Abstract
are expected to retire by 2015 (Curtis, Hunley, & ed by developing a task force. The purpose of the The University of Northern Iowa and the Grier, 2004). Adding to the problems caused by state task force, created in 2001 by Norma Lynch, University of Iowa developed a collaborative distance attrition, inadequate numbers of newpsychologists consultant for personnel preparation at the Iowa education program in order to address the shortage of enter the field each year (Curtis, Grier, & Hunley, Department of Education, was to study the short- school psychologists in the state. Specialist-level training 2004; Lund, Reschly, & Martin, 1998). School age of school psychologists and to determine what was provided to students throughout the state via inter- psychology training programs are not in a position steps could be taken to address the shortage. School active televideo, web-based instruction, and face to face to increase easily the number of graduates due, in psychology trainers from the two universities offer- meetings. This paper describes the program and presents part, to a shortage of faculty (Akin-Little & Little, ing training programs and a trainer from a program the challenges and benefits of collaboration and distance 2004). Because of the difficulty of attracting school that had just been dissolved, along with school psy- education in the training of school psychologists. psychology faculty, existing programs have consid- chology supervisors, practicing school psycholo- ered other options for increasing the number of gists, and a school psychologist teaching in a pri- A Collaborative Distance Education Program in school psychology graduates, including retraining marily undergraduate institution, were invited to School Psychology of professionals in related disciplines and innovative serve on the task force. The first and second authors Attrition of school psychology practitioners, training options such as distance education (Crespi of this paper were participants. One of the solutions combined with a constant but inadequate number & Politikos, 2004; Curtis, Grier, & Hunley, 2004; proposed by this task force was the development of of school psychology graduates, has resulted in a Davis et al., 2004). a distance education program that had already number of unfilled positions across the United been approved by administrators at the University States. From 1993 through 1998, the last year the Shortage of School Psychologists in Iowa of Northern Iowa (UNI). The committee recom- United States Department of Education (USDE) In 1982, four universities in the state of Iowa mended all three Regents universities work togeth- reported data on the shortage of school psycholo- offered graduate programs in school psychology. er to develop the program. Precedent had been set gists serving children and students with disabilities, The first and second authors recall that there were for such collaboration by the state’s Multicategorical there were between 336 and 1,215 unfilled practi- more male than female school psychologists in the Resource and Early Childhood Education pro- tioner positions each year (USDE 2000, 1999, state, and there were a sufficient number of school grams; both of these programs involved the three 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995). In the 2001-2002 aca- psychologists being trained in Iowa to meet the universities governed by the Iowa Board of demic year, there were 1,253 school psychologists needs of the state. By 2001, trends within Iowa had Regents. When it became clear to the committee serving children and students ages 3-21 who were shifted considerably. The number of training pro- the school psychology program at the third not fully certified as school psychologists in their grams decreased from four to two: a program at a Regents institution would not be reinstated, the particular jurisdictions (USDE, 2004). The short- private university had closed, and a doctoral pro- charge to develop the distance program was left to age is likely to become more critical; Curtis, Grier, gram at Iowa State University was eliminated in the two remaining programs (i.e., UNI and the and Hunley (2004) estimated a cumulative short- 1999 because of a lack of resources to support all University of Iowa). age of 14,980 school psychologists by 2020. This the department’s existing graduate programs (D. During the 2001-2002 academic year, faculty situation is expected to impact the entire field of Epperson, personal communication, March from the UNI and University of Iowa school psy- school psychology in the US, contributing to a 2007). There were more female than male school chology programs worked together to develop a shortage of trainers (Little & Akin-Little, 2004), psychologists, and there were insufficient numbers distance education program. Both programs had a increasing the ratio of students to practitioners, and of school psychologists being trained in Iowa to long history of training school psychologists in the changing the fundamental roles of school psychol- meet the needs of the state (N. Lynch, personal ogists (Curtis, Grier, & Hunley, 2004). communication, October 2000). According to The shortage of school psychologists is likely to training program records, 10 to 15 school psychol- “Collaborative...” continued on page 4
