History of the Society

The Society for the Study of School Psychology (SSSP) has a unique role among school psychology organizations. Its mission is to recognize and promote scholarship and research through its journal (the Journal of School Psychology, JSP), mentorship programs, early career supports, and grants. Although the total amount of funding varies annually, the SSSP distributes approximately $125,000 annually to support school psychology research activities. Major initiatives funded by the SSSP include the School Psychology Research Collaboration Conference, the Early Career Forum, and the Scientific Advocacy Initiative and six research award programs (the Early Career Research Award; the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Dissertation Grant Award; the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Research Grant Award; the Dissertation Grant Award, the International Initiatives Research Award, and the Shapiro Mid-Career Award). This funding, coupled with the firm commitment to rigorously evaluate policies and practices and expand the scope and effectiveness of school psychological services, has become a significant force in the design and implementation of school psychological services in the 21st century.

The SSSP is the direct descendant of the group that established Journal of School Psychology (JSP) in the early 1960s, JSP Inc. Over the past six decades, JSP has grown and prospered under the leadership of its twelve editors-in-chief (including Drs. Donald Smith, Jack Bardon, Beeman Phillips, Thomas Oakland, Raymond Dean, Joel Meyers, Robert Pianta, Edward Daly III, Randy Floyd, Michelle Demaray, Craig Albers, and Andrew Garbacz) and the progressive guidance of the JSP Inc. and the SSSP Executive Board. 

JSP published its first issue in January of 1963. By the late 1980s, JSP generated profit each year, but only limited funds were available to invest in activities associated with promoting school psychology as a discipline and a profession. Dr. Richard Abidin brought this fact to the attention of the Executive Board and additionally informed them that the contract they had with JSP's publisher was not a favorable one. He proposed that JSP Inc. be converted into a not-for-profit society and that a more favorable contract be sought at the next renewal of the publication contract for JSP. The rationale was that the increase in funds would enable the new non-profit to have resources to benefit the profession. Following Abidin’s guidance, the original shareholders donated their shares to the new SSSP and were given a cash settlement and a tax deduction as part of these arrangements.The formation of the SSSP in 1993 was an enormous undertaking with key roles played in the transition from the old JSP Inc. to the SSSP by Abidin as well as Drs. Michael Curtis, James Eikeland, Emanuel Mason, and Thomas Oakland. 

Please review Fagan and Jack (2012) for a more detailed history of the SSSP prior to 2010 that appeared in a JSP article titled “History of the Founding and Early Development of the Journal of School Psychology.”