M.S./Ed.S in School Psychology

 

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The School Psychology Program at Florida State University is a 72 hour program that includes 2 years of academic coursework and practica, with a third year of internship. Successful graduates of the program receive Specialist/Master’s Degrees (Ed.S./M.S. degrees) in Counseling and Human Systems with a specialization in School Psychology. This degree meets the entry-level educational requirements of Florida for the practice of school psychology. The School Psychology Program at Florida State University is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and is approved by the Florida Department of Education (DOE).

School psychologists have specialized training in both psychology and education. They use their training and skills to team with educators, parents, and other mental health professionals to ensure that every child learns in a safe, healthy and supportive environment. School Psychologists engage in a variety of services, including assessment, consultation, prevention, intervention, education, research and planning, and health care provision. School psychologists understand school systems, effective teaching and successful learning. For more information on what school psychologists do: http://www.nasponline.org/about_nasp/whatisa.html

Most graduates in school psychology will find employment in school settings. However, opportunities also exist in other agencies that deal with children and youth. The outlook is very promising for school psychologists nationwide as we are facing a personnel shortage, as is most of special education. Many of those hired in the mid '70s are retiring and our training programs are not graduating enough people to fill all those positions! In fact, School Psychology was recently named one of the top ten “hot professions” for 2002 by US News and World Report. Furthermore, the 2006-2007 Occupational Outlook Handbook states:

“Employment of psychologists is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2014, because of increased demand for psychological services in schools, hospitals, social service agencies, mental health centers, substance abuse treatment clinics, consulting firms, and private companies.

Among the specialties in this field, school psychologists—especially those with a specialist degree or higher—may enjoy the best job opportunities. Growing awareness of how students’ mental health and behavioral problems, such as bullying, affect learning is increasing demand for school psychologists to offer student counseling and mental health services.” http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos056.htm

Program Mission, Goals, and Objectives

The mission of the School Psychology Program at Florida State University is to prepare school psychology practitioners who possess the knowledge and skills necessary to promote the educational and psychological well-being of children and youth who live in a culturally diverse society. The MS/EdS program is grounded in the practitioner-scholar model, meaning that we prepare professional school psychologists with excellent applied skills who also have the skills necessary to understand and apply research in the theory and practice of school psychology.
The School Psychology Program at Florida State University recognizes that children and adolescents currently face a myriad of critical issues, including poverty, violence, bullying and harassment, teen pregnancy/sexual behavior, alcohol and drug abuse, increased cultural and linguistic diversity, and mental health problems. We believe that school psychologists can and should play an important role in addressing the critical issues facing children and adolescents in the 21st century. As a training program, we embrace the idea that the roles of school psychologists must be expanded and revised in order to successfully promote the educational and psychological well-being of all children and adolescents in the face of current challenges.

The School Psychology Program at Florida State University was formed on the basis of the following core beliefs.

1. We need to ensure that the practices of all school psychologists are supported by empirical evidence of effectiveness
2. A focus on prevention and early intervention services is both cost effective and beneficial to children, families, and schools
3. The practice of assessment should be linked to both intervention and accountability
4. School Psychologists are the best-trained professionals working in schools today, and can act as change agents for children and schools
5. Collaboration across professions in education, and across specializations in psychology, is critically important to ensure the achievement of common goals
6. School Psychologists must understand the impact of factors such as culture, race, gender, and social class on children’s success and on families, and also must both respect and work to improve the educational opportunities for children from diverse backgrounds and cultures
7. In order to act effectively in the schools, School Psychologists must understand the impact of state and federal initiatives on children and schools, including the impact of the re-authorized Individuals with Education Act (IDEA) and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
8. Advancements in technology should be viewed as an opportunity to improve both prevention and intervention services
9. Effective home-school-community partnerships will be critical in re-conceptualizing the field of school psychology, as will a shift away from the role of “gatekeeper to special ed” and shift toward a service delivery model that emphasizes consultation and collaborative problem-solving.

