Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology

Transcription

1 Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology School Psychology Program Graduate Student Handbook of 50

2 Table of Contents Full Time Faculty and Departmental Staff School Psychology Introduction.. 6 Program Accreditation. 7 Mission and Philosophy of the School Psychology Programs 8 Goals and Objectives of the School Psychology Programs Outcome Competencies 10 Behavioral School Psychology Student Advisement Curricula for the Master s of Science in School Psychometry Curricula for the Educational Specialist in Education with emphasis in School Psychology. 16 Curricula for the Doctor of Philosophy in School Psychology Proposed Curricula for Master s of Science in School Psychometry Proposed Curricula for Educational Specialist in Education with Concentration in School Psychology Proposed Curricula for the Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology with Concentration in School Psychology Other Requirements: Professional Associations 33 Program Assessment of Student Progress Toward Meeting Training Goals and Objectives 34 Student Evaluations 34 Knowledge Assessment for Master s of Science Students 35 Knowledge Assessment for Educational Specialist Students 36 Knowledge Assessment for Doctor of Philosophy Students Research Requirements Dissertation Internship Requirements for Educational Specialist and Ph.D. Students 42 Licensure, Certification, Job Placement Admissions, Residency, Registration for the Program of 50

3 Time Limit to Complete Degree, Other University Course Credit 45 Student Grievance and Appeals 46 Student Remediation and Probation; Retention & Dismissal Financial Aid Graduate Assistantships 49 Outside contracts 50 Student Awards 50 3 of 50

4 Full Time Departmental and Related Faculty and Staff Coordinator of School Psychology Programs Doggett, R. Anthony, Ph.D. (The University of Southern Mississippi). Associate Professor and Coordinator School Psychology Programs. AAAA Licensed School Psychologist (Mississippi). Interests include behavioral assessment and intervention, behavioral consultation, academic assessment and interventions, and system-wide positive behavior intervention and supports. School Psychology Core Faculty Henington, Carlen, Ph.D. (Texas A&M University). Associate Professor. Nationally Certified School Psychologist, AAAA Licensed School Psychologist (Mississippi). Interests include academic interventions; infant, toddler, and early childhood assessment and intervention, and professional development. McCleon, Tawny, Ph.D. (Mississippi State University). Assistant Professor. Nationally Certified School Psychologist, AAAA Licensed School Psychologist (Mississippi). Interests include standardized assessment, academic assessment and intervention, crisis intervention and prevention, and issues of diversity. Reisener, Carmen D., Ph.D. (The University of Southern Mississippi). Assistant Professor. AAAA Licensed School Psychologist (Mississippi). Interests include applied behavior analysis, academic assessment and intervention, pediatric feeding disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and special populations. Educational Psychology Faculty Elder, Anastasia, Ph.D. (University of Michigan). Associate Professor. Interests include cognitive development and students learning in science and mathematics, use of technology in instruction. Morse, David, T. Ph.D. (Florida State University). Professor. Specialty areas include educational measurement, research, statistics, creativity, gifted and talented, and computer applications. Morse, Linda W., Ph.D. (Florida State University). Professor and Coordinator of Programs in Educational Psychology. Specialty includes instructional systems, higher order thinking skills, cognitive development, and creativity and giftedness. Gainer, Donna, Ph.D. (University of Tennessee, Knoxville). Instructor. Interests include creativity, and learning styles. Counselor Education Faculty (Starkville Campus) Dooley, Katherine, Ph.D. (University of Alabama), Professor. Specialty areas include rehabilitation counseling, chemical dependency, and counseling supervision. Goldberg, Rebecca, Ph.D. (University of Florida). Assistant Professor. Specialty areas in clued gender relations. 4 of 50

5 Hall, Kim, Ph.D. (Mississippi State University), Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of the School Counseling Program. Specialty areas include problem based learning, school counselor accountability, and group activities for school counselors. Heiselt, April K. Ph.D. (University of Utah), Assistant Professor. Specialty areas include the role of students within institutional governance and focuses on qualitative research. Hendren, Glen R., Ph.D. (University of Southern Mississippi), Professor Emeritus. Specializes in rehabilitation counseling and in deafness and hearing impairments. Housley, Warren F., Ph.D. (University of Arkansas), Professor Emeritus. Specializes in elementary school counseling and issues affecting individuals who are aging. Justice, Cheryl, Ph.D. (University of Mississippi). Assistant Professor. Specializes in research that includes increasing personal, interpersonal, and political power so that individuals, families, and communities can take action to improve their situations. Looby, E. Joan, Ph.D. (University of Georgia), Professor and Program Coordinator of the Community Counseling Program. Specialty areas include eating disorders and multicultural counseling. Cluster coordinator for community counseling. Moore, J. Elton, Ed.D. (Mississippi State University), Associate Dean. Specializes in rehabilitation of individuals who are blind or severely impaired. Palmer, Charles, Ph.D. (University of Arkansas), Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of the Rehabilitation Program. Specialty areas include rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities. Underwood, J. R. Professor, Ph.D., (University of Wisconsin-Madison). Professor Emeritus. Specializes in giftedness, creativity, and group techniques. Wells, Debb, Ph.D., (Mississippi State University) Visiting Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of the College Counseling and Student Affairs in Higher Education program. Wong, Daniel W. Professor and Department Head of the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. Counseling and Educational Psychology Staff Marcella Minor, Budget and Office Manager Onnie Blackshire, Undergraduate Records Manager & Travel 5 of 50

6 THE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM You are now a graduate student in the School Psychology program at Mississippi State University. You have chosen one of the most outstanding training programs in the country. Our program is outstanding because it has an excellent faculty from diverse backgrounds with outstanding applied school psychology skills and teaching and research skills. The faculty in the program genuinely care about your growth and success as a professional who will provide competent services to children, families, and school personnel. Please take the time to get to know the school psychology core faculty because they will serve an important role in your education as a school psychologist. The broad goal of the School Psychology program is to advance the profession, practice, and science of School Psychology, with an emphasis on behavioral theory and practice in school psychology. You play an important part in helping us reach this goal. We intend to work with you on developing and mastering school psychology and related skills so that upon graduating, one more effective school psychologist is serving the public. You will be working with faculty mentors who make important contributions in the science of school psychology by disseminating advances in intervention, policy, and theory to the professional literature and professional conferences. In addition to special problems, supervised pre-dissertation research and dissertations, the faculty will require and encourage you to work on empirical and other scholarly works throughout your graduate career. The faculty expects you to work extremely hard to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to be a successful school psychologist. We will work with you in this process, and we expect you to do all that is necessary to become an effective school psychologist. Individuals who seek the services of school psychologists have the right to expect quality services and you have the responsibility to meet their expectations. 6 of 50

7 Accreditation Accreditation is important because it means your degree is recognized as meeting the standards of the school psychology profession. The doctoral, educational specialist, and masters degree programs in School Psychology meet some National and/or State certification standards. Currently, the Doctoral School Psychology Program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) through The Doctoral and Educational Specialist Program is accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) through a partnership with the National Council on the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) through The Masters program in school psychometry is not accredited by APA or NASP; however, students are allowed to apply for licensure in the state of Mississippi as a Psychometrist after completing the program. The masters program is considered to be a non-terminal program as the faculty expect students to complete either the doctoral or educational specialist degree. Beginning in 1997, students who do not graduate from APA approved programs will not be eligible to apply for the professional licensure exam in Mississippi, which will prevent students from becoming licensed psychologists in Mississippi. M.S. Psychometry AAA Certification Ph.D. Degree AA License (MS) NASP Accredited APA Accredited AAA License (MS) NASP Accredited AAAA License (MS) Contact information of accrediting bodies: American Psychological Association Committee on Accreditation c/o Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation Education Directorate 750 First Street NE Washington, DC (202) National Association of School Psychologists NASP Program Approval Board 4340 East West Highway, Ste 402 Bethesda, MD (301) (803) Mississippi Department of Education Educator Licensure/Certification P.O. Box North West St. Jackson, MS (601) of 50

