Bilingual School Psychologists

As demographics continue to change in our nation's schools, so do the expectations and responsibilities of school psychologists. Since the 1980s, the prediction has been that the number of people of color would increase dramatically. Between 1980 and 1992 the percentages of population increase for ethnic groups were as follows: Asian and Pacific Islanders 123.5%; Latinos 65.3%; Native American/Eskimo/Aleut 30.7%; African American 16.4%; and non-Latino White 5.5%. These changes have had a dramatic impact on our nation's schools and agencies who serve children and adolescents. Children of color now make up 36% of the nation's youth population with an expected increase to 48% by 2020. In stark contrast, in 1999 school psychologists were 92.04% White, 3.13% Latino, 2.14% African American, 0.93% Asian/American/Pacific Islander, 0.40% Native American/Alaskan Native, and 1.36% Other (Unspecified).

In response to this disparity of representation in the field of