Given the core beliefs of the School Psychology Program at Florida State University, our goals and objectives are as follows:

Goal 1

To prepare school psychology practitioners grounded in the practitioner –scholar model, who have excellent applied skills and who also have the skills necessary to understand and apply research in the theory and practice of school psychology.

Objectives:

1. Students will be well grounded in the basic and applied knowledge areas, including but not limited to psychology foundations of behavior, educational foundations of behavior, psychological and psycho-educational assessment, direct and indirect interventions, and professional school psychology.
2. Students will demonstrate knowledge of research–based methods and techniques of practice, and will show familiarization with evidence-based treatments in the school psychology literature
3. Students will be competent in the combination of applied and research based practice, and will use research to inform practice and practice to further scholarly inquiry
4. Students will value the contributions of applied and basic research, and when appropriate, will seek advanced study at the doctoral level when this is deemed appropriate with their career goals

Goal 2

To prepare high levels of clinical competency in the practice of professional school psychology.

Objectives:

1. Students will successfully complete both didactic and lab-based course work dealing with the theory, empirical support, and knowledge base in psychological and psycho-educational assessment, individual and system level consultation, problem identification and program development, individual and group based counseling, and program accountability.
2. Students will successfully complete intensive practicum experiences that follow their clinically oriented courses. They will engage in supervised clinic-based and school based experiences designed to refine these clinical skills
3. Students will be provided opportunities within program-based centers or clinics to further develop their clinical skills in professional settings under professional supervision
4. Students will engage in high quality school-based internships that complement and refine the competencies promoted in the didactic and practicum components of the program

Goal 3

To prepare culturally competent school psychologists to practice professionally in this increasingly culturally diverse society

Objectives:

1. Students will critically explore their own cultural identity and heritage and examine how they affect psychological service delivery
2. Students will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of different cultures, value systems, developmental/identity issues related to culture and perspectives of healthcare and psychological services
3. Students will design culturally appropriate consultation, intervention, and assessments to meet student, staff, and parental needs
4. Students will demonstrate knowledge of ethical and legal issues related to multicultural competence in providing school psychology services and will be able to professionally evaluate ethical dilemmas in related services

Goal 4

To prepare students who have a professional identity as School Psychologists, who are knowledgeable about ethical and professional issues, understand and utilize special education and educational law and regulations, and value the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations.

Objectives:

1. Students will attend, present papers at, and become involved with professional School Psychology organizations and meetings
2. Students will be cognizant of, and utilize in their practice, current topics relevant to the practice of school psychology
3. Students will demonstrate an awareness of, and ability to utilize, the most recent standards in ethical practice, educational and special education law, and federal, state and local legislation
4. Students will learn and demonstrate the importance of collaboration across disciplines and specializations as necessary in order to fully develop their own professional identities as School Psychologists
5. Students will understand the importance of school and community partnerships

Goal 5

To prepare students who understand the importance of keeping abreast of advancements in science and technology that can facilitate their professional growth

Objectives:

1. Students will demonstrate basic competency of computer-based research methods (e.g. statistical packages)
2. Students will utilize web-based teaching and learning tools
3. Students will actively pursue advances in technology that can be used to facilitate assessment and intervention

Knowledge and Skill Foundation

Programs of study for students seeking the Specialist/Master’s Degree in Counseling and Human Systems with a School Psychology Specialization emphasize the following knowledge and skill areas.

1. Psychological Foundations: Biological bases of behavior; student diversity in development and learning; child and adolescent development (normal and abnormal); human exceptionalities; human learning; social bases of behavior.
   
2. Educational Foundations: Effective instruction; development of cognitive and academic skills; school and systems organization; education of exceptional learners
   
3. Assessment: Data-based decision-making; assessment of cognitive abilities; direct measures of student achievement; progress monitoring; behavioral observations; social-behavioral-ecological measures; multicultural awareness
   
4. Interventions: Consultation; collaboration; counseling; behavior management; prevention programs; home/school/community collaborations; multicultural considerations
   
5. Statistics and Research Design: research methodology and statistics; translating research into practice
   
6. Professional School Psychology: History and foundations of school psychology; legal and ethical issues; professional issues and standards; roles and functions of school psychologists; cultural competence