HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State University’s Jennifer Kitson co-authored an article published in May by the National Association of School Psychologists, Bethesda, MD.

The article by several authors from other universities and Kitson, instructor and interim director of the School of Psychology’s graduate program, features Fort Hays State’s success with its online graduate program.

Kitson noted the timing of the article’s publication is fortuitous since online education during the COVID-19 pandemic became the necessary delivery for all programs in the country. FHSU is one of a select few institutions in the nation that provide online graduate school psychology programs.

The copy of the Communiqué article titled “Extending the University Walls: Using Technology to Prepare Future Practitioners” can be accessed both in print form and online to the 25,000 members of the National Association of School Psychologists, the largest professional association of school psychologists.

NASP sets the standards for the profession of school psychology, and Kitson – who has three degrees in psychology from FHSU – has been a leader in the association for more than 20 years in various capacities.

She is currently a member of the National Accreditation Board and previously served on NASP Executive Council for 11 years. FHSU continues that leadership in the organization as Leslie Paige, scholarship and sponsored projects director in the Graduate School and a two-time graduate of FHSU, currently serves as the NASP president.

Kitson was invited in late March to work with a group of ten graduate educators representing school psychology programs, to identify needs and organize online resources and supports for school psychology graduate educators to conduct distance online education during campus closures. On May 21, FHSU school psychology program faculty Jennifer Kitson and Angie Howard co-facilitated with four faculty from other universities a session to assist graduate educators with counseling skill development in online delivery, presented as a virtual training and facilitated focus groups, as one of the recorded offerings sponsored by NASP “Distance Education for Graduate Educators in School Psychology”. Kitson and Howard highlighted strategies and technology application considerations used in their courses. They are continuing to plan with the Distance Education for Graduate Educators in School Psychology for additional webinars and supports for graduate educators over the summer, as the demand grows for online education in school psychology graduate programs.