8 Mission and Philosophy of the School Psychology Programs The science and practice of school psychology are carefully integrated into our graduate programs at the masters, educational specialist, and doctoral levels. While the program is designed to train entry-level school psychology practitioners, the program stresses the importance of contributing to the field by engaging in scientific behaviors. Thus, the program adheres to the Scientist-Practitioner model where faculty and students are expected to be a) consumers of empirically-based practice, b) evaluators of their own empirically-based practice, and c) producers of research that contributes to the field of school psychology. In addition to adhering to the Scientist-Practitioner model detailed at the Boulder Conference in 1949, the faculty also place an emphasis on training school psychologists who practice from a behavioral paradigm providing empirically-based school psychological services to a diverse population of individuals including children, families, school personnel, and other related professionals. Descriptions of specific coursework related to behavioral school psychology are located on page 11 of this handbook. Domains and Objectives of Training of the School Psychology Programs Every School Psychology student is expected to meet the program common core and emphasis area knowledge and skill requirements. Opportunities for students to meet these requirements will occur in the classroom and during practica and internship. The School Psychology faculty work to ensure that you will have curricular experiences, which will enable you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and skills across three domains: I) Professional School Psychology including Professional Orientation, Assessment, and Consultation/Interventions, II) Research and Statistics, and III) Psychological Foundations. Students admitted prior to Fall 2011 would also be required to complete a Focus Area which is described later in this handbook. Each of these domains contains specific objectives of the faculty in the School Psychology Programs. Please note that these domains and objectives are closely aligned with the Conceptual Framework Program Outcomes (CFPO s) of the College of Education and with the Standards for Training and Field Placement Programs in School Psychology. Students will be evaluated on the knowledge, skills, and their application by university faculty, and practica and internship supervisors through course examinations, practica and internship evaluations, and annual evaluations completed by faculty with the input of other university faculty. Domain I. PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY Professional school psychology at Mississippi State University is divided into three sub-domains: professional orientation, assessment, and consultation/interventions. Through structured coursework and evaluations completed by university faculty and supervisors, students will demonstrate competence and, at a minimum, beginning practitioner level skills in the following areas: 1. Professional Orientation. CFPO # 1, 3, 9, 10, 12; NASP 2.1, 2.6, 2.10 Goal. Students will gain an understanding of functioning as a professional school psychologist. Objectives. 1. Students will gain knowledge of all aspects of functioning as a professional school psychologist. 2. Students will gain knowledge of the history, roles, organizational structures of schools and other systems. 3. Students will gain knowledge of current professional trends in school psychology practice and research. 4. Students will gain knowledge of the ethical codes published by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) as well as the standards, credentialing, legal issues outlined by APA, NASP, and the Mississippi State Department of Education. 8 of 50

9 5. Students will obtain and complete approved applied experiences related to the practice of school psychology. 2. Assessment. CFPO # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12; NASP 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 2.11 Goal. Students will gain an understanding of standardized, behavioral, and academic assessment techniques. Objectives. 1. Students will gain knowledge and skills in the use of standardized psychometric, behavioral, and academic assessment techniques. 2. Students will gain knowledge and skills in the ability to develop, select, administer, score, and interpret assessment instruments with children from diverse backgrounds who are both typically developing and exhibit various exceptionalities. 3. Students will gain knowledge and skills in using assessment to determine eligibility for services and how to link assessment procedures to interventions. 4. Students will gain knowledge and skills in presenting results from the assessment in written and verbal form to other professionals, parents, and students. 3. Consultation and Interventions. CFPO # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12; NASP 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 2.11 Goal. Student will gain an understanding of effective consultation models and empirically-based intervention strategies and techniques. Objectives. 1. Students will gain knowledge and skills in empirically-based consultation models for working with parents or caregivers and school or mental health personnel who care for and provide educational and mental health services to children from diverse backgrounds who are both typically developing and exhibit various exceptionalities. 2. Students will gain knowledge and skills in empirically-based behavioral and cognitive behavioral interventions for working with children from diverse backgrounds who are both typically developing and exhibit various exceptionalities. 3. Students will gain knowledge and skills in empirically-based academic interventions for working with children from diverse backgrounds who are both typically developing and exhibit various exceptionalities. 4. Students will gain knowledge and skills in empirically-based crisis prevention and intervention methods and services for use at the systemic and individual levels. Domain II. RESEARCH AND STATISTICS. CFPO # 1, 7, 8, 11; NASP 2.1, 2.9, 2.10, 2.11 Research and Statistics is a basic tenet of graduate school. Students will obtain the following objectives specific to research and statistics: Goal. Students will gain an understanding of research methods, statistics, and ethical and legal issues in research. Objectives. 1. Students will gain knowledge and skills in group design, traditional research methods, and statistics. 2. Students will gain knowledge and skills in the ability to use single subject research methods to evaluate the effects of different interventions. 3. Students will demonstrate the ability to carry out all aspects of a research projects as demonstrated by completion of the College of Education and departmental research requirements. At the doctoral level, students will demonstrate mastery of statistics and research methods through the completion of additional coursework and successful completion of an approved dissertation. 9 of 50

10 Domain III. PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS. CFPO # 1-10; NASP Psychological Foundations embody the basis for all studies related to psychology. Students will obtain the following objectives specific to knowledge and competence in the history and theories of psychology, individual differences, cultural diversity, and the breadth of scientific psychology including biological, social, and cognitive psychology. Goal. Students will gain an understanding of the literature related to the psychological foundations of psychology including the history and theory of psychology, physiological psychology, social psychology, cognition and learning theories, and multicultural issues related to the provision of psychological services across diverse populations of individuals as appropriate for their degree level. Objectives. 1. All students will gain knowledge of the history and progression of role and function changes in school psychology. Doctoral students will also gain knowledge of the theories and history and systems of psychology. 2. All students will gain knowledge of biological and social psychology and how these disciplines relate to the research base and delivery of professional school psychology services. 3. All students will gain knowledge in the theoretical perspectives of individual differences in learning, cognition, and behavior change. 4. All students will gain an understanding of the impact of culture on behavior and development, and develop respect and working knowledge of different cultural practices. Outcome Competencies to Demonstrate Evidence of Making Appropriate Progress on Domains and Objectives of Training The gains each student makes in the program common core areas are a function of the degree the student is pursuing. Students enrolled in the doctoral degree program are expected to be leaders in the field of school psychology and to have a greater understanding of the issues and mastery of the skills in each of the program common core areas than at the masters or educational specialist level. The knowledge and skills that students have gained will be assessed by faculty in the classroom through (a) course assignments and examinations, (b) practicum and internship supervision, (c) the written and/or oral comprehensive exams, (d) College of Education and departmental research requirements (i.e., research and statistics coursework and activities) and (e) the required research process (i.e., educational specialist project, dissertation). Students are expected to a) achieve grades of B or better in program core and related coursework, b) obtain ratings of expected or above on all areas addressed by student annual evaluations, c) receive passing scores on all comprehensive and national exams, d) receive acceptable ratings on practicum and internship evaluations, and e) complete required portfolio and/or research projects (e.g., practicum portfolios, educational specialist portfolio, doctoral dissertation) to evaluate their skills and competencies in Domains I. Professional School Psychology including the sub-areas of professional orientation, assessment, and consultation and intervention, II. Research and Statistics, and III. Psychological Foundations. Additional information regarding expected performance in the curricula and related areas can be found throughout this handbook and in the Student Evaluation Handbook. 10 of 50

