1. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Yes
No
Uncertain
Percentages
ParticipantResponses
Do School Psychology Graduate Programs Actively Recruit Students From Your University?
Results
Filling the Void:
An Examination of the need and lack of School Psychology
Programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Amirah Beeks, MSEd and Candice Aston, MSEd
Background
Professionals 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 Continued
Procedure
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.
Instruments
Historically 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.
References
Graves, 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 Information
Beeksa@duq.edu
Astonc@duq.edu
Design and Methods
Participants
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.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Faculty Availability
Adminstrative Approval
Financial Resources
Geographic Location
Percentages
ParticipantResponses
Which Resources Play a Role in You Schools' Decision of Not Having a School
Psychology Program?