Program Director: Joseph Engler, Ph.D., NCSP., ABSNP
Education Specialist in School Psychology
Our Education Specialist in School Psychology (Ed.S.) prepares candidates to become practicing School Psychologists in the state of Washington and across the nation as the program aims to prepare candidates who meet criteria as nationally certified school psychologists. Graduate preparation in school psychology educates and trains individuals to apply principles in psychology and education to support school-wide academic and social-emotional programs, collaborate with teams to identify student learning and behavioral problems, and develop evidence-based intervention plans.
In Washington State, school psychologists obtain a Residency Certificate as an Educational Staff Associate (ESA) through the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) also provides national certification for the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential, and this certificate often assists with interstate recognition of training. In Washington, the NCSP provides a pathway to a Tier 2 Professional Certificate after 5 years of practice as a school psychologist.
Our program adheres to the standards of training set forth by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) and NASP and culminates with a full-time or part-time, 1200-hour internship.
School psychology education and training builds on foundations in multiple disciplines. In that light, our program includes adapted courses from several School of Education (SOE) departments including Counselor Education and Educational Leadership & Administration. Additional courses specific to the field fulfill any outstanding requirements.
The curriculum is supported by regular coursework with departmental faculty, enhanced by field experiences in the schools, and the development of a professional portfolio. The scientist-practitioner orientation guides preparation for candidates to master and employ empirically validated methods of assessment, consultation, and intervention within NASP Practice Model Domains.
Admissions
Each applicant must submit the following materials to the Graduate Student Services (GSS) office:
- A completed application form (see the SOE website: http://www.gonzaga.edu/soe/grad) and non-refundable fee.
- A written statement of purpose addressing the applicant’s interest in graduate studies that relates to some area in the field, assessing the applicant’s current strengths, and describing what the applicant hopes to gain from an advanced graduate degree program.
- Three letters of recommendation sent directly from the recommending persons to the Graduate Enrollment Management office using the Confidential Recommendation form (see the School of Education website).
- A resume.
- An official transcript from each college or university attended (international applicants must submit foreign transcripts in the original language and an English copy), final transcripts must bear a posted bachelor's degree. Only degrees and courses from a regionally accredited institution will be accepted.
- Submission of an official TOEFL score of at least 550 (minimum score of 80 if taken via internet) by each international applicant who graduated from a foreign college or university and whose native language is not English.
- Submission of a financial declaration form and supporting documentation by each international applicant.
Prerequisites
- An appropriate bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required.
- A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0.
- A minimum graduate grade point average of 3.5 (if applicable).
- Successful completion of the following courses or equivalent at either the undergraduate or graduate level is recommended: introductory psychology, child development, research methods, statistics, and abnormal psychology. Candidates who lack prerequisites may still be admitted to the program.
- Acceptance of admission in the program carries with it the responsibility to uphold the published ethical standards of the NASP, the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Washington Administrative Code (WAC). Violation of ethical standards may result in termination from the program.
Program Outline: 68 credits
| 1st Semester: 15 credits | |
| EDCE 588 Human Growth and Development | 3 credits |
| EDSS 601 Psychology of Children with Exceptionalities | 3 credits |
| EDSS 610 Foundations in School Psychology | 3 credits |
| EDSS 630 Assessment in School Settings | 3 credits |
| EDCE 639 Counseling Theories | 3 credits |
| 2nd Semester: 16 credits | |
| EDSS 512 School Safety, Crisis Preparation, and Crisis Response | 3 credits |
| EDCE 587 Child and Adolescent Counseling: | 3 credits |
| EDSS 615 Research & Program Evaluation | 3 credits |
| EDSS 670 Neuropsychological & Cognitive Assessment | 3 credits |
| EDSS 671 Lab in Neuropsychological and Cognitive Assessment | 1 credit |
| EDSS 680 Social-Emotional Assessment | 3 credits |
| 3rd Semester: 14 credits | |
| EDSS 540 Legal Issues in School Psychology | 3 credits |
| EDSS 626 Culture and Diversity | 3 credits |
| EDSS 650 Applied Behavioral Analysis | 3 credits |
| EDSS 641 Educational Leadership and Community | 3 credits |
| EDSS 697A Practicum in School Psychology: K-12 (200 clock hours) |
2 credits |
| 4th Semester: 13 credits | |
| EDSS 627 Group Process & Facilitation | 3 credits |
| EDSS 655 Multi-Tiered/Multi-Disciplinary Systems of Support | 3 credits |
| EDSS 660 Consultation and Collaboration in School Psychology | 3 credits |
| EDSS 685 Advanced Diagnostic Assessment | 2 credits |
| EDSS 697B Practicum in School Psychology K-12 (200 clock hours) |
2 credits |
| 5th Semester: 5 credits | |
| EDSS 690A Professional Portfolio in School Psychology | 1 credit |
| EDSS 698A Internship in School Psychology: K-12 (600 clock hours) |
4 credits |
| 6th Semester: 5 credits | |
| EDSS 690B Professional Portfolio in School Psychology | 1 credit |
| EDSS 698B Internship in School Psychology: K-12 (600 clock hours) |
4 credits |
Certification requirements for the state of Washington frequently change. It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact the certification officer in the School of Education for the most current information regarding state certification.
