Across America, school psychologists are reporting that as the economy has floundered, they have felt uncertain about their job security, and in some places school psychologists have reported that they are even being laid off. Commonly in these districts, the school psychologists also report that they have not had an active advocacy campaign for…

Variability in responsiveness to academic interventions is a common phenomenon in school psychology practice, but the variables associated with this responsiveness are not well understood. Reinforcement sensitivity, a generalized tendency to learn quickly in reward contingency situations, is one variable for increased understanding. In the present…

Looking back over 40 years, much has changed and much has not changed in the field of school psychology and in the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). This article presents the author's opinions and recollections on school psychology and NASP which do not necessarily represent those of NASP or the many leaders with whom he has…

The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of school-based suicide prevention programs from a public health perspective. A literature review of empirical studies examining school-based suicide prevention programs was conducted. Studies were required to contain information pertaining to the implementation and outcomes of a…

Sackett, Borneman, and Connelly's article and recent meta-analyses (e.g., Kuncel & Hezlett, 2007) should lay to rest any doubt over whether high-stakes standardized tests predict important academic and professional outcomes--they do. The challenge now is to identify noncognitive individual differences that determine the same outcomes. Noncognitive…

Although Response to Intervention (RtI) implementation efforts have been occurring in schools across the country for more than a decade, questions and concerns are emerging, as some schools are not observing significantly improved student achievement or behavior outcomes as expected. In the literature on RtI implementation, most authors indicate…

The prevention of drug abuse is an especially salient topic for school psychologists and other educational professionals. Schools are the primary setting for providing education and information aimed at the prevention of drug abuse. Previous meta-analyses (Ennett, et al., 1994; West & O'Neal, 2004) indicate that one of the nation's most popular…

Using the latest international educational database, TIMSS, this study investigates and compares the occurrences of 11 student problem behaviors as reported by middle school principals in ten countries. For each country, the study reveals the relationships of these problem behaviors with teachers' attitudes and parental involvement, and discusses…

In comparison to international perspectives, the specific role of the school psychologist in Hong Kong will provide a case study of the tensions experienced by a system in transition between a very traditional, highly segregated education system, to one that is actively promoting a whole school approach to inclusion. Consideration will initially…

It is incumbent upon each school psychologist to engage in ethical behavior based on current ethical codes guiding school psychology. The school psychologist is often the team member most knowledgeable regarding federal and state laws mandating educational services. Sometimes ethical dilemmas that school psychologists face are the result of a…

Although underachieving gifted students have been largely ignored in empirical research, there has been a modest surge of interest in describing and "treating" this population in recent years. It is estimated that nearly half of gifted youth achieve significantly below their potential. In the realm of school psychology, gifted children have…

Children with disruptive behaviors are at risk for adverse outcomes. Family involvement is a significant predictor of positive child behavior outcomes; however, little research has investigated parent psychological variables that influence family involvement for children with disruptive behaviors. This study investigated the role of parental…

In this article, we present a balanced view of the prescriptive authority debate in relation to five major issues and within the context of the practice of psychology in the schools: (a) appropriate training, (b) quality of care, (c) access to services, (d) continuity of care, and (e) professional identity. We also provide an analysis of the…

The "Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation" has assembled a series of thought-provoking responses to the National Association of School Psychologists' document "School Psychology: A Blueprint for Training and Practice III" (Ysseldyke et al., 2006) or "Blueprint III." Each of the responses addresses the limited effect of preservice…

School psychologists make a difference in the lives of children by supporting their academic and social-emotional needs. However, psychologists are often so busy with work and isolated in their schools that they fail to recognize the expertise of their colleagues and how collaboration can strengthen their outcomes. By nurturing longstanding…