Introduction to School Psychology Controversies and Current Practice

There are currently 63 PhD programs in school psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association, and an additional 153 specialist-level programs approved by the National Association of School Psychologists. Each training program includes a required course that introduces first-year graduate students to the history, science, and practice school psychology.

Introduction to School Psychology presents the field of school psychology through a novel and innovative approach. The first half of this edited volume provides coverage of foundations and fundamentals of school psychology, while the second half illustrates historical and ongoing controversies in the field in order to promote students' deeper understanding of the profession. Such controversies include optimal preparatory training for entry-level school psychologists (PhD versus EdD); projective testing versus functional assessment of behavior; adherence to DSM criteria as opposed to those of IDEA; intervention methodologies; medication use in children; and more. The book concludes with several forward-looking chapters authored by school psychologists with varied perspectives of the field. All chapters feature additional resources and questions for review, conversation, and debate. Introduction to School Psychology is appropriate for students completing their first graduate course, but can be used as a foundational text for more advanced seminars.

Dr. Matthew K. Burns is a Professor of School Psychology at the University of Missouri, and Director of the Center for Collaborative Solutions for Kids, Practice, and Policy. He has published over 175 articles and book chapters in national publications, and has co-authored or co-edited 12 books. He is also the immediate Past Editor of School Psychology Review and Past Editor of Assessment for Effective Intervention. Dr. Burns is one of the leading researchers regarding the use of assessment data to determine individual or small-group interventions, and has published extensively on response to intervention, academic interventions, and facilitating problem-solving teams. In addition Dr. Burns was also a practicing school psychologist and special education administrator before becoming an academic, and served on the faculty of the University of Minnesota for 10 years and Central Michigan University for 5 years.