Ethics and Law for School Psychologists

In Praise of Ethics and Law for School Psychologists

"Jacob and Hartshorne have translated ethical-legal standards in both school psychology and special education into problem-resolution guidelines relevant to providing psychological services in school settings. This textbook is considered to be exceptionally valuable for both school psychology students . . . and school psychologist practitioners."—New Challenges and Practice Guidelines Report of the Ethics Committee, Division 16, APA on the first edition.

"This book is most useful, and I would strongly recommend its purchase to other school psychologists. It serves as a readable sourcebook concerning the relationship of the Constitution and subsequent laws to the practice of school psychology; a helpful compendium of applicable standards; a useful presentation of implications of legal and ethical issues for diverse aspects of school psychology practice; and an excellent resource for decisionmaking in keeping with ethical and legal criteria."—Communiqué, on the second edition.

The best safeguard against legal and ethical problems in the delivery of school psychological services is an educated practitioner. Students and professionals who want to understand the full spectrum of these issues need a single up-to-date sourcebook on ethics and law specifically written to meet the unique needs of the psychologist in the school setting.

This updated edition of the leading ethics and law text for school psychologists provides authoritative, timely information on professional standards and legal requirements pertinent to the delivery of school psychological services. Ethics and Law for School Psychologists, Third Edition covers a host of ethical and legal issues that are unique to the field, including psychoeducational assessment and intervention; schooling for students with special needs; and students' and parents' rights to privacy, consent, and confidentiality.

Offering a wealth of new information and added features, this book reviews recent changes in professional standards such as the 1997 revision of the National Association of School Psychologists' "Principles for Professional Ethics" and "Standards for the Delivery of School Psychological Services." It examines the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as well as recent developments in special education case law, and presents an overview of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the Improving America's Schools Act, and the School-to-Work Opportunity Act.

Newly added questions at the end of each chapter help school psychology students focus on key concepts, while discussion topics and vignettes stimulate interesting classroom debate. Also new is a section on the training and credentialing of school psychologists.

Quite simply the most complete and up-to-date resource of its kind, Ethics and Law for School Psychologists, Third Edition is both a superior textbook and a truly indispensable reference for professionals who need the latest, most reliable information on the sensitive, complex, and crucial issues that confront school psychologists every day.