Bill > H5556

This bill addresses the shortage of school psychologists in Rhode Island by creating a comprehensive framework for licensing and supporting school psychologists. It expands the legal definitions and regulatory provisions to include licensed school psychologists as a distinct professional category, establishing specific qualifications for licensure, including requiring an advanced graduate degree with at least 60 credits, 1,200 hours of supervised experience, and national certification. The bill creates a grant program to support graduate preparation in school psychology, offering incentives like loan forgiveness for those working in high-needs districts and providing annual funding to higher education institutions to recruit faculty and support internship programs. Additionally, the bill mandates annual data collection on school psychologist employment to help inform state education and workforce strategies. The legislation aims to improve mental health and academic support for students by addressing the current shortage, which has resulted in inadequate student-to-psychologist ratios (currently averaging 763:1 instead of the recommended 500:1). By creating clearer pathways for professional development and independent practice, the bill seeks to attract and retain more school psychologists in Rhode Island's educational system.

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