This course is designed to promote knowledge related to preventing school crises and responding appropriately if a school crisis occurs. It emphasizes current research to help inform school psychological practices and promotes recovery efforts to regain school stability. In addition, it examines risk and resilient factors necessary for safe and healthy schools.
The legal and ethical questions regarding the practice of School Psychology are examined in detail. Emphasis is placed on assessment, using assessment outcomes to develop individualized education programs, communicating with parents and staff, issues of due process and professional roles in special education.
Independent Study requires completion of a form, and department permission and cannot be registered for via ZAGWEB.
This course provides candidates with an overview of special education. Etiology, characteristics, assessment, and treatment of major disabling conditions are covered. Philosophical, political, and pedagogical implications of past, current, and future services are analyzed. The link between these conditions with regard to educational placement decisions and least restrictive environments is emphasized.
This course introduces prospective school psychologists to the profession. Subject matter and associated field-based assignments include role and function of the school psychologist; legal, ethical, and professional issues encountered; contextual dynamics specific to schools and communities; and, emerging technologies in school psychology. Review of educational law and influential cases that have shaped professional practice and the imperative to engage in collaborative, ethical, and culturally sensitive decision-making in School Psychology are emphasized.
This course acquaints students with the language and tools of research and statistics as they serve to inform the practitioner. A specific goal of this course is to make research and statistics a subject with which students become comfortable and find application value in professional practice. Students review and abstract research articles, may present the outcomes of this review at a professional conference, and develop a research proposal. Statistical theory and techniques are developed in the areas of descriptive statistics (e.g., scales of measurement, distribution, central tendency) and inferential statistics (e.g., variance, confidence intervals, tests of hypotheses, t-tests, ANOVA, correlation and regression, Chi Square). This course requires a minimal math background of basic arithmetic, beginning algebra, use of square roots, and order of operations.
This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of group counseling. Students gain experience in developing and refining group leadership techniques with emphasis on group process and dynamics. This course focuses on historical and current literature regarding the theoretical and experiential understandings of group purpose, developmental stages, dynamics such as roles, norms, and therapeutic factor’s, leadership orientations and styles, process, counseling theories, group counseling methods, and skills. Students refine their theory and skills, and they integrate the theoretical and experiential understandings of group theory and practice.
This course covers various assessment procedures such as psychometric testing, professional-constructed tests, achievement tests, and observational methods. Emphasis is placed on using assessments to identify instructional interventions that can be carried out in the classroom setting to remediate learning and behavior problems. Candidates are introduced to the emerging assessment procedures used in schools including universal screening and progress monitoring procedures.
An advanced introduction to the basic principles of learning and effective and practical procedures based upon those principles. Students read seminal articles in the field of behavior analysis and conduct and write up their own applied research study, implementing some of the procedures to remediate socially significant problems of children. An emphasis is made regarding the application of these principles in individual, classroom, and school-wide intervention plans.
The provision of effective educational programs and related services for students with disabilities requires school-based professionals to partner with each other, community-based professionals, parents, and the students themselves using a whole-school, data-driven, prevention-based framework for improving learning outcomes for EVERY student through a layered continuum of evidence-based practices and systems. This course addresses the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required of school psychologists together with significant professional others, in program and/or service delivery. Topics include models of collaborative assessment, skills required for effective intervention planning and implementation, progress monitoring, conflict management, and strategies to address obstacles encountered in collaboration.
Through this course, students develop a working knowledge of the systematic and collaborative approaches to consultation. As such, several consultation models are introduced. Skills needed to engage school personnel, community professionals, and the family as a team in developing evidence-based interventions which are designed to enhance the mental health, behavioral, and learning competencies of children and adolescents are emphasized.
