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University of Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) in School Psychology |
Program Policy Statement
Part I. Program
History
A. Purpose
Statement
B. Origin of the
Program
C. Administration
and Faculty
Part
II. Admission
A. University
Policy on Admission
B. University
Admission Procedures
C. Specific
Requirements for Admission into the School Psychology Program
D. Admission
Status
Part III.
Degree Requirements
A. Course Requirements of the Specialist Program
B. Additional, Non-course Requirements
of the Specialist Program
C. Practica and Internships
D. Portfolio Requirements of Internship
Part IV. General Information Relevant to the M.A. and Ed.S. in School Psychology
A. Financial Assistance
B. Application for
Advanced Degree
C. Housing
D. Graduate Grade
Point Average
E. Time Limits for
the Completion of Degree Requirements
F. Extension of
the Time Limit
G. Transfer of
Credit Earned as a Continuing Education Student at the University of Delaware
H. Transfer of
Credit from Another Institution
I. Transfer of
Credit from the Undergraduate Division at the University of Delaware
Effective: Spring 2005
A.
Purpose Statement
The school psychology "program" at the
The program is grounded in the
scientist/practitioner model in psychology, and committed to the
1. Students will adhere to the highest standards of ethical and
professional conduct and will demonstrate respect for the dignity, worth, and
individual differences of children of all cultures and backgrounds.
2. Students will use multiple methods of gathering reliable and valid
data in the design and implementation of a variety
of empirically-supported interventions for addressing problems faced by
children, schools, and families.
3. Students will acquire an in-depth understanding of modern theories
and research in the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development
of children, including knowledge of family and school systems, and will apply
such knowledge to the practice of school psychology.
4. Students will develop a strong knowledge base specific to the
profession of school psychology including its history and foundations, the
various roles and functions of school psychologists,
and alternative models by which services are delivered.
5. Students will acquire and apply specific competencies in school
psychology, especially in the areas of assessment, consultation,
prevention, and direct interventions, while using an ecological,
problem-solving approach in the delivery of psychological services in the
schools.
6. Students will acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to design
and implement comprehensive mental health services, especially school-based
services for promoting mental health and preventing social, emotional, and
academic problems.
7. Students will work collaboratively and effectively with teachers,
administrators, support staff, community agencies, children and their families,
and others in the delivery of psychological services in the schools.
8. Students will apply a data-based, scientific problem solving
approach to the delivery of all services, including assessment and
intervention. Such services will be guided by current research and an
appropriate assessment and analysis of multiple individual and ecological
factors that influence learning and development. Evaluation data will be
collected to demonstrate that services lead to positive outcomes. Where
appropriate, students will use technology effectively in the delivery of
assessment and intervention services, including in the acquisition and communication
of information.
9. Students will develop sufficient knowledge and skills in research,
statistics, and evaluation and apply such knowledge and skills in the
design and evaluation of programs and services in the schools. Technology will be used effectively in
research, statistics, and evaluation.
B.
Origin of the Program
The specialist-level program was first established
in 1981, with the first class consisting of two students admitted in the fall
of 1982. From 1981 to 1983, the program had two part-time faculty members
in school psychology. At that time it was envisioned that the program
would train school psychologists for the state of
C. Administration and
Faculty
The Committee on
Graduate Studies in Education is the SOE-level committee that administers all
the graduate programs, including the School Psychology Program. The committee is composed of five faculty
members from the SOE, a graduate student member selected by the Education
Graduate Association, and the Assistant Director
of the SOE, who also serves as the SOE Graduate Coordinator.
The SOE is
committed to the recruitment, support, and retention of full-time, tenure-line
faculty members in the area of special education. Faculty members who teach graduate courses
and advise graduate students in the SOE must have a doctorate or
equivalent. In some instances, persons
with a master’s degree and special expertise in a relevant area of Education as
a result of concentrated study, employment experience, or service may be
recommended for graduate teaching. In
such cases, the faculty member must have a record of successful teaching in the
relevant area of Education, proven scholarly ability, and the endorsement of
the School Psychology faculty and the SOE Director.
School Psychology
faculty members review candidates for admission to the program in School
Psychology, serve as advisors to candidates admitted to the program, teach
courses in the program, and evaluate candidates’ exhibits, practica,
internships, and other performance products.
D. Degrees Offered
The degrees awarded to candidates who complete this program are an Master of Arts (M.A.) in School Psychology followed by an Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) in School Psychology.
Part II. Admission
A. University Policy on
Admission
Admission to the
graduate program is competitive. Those who meet stated minimum
requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all
of those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other
appropriate strengths.
