Home Page

Definition of a role of a School Psychologist: School psychologists work with students in early childhood and elementary and secondary schools. They collaborate with teachers, parents, and school personnel to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments for all students. School psychologists address student's learning and behavioral problems, suggest improvements to classroom management strategies or parenting techniques, and evaluate students suspected of having disabilities to help determine the best way to educate them.

Working with Families to...

• Identify and address learning and behavior problems that interfere with school success
• Evaluate eligibility for special education services (within a multidisciplinary team)
• Increase achievement by assessing barriers to learning and determining the best instructional strategies to improve learning
• Provide counseling, instruction, and mentoring for those struggling with social, emotional, and behavioral problems
• Promote wellness and resilience by reinforcing communication and social skills, problem-solving, anger management, self-regulation, self-determination, and optimism

Working with Teachers to...

• Identify and resolve academic barriers to learning
• Design and implement student progress monitoring systems
• Support effective individualized instruction
• Design and implement academic and behavioral interventions
• Create positive classroom environments
• Motivate all students to engage in learning

Working with Administrators to...

• Collect and analyze data related to accountability and school-wide improvements.
• Promote best practices that ensure safety of all students and respond to crises by providing leadership and coordination with community services.

Why Do Children Need School Psychologists? 

All children and youth can face problems from time to time-related to learning; social relationships; making difficult decisions; or managing emotions such as feeling depressed, anxious, worried, or isolated. School psychologists help students, families, educators, and members of the community understand and resolve both long-term, chronic problems and short-term issues that students may face. They are a highly skilled and ready resource in the effort to ensure that all children and youth thrive in school, at home, and in life.