Position Paper: Affirming Our Professional Ethics in a Time of Uncertainty: The Impact of the Loss of DEI within the Profession of School Psychology

As school psychologists, we operate under IDEA, a federal law built on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Our ethical codes from the California Association of School Psychologists ([CASP], 2021), the National Association of School Psychologists ([NASP], 2020), and the American Psychological Association ([APA], 2017) that guide our practices hold central key principles that underlie the very ethos of DEI, including most critically, the promotion of equitable outcomes for the communities we serve.

The recent directive from the U.S. Department of Education ([ED], 2025a) requires K–12 school districts to certify compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard as a condition for receiving federal financial assistance. (ED, 2025b).

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (1964) was established to ensure that programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance do not engage in discrimination based on race, color, or national origin. The intent of this law was rooted in the principle that federal funds should support equal opportunity, not exclusion or injustice.

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