11 BEHAVIORAL SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY The graduate program in school psychology has a distinct emphasis on behavioral school psychology. This emphasis will occur throughout much of your formal course work, applied experiences, and research. This emphasis is reflected in the following courses: EPY 6113: Behavioral and Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions. In this course, basic theory and methods of behavior change are presented. This course sets the stage for subsequent learning which focuses on behavioral school psychology. EPY 8493: Chi1d Behavior and Personality Assessment. In addition to exposing students to indirect measures of personality, students acquire behavioral assessment skills that allow them to more directly measure behavior across settings. EPY 8773: Assessment and Interventions for Academic Skills Deficits. In this course, students learn how to construct and use curriculum-based measures. Students also learn how to develop and evaluate academic interventions designed to improve a range of academic skills. EPY 8763: Advanced Seminar in Child Behavioral & Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions. In this course, students learn to apply behavioral techniques and principles to a variety of psycho-educational, psychological, and behavioral problems. EPY 8253: Child & Adolescent Development & Psychopathology. In this course, students learn how environmental and genetic variables work alone and in tandem to impact a child's behavioral, social, emotional, motor, and language development. EDF 9443: Single-Subject Research Designs for Education. In this course, students learn how to design small n research. Students will also learn how to graph and interpret single subject design graphs in order to evaluate the effects of different interventions. EPY 9713: Advanced Psychological Consultation: Theory and Practice. In this class, students are required to learn several different models of consultation, including a generic model. However, the emphasis is placed on direct behavioral consultation and students must attempt to apply the techniques of direct behavioral consultation in a school setting. EPY 8794: Supervised Experience in School Psychology: Consultation. In this class, students will learn to apply behavior principles within classroom and clinic settings. Across both settings, students have the opportunity to hone their direct and indirect intervention skills while working with parents, teachers, and students. 11 of 50

12 Student Advisement One of the most important individuals in your graduate education is your advisor or major professor. Your advisor is your advocate and confidant. Your advisor recommends and approves your program of study (along with your graduate committee), monitors your progress, approves course selection, helps you in securing practicum and internship placements, recommends students for graduation, assists you in completing required applied and research projects, assists you in the job search. Master of Science Students. Your degree will be a M.S. in psychometry. After you have been accepted into the program, the program faculty will assign you an advisor. You will receive a letter informing you of your advisor and asking you to make an appointment with your advisor to develop your graduate program of study. M.S. students must complete required course work, the master s examination, and the Praxis I exam. The M.S. degree will allow you to obtain licensure from the Mississippi State Department of Education as a school psychometrist at the AA level. This is a non-terminal degree and students must continue on to the educational specialist or doctoral degrees. The masters degree is designed to be completed in approximately 2 to 2 ½ years. Because students are admitted directly to the Educational Specialist program or Doctor of Philosophy program, all students pursuing the MS degree will also maintain dual enrollment in either the EdS or PhD programs until the masters degree is completed. After graduation with the MS in psychometry, they will continue coursework toward completion of either the EdS or PhD. Education Specialist Students. Your degree will be an Ed.S. in Education with a Concentration in School Psychology. You will be assigned an advisor by the program faculty when admitted into the program. You need to schedule a meeting with your advisor to discuss the selection of two additional committee members. The two additional committee members will work with your advisor in selecting your courses. Once the three-faculty committee has been approved by the Director of Graduate Studies, you should schedule a meeting with your advisor to develop a graduate program of study. The program of study must be signed by each member of the committee, the Graduate Coordinator, and the student. The Ed.S. degree is designed to be completed in four academic years (3 years on campus, 1 year of internship). Ed.S. students must complete required didactic course work, applied coursework (e.g., practicum, internship), and a portfolio during the internship year. In pursuit of the Ed.S. degree, students will complete requirements for a masters degree in psychometry. The Ed.S. degree will allow you to obtain certification from NASP as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) and licensure from the Mississippi State Department of Education as a school psychologist at the AAA level. Doctoral Students. Your degree will be a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Educational Psychology with a concentration in School Psychology. After you have been admitted, you will be assigned an advisor by the program faculty and program coordinator. Your advisor will help you in selecting your first nine-twelve (9-12) hours of course work. Your advisor will discuss your advisement needs, research interests, and curriculum needs. In pursuit of the Ph.D. degree, students will complete requirements for a master s degree in psychometry if they have not already completed the degree or a similar degree. The Ph.D. degree will allow you to obtain licensure as a psychologist after completing coursework, defending your dissertation, and completing an approved and/or accredited full-year internship and full-year post-doctoral fellowship. This degree will also allow you to obtain certification as a NCSP and licensure from the Mississippi State Department of Educational as a school psychologist at the AAAA level. The Ph.D. program is designed to be completed in five academic years (4 years on 12 of 50

13 campus, 1 year of internship). If students are admitted to the Ph.D. program with a masters or educational specialist degree, they should still expect to spend a minimum of three years in the doctoral program. However, this timeline is highly contingent upon approval of coursework completed in a previous degree following guidelines established by the university, department, and program. As you become more familiar with the faculty and their research interests, you and your advisor will discuss selection of a major professor, permanent advisor, and dissertation director. Often this is the same individual. Your permanent advisor will help you select a major professor, a dissertation director (often your advisor), and a doctoral committee. These committees will help develop a program of study that meets your particular training goals and objectives and your research interests. Your doctoral committee will consist of five members and must include a major professor and director of the dissertation (often this is the same individual and must be a School Psychology or Educational Psychology faculty member who possess Level I graduate faculty status), and at least one faculty member outside of the School Psychology program. At three members of your committee must be program faculty in either the School Psychology or Educational Psychology programs. On rare occasions, adjunct faculty are asked to serve on dissertations (e.g., internship supervisor at the location where the student is collecting the dissertation data). On such occasions, the adjunct faculty member must be approved by the university following appropriate administrative procedures. Students should discuss the benefits and limitations of adding adjunct faculty members to their committee with their dissertation director. Additionally, a faculty member may leave the program in pursuit of other professional interests. On such occasions, the faculty member may request to obtain adjunct status and must follow university guidelines for approval to remain on the committee. However, this would be approved for a one year period of time and, if the student s dissertation project is going to take longer than one year, then the faculty member would require replacement. In relation, faculty who have left the program may elect not to continue their service on the committee which would require replacement of their position on the committee. In addition, only on-campus faculty with Level I Graduate Status may serve as the dissertation chair. You should consult each potential committee member to decide if you want to work with the individual and if he or she wants to work with you. Please remember that faculty must have at least Level II Graduate Status to serve on doctoral dissertation committees and must have Level I Graduate Status to direct the doctoral dissertation. As such, instructors and lecturers may not serve on dissertation committees. After you have secured agreement from each faculty member to serve on your committee, you and your major professor will initiate an Approval of Committee form from the Graduate School website at Program of Study All graduate students must file a Program of Study with the Office of the Graduate School. The form containing the Program of Study will be initiated by the student. The Program of Study form must be approved by the advisor, committee members, and the departmental Graduate Coordinator. You must meet with your advisor to generate your official Program of Study (see Program of Study in the Forms section, this can also be viewed on the Graduate School website located at Until a formal Program of Study has been approved, you have no guarantee the courses you take will be counted as a part of your degree program. Your Program of Study may be modified by obtaining approval from your advisor, departmental graduate coordinator, and the College of Education Dean. When you change a program (that is, drop or add a course) and have obtained an approved change of program, it is your responsibility to enroll in the courses listed on your modified Program of Study. All approved transfer coursework from other universities and changes to the program of study require the completion of appropriate graduate forms located on the Graduate School website at The Graduate Records secretary is a valuable resource in completing the paperwork documenting completion of degree requirements. The records office personnel will review your file with you to 13 of 50

