A contemporary story of school psychology

A review of recent school psychology publications was conducted to discover the espoused theory of contemporary school psychology, as distinct from school psychology practice. We considered that identification of the espoused theory of school psychology, the story of school psychology, would support professional reflection and the identification of factors that mediate theory and practice. To distinguish the espoused story of school psychology from practice we considered what school psychologists said about professional practice, rather than what they did or said they did. The findings suggested that contemporary school psychology endorses practices that are relevant to and effective in a rapidly changing world. The profession has built on strong foundations to construct models of practice that consider, value, and benefit from the multiplicity of an increasingly globally-connected community. Recurrent themes were identified that, together, formed an espoused story. This story of contemporary school psychology comprised recognition of the interactive context of child development, ecological analysis, multi-systemic approaches to practice, inclusion, and respect for diversity, positive psychology and evidence-based, theoretically driven practice.