This study examined the strengths and weaknesses of employing part-time or contract school psychologists as primary providers of school psychological services for eight rural school divisions. In addition, data were obtained which facilitated comparison of full-time rural school psychological service delivery with the services obtained through these alternative employment arrangements. Questionnaires were completed by two part-time and six contract school psychologists employed by rural school divisions in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The supervisors of these school psychologists also completed questionnaires. Both groups of respondents participated in a 40 minute personal interview with the researcher. Additionally, questionnaires were completed by 58 school principals from rural school divisions in Virginia which employed full-time, part-time, or contract school psychologists. Other data analyzed in the study were questionnaire responses from 31 rural school psychologists who had participated in Merchant's (1982) study of the professional practices of full-time school psychologists in Virginia. Results indicated that for the majority of school divisions employing part-time or contract school psychologists, the strengths of the employment were: 1) cost efficiency; 2) impartiality of the school psychologist; and 3) high quality psycho-educational assessments and recommendations. Weaknesses of the employment arrangements were: 1) high psychologist-to-student ratios; 2) lack of school psychologist time to perform non-assessment functions; and 3) lack of accessibility to the school psychologists by parents and school personnel. Contracted school psychologists were found to devote almost all of their professional time to working with handicapped children. Full and part-time school psychologists spent approximately 30% of their time with nonhandicapped students. Salaries of part-time and contracted school psychologists were higher than those of full-time practitioners. Part-time school psychologists, based on a 200 day school year, earned an equivalent of $39,000. Contract school psychologists earned an equivalent of $35,000, while the average yearly salary of full-time practitioners was approximately $18,500. Recommendations included the need for research on contracted and part-time employment of school psychologists in other settings. Additionally, it was recommended that the school psychology profession become actively involved in public awareness activities geared to improving school psychological services in rural areas. / Ed. D.

Job satisfaction has been the subject of a great deal of research by a variety of professional disciplines. However, in school psychology, more speculation than empirical data exists on the topic. Although speculation in the profession has suggested a relatively high degree of job dissatisfaction among school psychologists, a 1982 nationwide study of members of The National Association of School Psychologists failed to substantiate the claims of such speculation. The population of school psychologists in Virginia was chosen for the present study. The study was designed to answer the following four research questions: 1. What are the overall levels of job satisfaction among school psychologists in Virginia? 2. What degree of satisfaction do Virginia school psychologists express with each of 20 subfactors of job satisfaction? 3. What is the relationship between overall levels of job satisfaction and selected demographic variables? 4. How does the job satisfaction of Virginia school psychologists compare with school psychologists nationally? Data were collected via mailed surveys using a demographic data form and a modified form of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire {MSQ). Four hundred and thirty-nine school psychologists were initially mailed survey materials, and a response rate of 87.36% was obtained. Of this total, two hundred and sixty-seven met the requirements necessary to be included in data analysis. Frequency counts of modified MSQ responses revealed that 84.27% of the school psychologists indicated that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs. Subscale means and 95% confidence intervals on the modified MSQ indicated that Virginia school psychologists were satisfied with 18 of the 20 subfactors of job satisfaction measured. Only the scales of school system policies and practices, and advancement had means and confidence intervals which fell completely within the dissatisfied range. Multiple regression procedures were used to determine the relationships between overall job satisfaction scores and demographic variables. Three significant predictors of job satisfaction emerged: membership in the Virginia Association of School Psychologists (positively related), membership in the National Education Association (negative related), and contract length (negatively related). This model explained 9.25% of the total variance and overall job satisfaction scores. Analysis of variance procedures were used to compare the job satisfaction of Virginia school psychologists with that of a national sample of school psychologists. Results indicated that Virginia school psychologists were more satisfied with their job security but less satisfied with their compensation, than were their national counterparts. Results of multi-group comparisons of covariance structures available in the computer program LISREL indicated that for the demographic variables studied with the exception of age, no differences existed between Virginia school psychologists and the national sample regarding the relationship of that variable with total job satisfaction scores. Several implications were drawn from the results of the study leading to recommendations for school psychologists, trainers and employers of school psychologists, and professional school psychology organizations. The recommendations focused on development of advancement opportunities for school psychologists, methods for reducing dissatisfaction associated with school system policies and practices, and topics for additional research. / Ed. D.