B. University Admission Procedures
Applicants must
submit all of the following items to the Office of Graduate Studies before
admission is considered:
Completed
applications are due by February 1 for admission in the subsequent Fall semester. Admission application forms are available
from the Office of Graduate Studies, from the departments, and online
(http://www.udel.edu/admissions/appinfo.html).
A $60 nonrefundable
application fee must be submitted with the application. Checks must be made
payable to the
An official
transcript of all previous college records must be sent directly from the
institution to the Office of Graduate Studies. Students who have attended the
Applicants must
submit at least three letters of recommendation. The School Psychology faculty recommend that these letters be written by teaching
supervisors and professors who know the applicant well.
If English is not
their first language, international student applicants must demonstrate a
satisfactory level of proficiency in the English language on the Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The TOEFL is offered by the Educational
Testing Service in test centers throughout the world. TOEFL scores that are
more than two years old are not acceptable. In order for a student visa to be
issued, international students first must be offered admission to the University
and provide evidence of adequate financial resources. The University has been
authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien students.
International students are required to purchase the University-sponsored
insurance plan or its equivalent.
It is a Delaware
State Board of Health Regulation and a
C. Specific Requirements for
Admission into the School Psychology Program
The School Psychology Program
seeks candidates for admission with qualities that will enable them to become
outstanding school psychologists. School
psychologists must have the skills to analyze educational problems at all
levels of the system; design, implement, and evaluate interventions to prevent
or solve these problems; and collaborate with families, educators, and
community members to promote healthy educational and psychological outcomes for
all children. Therefore, we seek
candidates who demonstrate the following dispositions:
Applicants are judged individually. However, the following are required
and guide the admission process:
Courses
designed to remediate deficiencies in an applicant's background may be
required. Credit for these courses would not apply to the program's required
credit hours.
The
Review of applications
D. Admission
Status
Students admitted into any
of the School Psychology degree programs are only admitted on a full-time basis
with regular (non-provisional) status. Regular status is offered to students
who meet all of the established entrance requirements and who have the ability,
interest, and commitment necessary for successful study at the graduate level in
a degree program.
Part III. Degree
Requirements
The
Specialist program requires three years of full-time study. With special
permission from the student's advisor and program coordinator, the equivalent
of one year of coursework may be completed part-time. Upon completion of
the first year of coursework (30 credits) and passing of a comprehensive exam,
students are awarded a Master’s of Arts in School Psychology. All
students are expected to continue their studies to earn the Educational
Specialist degree in School Psychology, which requires 30 additional credits
including a 1,200-hour internship. It is only upon completion of the full
60-hour integrated program that a student is eligible for certification as a
school psychologist in
First Year
(Master's Level)
EDUC
618
Special Services in the Schools
EDUC
663
Counseling Skills Laboratory
EDUC/PSY
817 Individual Intelligence Testing
EDUC
681
Techniques of Behavior Change
Winter Session (or Summer)
EDUC
623
Applied Human Development in the Schools
EDUC
680
Educational Diagnosis
EDUC
660
Educational Statistics and Measurement
EDUC
671 Practicum
in School Psychology
EDUC
814
Psychological Assessment of Children
EDUC
679
Instructing Elementary/Middle Schoolers with Mild Disabilities
Comprehensive Examination
Master of Arts (M.A.) Degree
conferred
Second Year
(Specialist level)
EDUC
831 Advanced
Counseling Techniques
EDUC
671 Practicum
in School Psychology
EDUC
813 Childhood
Psychopathology
EDUC
691 Applied
Statistics and Research Design
EDUC
830
Consultation and Intervention
EDUC
671 Practicum
in School Psychology
EDUC
651
School-Based Family Issues and Interventions
EDUC 870
Child Neuropsychology
EDUC
688
Internship in School Psychology (3 credits per semester)
Note: Students who choose to
enroll for 3 credits of internship may not be considered “full-time students”
for the purpose of deferring student loans.
Students are responsible for determining their loan status.
Students
must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 to be eligible
for the Master's degree and Educational Specialist degree. Students also
must obtain a grade of B- or higher in each practica in order to advance to the
next level of the program.
Additionally, a grade of B- or higher is required during each semester
of the internship in order to complete the program and receive the Educational
Specialist degree. Note that proficiency
in oral and written expression in English is among the requirements for a grade
of B- in practica and the internship.
The
comprehensive examination is usually administered to first-year students during
the last week of the Spring semester. Alternate
exam times are sometimes arranged for students who wish to participate in Winter or Summer graduation. The exam consists of
several essay questions covering material from first-year courses.
