index

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY

The UW-La Crosse graduate program in School Psychology offers an Education Specialist in School Psychology degree. This degree is pending North Central Accreditation (NCA) approval. The degree requires two years of full-time study, one summer of study, a one-year internship during the third year, and completion of an Education Specialist thesis. Successful completion of the 60 semester credit hour program leads to full licensure as a School Psychologist in Wisconsin and most other states. Students earn a 30 credit hour Master of Science in Education degree before completing the remaining Education Specialist degree requirements.

The UW-La Crosse School Psychology program is part of the Psychology Department and the College of Liberal Studies. The program is approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and has full approval from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Upon completion of all program requirements, students are eligible for certification as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP).

The School Psychology program prepares graduate students for licensure as school psychologists through academic coursework, 700 hours of supervised school practica, and a one year, 1200 hour school internship. The school psychology knowledge base includes areas of professional school psychology, educational psychology, psychological foundations, educational foundations, and mental health. To provide psychological services in educational settings, graduates of the School Psychology program must also have considerable knowledge of curriculum, special education and pupil services. Graduates of the program are employed in public schools or in educational agencies which serve public schools.

The emphasis of this program is to train school psychologists who are effective teacher, parent and school consultants. The program also emphasizes a pupil services model which addresses the educational and mental health needs of all children, from early childhood through high school.

Graduate students are placed in local schools as early and as intensively as possible. During their second, third and fourth semesters, students spend two days per week working in local schools under the direct supervision of experienced school psychologists. During these school practica, students develop professional skills in assessment, consultation, intervention, counseling, and case management. Many of the core courses require projects which are completed in the schools during practica.

An information and application packet can be obtained by writing the School Psychology program director, Psychology Department, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 1725 State Street, La Crosse, WI 54601, or by sending an e-mail to dehn.milt@uwlax.edu. In addition to meeting all the requirements established for general graduate admissions, students must also meet School Psychology program requirements before admission to the program. These additional requirements include: three letters of recommendation, scores on the GRE general section (Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical), a writing sample, a resume of educational and work experience, and a statement of purpose.

REQUIREMENTS FOR EDUCATION SPECIALIST IN SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY DEGREE

(pending NCA approval)

General Requirements:

Complete the following requirements for a Master of Science in Education: School Psychology degree.

1) Complete 30 graduate credits.

2) A minimum of 15 of the 30 credits need to be completed at the 700 level.

3) Complete the following courses: PSY 451/551, 420/520, 752, 757, 775, SPY 700, 758, and 762.

4) Pass comprehensive exams. Written comprehensive examinations which cover psychological foundations and core professional skills are offered during spring semester of each year. If a student fails any of the examinations in the spring, only one retake of any failed comprehensive examination will be allowed. Retakes are administered during the second week of the summer term.

Complete a minimum of 60 graduate credits (includes credits completed for the Master of Science in Education degree), with at least two thirds of these at the 700 or 800 level.

Complete an Education Specialist thesis within seven years of beginning the program.

Obtain a passing score (set by the National Association of School Psychologists for NCSP certification) on the National School Psychology Examination.

Complete a professional portfolio that includes a variety of psychoeducational assessment cases, consultation/intervention cases, a needs assessment, a pupil services project, and other requirements as specified in the School Psychology Handbook.

Course Requirements:

A. Psychological Foundations

Complete at least two credits in each of the following areas. Coursework completed at the undergraduate level need not be repeated. At least nine credits must be completed at the graduate level:

Developmental Psychology				Credits
	PSY	410/ 510	Advanced Developmental Psychology	3
			or
	PSY	710	Educational Psychology: Human Development	2-3
Cognitive Psychology
	PSY	435/ 535	Cognitive Processes	3

Statistics

		An undergraduate statistics course	3
		Or
EFN	735	Interpretation of Statistical Data	3

Statistical Data 3

Childhood Behavior Disorders

PSY

717

Behavior Disorders in Children

Research Methods

PSY

420/
520

Research Foundations in Psychology

Personality Theories

PSY

402/

502

Personality Theories

Psychological Measurement

PSY

451/

551

Psychological

Measurement

Or electives approved by the School Psychology program director.

B. Educational Foundations

Complete three credits in each of the following areas. Course work completed at the undergraduate level need not be repeated. At least six credits must be completed at the graduate level.

Credits

Human Relations

EFN

705

Human Relations in School and Community

Regular Education Methods of Curriculum

EFN

400/

500

School Curriculum Design

Special Education Methods

SPE	401/ 502	Learners with Exceptional Needs and Abilities	3
SPE	420/ 520	Learning Disabilities Theory Assessment and Intervention	3
		Or
SPE	453/ 553	Teaching Students with Learning Problems/Disabilities	3

Educational Foundations

SPE

716

Teachers and the Law

Reading

RDG	320/ 520	Emergent Literacy	3
		Or
RDG	730	Assessment and Instruction of Students with Reading Difficulties	3

Or electives approved by the School Psychology program director.

C. Core Professional Training

Complete each of the following courses. At least 45 credits must be completed in

this area.

Credits

SPY	700	School Psychology: Role and Function	2
PSY	752	Assessment and Remediation: Learning and Behavior Problems I	3

PSY	754	Concepts and Applications of Pupil Services	2
PSY	756	Early Childhood Assessment	3
PSY	757	Intellectual Assessment: Theory and Applications	2
*SPY	758	Individual Intellectual Assessment: Laboratory	3
*PSY	759	Personality Assessment	3
*SPY	762	Supervised Practicum I in School Psychology	3
*SPY	763	Supervised Practicum II in School Psychology	3
*SPY	764	Supervised Practicum III in School Psychology	3
PSY	771	Effective Interviewing	1
PSY	772	Counseling and Therapy Methods	3
PSY	775	Cognitive/Behavioral Interventions	2
PSY	776	Psychological Consultation in the Schools	2-3
SPY	795	Directed Studies	1
SPY	797	Internship in School Psychology	6
SPY	801	Specialist Thesis	3

Or electives approved by the School Psychology program director.

Licensure, Internship, and Thesis Requirements:

Provisional licensure in Wisconsin is granted after completion of all Education Specialist degree requirements, excepting the School Psychology Internship and the Education Specialist thesis. Students are eligible for full Wisconsin licensure upon completion of an internship and an Education Specialist thesis. Students who complete only the Master’s degree are not eligible for licensure as a school psychologist.

Internships must be in a school setting, total 1200 hours, and be supervised by a certified school psychologist and a UW-La Crosse School Psychology instructor. All interns who have their internship site within 250 miles of La Crosse must pay a $100 site visit consultation fee each semester. Those interns who have internship sites which are more than 250 miles from La Crosse must pay all actual costs associated with each semester’s site visit consultation, including travel, lodging, and meals.

Students must register for the Specialist Thesis (SPY 801) no later than their final semester of internship. Because the University has a continuous registration policy for students completing a thesis, students must register for zero credits of GRC 799 and pay the special course fee of $100 for each semester thereafter (excluding summer session) until the thesis receives final University approval. Students will not be approved for a full Wisconsin license until they have completed the Education Specialist thesis.