This course provides practice in administering and processing the outcomes of neuropsychological batteries and major cognitive tests. Students are expected to score test records, interpret outcomes, write reports, and communicate results in order to demonstrate the knowledge and skills needed to make ethical and evidence-supported decisions, using reliable and valid assessments appropriate for use with individuals from diverse backgrounds, and in collaboration with others.
Concurrent:
EDSS 671
This course provides practice in administering and processing the outcomes of neuropsychological batteries and major cognitive tests. Students are expected to score test records, interpret outcomes, write reports, and communicate results in order to demonstrate the knowledge and skills needed to make ethical and evidence-supported decisions, using reliable and valid assessments appropriate for use with individuals from diverse backgrounds, and in collaboration with others.
Concurrent:
EDSS 670
Students learn assessment techniques to examine social, emotional and behavioral functioning in children and adolescents. A problem solving approach is utilized with training in reviewing, interviewing, observing and testing children and adolescents. Major tests considered and applied within this course include rating scales and formal assessments used to diagnose more specific disorders.
This assessment course prepares students to conduct diagnosis and classification in accordance with multiple theories existing in the clinical and educational research. Students utilize cognitive, academic, and social/emotional data in developing hypotheses regarding the presence of learning and social-emotional disorders and in planning for intervention delivery. The course emphasizes the complex variables of culture, environment and language in making inferences regarding the presence of a disability.
The purpose of this seminar is twofold: 1) to crystalize learnings over the course of the semester accomplished through observations and reflections, and 2) to document how these curricular experiences apply to professional practice using NASP Domains as a frame of reference. In overall perspective, the development of a School Psychology Portfolio serves as evidence students’ knowledge and competence in the NASP standards for training and practice and to demonstrate their readiness for the Internship in School Psychology. In the final semester of the program, students provide a formal presentation to faculty as a culminating academic experience.
The purpose of this seminar is twofold: 1) to crystalize learnings over the course of the semester accomplished through observations and reflections, and 2) to document how these curricular experiences apply to professional practice using NASP Domains as a frame of reference. In overall perspective, the development of a School Psychology Portfolio serves as evidence students’ knowledge and competence in the NASP standards for training and practice and to demonstrate their readiness for the Internship in School Psychology. In the final semester of the program, students provide a formal presentation to faculty as a culminating academic experience.
Supervised school psychological practicum in a school setting (pre-K to 12). School psychology students’ engage in direct services (e.g., psychoeducational testing) and indirect services (e.g., consultation and collaboration) under supervision. Includes Practicum seminar which entails group supervision, review, and discussion of field experiences and current professional issues.
Supervised school psychological practicum in a school setting (pre-K to 12). School psychology students’ engage in direct services (e.g., psychoeducational testing) and indirect services (e.g., consultation and collaboration) under supervision. Includes Practicum seminar which entails group supervision, review, and discussion of field experiences and current professional issues.
Full-time one-semester (or part-time two semester) placement in a school or educational agency. A minimum of 600 hours are required for this internship. Prerequisites: completion of all required courses and related laboratory experiences, presentation of professional portfolio prospectus, completion of a pre-internship review, and approval of the School Psychology Program Director. Clinical experiences are designed to ensure that students have the opportunities to demonstrate mastery of NASP field experience competencies. Grading is on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. Includes supervisory seminar which provides an opportunity for all school psychology interns to learn from each other's clinical experiences. This course also serves as a means for tracking and providing feedback regarding mastery of program competencies. Readings and learning activities may be assigned, with selected topics presented by the instructors to prepare interns for program completion, graduation, certification, and eventual employment.
Full-time one-semester (or part-time two semester) placement in a school or educational agency. A minimum of 600 hours are required for this internship. Prerequisites: completion of all required courses and related laboratory experiences, presentation of professional portfolio prospectus, completion of a pre-internship review, and approval of the School Psychology Program Director. Clinical experiences are designed to ensure that students have the opportunities to demonstrate mastery of NASP field experience competencies. Grading is on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. Includes supervisory seminar which provides an opportunity for all school psychology interns to learn from each other's clinical experiences. This course also serves as a means for tracking and providing feedback regarding mastery of program competencies. Readings and learning activities may be assigned, with selected topics presented by the instructors to prepare interns for program completion, graduation, certification, and eventual employment.