Dr. Victor Villarreal
Currently accepting doctoral students

Research Interests & Projects

Equity in Practice

Dr. Villarreal's research includes evaluation of how models of school service delivery may better benefit culturally and linguistically diverse students, as well as identifying practices (including educational and psychological intervention) that benefit all students. Dr. Villarreal is also interested in evaluating how deficit narratives influence and impede school psychology research.

Mental Health Screening

Dr. Villarreal is interested in evaluating methods for identifying students with the greatest need for emotional supports and intervention. This includes evaluation of all stages of school-based mental health screening, as well as student screening outcomes and access to mental health services both in schools and in the community.

Meta-Research in School Psychology

Dr. Villarreal is interested in critically evaluating the field of school psychology through meta-research (i.e., research on research). In this area, he has conduct journal content analyses, meta-analyses, and analyses and reviews of 'best practice' recommendations, with a goal of highlighting strengths and weakness in the research in the field and improving practice and research recommendations.

Representative Publications

Villarreal, V. (2024). Considerations for mental health screening and referrals: Implications form a school-university case study. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 40, 62-82. https://doi.org/10.1080/15377903.2023.2236958

Villarreal, V., Castro-Villarreal, F., Peterson, L. S., *Bear, M., *Cortes, D., & *Escobedo, T. (2023). Meta-analysis of proportions of students screened and identified in mental health multiple-gate screening research. School Psychology Review, 52, 130-143. https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2022.2106155

Castro-Villarreal, F., Sullivan, J., Villarreal, V. (2021). Social justice training in school psychology through a university-school service learning partnership. School Psychology Training and Pedagogy, 38, 11-23. https://tsp.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/ SPTP%20Volume%2038%20Issue%201/38(1)_April_2021.pdf

Sullivan, J., & Villarreal, V. (2023). Best practices in university and site-based supervision of practicum and internship. In P. L. Harrison & A. Thomas (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology (7th edition). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.