Qualifications of Personnel Administering Individual Psychological Assessments in Missouri Schools

A Joint Position Paper of the Missouri School Counselor Association and the Missouri Association of School Psychologists

For many years, Missouri school counselors have been called upon and expected to provide a wide variety of services to meet the needs of students.  The increasing complexities of society today and into the foreseeable future have placed our schools in the position of providing a broad range of services more than ever before.  In spite of the great strides made in the implementation of comprehensive guidance programs in Missouri schools, many school counselors are still performing a variety of non-counseling functions.  One of the most prominent and most concerning of these is the administration of psychological tests for placement in special programs.  Also of concern is the fact that many of these counselors do not hold school psychological examiner certification and yet are required by their districts to administer and interpret tests that are prominent factors in the placement of students.

According to the federal regulations of IDEA 97 under Evaluation Procedures (34 CFR 300.532), each public agency shall ensure, at a minimum that any standardized tests that are given to a child have been validated for the specific purpose for which they are used and are administered by trained and knowledgeable personnel in accordance with any instructions provided by the producer of the tests.

School psychologists have long been recognized for their expertise in developing, conducting and interpreting individual and program assessment procedures.  They are specifically trained in psychometric theory, cognitive, academic and social emotional assessment procedures, and the application of assessment data to educational decision making.  In Missouri, School Psychological Examiners also meet the minimum qualifications for the administration and interpretation of cognitive and achievement measures. 

In contrast, school counselors have long been recognized for their expertise in meeting the developmental needs of all students.  The Missouri Comprehensive Guidance Program was developed to clearly define the responsibilities and duties of the school counselor.  Counselors implement the program through guidance curriculum, individual planning, responsive services, and system support.  The Missouri Comprehensive Guidance Program does not include psychological assessment.

Current Missouri counselor preparation programs do not require course work in psychological assessment.  This has resulted in a loss of personnel who are trained and qualified to assess and diagnose children with special needs.  This shortage may cause some districts to compromise the qualification of personnel used to conduct these assessments, which may lead to inappropriate placements and services for students.

The Missouri Association School Psychologists and Missouri School Counselor Association follow ethical guidelines that include only practicing within ones area of competency.  In a society that is becoming increasingly litigious, it is necessary to use qualified personnel who have been trained and supervised in specific assessment techniques. Competency in test administration, interpretation, and diagnosis is built upon a foundation of knowledge in child development, psychometric theory, learning theory, and individual differences.  This should also include supervised practicum and/or internship experiences.

Our organizations advocate that DESE clearly define the minimum training standards required for school personnel responsible for administering and interpreting, assessments used for determining eligibility and placement of students for special services.  We also advocate that DESE encourage the State Board of Higher Education to support the establishment of more training programs for school psychologists.  Consideration should also be given to establishing funding sources to support the training and retention of school psychologists, school psychological examiners, and school counselors in our state.