Preparing School Psychologists for Working with Diverse Students: Does Program Accreditation Matter?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree to which differences exist between accredited and non-accredited school psychology training programs on specific characteristics of training theorized to prepare graduates for working with racially, ethnically, and/or linguistically diverse students.  Training directors from each of the 237 school psychology programs nationwide were solicited to complete a brief survey on program training characteristics.  Independent-samples t tests and chi-square tests of independence were used to determine the existence of significant differences in training characteristics between the two program types.  No significant differences emerged between accredited and non-accredited programs on any of the training characteristics theorized as important for working with diverse student populations.  The results of this study can be used to draw inferences regarding the influence of accreditation bodies on the current presence of specific school psychology training program characteristics within training programs nationwide.