Competency requirements in the 21st century: perceptions of practicing school psychologists

Abstract

In the past, the role of the school psychologist has been closely tied to assessing and diagnosing children with special needs. The authors of the National Association of School Psychologists' (NASP's) Blueprint II (Ysseldyke et al., 1997), however, argue that societal, political, and economic changes have created a need for a further examination of the role function of school psychologists by university trainers, policymakers, and practicing school psychologists. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of a national sample of practicing school psychologists regarding the skill and competency domains identified in the National Association of School Psychologists' (NASP's) School Psychology: A Blueprint for Training and Practice (Blueprint II) (Ysseldyke, et al., 1997) and NASP's Standards for Training and Field Placement Programs in School Psychology (Standards for Training) (NASP, 2000). A questionnaire was developed to identify what skills and competencies school psychologists believe are currently needed for school psychologists to function effectively in today's schools. A second questionnaire was developed to assess what skills and competencies practicing school psychologists believe will be required of school psychologists in the future.