The Role of the School Psychologist in K-12 Online and Blended Learning Environments

With the appropriate preparation and training, school psychologists are uniquely suited to provide support within the K-12 online learning environment for students, teachers, administrators, and families. The preparation and training needs at the level of graduate training and professional development are highlighted. Specific emphasis is placed on the adaptation of the school psychologist’s functions in the areas of consultation, intervention, assessment, and counseling. Additionally, the development of better credentialing models for interstate service delivery and the need for empirical research related to school safety are discussed

Crisis Events in K-12 Online Learning: Educator Perceptions and Preparedness

Although K–12 online learning institutions may be protected from certain school safety concerns (i.e., physical violence on a student or a teacher), physical distance does not offer protection from all potential crises that may impact individual students or the online school environment. The current survey research explored educators’ perceptions of and preparedness for the following crisis frequencies in the online learning environment: suspected child/adolescent neglect, suspected child/adolescent abuse, suspected student suicidal ideation, suspected student homicidal ideation, unexpected death of a student, unexpected death of a teacher, emotional aftermath of natural disasters, and emotional aftermath of terrorist incidents. Across the sample, the crisis events were noted as occurring at least one to two times per year by some participants. Even more striking, 80–95% of participants noted having no training for recognizing the warning signs of the various crisis events in online content, and at least 1 in 4 participants in every category indicated that they felt somewhat unprepared or very unprepared to respond based on their school’s current crisis plan

The Continuing Professional Development of School Psychologists in Georgia: A Comparison to National Practices and Preferences

The current study investigated Georgia school psychologists’ continuing professional development (CPD) practices and preferences for comparison to a national study of school psychology professional development by Armistead, Castillo, Curtis, Chappel, and Cunningham (2013). Utilizing the same instrument as Armistead et al., a survey was emailed to 442 members of the Georgia Association of School Psychologists (GASP). Ninety-five surveys were completed at a 21.5% response rate. Both Georgia school psychologists and national school psychologists reported receiving a median of approximately 40 hours of professional development in the previous year. Georgia school psychologists differed from the national sample with a higher percentage expressing satisfaction with the amount of professional development provided by their state professional association, with lower personal costs associated with CPD, and with greater participation in online professional development opportunities

Job Satisfaction in School Psychology Graduate Preparation: A Pilot Study

This pilot study investigated the status of job satisfaction among school psychology faculty with the hope of gaining insight in to factors that may encourage doctoral-level graduates to pursue jobs in academia. A second purpose of the study was to discover areas of improvement in job satisfaction to support current faculty members in continuing in their chosen careers. Finally, the study sought to establish the reliability of a job satisfaction instrument for use in larger-scale studies. A total of 94 school psychology faculty members in specialist-level and/or doctoral-level National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)-approved programs completed an author-designed survey. The 34-item survey was clustered into the following categories: Compensation, Role/Function, Personal Fulfillment, Colleagues, Graduate Candidates, and Administrative Support/Resources. At an item level, participants reported overall satisfaction with their jobs and satisfaction in most areas of their employment. Exploratory analyses revealed only a few significant differences in individual item satisfaction. Specifically, participants ranked as Full Professor reported significantly higher satisfaction with the tenure and research expectations than those participants who identified themselves as Assistant Professors. Additionally, participants indicated job satisfaction in four out of six categories. Cronbach’s alpha for the overall instrument was .92 with the current sample

Creating a Safe School Environment: How to Prevent Cyberbullying at Your School

Technology has changed the school yard or neighborhood bully. It no longer requires physical intimidation to be a bully. In fact, bullying can be done anonymously, on or off campus, and physical size does not enter into the scenario. Every year headlines identify children who take their own lives as a result of being victims of various forms of bullying. When technology is used to send the message or intimidate, it becomes cyberbullying. Using computers and cell phones, bullies can send threatening or harassing emails, set up offensive websites about the victim, and send harassing text messages or embarrassing photographs. The library media specialist is in a unique position to guide students, faculty, staff, and administration through steps to create an awareness of cyberbullying. This article discusses how school library media specialists can have an active role in addressing cyberbullying in schools through establishing policies on cyberbullying and promoting awareness and prevention of this form of bullying

Creating a Safe School Environment: How to Prevent Cyberbullying at Your School

To achieve professional success, school librarians must understand the needs of today\u27s learners. This book brings together critical readings and resources for school librarians and pre-service librarians seeking to transform school library programs and services to meet the needs of 21st-century learners

Their Lives Matter: The Impact of Trauma on African-American Boys

African-American boys’ exposure to traumatic stressors such as racism is often overlooked by professionals. This presentation will examine the impact of trauma on African-American boys and how school mental-health professionals can address the social-emotional, behavioral, and educational needs of this group. The impact of trauma related to racism and violence, implications for educators, and recommendations for trauma-informed practices that help to create safe school environments for African-American boys will be presented