New USF degree aims to address shortage of school psychologists
Their numbers fall far short of recommended levels, both in Florida and across the nation. The University of South Florida (USF) plans to launch a three-year degree program to address a national shortage of school psychologists. The program will be based in the College of Education, which has trained school psychologists for decades. The ideal ratio between school psychologists to students is 1 to 500, but across the country it's about 1 to 1,127. Florida has one school psychologist for every 1,856 students. The role of a school psychologist is considered more progressive than traditional ones who assess students for special education needs. The National Center for Education Statistics reported that 69% of public schools saw an increase in students seeking mental health services since the start of the pandemic.
Published : a month ago by Divya Kumar in Health
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The University of South Florida plans to launch a three-year degree program in the fall to help address a national shortage of school psychologists.
The program will be based in USF’s College of Education, which for decades has trained school psychologists in its Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Learning. The subject was offered as an area of concentration, but graduates sometimes faced questions from employers about their credentials and applicants faced various obstacles to admissions, said Evan Dart, an education professor and school psychologist who designed the proposal for a separate degree.
“We feel compelled to address the shortage because the benefits that school psychologists can provide in terms of students’ academic, mental and behavioral health are just kind of unparalleled,” he said. “We’re required to wear a lot of different hats and be experts on a lot of different subjects.”
The National Association of School Psychologists’ ideal ratio of school psychologists to students is 1 to 500, but across the country it’s about 1 to 1,127. Florida has one school psychologist for every 1,856 students, according to a recent presentation before USF’s board of trustees.
Dart said the job of a school psychologist goes beyond what school counselors or school social workers do. While traditionally they’ve been viewed as professionals who assess students for special education needs, USF takes a more proactive and progressive view of the role, he said.
The university sees school psychologists as “change agents at the school district or even state level to improve student functioning in the areas of academics, behavior, mental health,” Dart said. “We do a lot of family-school collaboration. We do a lot of crisis prevention and school safety work.”
The National Center for Education Statistics reported in 2022 that 69% of public schools saw an increase in the percentage of students seeking mental health services at school since the start of the pandemic. Seventy-six percent of schools saw an increase in staff who were concerned about students “exhibiting symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and trauma,” the center said.
A survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 42% of high school students “experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” in 2021 — up from 28% in 2011. The survey also reported increases in the percentage of students who considered, attempted or made a plan to commit suicide.
“Youth with poor mental health may struggle with school and grades, decision making, and their health,” the agency said, adding that it helps when schools and parents “create protective relationships with students.”
Dart said the school psychologist shortage is multifaceted.
“I think we see a bottleneck at the point of training,” he said. “There’s an issue of training programs not being able to produce really high quality school psychologists at the level they would be needed to fully address the shortage. But then on the other side, it’s school districts possibly not having the resources to hire as many school psychologists as they would like.”
Locally, he said, USF has worked well with school districts in Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, where students often earn their practicum.
Jonathan Chasin, Pasco County’s supervisor for school psychology services, said the district welcomes USF students.
“The need is great,” he said. “COVID was eye-opening for a lot of reasons. We have a lot of students with a lot of needs.”
College of Education Dean Anthony Rolle told members of USF’s board of trustees that those in the role can expect to earn between $75,000 to $90,000 a year, with an average of $86,000 a year. Dart said graduates can expect to move anywhere in the country and be able to find a job.
“We’re excited about the thing that we’re doing,” he said. “We think it’s progressive, and really producing trainees who are going to be the next generation of school psychologists.”
Divya Kumar covers higher education for the Tampa Bay Times, working in partnership with Open Campus.
Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org, or call the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay by dialing 2-1-1.