There has recently been increased attention given to the widely perceived gap between research and practice in school psychology and education. The purpose of this article is to describe how Centennial School of Lehigh University, an alternative day school for students with emotional and behavioral disorders, was able to successfully implement and sustain research-based practices. The use of such practices, in conjunction with organizational and systemic change, led to the significant reduction and eventually the virtual elimination of the use of and need for physical restraint and seclusionary time-out in the school, as well as a substantial increase in students' prosocial behavior. Procedures for reducing the gap between research and practice at Centennial School are discussed, including the methods used by school personnel to facilitate systems change, successfully implement research-based practices, and create a supportive organizational structure for sustaining effective practices. Possible roles for school psychologists in systems change efforts, potential barriers to the implementation of research-based practices, and recommendations as to how these barriers may be overcome also are provided.

This study examined the perceptions of a national sample of school psychologists in the United States regarding their knowledge, preferred roles and training needs in the assessment of nine prominent childhood internalizing disorders. Knowledge about all disorders was rated by respondents as being at least fairly important. In particular, knowledge regarding school phobia/refusal and suicidal threats and acts were perceived as being especially important for school psychologists and assessing these disorders was viewed as an appropriate role for school psychologists. The school-based assessment of eating disorders was rated lowest in terms of need for knowledge and as an appropriate role for school psychologists. The majority of the sample indicated they needed some or significant additional training in the assessment of all nine disorders. Participants also rated the utility of various instruments for assessing internalizing disorders, with child self-reports and interviews rated as particularly important.

From a random sample of members of the 2000-2001 membership directory of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), public school administrators' acceptability ratings of three school-based programs for the prevention of adolescent suicide were examined. A total of 210 (46%) respondents examined a description of a suicide prevention program and completed a measure designed to evaluate the acceptability of suicide prevention programs. Three suicide prevention programs were evaluated for their acceptability, and included: (a) school-wide curriculum-based programs presented to students; (b) in-service presentations to school staff; and (c) self-report screening programs for students. The results indicated that superintendents rated the staff in-service training and curriculum-based programs as significantly more acceptable than the school-wide screening program. In addition, the school-wide screening program was rated as significantly more intrusive by school psychologists than the staff in-service training or curriculum-based prevention programs. Limitations of the study and future research directions are discussed.