The Perceptions of Academic Women in School Psychology: A National Survey.

There is a paucity of research examining the experiences and perceptions of women employed as school psychology academicians. The purpose of this investigation was to ascertain female school psychology academicians' perceptions of their respective academic climates, levels of support, incidences of harassment, and levels of stress. Comparisons between women currently working in psychology departments and those in colleges of education were of particular interest. A total of 128 female school psychology academicians (52% response rate) completed the 48-item survey entitled, "Women in School Psychology: Academia Questionnaire." The findings suggested that the majority of participants (61%) reported that climate differences did not exist. Additionally, the majority of participants were not dissatisfied with their experiences in academia. Although women perceived their respective academic climates as positive, areas of perceived gender disparity were identified. Results are discussed in terms of implications for recruitment and retention of women faculty in school psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

An Analysis of School Psychology Faculty by Graduating University.

Shortages of school psychologists have been documented for many years with this deficiency extending not just to practitioners but to trainers as well. This article presents the results of a search to identify individuals employed in academic institutions and their graduating universities. Using an Internet search and mailings to doctoral degree-granting school psychology programs, 633 individuals were identified as having graduated from a school psychology program in the United States or Canada and being currently employed full-time in a faculty position in an institute of higher education. When graduating university was examined, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Texas at Austin were consistently the highest rated programs in terms of producing school psychology academics. Other findings indicated that APA-accredited programs produced the majority of individuals in academic positions and that women have outnumbered men in entering the professorate every year since 1987. Women also currently comprise 51% of the school psychology professorate. While these data should not be considered a measure of program quality, they do provide an objective rating of program success in preparing students for careers in academia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Our Katrina experience: Providing mental health services in Concordia Parish, Louisiana.

Responding to the call for psychologists to serve Louisiana and the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, 2 school psychologists spent almost 2 weeks in central Louisiana in early September 2005. They were located in a rural area and provided mental health services to evacuees from Hurricane Katrina in a number of small shelters, an RV park, and the schools. This article describes their experiences as mental health volunteers and the impact those experiences had on their professional and personal lives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the Mini-Series: The State of Developing University Faculty in School Psychology: Current Status and Perspectives on the Future.

This introduction provides an overview of the purpose of this special issue and the articles included. The shortage of school psychologists entering academic careers has been an issue since the time of the Thayer Conference in 1954 and has become increasingly salient in recent years. It is hoped that these articles provide suggestions for training program faculty interested in increasing the number of their graduates who enter academic careers, and stimulate discussion on issues related to doctoral-level training and academic school psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)