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Pleasanton JR/SR High School

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Psychologist

Psychologist

What is a School Psychologist?
School psychologists help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. They collaborate with educators, parents, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home, school, and the community for all students.

School psychologists are highly trained in both psychology and education, completing a minimum of a specialist-level degree program (at least 60 graduate semester hours) that includes a year-long supervised internship. This training emphasizes preparation in mental health and educational interventions, child development, learning, behavior, motivation, curriculum and instruction, assessment, consultation, collaboration, school law, and systems. School psychologists must be certified and/or licensed by the state in which they work. The National Association of School Psychologists sets ethical and training standards for practice and service delivery.

What do School Psychologists do?

  • Provide counseling, instruction, and mentoring for those struggling with social, emotional, and behavioral problems
    Increase achievement by assessing barriers to learning and determining the best instructional strategies to improve learning
    Promote wellness and resilience by reinforcing communication and social skills, problem-solving, anger management, self-regulation, self-determination, and optimism

  • Identify and address learning and behavior problems that interfere with school success
    Evaluate eligibility for special education services (within a multidisciplinary team)
    Support students' social, emotional, and behavioral health
    Teach parenting skills and enhance home-school collaboration
    Make referrals and help coordinate community support services

  • Identify and resolve academic barriers to learning
    Design and implement student progress monitoring systems
    Design and implement academic and behavioral interventions
    Support effective individualized instruction
    Create positive classroom environments
    Motivate all students to engage in learning

  • Collect and analyze data related to school improvement, student outcomes, and accountability requirements
    Implement school-wide prevention programs that help maintain positive school climates conducive to learning
    Promote school policies and practices that ensure the safety of all students by reducing school violence, bullying, and harassment

    All children and adolescents face problems from time to time. 

    They may:

    Feel afraid to go to school
    Have difficulty organizing their time efficiently
    Lack effective study skills
    Fall behind in their school work
    Lack self-discipline
    Worry about family matters such as divorce and death
    Feel depressed or anxious
    Experiment with drugs and alcohol
    Think about suicide
    Face difficult situations, such as applying to college, getting a job, or quitting school
    Question their aptitudes and abilities
    School psychologists help children, parents, teachers, and members of the community understand and resolve these concerns. 

    Following are examples of how school psychologists make a difference.

  • Tommy's parents were concerned about his difficulty reading and writing. They feared that he would fall behind and lose confidence in himself. In school, the teacher noticed that Tommy often struggled to understand what he was reading and often needed the help of his classmates to do related written work. After observing Tommy, consulting with his teacher, and gathering specific information about his skills, the school psychologist collaborated with his parents and teachers to develop a plan to improve his reading and writing. The plan worked, and Tommy's reading, writing, and confidence as a learner improved.

  • The teacher noticed that Carla, an able student, had stopped participating in class discussions and had difficulty paying attention. The school psychologist was asked to explore why Carla's behavior had changed so much. After discovering that Carla's parents were divorcing, the school psychologist provided counseling for Carla and gave her parents suggestions for this difficult time. Carla's behavior and emotional wellbeing improved, and she felt more secure about her relationship with her parents.

  • David was a high school student who often skipped class and got into fights with others. He acted out in class and had been suspended from school on various occasions. After establishing a relationship with David, the school psychologist taught him simple techniques to relax, recognize his needs, and to control his aggressive behavior. David's mother and his teacher worked together on a plan designed by the school psychologist to establish limits, recognize David's escalating tension, and improve communication. David's relationships with peers and adults improved and he began to make steady progress towards graduation.