This paper presents a functional approach to the performance apppraisal of school psychologists, citing the high likelihood of increased public demand for accountability from human service professionals and a paucity of systematic efforts to appraise the performance of school psychologists as evidence of the importance of this topic. A functional…

This handbook explores the dynamics of crisis and the alternatives available to school psychologists in working with students, teachers, and parents. The materials contained in this manual are designed to help direct the school psychologist to other support services in the school and community. The role of the school psychologist in confronting…

Training behavioral consultants in the school psychology field has emerged as a high priority, with most efforts centering on training consultants to assist teachers in solving children's academic and behavioral problems in the regular classroom. With the growing success of consultation procedures in applied settings, a corresponding need has…

In order to compare the practice of school psychology by doctoral and nondoctoral practitioners, the National School Psychology Questionnaire was sent to a nationwide, random sample of practicing school psychologists employed in public school settings. Responses from 869 school psychologists (142 doctoral practitioners and 727 nondoctoral…

Many surveys of school psychologists have documented their desire to devote more time to consultation--an indirect service delivery system in which the school psychologist interacts with a consultee (teacher, parent, other professional) for purposes of solving a client problem. To expand the work of Martin and Curtis (1981) on school…

School psychologists (N=119) were surveyed regarding current practices in diagnosing children with mental retardation. Results showed a wide range of responses for diagnostic criteria. Substantial discrepancies were found in relative weight given to intelligence and adaptive behavior, IQ cut-offs and ranges, importance of various areas of adaptive…

Experiencing the loss of a loved one can be one of the most traumatic events in a child's life. Grief resolution must be attained no matter how trivial a loss and it becomes even more important when a child's parent dies. School psychologists need to understand how the age of the child influences his ability to grieve and what behaviors might be…

Inherent in the many roles of a school psychologist is a primary responsibility to act as a child advocate. Child advocacy carries with it a variety of definitions, all of which are concerned with aligning oneself with the cause of either an individual child or a group. Child advocacy involves asserting and defending those rights of an individual…

Describes an intensive mental health program in a public elementary school in Brooklyn, N.Y. Discusses events and circumstances which hampered "the perfect set-up." (Author/HMV)

A modified Solomon design was employed to study the effects of a school psychology simulation package on the enacted and written response of a group of school psychology preservice students. Results suggest that simulation as an integral part of a school psychology training program is an effective method of instruction. (Author)

Fifty-eight credentialed school psychologists in 10 school districts were interviewed individually about background and training, professional duties, favored clinical techniques, and opinions and recommendations for improved services. Bulk of time was devoted to activities related to assessment of pupils with little involvement in research,…

Describes a counseling program which attempts to deal with child underachievement (in school) through the use of time-limited parent counseling groups, involving school psychologists as well as a community mental health agency. (Author)

The author contends that the skills required of the successful director of career education are contained in the well-trained school psychologist and that the goals of career development projects seem compatible with the goals of school psychology. (Author)

Condensed from "Grade Teacher, Volume 86 (December 1968), 70-75.

This paper was read before the Division of School Psychology (Division 16), at the American Psychological Association Meetings, San Francisco, September 1968.