Successful completion of the exam and coursework results in the Master of Arts
degree. The exam is graded by two or more members of the school
psychology faculty. Student identities are masked for the purpose of exam
grading. Students failing the exam are
given the opportunity to take a second exam. At the discretion of the
faculty, this second exam may cover all or part of the first year course
material and may be written and/or oral. Students must pass the second
administration in order to continue in the program.
Residency
Requirement
All
students must complete a full-time residency.
Minimally, at the Specialist level students are required to spend one,
continuous year (Fall semester, Spring semester) of
full-time course work in the program.
This does not include the internship.
Full time work is defined as completing nine credit hours per semester. It is strongly recommended that both years of
coursework be completed on a full-time basis.
Practica
Carefully
constructed practica (3 courses for a total of 9 credits) are a part of every
student's program. These practica are in addition to practicum experiences
embedded within certain courses (i.e., assessment, counseling, consultation,
and intervention courses). The first practicum orients students to the
educational process and gives them the opportunity to practice diagnostic
assessment skills. In the second and third practica, students refine their
assessment skills and develop expertise in direct and indirect intervention
(e.g., individual and group counseling, teacher and family consultation, design
and implementation of behavior management programs).
Practicum assignments are made by faculty to ensure that students gain
experience with a variety of ages, cultures, and disabilities. Most practica
are completed in regular school settings; however, one practicum may be
completed in a more "specialized" setting, such as programs for
children with physical and/or sensory impairments, alternative schools, schools
for children with autism or other severe disabilities. Students interested in a
particular area should discuss possible placements with the University
practicum supervisor. Supervision is provided on-site by a certified school
psychologist; students also attend weekly group supervision meetings with a
University faculty member.
Proficiency in English expression, both oral and written, is required
for all practica and internship placements (as well as for graduation).
Internship
For students in the
Educational Specialist degree, an internship is completed in the third year of
training. The objective of the internship is to insure competency and
integration of knowledge and skills in all domains of school psychology and to
broaden such knowledge and skills.
The internship
requires full-time participation, five days per week for one academic
year. Interns must log a minimum of 1,200 clock hours for the
Educational Specialist degree. Under unusual circumstances, and with permission
of the program faculty, the internship may be completed over a two year
period. At least one-half of the clock hours must be completed in a school
setting. Internship sites follow guidelines established by the National
Association of School Psychologists, and a plan of objectives and activities
that are delineated and evaluated on the Field Experience Checklist and
Evaluation Form. As described in the Internship Guidelines, a
written contract between the university, internship site, and intern must be
formalized prior to beginning an internship. Students typically handle a case
load roughly half of that required for a certified school psychologist. They
must participate in a minimum of 4 hours of weekly supervision from a certified
school psychologist (or someone with other appropriate credentials for
placements in non-school settings) and log at least 1,200 clock hours that
document a full range of experiences and services with a diverse population of
students.
Finding an
appropriate internship site is the joint responsibility of the university
supervisor and the student. While every effort is made to arrange for a paid
internship, paid internships are not guaranteed. However, over the past ten
years all interns have been offered paid internships (averaging about $16,000).
Students have completed their internships in
Placements must be
approved by the university supervisor. Although the supervisor attempts to
place interns in locations that they most desire, the program's obligations to
local school districts must be respected. As such, the University may require
that an internship be completed in a local school district. Likewise, quality
of the site is always considered to be more important than a high salary.
F. Portfolio Requirements Of Internship
Students are
required to develop a portfolio of documents that demonstrate their competence
as a reflective practitioner of school psychology. The portfolio will be used, in part, to
establish the grade for the internship. The items selected for your portfolio
are examples of their very best work and should clearly demonstrate mastery of
the skills involved. The primary purpose of the portfolio is not to help
students improve their skills, but for them to demonstrate the skills they have
developed over the past 2 years as well as during the internship.
Professional Development Goals and Activities: Students develop a set of two to four goals
for their professional development for the year and a sequence of activities
designed to address those goals.
Report Writing:
Students submit a completed psychoeducational evaluation report that
demonstrates their ability to conduct a comprehensive assessment that is linked
to intervention.
Counseling: Students submit a videotape of a counseling session
with a student, along with progress notes on the session
Consultation: Students submit a videotape of a problem-solving
consultation session with a teacher.
Comprehensive Assessment/Intervention Case Study: Students submit a complete
case study demonstrating that you possess the knowledge and professional
expertise to collaborate with teachers, families and other professionals in
designing, implementing, and evaluating interventions that effectively respond
to the educational and mental health needs of children and youth.