Concerns over job satisfaction among school psychologists have become prominent in the literature. Reviews of research, however, reveal that few empirical studies of job satisfaction among school psychologists have been conducted. This study was designed to describe job satisfaction among members of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) employed by public school systems across the nation. Specific research questions addressed the levels of job satisfaction in the sample, relative satisfaction with various components of overall job satisfaction, and relationships between selected demographic variables and overall job satisfaction. A total of 450 members of NASP were selected to participate in the study and were mailed survey materials including the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. A response rate of 86.89% was attained. Results of the study indicated that most school psychologists are satisfied with their current jobs (85.71%). Participants were relatively dissatisfied with their chances for advancement and school system policies and practices. Multiple regression analysis revealed that age and psychologist to student ratios were significant predictors of overall job satisfaction scores (p 0.05). Further analysis revealed a positive relationship between age and overall job satisfaction and a negative relationship between psychologist to student ratio and overall job satisfaction. It was concluded that most school psychologists in NASP are satisfied with most aspects of their jobs. Two notable exceptions were chances for advancement and school system policies and practices. Part of this dissatisfaction is seen as a product of school psychologists' failure to establish a career ladder in the school system. It was also concluded that school psychologists, individually and as a group, should continue to advocate for lower psychologist to student ratios. / Ed. D.

An analysis of how adaptive behavior information is obtained and used by school psychologists with secondary age students was the focus of this investigation. School psychologists are often considered to be important sources of information regarding the initial identification and programming of students placed in special education classes. Because the adaptive behavior instruments developed for public school use have emphasized the initial placement/ identification of elementary age students, it was not known how school psychologists approach the adaptive behavior issue with secondary age students. This question was critical in light of research indicating the poor post secondary transition of many handicapped students and the limited training of school psychologists in providing services for secondary age students. The study was undertaken to examine the dynamics of practicing school psychologists' current use of adaptive behavior information in the psychological assessment of secondary age students. To gather the data needed for the study, a questionnaire was mailed to a representative sample of the membership of the National Association of School Psychologists residing in the United States. An 81.4% return rate was obtained. One hundred eighty-seven school psychologists practicing primarily in the schools provided data used in the study. The results of this study indicate that if school psychologists are to adequately address the post secondary needs of secondary age students, they will need to become familiar with newer adaptive behavior instruments which address issues beyond the non-biased assessment of mild mentally retarded students. Reforms in current reevaluation practices are needed to facilitate the use of adaptive behavior instruments that can help facilitate the post secondary transition of secondary age students. Also, training programs need to place greater emphasis in skill development for optimal psychological services with secondary age students. More research is needed regarding the experience/continuing education factor mentioned earlier. Also, test publishers need to encourage the development and marketing of new adaptive behavior instruments which can better help to facilitate the post secondary transition of this population. / Ed. D.

Historically, school psychologists have primarily performed the duties of tester and classifier of primary aged children. The 1970's, however, witnessed an increasing dissatisfaction with this traditional view of school psychology. Different functions, encompassing most aspects of the total school program, have been espoused for the profession. One such proposed function concerns school psychology's involvement with career development programs. Indeed the concept of the "vocational school psychologist" has gathered a discernible momentum since its inception in 1974. This study was undertaken to analyze proposed functions of practicing school psychologists in career development based on a survey of the membership of the National Association of School Psychologists. Specifically, the study sought answers to the following questions: l. What is the performance of school psychologists in the areas of vocational assessment, career counseling and development activities and career consultation, liaison and supervision? 2. What importance do school psychologists attach to the areas of vocational assessment, career counseling and development activities and career consultation, liaison and supervision? 3. What differences exist between the actual performance of school psychologists relative to vocational assessment, career counseling and development activities and career consultation, liaison and supervision and what school psychologists report should be practiced relative to vocational assessment, career counseling and development activities and career consultation, liaison and supervision? 4. What is the relationship of age, level of training, years of experience in school psychology, training and experience in career/vocational education to participant questionnaire responses? To gather the data needed for the study, a questionnaire was mailed to a national sample of school psychology practitioners. The questionnaire contained 58 proposed career development functions for school psychologists, cutting across three school psychology role areas. Personal data forms were also completed to gather demographic information regarding the participants. It was found that practicing school psychologists are only minimally involved in career development functions. Further, the importance practitioners attached to career development activities significantly exceeded their involvement in such functions. In all, participants favored and were more heavily involved in career development activities which indirectly related to responsibilities traditionally performed by school psychologists. This included testing students for placement in career/vocational education programs, interviewing students regarding their career development and interpreting vocational test findings. Greatest promise for school psychologists' future performance in functions related to career development involved the area of career counseling and development activities. Several demographic variables related significantly with questionnaire scale responses. The hours of graduate course work practicing school psychologists have in career/vocational education appears to influence positively their involvement in vocational pupil appraisal. The percent of job time practicing school psychologists devote to career development functions appears to influence positively the importance they attach to vocational pupil appraisal. Older aged practicing school psychologists are more likely to be involved in career development activities than are younger aged practitioners. Significantly, 90% of respondents felt inadequately prepared to participate in career development functions. It was concluded that school psychology needs to better prepare its membership for involvement in career development responsibilities. Particular attention should be paid toward establishing working relationships with other professionals who are involved in career education services. The relationship of the survey's findings to the literature was discussed and recommendations for future research and for the profession were offered. / Ed. D.

