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School psychologists are uniquely qualified to provide direct and indirect support to students, parents, educators, schools, and districts. The NASP Practice Model outlines the 10 domains that interact with each other to meet the needs of students, schools, and communities, and demonstrate the broad skill set school psychologists bring to their professional settings. The domains describe a set of practices that school psychologists use in all settings, including reliance on data-based decision making and problem solving through consultative and collaborative processes. In addition, domains highlight services that school psychologists provide, such as interventions to engage students in learning and to address mental and behavioral health needs. System-level services include promoting learning school-wide, as well as engaging in prevention and providing responses to mental health, school safety, and crisis situations. Finally, the domains remind us that school psychologists possess foundational knowledge such as understanding diversity in development and learning; being knowledgeable about research and program evaluation; and maintaining legal, ethical, and professional behaviors (NASP, 2010).
With this robust and comprehensive training, many school psychologists have parlayed their professional experiences into formal educational leadership roles. In order to learn more about the transition from practicing school psychologist to formal leadership position, the NASP Leadership Development Committee investigated unique leadership positions that school psychologists have filled at a local or state level. We interviewed four school psychologists serving in a variety of leadership roles and asked them how their training and background in school psychology contributed to their successful professional activities.
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO OUR PARTICIPANTS
Matt Hoskins, PhD, is the interim director of integrated academic and behavior systems for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, where he leads the state's MTSS efforts. Dr. Hoskins began his career as a district-level school psychologist. He transitioned into the state department as a mathematics consultant in the special education division. He then became a state data analyst and implementation specialist, then as research and evaluation lead. Dr. Hoskins has been the interim MTSS director for 2 years.
Michelle Malvey, PhD, is the principal at a small, neighborhood elementary school in a medium-sized Colorado school district. Dr. Malvey began her career as a school psychologist in her current school district. After 15 years as a school psychologist, she became...