Youth suicide is an urgent public health problem. However, schools often lack standardized protocols for suicide intervention, and many school-based mental health professionals are not prepared adequately to assess and respond to students at risk for suicide. This paper describes a professional development workshop, Helping Students At-Risk for…

The Olympia Conference on the Future of School Psychology--designed to develop action strategies on critical issues of the next 25 years--was cosponsored by the American Psychological Association's Division 16 and the National Association of School Psychologists. Conference origins in the Spring Hill Symposium, issues, leadership, and design are…

This article identifies factors which have contributed to difficulty in implementing the scientist-practitioner (S-P) model as a training doctrine in school psychology. Various conceptualizations of S-P training are discussed and the fundamental principles upon which the S-P model is built are identified. (Author/LMO)

Training programs will continue to change to meet the needs of consumers of school psychological services in the 21st century. Provides information about the factors influencing the preparation of school psychologists whose roles and functions must change to meet these needs. Emphasis is on the overall context of training and the anticipated…

Within legislative, practice, and professional issues in school psychology, examples of action plans for hypothetical events are presented. These were produced by groups of conference participants to stimulate development of detailed plans for local, state and national use by school psychologists. Action plan resources and implementation and…

Presents a response to "School Psychology Training for the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities" (this issue). The author highlights additional points to consider, including performance-based accountability and expertise in system level change. (GCP)

Raises the questions of where school psychologists fit into school reform and whether they have the organizational knowledge and skill to contribute to this comprehensive process. Critical to success of programs is the use of a collaborative problem-solving consultative model, which incorporates a four-stage process: problem identification,…

A national survey of graduating students (n=232) and current practitioners (n=195) was conducted to assess their perceptions about their training for the many roles school psychologists are expected to perform. Both groups perceived the quality of their training highest for traditional, direct service role. (Author/EGS)

In a personal response to the proceedings as a future-oriented, proactive, problem-solving experience, it is suggested that the participants may have learned more than is realized and that time will determine conference results. (Author/CM)

To work in a school setting the psychologist must have an understanding of the instruction process, the children, and the interactive network structure of the school itself. The future of school psychology involves the long-term cognitive motivational and affective accomplishments which constitute the goals of schooling. (Author/GK)

Presents a response to "School Psychologists as Health-Care Providers in the 21st Century: Conceptual Framework, Professional Identity, and Professional Practice" (this issue). The author highlights some of the reforms required of the profession to respond to these challenges and describes implications for the training of practitioners.…

Outlines a conceptualization of schools that offer medical, mental-health, and social services, giving special attention to three specific roles that school psychologists can fill in these schools: team member of an interdisciplinary group, coordinator of the group, or university-based consultant. Discusses implications for the training of school…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of ethnic minority group members in school psychology training programs in the United States. Results from a survey of school psychology programs suggested that more intensive efforts are needed to attract minorities into the field. (Author/LMO)

Future directions in school psychology from the practitioner's viewpoint are discussed. The focus is on the review of some major events and variables that will continue to impact upon psychological services in the schools and the actions psychologists can take to control these variables. (Author/GK)

Efforts are needed in teacher and school development to reshape the professional culture of teaching. Knowledge of the change process is critical for both creating and sustaining radical reform. When teachers become moral-change agents, they can cultivate powerful cultures required to work with communities in making a difference in learning for…