The issue of job satisfaction has become a prominent topic in research on the American worker and in discussions within the profession of school psychology. Recent literature and dialogue in the profession has suggested that many school psychologists are dissatisfied with their jobs. However, a 1982 study on a nationwide sample of school psychologists failed to substantiate the existence of wide spread dissatisfaction, suggesting that such dissatisfaction may be localized within specific populations of school psychologists. The population of school psychologists practicing in West Virginia was selected for this study, based on demographic characteristics and a history of high turnover rates. The 137 school psychologists practicing in West Virginia were surveyed, with 125 (91.24%} respond.ing. Survey materials included a Data Form, used to gather demographic information, and a modified form of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ), used to measure levels and sources of job satisfaction.· The study was designed to answer five specific research questions regarding: (1) levels of job satisfaction, (2) sources of job satisfaction, (3) correlates of job satisfaction for school psychologists in West Virginia, and the comparability of (4) levels of job satisfaction and (5) correlates and sources of job satisfaction between school psychologists in West Virginia and school psychologists in the national sample. Frequency counts of Modified MSQ scores revealed that more than 35% of the school psychologists in West Virginia were dissatisfied with their jobs. Subscale means and 95% confidence intervals on the Modified MSQ indicated that co-workers, social service, activity, moral values, and independence were major sources of satisfaction, and that school system policies and practices, advancement opportunities, compensation, working conditions, and supervision were major sources of dissatisfaction for school psychologists practicing in West Virginia. Multiple regression procedures were used to determine the relationships between overall job satisfaction scores and demographic variables. Two factors of the work environment, supervision and salary, emerged as significant predictors of overall job satisfaction. At test indicated that overall job satisfaction levels of West Virginia school psychologists were significantly lower than the levels reported for the national sample of school psychologists. Sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction were essentially the same for West Virginia school psychologists and those of the national sample, but significant correlates of job satisfaction differed, leading to the conclusion that specific factors of different work environments have the greatest impact upon the job satisfaction levels of school psychologists. Additionally, more than 80% of the school psychologists practicing in West Virginia (or twice the percentage reported in the national study) indicated that they plan to leave their present positions within five years. Several implications were drawn from the results of the study, leading to recommendations for school psychologists, the State Department of Education, trainers and employers of school psychologists, and professional school psychology organizations. The recommendations focused on revision of salary scales and supervision, development of educational and advancement opportunities, strategies for retaining school psychologists, arid topics for additional research. / Ed. D.