14 determine all paperwork has been completed and will assist you in determining that all required signature are on your documents. Prerequisite Undergraduate Courses Students should have the following undergraduate courses before entering the Ed.S. or Ph.D. programs: 1. Psychological Basis of Behavior (e.g., Introductory Psychology) 2. Developmental Psychology (e.g., child development) 3. Education, Learning, or Cognition (e.g., Theories of Learning). Students who have not met these prerequisite course requirements may enroll in the program and take these undergraduate courses as they progress through their degree program. As students progress through their Ph.D. program they are required to complete the requirements for the M.S. degree in School Psychometry and obtain their AA license in School Psychometry from the Mississippi State Department of Education. This certification is important because it will allow students to obtain more training across all areas of School Psychology service delivery in the Counseling and School Psychology Laboratory and other settings. In order to earn their M.S. degree, students will be required to complete the courses outlined below and pass the PRAXIS I exam. Currently, the M.S. degree in the School Psychology Program is a 53-hour, non terminal degree designed to be started in the fall semester and be completed in 2 to 2 ½ years. During each of these semesters, you will need to take 9 to 13 semester hours if you intend to complete the program in two years. Whether or not you want to complete the M.S. degree in two years, it is essential that you enroll in courses in the appropriate sequence if you are to earn the M.S. degree in a timely fashion. You must also be sure you have met prerequisite course requirements for each course in which you enroll. Failure to follow course sequences or enroll in prerequisites will likely to cause delays in your graduation, often as much as a year. Additionally, students are required to pass the Master s comprehensive examination during the spring semester of their second year. Obtaining a degree in school psychometry will allow students to obtain their AA licensure from the Mississippi State Department of Education. This license will offer greater options for the student and the faculty in securing graduate assistantships including departmental teaching assistantships and schoolbased assistantships. Please remember that this is a non-terminal degree and students must continue on the educational specialist or doctoral level contingent upon passing program requirements at the masters level. 14 of 50

15 EDF 8363 EDF 9443 EPY 6113* EPY 6214* EPY 8253 EPY 8263 EPY 8293 EPY 8493 EPY 8694 EPY 8703 EPY 8723 EPY 8763 EPY 8773 EPY 8933 EPY 9713 PSY 6403* EDX ---3 COE Current Master of Science Curriculum Function and Methods of Research in Education (3 hours) Single-Subject Research Designs for Education (3 hours) Behavioral and Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions (3 hours) Educational and Psychological Statistics (4 hours) Child & Adolescent Development & Psychopathology (3 hours) Psychological Testing in Educational & Related Settings (3 hours) Cognitive Development (3 hours) Child Behavior & Personality Assessment (3 hours) Supervised Experiences in School Psychology: Assessment (4 hours) Introduction to School Psychology (3 hours) Individual Assessment for Educational Related Settings (3 hours) Advanced Behavioral & Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions (3 hours) Assessment & Interventions for Academic Skills Deficits (3 hours) Integrated Psycho-Educational Assessment (3 hours) Advanced Psychological Consulting: Theory & Practice (3 hours) Biological Psychology (or other biological basis course; (3 hours) Special Education Elective (3 hours) See below Counselor Education Elective (3 hours) See below * These courses are split level. If the student had these courses as an undergraduate at MSU, they do not have to re-take the course provided they made a "B" or better. If students had similar courses at other universities, they must meet with the instructor to determine if they can be waived. For each course that was taken as an undergraduate, students must enroll in another equivalent course approved by your major advisor and committee in order to earn sufficient hours to graduate. Students are required to take one three credit hour Special Education Elective. Below are some of the common course options: Special Education EDX 8143: Early Education for the Disabled EDX 8203: Practicum: Diagnosis of Special Education Populations EDX 8303: Seminar in Mental Retardation EDX 8393: Seminar in Education for the Emotionally Disabled EDX 8403: Teaching the Emotionally Disabled Counselor Education COE 8013 Counseling Skills Development COE 8913 Counseling Children 15 of 50

16 Current Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) in Education with a Concentration in School Psychology Program The Ed.S. with an Emphasis in School Psychology Program is a planned program of a minimum of thirty-one (31) semester hours above the master's degree under the direction of a major advisor and two committee members. The Ed.S. Program is designed to provide advanced course work in school psychology and is currently designed to be completed in four years. In addition to providing AAA licensure in School Psychology, the Ed.S. program is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and qualifies students to sit for the Praxis II exam in School Psychology. Upon passing this exam, students become Nationally Certified School Psychologists (NCSP), which allows students to become certified in most states. However, because reciprocity is not absolute, perspective students planning on working within school systems in other states should check to determine if those particular states accept NCSP. Non-course work Ed.S. Requirements. 1. You must have a master's degree in School Psychometry to complete the Ed.S. in Education with a Concentration in School Psychology program. 2. Eighteen semester hours must be earned at MSU. 3. You must establish academic residency at MSU. Residency may be established by (a) enrolling at MSU for one semester of full-time study (minimum of nine hours), (b) two semesters of half-time study (minimum of six semester hours each semester), (c) one summer of full-time study (minimum of nine semester hours), or (d) one summer of halftime study (six semester hours) and one semester of half-time study (six semester hours). 4. A three-six hour special research project (i.e., educational specialist project) or six-hour thesis is required. This requirement is fulfilled through completion of the EdS portfolio. 5. You must complete a minimum 1200 hour internship in a school-based setting that is approved by the school psychology faculty and consistent with the Standards for Training and Field Placement in School Psychology outlined by NASP in Please note that most of the students enrolled in our program obtain closer to 1500 hours as they complete 10-month internships engaged in direct and indirect activities for a minimum of 40 hours per week. Course work Ed.S. with an Emphasis in School Psychology Requirements. The following coursework is required for an Ed.S. degree with an emphasis in School Psychology in addition the masters curriculum described above: COE 8073 Cultural Foundations in Counseling (3 hours) EPY 8794 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology: Consultation (4 hours) EDX/PSY/EPY Advanced Psychology, SPED, or Educational Psychology Elective* (3 hours) EPY 9703 Contemporary Legal, Ethical &Professional Issues in School Psych (3 hours) EPY 7000 Directed Independent Study/Educational Specialist Research Project (3 hours) EPY 8780 Internship in School Psychology (6 hours for two semesters = 12 hours) * Students may select from the following courses: EDX ---- Special Education elective (see list from Master s program) PSY 8223 Systems and Theories of Psychology PSY Advanced Social Psychology Elective EPY 6990 Advanced Educational Psychology Elective 16 of 50

17 *** Note: Students who wish to apply to the Ph.D. program are not encouraged to complete their Ed.S. internship years, as this would require an extra year of internship. Important Considerations: Students will take their comprehensive masters exam in the spring of their second year contingent upon meeting the appropriate course requirements. Some students may elect to take additional practicum courses through EPY 8890 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology: Clinic Practicum or EPY 9723 Seminar in School Psychology. Any student who receives a grant-funded school-based assistantship must enroll in EPY 8890 or EPY 9723 in order to receive the appropriate supervision to provide school psychological services. Students will take the Praxis II in school psychology during their internship year. 17 of 50

18 Ph.D. Degree Program of Study Students accepted into the Ph.D. program in School Psychology should either hold a Master's degree in school psychology/psychometry or should obtain AA licensure as a school psychometrist from the Mississippi State Department of Education within their first 3 years in the program. For students entering the program with only an undergraduate degree, the Ph.D. program in school psychology is designed to be completed in 5 years. Students entering with a ms or eds degree should plan to spend a minimum of 3 years in the PhD program. At least 120 semester hours beyond the baccalaureate degree are necessary for you to earn a doctorate from the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. The work will be divided as follows: Ph.D. Course Requirements Current Ph.D. Course Curricula COE ---- COE 8073 EDF 8363 EDF 9373 EDF 9443 EPY 6113 EPY 6214 EPY 8214 EPY 8253 EPY 8263 EPY 8293 EPY 8493 EPY 8703 EPY 8723 EPY 8763 EPY 8773 EPY 8694 EPY 8794 EPY 8890 EPY 9723 EPY 8933 EPY 9000 EPY 9213 EPY 9703 EPY 9713 EPY 9730 PSY 6403 PSY 8223 EDX ---- EDX ---- PSY ---- Elective (see below) Cultural Foundations in Counseling Function and Methods of Research in Education Educational Research Design Single Subject Research Designs in Education Behavioral and Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions Educational and Psychological Statistics Advanced Educational and Psychological Statistics Child and Adolescent Development and Psychopathology Psychological Testing in Educational and Related Settings Cognitive Development (or equivalent) Child Behavior and Personality Assessment School Psychology Individual Assessment for Educational and Related Settings Advanced Behavioral and Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions Assessment and Interventions for Academic Skills Deficits Supervised Experiences in School Psychology: Assessment Supervised Experiences in School Psychology: Consultation Supervised Experiences in School Psychology: Clinic or Seminar in School Psychology Integrated Psycho-Educational Assessment Dissertation Research (20 hours) Advanced Analysis in Educational Research Contemporary, Legal, Ethical, and Professional Issues in School Psych Advanced Psychological Consultation: Theory and Practice Doctoral Internship in School Psychology (18 credit hours) Biological Psychology Systems and Theories of Psychology or EPY 8990 History & Systems in Psychology Special Education Elective A (See below) Special Education Elective B (See below) Advanced Social Psychology Elective (See below) Focus-Area Requirement Requirements (See below) 18 of 50

