Scoping Review of School‐Based Psychological Report Writing Practices
Challenges, Best Practices, and Implications
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21375862 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Stephanie Rahill (0000-0001-8926-603X, Georgian Court University Department of Psychology and Counseling Lakewood New Jersey USA, corresponding author), Heather Tacovsky (0009-0004-6735-1582, Georgian Court University Department of Psychology and Counseling Lakewood New Jersey USA) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 63 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 867-890 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Psychology in the Schools (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-3085 • E-ISSN: 1520-6807 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/pits.70134 |
| OpenAlex | W4417364598 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 78 |
This scoping literature review presents the findings of empirical literature regarding the report‐writing practices of school psychologists, with the goal of evaluating current practices and identifying areas for improvement. The review of empirical literature yielded 55 studies that met inclusionary criteria. Available research meeting inclusionary criteria were coded into five categories: Parent understanding/perceptions of reports; educator understanding/perceptions of reports; impact of reports on decision‐making; report organization and structure; and impact of writer characteristics. Findings emphasize the need for reducing jargon, improving readability, and integrating assessment data to enhance their utility for educators and parents. While findings suggest that practical and detailed recommendations are valued by stakeholders, the recommendations included in reports tend to be vague or unrelated to assessment data. Implications for practice are discussed which include strategies for the creation of practical, useful, and strength‐based reports that are responsive to referral questions
Best practice · Empirical evidence · Empirical research · Referral · Report writing · School psychology · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Educational and Psychological Assessments · Family and Disability Support Research
Prisma2020
Preservice teachers' impressions of psychoeducational reports
Don't do more do different
Utility of psychological and psychoeducational evaluation reports
Teachers’ preferences and perceptions of the psychological report
A structured learning envi ronment
Diagnostic reports as bases for decisions on teaching
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |