The Future School Psychologists of Ohio Club: A Mixed-Method Evaluation

Date of Award

2023

Degree Name

Ed.S. in School Psychology

Department

Department of Counselor Education and Human Services

Advisor/Chair

Elana Bernstein

Abstract

The field of school psychology is currently experiencing a significant shortage of professionals, both practitioners and trainers. This shortage has existed throughout the history of the profession and is still a focal point for improvement within the field today. While there is a significant shortage of school psychologists in general, there is an even more critical shortage of school psychologists from minoritized backgrounds. In an effort to correct the shortage, the National Association of School Psychologists recommended strategies to bolster the workforce. One of those strategies is to target recruitment efforts at undergraduate students. This population of young people are at a pivotal time in their life and career journeys when exposing them to the field of school psychology can be most impactful. This is the philosophy that inspired the creation of the Future School Psychologists of Ohio club, an undergraduate student recruitment method. This is a club aimed at informing individuals about school psychology and its components with the hopes of recruiting and retaining them to the field. At the time of this research, the FSPO club was beginning its second year of operation. The newness of the organization warranted a program evaluation to determine its effectiveness, strengths, and weaknesses.

Keywords

Education, Psychology

Rights Statement

Copyright © 2023, Author

Share

COinS