School Psychology

First Year: Masters Degree Sequence 

During the first year of the program, students participate in classroom instruction and select field experiences, completing 32 credits of graduate coursework in psychology and education. The coursework includes classes in assessment, psychopathology, child development, learning, research methods, and program evaluation. At the end of this year, students complete a comprehensive examination in the form of a portfolio to fulfill the requirements needed to obtain their Master’s degree (M.S.E. - School Psychology).

First-Year Coursework

Summer I

Reading 764: Foundations of Reading (3 Credits)

EdFound 710: Education in a Pluralistic Society (3 Credits)

Fall

Psych 620: Foundations of Professional School Psychology 3 (Credit)

Psych 715:  Research Design & Program Assessment (3 Credit)

Psych 740: Assessment I - Achievement and Progress Monitoring (3 Credit)

Psych 785: Advanced Child Development (3 Credit)

Psych 792: Field Placement in School Psychology (1 Credit)

Spring

Psych 724: Learning in Educational Contexts (3 Credit)

Psych 745: Assessment III - Intellectual Functioning (3 Credit)

Psych 746: Psychopathology of Childhood and Adolescence (3 Credit)

Psych 770: Assessment II - Personality and Behavior (3 Credit)

Psych 792: Field Placement in School Psychology (1 Credit)

Note: Master's degree awarded upon successful completion of the comprehensive examination.

Second Year: Practicum Experience 

Upon attaining their Master's degree, students begin the Education Specialist Degree (Ed.S) sequence, known as the practicum year. During this year, students complete a 600-hour (part-time) practicum under the supervision of a licensed school psychologist. Practicum allows students to apply what they have learned during their first year while they continue to learn about the field through additional graduate coursework. At the end of the year, students take the ETS Praxis-II Exam in School Psychology and obtain a paid-internship position for the following year. In addition, students produce a portfolio that details the coursework and practicum experiences they completed during their second year.

Summer II

Psych 680: School Violence and Crisis Management (3 Credit)

Psych 755: Counseling Skills & Theory for School Psychology (3 Credit)

Psych 762: Academic Interventions (3 Credit)

Psych 768: Behavior Therapy in the School (3 Credit)

Fall

Psych 793: Practicum in School Psychology including Seminar (6 Credit)

Psych 769: Consultation and Prevention (3 Credit)

Psych 797: Specialist Project Research (1 Credit)

Speed 700: Theoretical Foundations in Special Ed. (3 Credit)

Spring

Psych 793: Practicum in School Psychology including Seminar: Cultural Issues in the Schools (6 Credit)

Psych 766: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Children and Adolescents (3 Credit)

Psych 787: Social Context and Diversity in the School Setting (3 Credit)

Psych 797: Specialist Project Research (1 Credit)

Third Year:  Internship 

The third year in the program is referred to as the internship year. At this point, students have completed all the graduate coursework and field experiences necessary to practice independently as school psychologists with minimal supervision. Students begin their first year of practice as school psychologists completing a 1200-hour (full-time) internship. Following the completion of their internship year, completion of a final portfolio review, and their specialist project, students obtain their Education Specialist Degree (Ed.S) and may apply for the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential. 

Fall

Psych 795: Internship in School Psychology (3 Credit)

Spring

Psych: 795 Internship in School Psychology (3 Credit)

Note: Upon completion of all Program requirements, including internship, portfolio review, Specialist Project, and the successful completion of the ETS Praxis-II Exam in School Psychology, students receive the Education Specialist Degree and may apply for the Nationally Certified School Psychologist credential.

Students engage in supportive relationships with children in need in the local public school system through our Sidekicks for Success Student Mentoring Program for no less than two years. The mentors meet with students weekly for 30-60 minutes to discuss their ongoing concerns, set positive goals, assist with school progress, and to provide a supportive helping relationship.

Upon admission into the Education Specialist Degree (Ed.S.) sequence, students are assigned a practicum site. Arrangements are made with the supervising school psychologist and the Pupil Services Director for the student to make a pre-practicum site visit. During this visit, students are introduced to administrators and other appropriate personnel, provided with a tour of the facilities, and given an opportunity for informal conversation with the supervising school psychologist. Opportunities for observation and/or participation in end of the year activities are offered where possible or desirable.

The Practicum in School Psychology (793) is a local school district placement with an accompanying two - and one-half -hour seminar and on-campus supervision. This seminar is designed to address specific needs of the students. In the first semester, essential foundational skills, such as report writing, special education procedures and program criteria, and school organization are discussed. The second semester is dedicated to  furthering understanding of the school psychologist's role in practicing throught a social justice lens, addressing systemic inequities by advocating for all children in their work. 

This practicum occurs only following the attainment of the master's degree and the recommendation of the Coordinator, in consultation with the School Psychology Committee of the general psychology faculty. This experience is run in strict accordance with the standards outlined in the Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services, also known as the NASP Practice Model (NASP, 2020). The Practicum (793) is a 600-hour, two semester, supervised field experience in the public schools which has the following objectives:

1. Provide students with supervised training opportunities that reflect a logical extension of their university course work in the areas of assessment, direct intervention, consultation, prevention, and professional school psychology within the context of a close, mentor relationship with field and university supervisors;
2. Provide students with an immersion into the organization and structural components of  the public school, including administrative and faculty organization, pupil service design, and associated legal and legislative issues;
3. Provide students with an understanding of and experience with the team assessment process associated with the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement in Education Act (IDIEA), including problem solving consultation, case management assessment, IEP team decision-making, parent and teacher feedback, and individualized program development;
4. Provide experience for students with a wide diversity of student needs and characteristics, including those children with low incidence disability conditions and those children and families of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

For Practicum (793) students are placed in any one of several local, cooperating school districts. Students are assigned to one school district only. This placement decision is arrived at in consideration of student preference, faculty assessment of student needs, and field supervisor availability. UW-Whitewater is especially proud of the diversity of practicum placement opportunities available for students. Students may select from the urban experience of Milwaukee or Madison, the larger communities of Janesville and Beloit, the suburban communities such as Oconomowoc and Kettle Moraine, to the  more rural communities such as Milton, and many others in between. This variety of training sites allows program faculty to match the practicum with the expressed needs and experiences of the practicum student.

The internship experience occurs following the completion of all course work and practica requirements for DPI certification as an Initial Educator - School Psychologist. Students enroll in Internship in School Psychology (Psych 795), a full-time, 6-credit, 1200-hour, paid field experience. This experience is run in strict accordance with the standards outlined in the Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services, also known as the NASP Practice Model (NASP, 2020) 

Internship sites are obtained through an application process. Each site is pre-approved by program faculty. The "Internship Planning Form" insures a wide-ranging experience for each intern. Interns are required to maintain up to date logs of their activities and submit them to university supervisors on a monthly basis. A structured evaluation component is required. The interns themselves are supported on-campus by a monthly Internship Seminar in which case consultation occurs and current topics relative to the practice of school psychology are discussed. Further information may be found in the Internship Handbook.