Needed: More school psychologists

U.S. students are facing a mental health crisis, and school psychologists play a critical role in addressing that crisis in schools. With expertise in both education and mental health, school psychologists are uniquely qualified to provide universal services that promote academic success and student wellness, as well as needed supports and interventions to address the needs of specific students. But shortages in the workforce threaten students’ access to these services.

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) recommends a ratio of one school psychologist per 500 students. And if school psychologists provide more comprehensive and preventative services, there should be fewer students per psychologist. Unfortunately, we know that U.S. schools are not meeting this standard. The average ratio is more than twice NASP’s recommendation nationally, with one school psychologist for every 1,127 students. Meanwhile, according to NASP’s most recent data, only one state met the recommended ratio. Many states lag significantly behind even the national average. (You can learn more about each state’s ratio by viewing NASP’s State Shortages Dashboard at www.nasponline.org/about-school-psychology/state-shortages-data-dashboard#.)

Many positions at schools go unfilled. By NASP’s estimates, the U.S. needs approximately 63,000 more school psychologists to meet the recommended ratio and ensure every student has access to comprehensive school psychological services. The potential exists for the need to become even more severe. The percentage of school psychologists who were predicted to reach 35 years of total work experience and, thus, to retire soon, was more than 20% in 2015 (Castillo, Curtis, & Tan, 2014). In Florida, retirements and attrition of school psychologists are outpacing school psychologists entering the field, leading to a growing deficit. Across the state, nearly 42 positions went unfilled over five years (Mann, Castillo, & Myers, 2019).