Thesis (DPhil (Psychology))—University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / The question of how to address diversity in the professional training of clinical psychologists is of concern in South Africa and elsewhere. This concern is particularly salient in contemporary South Africa, where much of the sociopolitical discourse centres on issues of race, transformation, relevance and redress. This research is in line with current debates, and set out to explore the self articulated racial identities as well as the impact of those identities on the work of trainees in the second year of their clinical psychology masters degree, at three universities in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Trainees’ perceptions of the role of the universities in facilitating the working through of challenges identified in trainees’ racial identities and in facilitating multiracial competencies, were also explored in this study. Individual interviews were conducted with nineteen trainee psychologists. A minimally structured questionnaire was used in this qualitative inquiry. The theoretical framework underpinning the methodology used in this thesis endeavour, with a critical lens as background, is primarily supported by the “interpretive” or “hermeneutic” approach to psychological theory. Critical theory offered further support to understanding some of the complex issues in working with racialised discourses. Whilst all trainees identified themselves in racial terms, race continues to be a complex and, for many, a painful construct. For many, the family has been the primary source of racial socialisation, largely premised on essentialist, stereotypical discourse. With regard to the impact of their racial identity on their work, many indicate that their race significantly impacted on this. They reported a particular concern with working in cross-racial dyads. Racial difference was sometimes reported to enhance the clinical process, but was far more often experienced as a difficulty. The trainees were unanimous that the universities at which they had studied had fallen far short of what they would have wished in terms of facilitating multiracial competencies. The findings suggest that whilst legislation has changed the political profile of South Africa, the process of transformation within the psychological sites studied, is cause for concern. The dissatisfaction with the training provided, for many trainees centres around issues of relevance to the South African context. Despite efforts by some universities to diversify the racial profile of trainees, in the attempt to address the needs of people of colour, trainees believe efforts to be insufficient. While this study did not collect data, that could corroborate or question the opinions of trainees, results clearly suggest that trainee psychologists do not believe universities are currently doing enough. The implications of the trainees’ views are discussed and implications considered for trainees, trainers, the users of psychological services, and for the role of psychology as a discipline in civil society.

Esta pesquisa consistiu em refletir sobre a pobreza e sobre a formação e atuação de psicólogos(as) em políticas públicas direcionadas ao enfrentamento desse fenômeno. A metodologia utilizada foi baseada na análise documental referente à legislação, aos currículos e às pesquisas de pós-graduação relativas aos temas abordados. Desse modo, foram contempladas a legislação sobre as políticas públicas de enfrentamento da pobreza, principalmente, a política de assistência social; a legislação e as orientações técnicas sobre a formação e a atuação de psicólogos(as) na referida área; as pesquisas realizadas em cursos de pós-graduação em Psicologia, e, ainda, uma análise de dez currículos de cursos de graduação de Psicologia das diversas regiões do país, obtidas por meio dos sites de Instituições de Educação Superior (IES). A análise foi feita com base no referencial do materialismo histórico e dialético. Considerou-se que as políticas de enfrentamento da pobreza apresentam contradições no que se refere aos objetivos estabelecidos e à maneira como são concretizadas, pois, são muitas as disparidades estruturais e institucionais que historicamente têm dificultado ou mesmo impedido a oferta de serviços qualificados a todos que deles necessitam. No que tange à atuação de psicólogos(as) nos serviços de proteção básica da assistência social, há, por um lado, a manutenção de ideologias, de preconceitos e de estereótipos por parte dos profissionais diante da pobreza e da pessoa pobre; por outro, as investigações sinalizam, também, a ocorrência de mudanças na prática profissional, que se expressam na busca por maneiras de compreender os multideterminantes da questão social e o rompimento com concepções naturalizadas e individualizantes, historicamente arraigadas na Psicologia. Quanto à formação, por meio da análise de currículos, foi possível constatar que as políticas públicas e a pobreza constituem temas que começam a ser discutidos em disciplinas que compõem as grades de algumas IES. No entanto, em outras, faltam disciplinas fundamentais para a reflexão sobre a questão social e a preparação para o trabalho em políticas públicas. Considera-se que a ausência de subsídios teórico-práticos durante a formação contribui para que esta ocorra de maneira fragmentada e que o profissional continue realizando formas tradicionais de intervenção, como as baseadas no modelo clínico individual, que tem como base concepções patologizantes. A produção de conhecimentos por intermédio das pesquisas de pós-graduação, em sua maioria, apresenta concepções críticas sobre a formação e a atuação de psicólogos(as) em políticas públicas, podendo contribuir na organização do ensino e na busca por uma formação condizente com a realidade social. Por fim, pondera-se a necessidade da formação contemplar não só conteúdos e técnicas, mas, também, vivências, experiências e reflexões teórico-práticas, realizadas coletivamente, por meio de atividades de ensino e aprendizagem presenciais. Assim, torna-se possível ao futuro profissional o desenvolvimento de sua consciência, de modo que lhe permita contribuir para a transformação de crenças e afetos cristalizados social e historicamente e, consequentemente, para a superação de ideologias diante da pobreza, sendo este fenômeno o principal responsável por exclusões e preconceitos na atualidade / This research consisted on reflecting about poverty and about the education and performance of psychologists in public policies directed to confront this phenomenon. The methodology used was based on documental analyses regarding legislation, resumes and postgraduate researches relative to the approached themes. Therefore, the legislations regarding the public policies to confront poverty were contemplated, mainly, the social assistance policy; the legislation and the technical orientations about the education and performance of psychologists in the referred area; the researches accomplished in postgraduate courses of Psychology from different regions of the country, obtained by the websites of Institutions of Superior Education (Instituições de Educação Superior - IES). The analyses were done and based on the referential of the historical-dialectical materialism. It was considered that the policies to confront poverty present contradictions in what refers to the objectives established and how they are concretized, because many are the structural and institutional disparities that historically have difficulted, and even impeded, the offer of qualified services to all those who need it. In reference to the performance of psychologists in the services of basic protection of social assistance, there is, on one hand, a maintenance of ideologies, prejudices and stereotypes by part of professionals against poverty and the poor individual; on the other hand, the investigations signalize, also, the occurrence of changes in professional practices, that express themselves in the search for ways to comprehend the multideterminants about the social issue and the rupture with naturalized and individualized conceptions, rooted in Psychology. Regarding the education, through the analyses of resumes, it was possible to verify that the public policies and poverty consist on themes that begin to be discussed in disciplines that set the grade curriculum of some IES. However, in others, there is a lack of disciplines which are fundamental for the reflexion about the social issue and the preparation for the work in public policies. It is considered that the absence of theoretical-practical subsidies throughout the professional formation contributes to its fragmented way of occurrence and the professional continues to perform in traditional forms of intervention, as based in the clinical individual model, which has as basis pathologizing conceptions. The production of knowledge through the postgraduate researches, mostly, present reviewed conceptions about the formation and performance of psychologists in public policies, thus, being able to contribute in the organization of the education and in search for a education that is consistent with the social reality. Lastly, it is weighed the necessity of the education to contemplate not only contents and techniques but, also, experiences and theoretical-practical reflexions, performed collectively, through teaching and learning presential activities. Thus, it is made possible for the future professional the development of his/her consciousness in a way that permits him/her to contribute for the transformation of beliefs and affections crystallized social and historically and, hence, for the overcome of ideologies among poverty, being this phenomenon the main responsible for exclusions and prejudice nowadays

