Social Justice Training in School Psychology through a University-School Service Learning Partnership

Abstract

Though the ideals and goals of Social Justice reflect the essence of School Psychology’s commitment to equal access to education for all children, the means to achieve such goals can be difficult to put into practice. Thus, school psychology graduate educators have called for training models that demonstrate the promotion and application of social justice in action. This paper describes the development and implementation of a university-school partnership designed to promote and enact social justice processes and goals through a service-learning consultation experience. This service- learning experience was a required field-based component of a consultation in the schools course and involved the provision of consultation activities and the application of social justice principles and goals in two urban schools. Graduate students provided two hours of weekly consultation and academic tutoring support during one school’s Extended Day after school program and a second school’s Power Hour academic intervention time. Sample course materials, consultation case study summaries, and graduate student reflections are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of a service-learning requirement for developing consultation skills and cultivating a social justice framework. Implications for community, school psychology graduate students, and school psychology training and practice are provided.