19 Special Education Electives Students must select two Special Education graduate course electives. These courses must be approved by the student's advisor (i.e., major professor). Below are examples of courses students may select. Special Education EDX 8123: Organization and Supervision of Special Education EDX 8143: Early Education for the Disabled EDX 8153: Language Development -Assessment and Remediation EDX 8173: Special Education in the Regular Classroom EDX 8183: Seminar in Learning Disabilities EDX 8203: Practicum: Diagnosis of Special Education Populations EDX 8303: Seminar in Mental Retardation EDX 8393: Seminar in Education for the Emotionally Disabled EDX 8403: Teaching the Emotionally Disabled EDX 8990: Special Topics in Special Education Social Psychology Electives Students must select one of the following Social Psychology Courses. Any deviation from these listed courses must be approved by the student's major professor. PSY 6643 PSY 8613 EPY 8990 Social Cognition Advanced Social Psychology Social Psychology Foundations of Education Counselor Education Electives Students may select one of the following Counselor Education Courses. Any deviation from these selections must be approved by the student's advisor (i.e., major professor). COE 8013 COE 8913 Counseling Skills Counseling Children In addition, students must pass the Praxis II in School Psychology (NASP cut-off score), doctoral comprehensive written and oral examinations, and focus area exam (if admitted prior to fall 2011). Students must also present 1 refereed presentation at a national or regional conference and submit 1 manuscript for publication (e.g., book chapter, test review, professional refereed journal). Students would be able to obtain licensure from the Mississippi Department of Education at the AAAA level as school psychologists. They will also be able to obtain certification as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and licensure as a psychologist from the State Board of Psychology. 19 of 50

20 Course Requirements by Area Professional School Psychology 62 Hours Practice and Professional Issues (24 hours) EPY 8703 School Psychology EPY 9703 Contemporary, Legal, Ethical, and Professional Issues in School Psych EPY 9730 Internship in School Psychology (18 credit hours) Assessment (19 hours) EPY 8263 Psychological Testing in Educational and Related Settings EPY 8493 Child Behavior and Personality Assessment EPY 8723 Individual Assessment for Educational and Related Settings EPY 8773 Assessment and Interventions for Academic Skills Deficits EPY 8933 Integrated Psycho-Educational Assessment EPY 8694 Supervised Experience in School Psychology: Assessment Practicum Consultation and Intervention (19 hours) COE ---- Elective (e.g., Counseling Skills, Counseling Children) EPY 6113 Behavioral and Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions EPY 8763 Advanced Child Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral Interventions EPY 8773 Assessment and Interventions for Academic Skills Deficits EPY 9713 Advanced Psychological Consultation: Theory & Practice EPY 8790 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology: Consultation EPY 8890 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology: Clinic or EPY 9723 Seminar in School Psychology Statistics and Research 43 Hours Statistics EPY 6214 EPY 8214 EPY 9213 Research EDF 8363 EDF 9373 EDF 8443 Educational and Psychological Statistics Advanced Educational and Psychological Statistics Advanced Analysis in Educational Research Function and Methods of Research in Education Educational Research Design Single Subject Research Designs in Education Research Projects EPY 9000 Dissertation Research (20 hours) Supervised research requirements for College of Education and Department 20 of 50

21 Psychological Foundations 21 Hours Cognitive-Affective Basis of Behavior EPY 8293 Cognitive Development Biological Basis of Behavior PSY 6403 Biological Psychology or *PSY 8573 Psychopharmacology (*only if the student has completed PSY 6403 or approved equivalent course) Social Basis of Behavior COE 8073 Cultural Foundations in Counseling PSY 8613 Advanced Social Psychology or EPY 8990 Social Psychology Foundations of Education Individual Behavior EPY 8253 Child and Adolescent Development and Psychopathology EPY 8293 Cognitive Development COE 8073 Cultural Foundations in Counseling EDX ---3 Special Education Elective, (a) EDX ---3 Special Education Elective, (b) General Psychology PSY 8223 Systems and Theories of Psychology or EPY 8990 History and Systems in Psychology The following information only applied to students admitted prior to Fall Focus Area (Minor) Hours FOCUS AREA (Minor) COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR DOCTORAL STUDENTS School psychology is a broad field and school psychology practitioners and researchers benefit from the professional endeavors of many other professionals with different training and backgrounds. The focus area requirements are designed to give students the opportunity to be exposed to a broad array of theory, practice, and research in areas related to school psychology. Focus area requirements should allow students to focus their electives on a topic but allow for breadth (research, theory, and practice) by allowing students to take courses across disciplines and departments. The focus area requirement is designed to encourage students and faculty across units, departments and disciplines to work together to strengthen their programs. Course work for the focus area may come from any academic department in the university. Students will meet with their advisor and potential focus area professors to establish a focus area minor. Process of Completing Focus Area Requirement 1. The focus area professor can not be a core school psychology professor. 2. The student, in conjunction with her/his major professor will select a focus area and a focus area professor. The student will work with these individuals to construct a Focus Area program of study which will consist of three graduate courses that are not part of the required School Psychology program and one independent study writing project (e.g., PSY 7003) or 21 of 50

22 four courses and a focus area examination. All three courses must be graduate level courses and approved by the focus area professor and the students' major professor. They can be across departments and units (including our own department) but they can not be part of the required School Psychology program. Courses should revolve around a central topic [i.e., antisocial behavior in children could be the central theme and the students could take courses from sociology (e.g., juvenile delinquency), psychology (e.g., child behavior therapy), special education (e.g., teaching behavior disordered children), etc.]. The next section lists possible focus areas and an example of courses that will satisfy specific focus areas. These courses are provided only as examples. Students are encouraged to work with their major professor and a focus area professor to develop their own focus area and collection of courses that fit their particular professional interest. 3. The student must have a 3.0 QPA on focus area courses. 4. The student must pass a focus area examination (see next section). 5. Students will not be allowed to take their written comprehensive preliminary exam before their focus area exam is passed. However, under no circumstances will students be allowed to attend internship until both their focus areas exam and their written preliminary comprehensive exams are passed. Focus Area Exam for Doctoral Students There are two options for focus area (minor) exams. For students taking three courses and writing a paper, the paper will serve as their minor exam. For students taking four courses or more, they may choose to write a paper or take an oral or written examination administered by their focus area professor. The option that is chosen will depend upon the arrangement between the student and the focus area professor. Option 1: APA Style Paper 1. For students who are taking three courses and writing a paper (again they should register for an independent study elective, for example course number 7003, in the focus area professor's program). The paper will serve as the student s written focus area examination. The paper must be written in APA style. This paper can be either expository (e.g., literature review, conceptual paper, etc.) or empirical (e.g., experimental, descriptive, correlational, etc.). The goal of the focus area requirements is for students to learn skills, methods, theories, and/or techniques from other disciplines and apply these to the field of school psychology. Students may continue to work on an expository paper or empirical study that was part of a class assignment and use this for their Focus Area exam. The student s major professor and focus area professor will read the paper and grade it on pass/fail basis. In the case where these two professors disagree (one passes and the other fails the paper) the student s entire Ph.D. committee (5 faculty) will grade the paper on a pass/fail basis. At least 50% of the committee members must grade the paper a pass in order for the student to have satisfactorily completed the focus area requirements. Option 2: Oral or Written Exam For students taking four courses, the typical focus area examination (oral or written, administered by the focus area faculty member, will be used to evaluate the student in their focus area. 22 of 50