Special Project: This project involves an activity outside the
“day-to-day” assessment/intervention work of most school psychologists. That is, it should be concerned with an issue
at the school or district level (i.e., systems level). The content of the project is open, but it is
highly recommended that the project reflect your contributions to prevention or
intervention programs concerning social, emotional, or academic
development. The focus might be the
student’s involvement in school policies, needs assessment, program design,
program implementation, or program evaluation.
Passing
score on the PRAXIS exam in school psychology. Students are required to achieve a passing
score (660) on the National School Psychology Examination administered by the
Educational Testing Service.
Part IV. General Information Relevant to M.A. and Ed.S. Degree
Candidates
A. Financial Assistance
Over the past five years or so, more than 75% of students in the school
psychology program have received either a Teaching Assistantship (TA) or a
Research Assistantship (RA). During the past 3 years, all students have
received either a TA or RA. TA and RA positions require 20 hours work per week.
Students with TA and RA positions receive tuition remission during the regular
semesters (but not during Winter Session or Summer
sessions) and receive approximately $12,000 in support per year. Although every
effort is made to find assistantships for returning students, students
receiving a TA or RA one year are not guaranteed support the next year.
The majority of students in good standing typically receive
financial support from either the
a. RA
Positions. Students work on faculty projects for 20 hours per week. An
attempt is made to match faculty and student interests, but students should
consider this opportunity to develop competencies in new areas. Assignments are
made by the Director of the
b. TA
positions. Students assist in teaching undergraduate and/or graduate
courses. Students may prepare and grade examinations under the supervision of
the instructor, handle routine class procedures, counsel and tutor students,
and possibly conduct classes. In some cases, time is split between two or more
courses, but the total workload will not exceed 20 hours per week.
For questions or concerns about assistantships and fellowships, please
contact Dr. Gail Rys, Assistant Director
of the
Students who do not receive an assistantship often
work part-time, but no more than 20 hours per week. In the past, several school
psychology students without assistantships have worked on-campus as resident
hall directors and in other departments, such as admissions, student services,
and financial aid. Interviews for Residence Hall assistantships usually begin
in early April. Interested students should contact the Assistant Director for
Residence Life at the Office of Housing and Residence Life (831-2491).
B. Application for Advanced Degree
To initiate the process for degree conferral,
candidates must submit an "Application for Advanced Degree" to the
Office of Graduate Studies. The application deadlines are February 15 for Spring candidates, May 15 for Summer candidates, and
September 15 for Winter candidates. The application must be signed by the candidate's
adviser and by the Director or the Assistant Director of the
An Off-Campus Housing Service is provided by the Office of Housing and Residence
Life, which is located at
On-campus graduate
housing is available for married and single graduate students in the form of
one- and two-bedroom apartments. For a brochure and
application form contact http://www.udel.edu/hcs/housing/rental.
D. Graduate Grade Point Average
Students must have a minimum
overall cumulative grade point average of 3.0 to be eligible for the
degree. In addition, the grades in
courses applied toward the degree program must equal at least 3.0. All graduate-numbered courses taken with
graduate student classification at the
E. Time Limits for the Completion of Degree Requirements
Time limits for the completion
of degree requirements begin with the date of matriculation and are
specifically expressed in the student’s letter of admission. The University policy for students entering a
master’s degree program is ten consecutive semesters to complete the degree
requirements. Students who change their
degree plan and have transferred from one degree program to another degree
program are given ten consecutive semesters from the beginning of the first
year in the latest program.
F. Extension of the Time Limit
An extension of time limit may
be granted for circumstances beyond the student’s control. Requests for time extensions must be made in
writing and approved by the student’s adviser and the Director or Assistant
Director of the
G. Transfer of Credit Earned as a Continuing Education Student at the
Students who
complete graduate credits with the classification of CEND (Continuing Education
Nondegree) at the
H. Transfer of Credit from Another Institution
Graduate credit
earned at another institution will be evaluated at the written request of the
student. Such a request should be submitted first to his or her advisor using a
Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit form. A maximum of 9 credits required
for the degree will be accepted provided that such credits: (a) were earned
with a grade of no less than B-, (b) are approved by the student's adviser and
the Director/Assistant Director of the School of Education, (c) are in accord
with the requirements of the degree, (d) are not older than five years, and (e)
were completed at an accredited college or university. The credits, but not the
grades or quality points, are transferable to
I. Transfer of Credit from the Undergraduate Division at the
Students who wish to transfer credits from their undergraduate record
to their graduate record may transfer a limited number by arranging with the
department to have these courses approved by their instructors before the
courses are taken. These courses must be at the 600-level, and the student must
perform at the graduate level. They must be in excess of the total required for
the baccalaureate degree, must have grades of no less than B-, and must not be
older than five years. The credits, grades, and quality points will transfer.