Submission deadlines
- Submit proposal to editors: August 15, 2025
- First draft due: February 26, 2026
- Reviews returned to authors: May 1, 2026
- Second drafts due: September 15, 2026
- Finalizing/production work: September-November 2026
- Issue publication: School Psychology November 2026 and Educational Psychology for Policy and Practice December 2026
Editors
School Psychology
Robin S. Codding, PhD
Pam Fenning, PhD
Educational Psychology for Policy and Practice
Sharon L. Nichols, PhD
Francesca López, PhD
Background and context
This initiative is an attempt to leverage APA resources and member expertise to address, in a research-informed manner, current concerns about PK-12 public education in the U.S. Recent polls (e.g., Gallup, Scripps) offer glimpses into the level of dissatisfaction with our education system. In August 2024, 43% of Americans reported being satisfied with the quality of PK-12 education, up from a record low of 36% in 2023; however, 55% still expressed dissatisfaction.
Public dissatisfaction has been declining steadily since 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic. Importantly, when asked about the education their oldest child is receiving, 70% of parents report feeling completely or somewhat satisfied. This reiterates a long-term trend showing parents tend to view the education their child receives positively while holding generally negative views overall about public education.
Not surprisingly, satisfaction with PK-12 education is split between political parties: 53%, Democrats; 33%, Republicans. Data from Pew Research also indicates that among those dissatisfied with PK-12 public education, key reasons include:
- lack of focus on core academic subjects (69%),
- teachers bringing personal political and social views into the classroom (54%), and
- lack of funding and resources for schools (52%).
Additional concerns raised by some sectors of the public include:
- allowing books vs. banning books,
- need for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) vs. DEI overreach,
- school boards’ lack of transparency and engagement with parents vs. parents’ lack of trust and efforts to disrupt and interfere in the work of schools and professional educators.
In recent months, the discontent has been weaponized by unprecedented federal actions that include efforts to dismantle the Department of Education and many of its programs and supports, cancellation of federal dollars allocated towards the research enterprise, and acceleration of efforts to privatize PK-12 education through promotion of vouchers and charter schools.
The aim of this joint special issue is to draw from psychological science to address fundamental questions about the value and need for PK-12 public education in America.
Special issue aims
Editors for Educational Psychology for Policy and Practice (EPPP) and for School Psychology (SPQ) invite papers that apply psychological science to key issues currently affecting public educational policy or practice in the U.S. Papers should offer a scientific lens for framing informed discussions about “hot button” topics in PK-12 public education, thereby clarifying ongoing debate and leading to strong recommendations for improving public schooling of children in America.
A joint special issue creates opportunities for scholars with expertise in either school psychology or educational psychology to leverage their respective bodies of knowledge in articulating a path forward that is both broader and more workable than what is possible from a single special issue.
Potential topic areas include:
- Reading/reading interventions
- Parent/family involvement
- Student health and wellbeing
- Social emotional learning
- Effective instruction
- School safety and violence
- Social justice, DEI, advocacy
- Alternative educator credentialing
- Federal legislation/advocacy (e.g., students with disabilities, ESSA, state control)
- Federal and state data reporting requirements
- Behavior and discipline practices
- School-based mental health
Potential authors should submit to School Psychology papers that focus on topic areas described above with emphasis on implications for practice. School Psychology publishes empirical studies and systematic reviews of the psychology of education and services for children and youth in school settings as well as the adults who serve them.
Potential authors should submit to Educational Psychology for Policy and Practice papers that focus on topic areas described above with emphasis on policy implications. Educational Psychology for Policy and Practice strives to leverage educational psychology science for informing and describing policy implications.
We recognize that policy and school practice are interconnected, but for the purpose of this joint special issue School Psychology will feature papers with practice implications and Educational Psychology for Policy and Practice will feature papers with policy implications.
The scope of potential topic areas is purposely broad to allow authors to contribute based on their background and expertise in either school psychology or educational psychology. However, all authors are asked to speak directly to four key areas when addressing their topic:
- history and current manifestations of contentious issues, including critical assumptions that might lay dormant (e.g., schools as a resource for promoting child mental health),
- related research from education policy or school psychology practice,
- ways that extant psychological science can frame and inform debate on the topic, and
- strong recommendations for future policy- or practice-related efforts.
Special issue details
By August 15, 2025: Interested contributors should submit a brief proposal outlining their potential manuscript consisting of 500-word describing the topic area of interest and their plans for addressing key issues via relevant psychological science. Your proposal should include the following elements: (a) proposed topic area; (b) connection to policy (EPPP) or practice (SP); and (c) sample reference list of literature that you will draw upon also including a brief 150-word author(s) biography.
- Email EPPP Proposals to Editors Sharon L. Nichols, PhD and Francesca López, PhD with the subject line “Public education SI proposal”
- Email SP Proposals to Editors Robin S. Codding, PhD and Pam Fenning, PhD with the subject line “Public education SI proposal”
Proposals will be reviewed for overall quality and fit with the purpose of this joint special issue. A subset will be invited to move forward with development and submission of a full manuscript. Invitation to submit a full manuscript is not a guarantee of acceptance and all submitted manuscripts will undergo masked peer review consistent with each journal’s guidelines prior to a final decision.
By February 26, 2026: Invited manuscripts should be submitted to the EPPP or SP submission portal according to each journal’s instructions to authors.
November/December 2026: Anticipated final joint special issue publication in EPPP and SP.