23 Examples of Focus Areas I. Special Education A. Teaching Exceptional Children EDX 6503 Teaching the Severely & Profoundly Impaired Child EDX 8403 Teaching the Emotionally Disabled EDX 8173 Special Education in the Regular Classroom EDX 8183 Seminar in Learning Disabilities Potential Focus Area Professors: Devlin, Coffey B. Children with Severe and Profound Disabilities EDX 6503 Teaching the Severely & Profoundly Impaired Child PSY 8323 Psychopathology EDX 8303 Seminar in Mental Retardation EDX 6613 Teaching Children & Youth with Physical/Multiple Disabilities Potential Focus Area Professors: Coffey, Armstrong II. Counseling COE 8023 Counseling Theory COE 8043 Group Techniques and Procedures COE 8173 Counseling Gifted Students COE 8913 Counseling Children COE 8903 School Counseling Services Potential Focus Area Professors: Dooley, Looby, Hall, Justice III. Clinical Psychology PSY 6373 Forensic Psychology PSY 8323 Psychopathology PSY 8333 Systems of Psychotherapy PSY 8383 Behavior Therapy PSY 8573 Psychopharmocology Potential Focus Area Professors: Armstrong, Jacquin Other possible focus areas: Adolescents with Behavior Disorders Family Systems and Therapy Multicultural Issues Juvenile Delinquency Psychoeducational Statistics and Measurement Developmental Psychology Preschool Assessment & Intervention Psychoeducational Issues for students with Physical Disabilities (e.g. vision, hearing, ambulatory, etc.) Transition from School to Work for Students with Disabilities In addition to these possible focus areas, students could take more traditional focus areas: Educational Technology & Educational Leadership; however, they would have the option of taking courses both within and outside the department. 23 of 50

24 Proposed Curricula The School Psychology faculty are in the process of revising the program curricula requirements. These changes are based on data collected during self-studies of the program for accreditation from both the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and the American Psychological Association (APA) as well as feedback from current students and alumni. The faculty believe that the following sequence of courses will allow students to obtain didactic knowledge and applied skills in a timely manner while still representing best practices in the field and compliance with the standards established by our accrediting bodies. The following is the proposed coursework and a tentative course sequence: PROPOSED MASTER OF SCIENCE COURSES: SCHOOL PSYCHOMETRY (AA CERTIFICATION) 40 hours of course work at the graduate level Proposed Master of Science Curriculum EPY 6113* Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral Interventions EPY 6214* Stats I EPY 8253 Advanced Developmental Psychology Across the Life Span EPY 8263 Psychological Testing EPY 8493 Child Behavior and Personality Assessment EPY 8690 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology (3 hours) EPY 8703 Introduction to School Psychology EPY 8723 Individual Assessment EPY 8773 Assessment and Intervention for Academic Skills Deficits EPY 8993 Integrated Psychoeducational Assessment EPY 6 3* Application of School Psychology EPY Psychology of the Atypical Child in the School Setting EPY 9713 Advanced Consultation and Supervision: Theory and Practice In addition to the completion of this coursework, students are required to pass the Praxis I examination and comprehensive written masters examination. This would be a non-terminal degree and students must complete the specialist or doctoral program in school psychology. This is a 40-hour curriculum that would allow students to earn a master of science (M.S.) degree in psychometry. Students would be able to obtain licensure from the Mississippi Department of Education at the AA level as school psychometrist. * Indicates course offered as split level. If the student has taken the course at the undergraduate level, student may waive the course at the graduate level if they obtained a B in the course at the undergraduate level. However, the student must take another equivalent course approved by their major advisor and committee to replace the credit hours to meet all requirements for the degree. 24 of 50

25 PROPOSED MASTER OF SCIENCE COURSE SEQUENCE: PSYCHOMETRY YEAR 1 FALL SEMESTER EPY 6113 Behavioral and Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions (3 hours) EPY 8253 Advanced Developmental Psychology Across the Life Span (3 hours) EPY 8703 Introduction to School Psychology (3 hours) 9 credit hours SPRING SEMESTER EPY 6214 Stats I (4 hours) EPY 8773 Assessment and Intervention for Academic Skills Deficits (3 hours) 6 credit hours SUMMER SEMESTER EPY Application of School Psychology (3 hours) EPY Psychology of the Atypical Child in the School Setting (3 hours) EPY 8263 Psychological Testing (3 hours) 9 credit hours YEAR 2 FALL SEMESTER EPY 8493 Child Behavior and Personality Assessment (3 hours) EPY 9713 Advanced Consultation and Supervision: Theory and Practice (3 hours) EPY 8690 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology (3 hours) 9 credit hours SPRING SEMESTER EPY 8723 Individual Assessment (3 hours) 3 credit hours YEAR 3 FALL SEMESTER EPY 8993 Integrated Psychoeducational Assessment (3 hours) 3 credit hours 25 of 50

26 EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST PROPOSED COURSES: SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY (AAA and NCSP CERTIFICATION) 42 hours beyond the Master of Science Degree Proposed Curriculum COE 8073 Multicultural EDF 9443 Single Subject Design Methodology EPY 8763 Advanced Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral Interventions EPY 9703 Legal, Ethical, Professional Issues in School Psychology EPY Crisis Prevention and Intervention in the School and Related Settings EPY 8690 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology I (3 hours) EPY 8790 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology II (6 hours) EPY Elective (Data-based Decision Making for Interventions in the Schools; Assessment of Infants, Toddlers, & Special Pop 3 hours) EPY 7000 Directed Independent Study (Porfolio Development; 3 hours) EPY 8780 Internship in School Psychology (12 hours) This is a 42-hour curriculum beyond the masters degree (40 hours) that would allow students to earn an educational specialist degree (Ed.S.) with an emphasis in school psychology in four years. In addition to completing required coursework, students must also pass the Praxis II specialty area exam in School Psychology (obtaining the cut score set forth by the Mississippi Department of Education), complete the approved EdS portfolio as part of their Directed Independent Study and Internship, and complete a minimum of a 1200 hour internship with at least 600 hours being in a school-based setting as defined by the National Association of School Psychologists. Students would be able to obtain licensure from the Mississippi Department of Education at the AAA level as school psychologists. They will also be able to obtain certification as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). 26 of 50

27 EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST SEQUENCE OF PROPOSED COURSES: SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY (AAA & NCSP CERTIFICATION) Note: Masters level coursework is included in the sequence to assist students in preparing their schedules. YEAR 1 FALL SEMESTER EPY 6113 Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral Interventions (3 hours) EPY 8253 Advanced Developmental Psychology Across the Life Span (3 hours) EPY 8703 Introduction to School Psychology (3 hours) EPY 9703 Legal, Ethical, Professional Issues in School Psychology (3 hours) 12 credit hours SPRING SEMESTER EPY 6214 Stats I (4 hours) EPY 8763 Advanced Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral Interventions (3 hours) EPY 8773 Assessment and Intervention for Academic Skills Deficits (3 hours) EDF 9443 Single Subject Design Methodology (3 hours) 13 credit hours SUMMER SEMESTER EPY Application of School Psychology (3 hours) EPY 8263 Psychological Testing (3 hours) EPY Psychology of the Atypical Child in the School Setting (3 hours) 9 credit hours YEAR 2 FALL SEMESTER EPY 8493 Child Behavior and Personality Assessment (3 hours) EPY 8690 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology (3 hours) EPY 9713 Advanced Consultation and Supervision: Theory and Practice (3 hours) 9 credit hours SPRING SEMESTER EPY Crisis Prevention and Intervention in the School and Related Settings (3 hours) EPY 8723 Individual Assessment (3 hours) EPY 8790 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology II (3 hours) 9 credit hours SUMMER SEMESTER No coursework scheduled. 27 of 50

