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Education Specialist in School Psychology

(EdS degree)

Approved by Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC)

Purpose

The Education Specialist in School Psychology program is designed for men and women who desire graduate study and preparation for the school psychology profession.

Program Objectives

Educational Objectives

To enable students to:

• Understand the physiological, psychological, rational, spiritual, interpersonal/interactional, and educational needs of K-12 students
• Understand and be able to articulate the core dynamics of school psychology in concert with sound testing and assessment skills and report writing
• Acquire, redefine, and demonstrate appropriate testing, assessment, and report-writing skills, as well as skills in facilitating feedback sessions with students, families, and the school and community systems
• Develop the clinical, educational, cognitive testing/assessment, and report-writing expertise required to work effectively with grades K-12 children, their families, and the school system to assist each child to be successful in his/her learning and interpersonal relationships
• Work knowledgeably with students varying in age and gender, ethnic and cultural background, socioeconomic level, disabilities, cognitive ability, emotional and psychological functioning, etc.

Professional Objectives

To enable students to:

• Have begun the development of a professional identity as a school psychologist
• Be prepared to become a licensed school psychologist as defined by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) of the state of Oregon and a regular member of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and/or the American Psychological Association (APA)

Admission Requirements

Applicants seeking admission to the EdS in School Psychology program must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. In addition, applicants must complete the following to be considered for admission to the program:

• Graduate Department of Counseling application form and application fee
• One official transcript from all colleges or universities attended
• Two references (forms provided in the application materials)

Transfer Credit

Transfer of up to 20 hours credit is allowed toward the EdS in School Psychology program from accredited graduate schools (transfer credit is not allowed toward internship requirements). Students must have earned a grade of B or better for a course to be considered for transfer. In addition, only courses taken elsewhere within 10 years of the date of matriculation to the EdS in School Psychology program will be considered for transfer. Transferability of credits earned at this institution and transferred to another is at the discretion of the receiving institution. Consult the registrar's office for information on eligibility of transfer credit.

Residence Requirements

Of the 61 hours required for the EdS in School Psychology program, a minimum of 41 hours must be taken in resident study at George Fox University. All work leading to the degree must be completed within 5 years from the time of matriculation. Extension of this limit requires approval of the Graduate Department of Counseling (GDC) Faculty. However, only one such extension may be considered due to special circumstances, such as ill health. Reinstatement to the program after withdrawal requires Admissions Committee action and may subject the student to additional requirements for the program.

Course Requirements

The EdS in School Psychology program is generally 3-4 years in length with 61 semester hours of course work required as a minimum for graduation. The program is designed for full-time study, with the first 2-3 years in classroom course work and the last year in a full-time internship in a public school. Of those hours, 6 are in spiritual integration coursework, 19 in core counseling courses, 30 in school psychology core courses, and 6 clinical internship credits.

Other Degree Requirements

Each student must complete 20 clock hours of personal counseling/therapy as part of the EdS in School Psychology program. Additionally, an ongoing review process serves as a way to assess the student's fit for the program; fit for the profession; emotional, psychological, and intellectual ability; as well as maturity level for functioning safely as a mental health professional. GDC faculty will review students each fall and spring semester. During spring term prior to internship, students must pass a national exam before they can start their internship: the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE). Only students who pass the national exam may start their internship after having completed all prerequisites. For more specific information, please refer to the student handbook.

Graduation Requirements

In order to complete the EdS in School Psychology program students must:

• Satisfactorily complete a minimum of 61 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.
• Achieve no grade lower than a B in all core courses. If a grade of a B- or lower is received in a designated course, that course must be retaken (for more specific information, please refer to the student handbook).
• Complete a minimum of 20 one-hour sessions of personal therapy - individual, couples, and/or group (no more than 10 sessions may be in group therapy) - with a licensed therapist.
• Complete a minimum of 1,200 supervised hours in internship setting(s).
• Successfully complete the graduate clinical project (reading fees are assessed during the final semester of clinical internship), in which the student articulates his/her current understanding of school psychology and applies the same through an analysis of his/her school psychology skills, an evaluation of his/her strengths, and a three-year professional development plan.

Curriculum Plan

*This course includes 3 credit hours for classroom and 1 for lab. Students in this program who desire to have a double major (i.e., school psychology, counseling, or MFT) must meet with their advisor to discuss the additional course work needed.

Notes:

• In addition to fulfilling the above course requirements, school psychology students in the MS in School Psychology program who seek the Initial School Psychology License will be asked to submit passing scores on the following assessments:
  1. California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST), or have five years of experience practicing school psychology full time in a public school or regionally accredited private school in a U.S. jurisdiction before holding any Oregon license
  2. Praxis II Specialty Area Test in School Psychology
  3. Discrimination and the Oregon Educator Test
• George Fox University's Graduate Department of Counseling offers as part of MSCN/MSPS 505 Ethical and Legal Issues in Education coverage of U.S. and Oregon civil rights laws and requires students to take a comprehensive test that has been approved by the TSPC.

Counseling Course Descriptions