Role of the School Psychologist

Abstract

School psychologists often report that they would like to reduce their involvement in assessment activities in favour of an increase in other service delivery roles. Surveys of teachers and administrators reveal that they do not want a reduction in assessment services. Rather, they want more school psychology services of all kinds. In this study, 522 school staff from a suburban southwestern school district in the USA were surveyed regarding the importance of nine school psychology services. School staff gave ‘very important’ ratings to six services: assessment, special education input, consultation, counselling, crisis intervention and behaviour management. School-community liaison and parent education roles were rated as ‘fairly important’ and staff development was considered to be ‘somewhat important.’ School staff also wanted a school psychologist to be available on a daily basis at their schools. These results are discussed in terms of the ‘paradox of school psychology’ and the skills required of school psychologists who wish to deliver diverse school psychological services.