Abstract
Although a nation-wide shortage of school psychologists has been long anticipated, there have been no published studies about the actual current state of the profession. A national study is warranted, but the current study examined the practitioner and training needs for two states: Alabama and Florida. Researchers surveyed the needs for the districts and compared these needs to the number of graduates expected from the training programs in that state. The school psychologists’ data was examined by assessing the need to maintain current levels of coverage and estimated needs to raise coverage to the NASP (2010) recommended level. In an effort to maintain current levels of coverage, Alabama is estimated to have 32.4% of current positions unfilled; Florida has an estimate of 22.5%. If the states choose to improve the student to practitioner ratios to NASP recommendations, Alabama would have 94.6% to 96% of the recommended positions unfilled; Florida would have 89.8% to 93.7% unfilled.