28 YEAR 3 FALL SEMESTER EPY 8993 Integrated Psychoeducational Assessment (3 hours) COE 8073 Multicultural (3 hours) EPY 8690 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology (3 hours) 9 credit hours SPRING SEMESTER EPY Elective (Data-based Decision Making for Interventions in the Schools; Assessment of Infants, Toddlers, & Special Pop 3 hours) EPY 7000 Directed Independent Study (Porfolio Development; 3 hours) EPY 8790 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology II (3 hours) 9 credit hours SUMMER SEMESTER No coursework scheduled. YEAR 4 FALL SEMESTER EPY 8780 Internship in School Psychology (6 hours) SPRING SEMESTER EPY 8780 Internship in School Psychology (6 hours) 28 of 50

29 Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology with a Concentration in School Psychology (AAAA, NCSP, Licensed Psychologist) 105 hours beyond the Master of Science in Psychometry PROPOSED CURRICULUM Research Sequence EDF 9443 Single Subject Design Methodology EDF 9373 Educational Research Design EPY 8214 Stats II EPY 9213 Stats III EPY Psychometric Theory EPY 9000 Dissertation Research (20 hours) 36 hours Core School Psychology Sequence EPY 8763 Advanced Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral Interventions EPY 8--3 Crisis Prevention and Intervention in the School and Related Settings EPY 8--3 Assessment of Infants, Toddlers, and Special Populations EPY 6--3 Data-based Decision Making for Interventions in the Schools EPY 8690 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology I (6 hours) EPY 8790 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology II (9 hours) EPY 8890 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology II (3 hours) EPY 9730 Doctoral Internship (18 hours) 48 hours Professional Development in Psychology Sequence EPY 9703 Legal, Ethical, Professional Issues in School Psychology COE 8073 Multicultural EPY 8293 Cognitive Development EPY 8--3 History & Systems PSY 6403 Biological Psychology PSY 8613 Advanced Social Psychology Approved COE/EDX/EPY/PSY Elective (3 hours) 21 hours This is a 105-hour curriculum beyond the masters degree (40 hours) that would allow students to earn an Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Psychology with a Concentration in School Psychology in five years. In addition to completing required coursework, students must also pass the Praxis II specialty area exam in School Psychology (obtaining the cut score set forth by the National Association of School Psychologists), pass the written and oral doctoral comprehensive exams (preferably taken during the fall of the 4 th year contingent upon completion of appropriate coursework), and complete a 2000-hour predoctoral internship (APA preferred; APPIC registration required). In addition, students must present 1 refereed presentation at a national or regional conference and submit 1 manuscript for publication (e.g., book chapter, test review, professional refereed journal). Students would be able to obtain licensure from the Mississippi Department of Education at the AAAA level as school psychologists. They will also be able to obtain certification as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and licensure as a psychologist from the State Board of Psychology. 29 of 50

30 PH.D. SEQUENCE OF PROPOSED COURSES: SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY (AAAA, NCSP, Licensed Psychologist) Note: Masters level coursework is included in the sequence to assist students in preparing their schedules. YEAR 1 FALL SEMESTER EPY 6113 Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral Interventions (3 hours) EPY 8253 Advanced Developmental Psychology Across the Life Span (3 hours) EPY 8703 Introduction to School Psychology (3 hours) EPY 9703 Legal, Ethical, Professional Issues in School Psychology (3 hours) 12 credit hours SPRING SEMESTER EPY 6214 Stats I (4 hours) EPY 8763 Advanced Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral Interventions (3 hours) EPY 8773 Assessment and Intervention for Academic Skills Deficits (3 hours) EDF 9443 Single Subject Design Methodology (3 hours) 13 credit hours SUMMER SEMESTER EPY Application of School Psychology (3 hours) EPY 8263 Psychological Testing (3 hours) EPY Psychology of the Atypical Child in the School Setting (3 hours) 9 credit hours YEAR 2 FALL SEMESTER EPY 8214 Stats II (4 hours) EPY 8493 Child Behavior and Personality Assessment (3 hours) EPY 8690 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology (3 hours) EPY 9713 Advanced Consultation and Supervision: Theory and Practice (3 hours) 13 credit hours SPRING SEMESTER EPY Crisis Prevention and Intervention in the School and Related Settings (3 hours) EPY 8723 Individual Assessment (3 hours) EPY 8790 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology II (3 hours) EPY 9213 Stats III (3 hours) 12 credit hours SUMMER SEMESTER PSY 6403 Biological Psychology COE 8073 Multicultural EPY 8890 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology II (3 hours) 9 credit hours 30 of 50

31 YEAR 3 FALL SEMESTER (EVEN YEARS) EPY 8993 Integrated Psychoeducational Assessment (3 hours) EPY 8293 Cognitive Development (3 hours) PSY 8613 Advanced Social Psychology (3 hours) EPY 8690 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology I (3 hours) 12 credit hours FALL SEMESTER (ODD YEARS) EPY 8993 Integrated Psychoeducational Assessment (3 hours) EPY 8293 Cognitive Development (3 hours) EPY 8--3 History & Systems (3 hours) EPY 8690 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology I (3 hours) SPRING SEMESTER (EVEN YEARS) EPY 8--3 Assessment of Infants, Toddlers, and Special Populations (3 hours) EPY 6--3 Data-based Decision Making for Interventions in the Schools (3 hours) EPY 8790 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology II (3 hours) Approved COE/EDX/EPY/PSY Elective (3 hours) 12 credit hours SPRING SEMESTER (ODD YEARS) EPY Psychometric Theory (3 hours) EPY 6--3 Data-based Decision Making for Interventions in the Schools (3 hours) EPY 8790 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology II (3 hours) Approved COE/EDX/EPY/PSY Elective (3 hours) 12 credit hours SUMMER SEMESTER EDF 9373 Educational Research Design (3 hours) Must take Praxis II exam in School Psychology 31 of 50

32 YEAR 4 FALL SEMESTER (EVEN YEARS) PSY 8613 Advanced Social Psychology (3 hours) EPY 8690 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology I (3 hours) EPY 9000 Dissertation (4 hours) 10 credit hours *Should be scheduled to take Doctoral Comprehensive Written and Oral Comprehensive Exams FALL SEMESTER (ODD YEARS) EPY 8--3 History & Systems (3 hours) EPY 8690 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology I (3 hours) EPY 9000 Dissertation (4 hours) 10 credit hours *Should be scheduled to take Doctoral Comprehensive Written and Oral Comprehensive Exams SPRING SEMESTER (EVEN YEARS) EPY 8--3 Assessment of Infants, Toddlers, and Special Populations (3 hours) EPY 8790 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology II (3 hours) EPY 9000 Dissertation (4 hours) 10 credit hours SPRING SEMESTER (ODD YEARS) EPY Psychometric Theory (3 hours) EPY 8790 Supervised Experiences in School Psychology II (3 hours) EPY 9000 Dissertation (4 hours) 10 credit hours SUMMER SEMESTER No coursework scheduled. FALL SEMESTER EPY 9730 Doctoral Internship (6 hours) EPY 9000 Dissertation (4 hours) 10 credit hours SPRING SEMESTER EPY 9730 Doctoral Internship (6 hours) EPY 9000 Dissertation (4 hours) 10 credit hours SUMMER SEMESTER EPY 9730 Doctoral Internship (6 hours) EPY 9000 Dissertation (4 hours) 10 credit hours YEAR 5 32 of 50

33 OTHER REQUIREMENTS There are other important requirements for the masters, educational specialist, and doctoral degree at MSU. It is your responsibility to know them and to make sure your program of study conforms to them. These requirements fall into 5 broad categories: Professional Membership, Student Evaluation, Knowledge Assessment, Research Requirements, and Internship Requirements. In addition, to help you through the maze of requirements for the university, you should develop a thorough working knowledge of the Mississippi State University College of Education Graduate Students' Guide. It is available at no cost to you from the College of Education Dean in Room 309 Allen Hall and on the College of Education website ( Professional Associations School Psychology professionals must belong to professional associations after they earn their degrees if they are to stay current in the field. Active participation in professional associations is vital to professional success. Each graduate student is required to join at least two professional associations. Membership dues are usually less for students and members receive professional newsletters, journals, and announcements of professional activities. School Psychology students should join and become active in: APA (Division 16) National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Association for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Mississippi Association for Psychology in the Schools (MAPS). In addition, students may benefit from joining several other organizations including, but not limited to: Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy (AABT) South Eastern Psychological Association (SEPA) Mid-South Education Research Association (MSERA) 33 of 50

