ED.S. Degree in School Psychology

C.O. "Rick" Lindskog, Ed.D., Program Coordinator

Program Model
The School Psychology Program at Pittsburg State University reflects a generalist training model. A significant part of PSU's mission is to serve regionally in Kansas, a state which is primarily rural. Figures drawn from the 1996-97 PSU demographics report published by the Office of Institutional Research indicates that 85-87% of the PSU enrollment are from towns with populations of 30,000 or less. Of the forty-eight graduates in School Psychology in the last five years, thirty-eight are currently working in rural areas. Rural areas are characteristically served by cooperatives and School Psychologists are typically assigned a certain number of schools to service, responding to most issues which arise. Hence, the PSU program accepts a generalist training model in order to prepare students with the breadth of basic competencies which will be needed in the field. A generalist in School Psychology draws on a base of knowledge and competencies from the related fields of psychology and education. The primary goal is to support pupils' ability to function in the educational setting. This requires broad competencies in diagnostics (both normative and ipsative), and interventions (including consultation; individual, group, and family counseling; and classroom design; and best teaching/curricular practices). Another broad area of competencies the PSU School Psychology Program is based upon training competencies in consultation and collaboration with persons who support the pupil in the classroom setting. These competencies include the consultation and collaboration skills necessary to meaningfully involve parents, school support personnel, and social/community service agencies. The competencies which will be demonstrated by the students successfully completing the PSU School Psychology Program are based on a foundation of the acceptance of and accommodation to human and cultural diversity. This value, which permeates matriculation policy, training practices, is explicitly inherent in program objectives and competencies. In sum, the School Psychologist who graduates from PSU will be a person who has the skills to positively influence a child's functioning in the educational setting. These competencies involve various individual and environmental assessments, and direct and indirect interventions, as well as the ability to communicate with others.

Program Objectives
The competencies expected of the successful PSU School Psychology student are as follows:

1. A statement of the belief in and value of human development, and an acceptance (in philosophy and behavior) of human diversity.
2. Description of the course of human development, and how this development is influenced by human exceptionality and nonnormative events.
3. Conduct psychoeducational assessments, including cognitive, academic, social, and emotional domains, using both normative and ipsative instrumentation. The student will also demonstrate oral and written communication of testing results to parents, teachers, administrators, and professionals from other agencies.
4. Demonstrating knowledge of curriculum design by participating in alternative educational assessment procedures.
5. Demonstrating consultation skills by working with teachers to support direct interventions with academic and behavioral problems. These competencies will be demonstrated in both individual and group settings.
6. Demonstrate competency in consuming research from the disciplines of education, psychology, and School Psychology.
7. Demonstrate competency in data-based decision making involving both normative and ipsative data.
8. Demonstrate accommodation to human diversity and exceptionality. This accommodation will manifest in a view which promotes human welfare.

Program Curriculum
The Educational Specialist Program has been available for School Psychologists at Pittsburg State University since 1957. Through several changes, the current program design is intended to train students for competencies which are necessary to function as a School Psychologist in a public school or related setting. The program consists of a two year course of study followed by a supervised Internship. The student who enters the program with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology will take a 33 semester hour M.S. Degree in General Psychology and a 32 to 33 semester hour Ed.S. degree in School Psychology followed by one school year of supervised Internship. The PSU School Psychology Program will also consider applicants who have earned a Masters Degree in a related field. Many typical are those with degrees in Education or Counselor Education. The competency requirements set forth in the program goals are met through formal coursework and supervised field experiences. Most applicants, as a result of prior coursework or field experience, have an opportunity to individualize study with electives in the Ed.S. program, according to their own areas of specific interest. The program can be extended (within PSU program guidelines) to accommodate part-time students, and both the Practicum and Internship in School Psychology can be taken half-time over a longer period of time if student needs dictate.

Recommended Course Sequence

First Year Fall Semester

First Year Spring Semester

First Year Summer Semester

Second Year Fall Semester

Second Year Spring Semester

Second Year Summer Semester

Third Year
A full school year of Internship (post Ed.S. Degree) is required for full certification endorsement. The Internship is comprised of a minimum of 1200 clock hours of work experience under the supervision of a certified School Psychologist. The Intern is granted a one year School Psychologist certificate for this purpose. In addition, the Intern must meet the stipulations of the yearly goals, which are written in a contract at the beginning of the year, and agreed upon by the University Supervisor, the Field Supervisor, and the Intern. Documentation of having met these goals must be forwarded to the University Supervisor upon completion of the Internship year. Certificate renewal is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the Internship.

Field Placements
The PSU School Psychology program believes that at the core of competent training is effective supervision of practitioner competencies. Within the University didactic curriculum, students are directly observed by faculty in core competencies in such courses as Intellectual Assessment, Psychoeducational Assessment, Techniques of Counseling and Psychotherapy, and Problems in Teaching Reading. Direct supervision of field placements in School Psychology occurs in Practicum and Internship. The qualifications for Supervision of Practicum and Internship include School Psychologist Certification and close supervision of field experiences. The Practicum has a core of competencies which must be met by every student, while the Internship utilizes a contract which builds upon these basic competencies by using a contract. The PSU utilizes a number of different field placements for training. Among these are the SEK Special Education Cooperative (Pittsburg, KS), The Blue Valley Schools (Overland Park, KS), the ANW Special Education Cooperative (Humbolt, KS), The Olathe (KS) Public Schools, and the Joplin (MO) R-VIII Schools.