1 the changing face of school psychology: past, present and future michael j. curtis
TRANSCRIPT
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.