The prescriptive authority for psychologists (RxP) movement contends that psychologists who receive specialized training should attain licensure to prescribe psychotropic medication. The RxP movement has presently culminated in psychologists in the United States prescribing at both the state and federal levels. However, the RxP movement remains contentious, and both supporters and opponents continue to disagree over its validity as a professional movement. Division 17 of the American Psychological Association, the counseling psychology specialty’s professional organization, has not officially discussed the RxP movement since 1994. Given the developments within the RxP movement since then, this study endeavored to investigate the current perceptions of prescriptive authority among the Executive Board leadership of Division 17. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with current and former members of the Executive Board and then used a consensual qualitative research (CQR) methodology to qualitatively generate findings across participants’ responses. Participants shared qualified support of prescriptive authority, despite indicating no interest in prescribing themselves, and they reported that they saw prescriptive practice as consistent with the professional identity of counseling psychology. Participants also suggested that Division 17 could proceed with the RxP movement by developing a Special Task Group (STG) to investigate prescriptive authority among its members. These conclusions indicate that members of the Executive Board are well positioned to lead Division 17 forward in addressing prescriptive authority by creating a STG to further explore the issue for counseling psychology.

<p>School psychologists in South Africa are employed by the state to provide psychological services to schools. The role of school psychologists has been debated and contested nationally and internationally for many decades, with the need for a paradigm shift in school psychology practice and redefining the role of school psychologists being highlighted. In this study, the roles and practices of school psychologists are explored, with a focus on the nature of collaborative work engaged in when facilitating school development. In particular, challenges that emerge when school psychologists work with other sectors to facilitate school development are investigated. The overall research question was: What are the challenges that face school psychologists who facilitate school development through intersectoral collaboration and how can these challenges be addressed?</p>