Latino Immigration: Preparing School Psychologists to Meet Students' Needs

As the population of immigrant Latino students continues to rise, school psychologists serving Latino children and families must develop the knowledge and skills necessary to provide high-quality psychological services to culturally and linguistically diverse students from immigrant families. Following a review of the relevant literature on the educational, social, and emotional needs of immigrant Latino children, we describe Project SUPERB (Scholars Using Psychology and Education to Reach Bilinguals), a grant-funded initiative to address the shortage of bilingual (Spanish-English) school psychologists. We discuss important issues regarding training and preparation to develop the competencies necessary for effective assessment, intervention, and collaboration in the context of school settings to help immigrant children achieve success. Finally, we identify ways in which school psychologists may adopt a leadership role in working with schools and families to promote positive outcomes.