nasp hbcu poster final version
TRANSCRIPT
Results
Filling the Void: An Examination of the need and lack of School Psychology
Programs at Historically Black Colleges and UniversitiesAmirah Beeks, MSEd and Candice Aston, MSEd
BackgroundProfessionals have recognized the underrepresentation of school psychologist of color within our field to meet the needs of a growing body of diverse students. Studies have examined efforts to recruit and retain students of color in school psychology graduate programs, however to date there are no research studies that examine the lack of school psychology programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Of the 103 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, only five have graduate programs in school psychology, only one of the five universities’ are NASP accredited (Howard University) and none of the universities are APA accredited. The purpose of this study was to examine department chairs knowledge and perceptions about diversity within the school psychology field.
Through this project we attempted to answer the following research questions: 1.What are Department Chairs knowledge about school psychology?2.What are Department Chairs perceptions about school psychology?3.Why is there a lack of school psychology programs at HBCU's?
Design and Methods ContinuedProcedure
The research uses a survey method approach to assess the benefits of attending an HBCU, amount of graduate programs, typology of courses taught and research interests and qualitative approaches exploring the knowledge and perceptions department chairs have about school psychology.
InstrumentsHistorically Black Colleges and University School Psychology Inventory
The project used a survey instrument to assess department chairs familiarity and knowledge to assess department chairs familiarity in these areas:•Attending a historically Black College and University •Knowledge about School Psychology •Perceptions of School Psychology •Demographics
Discussion Our results provide evidence that:
•Only 18% of Department Chairs are extremely knowledgeable about school psychology. Which indicates a strong need to raise awareness about school psychology at HBCUs. This is reflected in that only less than 1% of HBCU’s have school psychology programs.
•Despite the shortage of school psychology programs offered at HBCU’s 91% of department chairs are knowledgeable about the lack of diversity within the field.
•91% of the Department Chairs believed that developing a school psychology program at an HBCU would have a significant impact on increasing diversity within the field.
•Contributing to the lack of diversity within the field, 36% of the Department Chairs believed that school psychology organizations do not do an adequate job at providing information about School Psychology to HBCU students, while 64% were uncertain.
•55% of the Department Chairs indicated that less than 5% of their graduates attended doctoral programs in school psychology. In fact, one Department Chair reported that they wished more students would consider the field.
ReferencesGraves, S.L. & Wright, L.B. (2009). Historically Black
Colleges and University Students’ and Faculties’ Views of School Psychology: Implications for Increasing Diversity in Higher Education. Psychology in the Schools, 46 (7),616-626.
National Association of School Psychologists. (2009). Recruitment of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse
School Psychologists (Position Statement). Bethesda, MD: Author.
Zhou, Z., Bray, M., Kehle, T., Theodore, L., Clark, E., & Jenson, W. (2004). Achieving ethnic minority parity in School Psychology. Psychology in the Schools, 41,
443 – 450.
Author Contact [email protected]@duq.edu
Design and MethodsParticipants
Department chairs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities who had graduate programs in the department of education or department of psychology. Programs that offered graduate degrees were selected.
Recruitment•Researchers examined all HBCU and selected schools that have graduate programs and eliminated universities that do not have graduate programs in their department of education and department of psychology.•Researchers sought all relevant email addresses of designated department chairs.•Researchers uploaded the survey to Survey Monkey and invited department chairs to participate in study.