This toolkit is designed to support high-quality teaching of high school psychology in all 50 states, including Washington, DC. APA expects high school psychology teachers to have the preparation necessary to teach the course as specified in the “National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula”. This toolkit provides strategies for advocating that all states and Washington, DC, require the psychology credential to teach the high school psychology course across the United States.
Below are an overview, a list of current state credentialing status, instructions for how to use the toolkit, steps for teachers and allies to advocate for the psychology teaching credential, information on developing partnerships and resources.
Toolkit overview
Learn why credentialing is important
The goal of advocacy is to either keep current policy in place or to change the status quo. The typical response to change is resistance. This is certainly the case if the change affects state standards or guidelines that credential teachers to teach any K-12 course, including high school psychology. This toolkit is designed to support high-quality teaching of high school psychology in all 50 states, including Washington, DC. By having more high school psychology teachers with the content knowledge preparation required by the teaching credential, the content delivery of psychology at the high school level will be strengthened. To reach this goal, all states need to require the psychology credential to teach the course.
This advocacy toolkit was developed to support the efforts and leadership of advocates who champion having a psychology teaching credential that is required to teach the high school psychology course. It also supports the (now archived) American Psychological Association (APA) policy document “Guidelines for Preparing High School Psychology Teachers: Course-based and Standards-based Approaches” (APA, 2012), which outlined models for preparing high school psychology teachers and recommended paths for moving current teachers toward recommended credentialing. The teaching credential in a discipline better ensures that the classroom teacher possesses the content knowledge to teach the course according to its discipline’s standards, which in this case is the “National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula” (APA, 2011). Accordingly, the APA expects high school psychology teachers to have the preparation necessary to teach the course as specified in the “National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula”. The general advocacy recommendations and strategies provided in this toolkit could also be used to encourage adoption of the national standards at the state or district level.
Current state credentialing status
Across the nation, three tiers of state credentialing for high school psychology currently exist (note that the District of Columbia is treated like a state). Tier 1 consists of states that do not offer a psychology credential. Tier 2 consists of states that offer a psychology credential but do not require it to teach the course. Tier 3 consists of states that have a psychology teaching credential and require it to teach the course.
The states in each of these tiers are as follows.
| Tier 1: No psychology credential
(n =24) | Tier 2: Psychology credential not required to teach course (n=14) | Tier 3: Psychology credential required to teach course
(n =13) | |
| California | New York | Alabama | Arizona |
| Colorado | North Carolina | Alaska | Georgia |
| Connecticut | Oregon | Arkansas | Idaho |
| Delaware | Pennsylvania | Iowa | Illinois |
| Dist of Columbia | Rhode Island | Kentucky | Indiana |
| Florida | Texas | Mississippi | Kansas |
| Hawaii | Vermont | Nebraska | Michigan |
| Louisiana | Virginia | Nevada | Montana |
| Maine | Washington | New Mexico | New Jersey |
| Maryland | West Virginia | North Dakota | Oklahoma |
| Massachusetts | Ohio | South Carolina | |
| Minnesota | Utah | South Dakota | |
| Missouri | Wisconsin | Tennessee | |
| New Hampshire | Wyoming | ||
Using the advocacy toolkit
Each tier listed in the previous section needs its own advocacy strategies
Even the 13 states that require the psychology credential to teach the course must be contacted to ensure that policy and decision makers are aware of the importance of this status quo.
Before taking action
Advocates must identify their audiences. Advocating for change requires being educated on the issues, and prepared both organizationally and emotionally.
Allies and the need for broad support
Advocates work to create relationships and partnerships among allies, which are people and organizations that share the advocates’ belief in the importance of the change and strategies for making those changes. These relationships and partnerships create a coalition of allies.
Sustaining advocacy and using this toolkit
To sustain its advocacy, a group of advocates needs leaders, a message, a communication strategy, methods to energize its allies and the discipline to delegate and hold coalition members accountable. Each of these needs is addressed by a tool in the advocacy toolkit. Your use of this toolkit will depend upon which tier your state is in.
Developing partnerships
As you seek to find partners to support your advocacy efforts, it is essential that you have (a) a persuasive argument connecting the advocacy goals to the goals of the person or organization and (b) a clear “ask”. Organizations, particularly non-profits and professional organizations typically operate within specific parameters. They are not likely to support your advocacy efforts unless they can see how your goals line up with their organizational mission. Be creative but reasonable in crafting your message to them.
Always have a clear “ask” when meeting with a potential advocacy partner. Carefully consider what you need from this partnership:
- Do you need financing for promotional material?
- Do you need them to connect you to policymakers they have access to?
- Do you simply need them to sign on to a letter or offer some organizational support?
Decide what you need ahead of time and which organizations are best suited to provide those specific needs.
And keep in mind that organizations are going to be more responsive if your ask is presented as an opportunity for collaboration. Use phrases such as, “We want to support your goal of (state goal), and we believe this (change in policy) can advance that goal. Would you be willing to work with us in achieving that?”
Examples of potential goal alignments:
Teachers unions/associations
Increased rigor in psychology teacher licensing promotes a stronger sense of professionalism and requires states and local districts to provide opportunities for training. Higher quality psychology courses provide students with flourishing skills and self-knowledge that can be beneficial to them.
Chambers of commerce/economic development organizations
A healthy workforce is an important factor in the economic development of a community. Industries and small businesses are drawn to areas in which they can find a workforce that is mentally and physically healthy, productive, and consistent.
State psychological organizations
High quality psychology courses taught at the secondary level encourages interest in and pursuit of careers in the psychological profession.
Mental health advocates/general health advocacy groups
High school psychology courses, when taught by knowledgeable, qualified instructors, expose students to knowledge about mental health and illness. Those students are more likely to be able to identify and seek treatment for mental disorders they may be experiencing or that their friends/family members may be experiencing.
Resources
These resources are available and provide more information and strategies needed to become an effective advocate.
- APA’s PsycAdvocate Guide to Advocacy
This guide is designed to provide you with the information and strategies you need to become an effective advocate for psychology. - Talking points for advocating psychology as a science course
How high school psychology meets the criteria of a science course so that states may award STEM credit for psychology coursework.
This toolkit was written by the Working Group on Identifying and Credentialing High School Psychology Teachers from the APA Summit on High School Psychology Education (July 2017): Ken Weaver, PhD, co-chair; Debra Park, MA, co-chair; Lara Bruner, MA; Julie Gowans; William Mayfield, MA; Michael McLane, MA; Melissa Rogers; Allison Shaver, MS; and Stefanie Scher, MA.