They offer recommendations for schools…

Leukemia is the most common type of cancer in children and adolescents under the age of 19 (Mullin, 2018); but, due to scientific research and treatment advancements, there is an approximately 80% chance of survival from leukemia (Castillo, 2008). Most children receive a diagnosis of leukemia between the ages of 2 and 7 years old. The peak age of…

This and the forthcoming issue of "Communiqué" feature a two-part series covering the path youth may take toward and away from violent extremism. This first part sheds light on violent extremism, a timely and often misunderstood topic among school psychologists, related professionals and the public. Research suggests that it generally is…

Most research on positive psychology interventions (PPIs) has involved young adults and adolescents, but not young children. O'Grady (2013) suggested some conceptually promising pedagogical strategies that teachers can use to integrate PPI into the elementary school classroom. These general ideas include: (1) teaching the language of emotions and…

With the increased emphasis on measuring school success primarily through academic outcomes, some might argue that school professionals cannot afford to pay much attention to students' well-being, especially to such a frivolous component as happiness. Indeed, even some positive psychologists who encourage greater attention to research and…

School psychologists must have a solid understanding of how to evaluate psychological trauma. In their line of work, they have found that the PREPaRE model of school crisis intervention provides important guidance when addressing this issue. Specifically, the PREPaRE model argues that school psychologists need to conduct a needs assessment before…