Jessi Crume, an education diagnostician at Logansport Community School Corporation, is going back to school to be a school psychologist through Indiana University Kokomo’s online program. The program is geared toward working adults and is meant to address the shortage of school psychologists in the state. Photo by James Bennett III | CNHI News Indiana
Rarely does a job interview result in two opportunities.
But that was the case when Jessi Crume interviewed with Logansport Community School Corporation.
The licensed clinical social worker had a mental health background having worked for 4C Health, often providing school-based therapy.
When she applied for an education diagnostician position, the school mentioned a new program from Indiana University Kokomo — a graduate-level program for working adults who want to be school psychologists.
Crume was interested.
“I’ve always had my foot in with the schools, and youth has always been a passion for me,” she said. “I definitely jumped on that opportunity.”
IUK, along with the university’s other regional campuses in South Bend and Richmond, launched the Addressing Regional School Psychologist Shortages program in 2023.
The announcement of the program came at a time when student referrals were skyrocketing, along with caseloads.
A school psychologist works with children who have behavioral and mental health issues, consults with families, provides small group counseling, does special education assessments and helps determine if a child needs an individualized education program. Every school district needs a school psychologist. It is a required position.
The problem is there are not enough school psychologists.
A CHALLENGING SHORTAGE
The National Association of School Psychologists recommends a ratio of 500 students to one school psychologist. The ratio is based on research that shows services decrease as the ratio of students increase past the 500 mark.
Almost all states have a ratio worse than what’s recommended, including Indiana. The Hoosier state’s student-to-school-psychologist ratio was 1,703 to 1 for 2023-24, and it’s worsening.
IUK’s program aims to do exactly what it sounds like — reduce the shortage of school psychologists.
School psychology is a graduatelevel program typically geared for the traditional students due to the workload. This is one reason why there is a shortage.
There are only four school psych programs in Indiana.
The other programs in the state, including at Bloomington and Indiana State University, are more traditional.
There are 34 students in IUK’s program spread out over three cohorts. The fourth will start next summer.
Each cohort accepts up to 15 students. For accrediting purposes, there can only be 15 students per faculty instructor.
Jennifer McNeany, assistant clinical professor of school psychology at IUK, said more than 50 apply for the program every year.
“I unfortunately have to turn students away,” she said. “That is a hurdle we have.”
This is a significant contributor to the shortage in not only school psychology but other school-based therapists like speech language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists.
To enroll more students, universities would need to hire more faculty to teach courses to abide by studentto- faculty ratios for accreditation. That requires funding.
“If we can address the shortage, our students would have access to so many more resources,” McNeany said. “I think it would be a significant change across the state if we could address our shortage quicker.”
There would also need to be more facilities to host students completing clinical hours.
Therapists in certain fields, like speech pathology, can earn more money working in the medical field versus a school.
It all makes addressing shortages challenging.
Online options are gaining steam. IUK and Ivy Tech Community College both offer a similar option for teacher aides interested in becoming teachers.
These mostly virtual programs only go so far, though.
Certain areas of study require many clinical hours and hands-on learning which does not gel with online learning. This is the case for speech therapy.
A $4.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education helped establish IUK’s program. However, the federal government revoked the grant, McNeany said. Funding will run out at the end of the year.
The grant covered salaries and other costs, including tuition.
The school psych program will continue though, as IU is expected to roll the program into its budget, McNeany said. However, students will have to cover their own tuition. Some school corporations are helping on this front.
“So far, our students are figuring it out,” McNeany said. “I haven’t lost any yet.”
MULTI-PRONGED SUPPORT
IUK’s program allows students to keep their day job while also working toward their degree.
Most classes are online with occasional trips to campus. Students complete two to three classes a semester and a few more during the summer. Classes do not meet during the day.
“It’s allowing people who typically wouldn’t be able to do a full-time program,” McNeany said.
Most students are employed by a school district, like Crume.
Partnering school districts work with students to ensure they can participate in IUK’s school psych program. They also provide job guarantees upon completing one’s degree.
Kokomo School Corporation, Richmond Community Schools and South Bend Community School Corporation were some of the first partnering districts. Others include Logansport, Fort Wayne Community Schools and Indianapolis Public Schools.
Some students can have up to 100% of their loans forgiven if they commit to working at their sponsoring school district for at least five years.
Crume intends to work as a school psychologist at Logansport when she graduates.
She said the structure of the program — a couple of classes at a time — helps with having a full-time job and being a mom.
“I don’t think I could do it if I weren’t working in the school corporation,” Crume said.
Working in a school district daily also makes the content more understandable. Crume said she’s able to apply what she learns.
As an education diagnostician, Crume works with Logansport’s only school psychologist by evaluating behavior, observing students and collecting data from academic screenings.
Crume knew what category a student fell under based on their score, but being in the school psych program she now knows what interventions a student might need based on how they perform on a screening.
“We’re getting a lot of practical information,” Crume said.
She will complete the program next school year by interning as a school psychologist.
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