34 Assessment of Student Progress toward Meeting Program Training Goals and Objectives The knowledge and skills that students have gained will be assessed by faculty in the classroom through (a) course assignments and examinations, (b) the written and/or oral comprehensive exams, (c) practicum and internship evaluations, (d) annual student evaluations and (e) the required research process. (i.e., research and statistics coursework and related research activities) Students are expected to a) achieve grades of B or better in program core and related coursework, b) receive passing scores on all comprehensive exams (e.g., masters comprehensive exam, doctoral comprehensive written and oral exams) and national examinations (e.g., Praxis II in School Psychology), c) receive acceptable ratings on practicum and internship evaluations, d) obtain ratings of expected or above on all areas addressed by student annual evaluations, and e) satisfactorily complete required research expectations and research projects (e.g., doctoral students must present at least one refereed presentation at a national or regional professional conference, submit at least one manuscript for publication, complete all required components of the doctoral dissertation). Unsatisfactory performance in graduate level coursework is defined as a grade of U, D, or F in any course and/or more than tow grades below a B after admission to the program. Unsatisfactory performance also includes failing the master s comprehensive examination twice, failing the written preliminary/comprehensive examination twice, failing the doctoral oral preliminary/ comprehensive examination twice, or failing the doctoral dissertation defense twice. Any of these or a combination of these failures will result in termination of the student s graduate study in the program. Student Progress Evaluations During the spring semester, the program faculty meet to discuss and evaluate the progress of each student with special emphasis on each student's performance subsequent to the previous evaluation. Through this mechanism, satisfactory progress is noted, performance exceeding satisfactory progress is commended, and concerns regarding less than satisfactory performance are identified in order to promote remedial efforts. In addition, the evaluation process is intended to ensure that all program faculty are informed as to the progress of all students in the program. Finally, the student is required to conduct a self evaluation of their own progress, to complete the evaluation form, and to receive faculty feedback on their self evaluation. If a significant deficiency is noted, the student and their advisor will develop a specific written plan to help the student continue to progress through the program. Below is an outline of the evaluation categories. For more information, see the current Student Evaluation Handbook. Students will receive ratings across four major areas along with ratings in sub-areas under each category. I. Academic Performance A. Classroom performance B. Required Research progress (e.g., educational specialist project, dissertation) C. Focus Area Requirements II. Clinical and Interpersonal Skills A. Practioner performance B. Professional behavior III. Professional Development A. Professional progress B. Independent research 34 of 50

35 IV. Summary Progress PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS REVIEW FORM In addition to reviewing student's professional performance, students' personal characteristics related to his/her professionalism will be evaluated using the Personal Characteristics Review Form (PCRF). All students will receive feedback after any formal evaluation by the faculty. If a student is not making satisfactory progress as evidenced by their grades and/or less than average evaluations by the department faculty, at minimum, the faculty advisor will meet with the student to discuss the evaluation. For more information, see the Student Evaluation Handbook. Knowledge Assessment Through the comprehensive examination process, you will be given an opportunity to demonstrate (a) mastery of best practices in school psychology as supported by research and theoretical literature; (b) the ability to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate knowledge gained in relation to problems encountered in school psychology; and (c) the ability to present answers in an organized, research based, and grammatically acceptable fashion. M.S. Comprehensive Examination The Department of Education Graduate Program handbook gives information regarding procedures for taking the Masters Comprehensive Examination. Students entering the program with a bachelor s degree usually take this exam during the spring semester of their second year. All Ph.D. students will be required to pass this exam by the end of their third year so that they may qualify for AA certification. The Masters Comprehensive examination consists of 100 written multiple-choice questions covering the Professional School Psychology training domain including the sub-domains of 1) Professional Orientation, 2) Assessment, and 3) Consultation/Intervention. Students must apply to take the exam by the end of the second week of the term in which they plan to take the comprehensive exam. The application may be obtained from the departmental records secretary. To pass the exam, students must correctly answer 65% of the items on each area. Examinations are scheduled two times a year (fall and spring semesters). If you fail to pass the Masters Comprehensive Exam, you must schedule a meeting with the coordinator of school psychology programs and your major professor to discuss remedial action. You will then be allowed to take the exam one additional time. If a second failure occurs, you will be dismissed from the program. PRAXIS I Exam School psychologists must be certified by the State of Mississippi to serve in a school. In order to be certified in psychometry, students should complete our M.S. program and must pass the Praxis Exam. Ph.D. and Ed.S. students must apply for licensure as they meet the requirements. AA licensure will allow students to work in the School Psychology and Counseling clinic as they pursue their advanced degree. Students who do not meet minimum PRAXIS requirements for AA licensure by their third year in the program will be advised to withdraw from the program. Masters students must take the PRAXIS Core and obtain the following minimum scores. These scores and actual exam subsection are subject to change by the State Department of Education. Section PPST Score Reading 170 Writing of 50

36 Math 169 These exams are given on campus three times a year. You must register to take the exam several months before it is administered. Have your scores sent to Mississippi State University, College of Education, the Mississippi Department of Education, and yourself. It is not necessary to wait until a graduate degree has been earned or until course work requirements for licensure have been completed. However, because students who fail to meet minimum requirements can not obtain certification in Mississippi, we recommend that M.S. students take the exam prior to entering the program. All Ph.D. and Ed.S. students should pass the AA licensure PRAXIS I requirements and obtain their license as they progress through the program. Students who do not pass the Core PRAXIS requirements after they have completed the MS degree should meet with their advisor before continuing with AAA Certification or a Ph.D. Praxis II: School Psychology Speciality Area Examination Students pursuing the educational specialist and doctoral degrees must take and obtain the same Core area scores on the Praxis I and the same score on the masters comprehensive exam as listed above. The Praxis II Speciality Area examination in School Psychology allows students in the educational specialist and doctoral programs to obtain certification as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP). Students in the Ed.S. program must take this examination during their fourth year or internship year in order to graduate with the educational specialist degree with an emphasis in school psychology. Educational specialist students must obtain a 154 on the School Psychology Battery of the Praxis II to obtain licensure as a school psychologist from the Mississippi Department of Education. In addition, eds and phd students must obtain a score of 165 to obtain certification as a NCSP from NASP. Starting with the Fall 2007 cohort, doctoral students are required to take the Praxis II Speciality Area examination prior to the fall semester in which they schedule to take their doctoral written and oral comprehensive exams. Doctoral students must obtain a score of 165 or they will required to retake the examination. Cohorts accepted into the doctoral program prior to the Fall 2007 semester are not required to take the Praxis II but are strongly encouraged to do so in order to obtain certification as a NCSP from NASP. Additional Exams for Doctoral Students If you are pursuing the Ph.D. degree, you must complete three other comprehensive examinations in addition to those listed above. These include the a) focus area examination, b) written preliminary comprehensive examination, and the oral preliminary comprehensive examination. Each of these assessments is described in full detail below. Focus Area Examination All students pursuing the Ph.D. degree are required to pass an examination in the focus area. The focus examination may be taken whenever the course work in the minor focus has been completed. There are two options for focus area (minor) exams. For students taking three courses and writing a paper, the paper will serve as their focus area (minor) exam. For students taking four courses or more, they may choose to write a paper or to take an oral or written exam administered by their focus area professor. This information has been previously stated but is duplicated below for your convenience. Option 1: APA Style Paper For students who are taking three courses and writing a paper (again they should register for an independent study elective, for example course number 7003, in the focus area professor's program) the paper will serve as the student s written focus area examination. The paper must be written in APA style. This paper can be either expository (e.g., literature review, conceptual paper, etc.) or empirical (e.g., experimental, descriptive, correlational, etc.). The goal of the focus 36 of 50

37 area requirements is for students to learn skills, methods, theories, and/or techniques from other disciplines and apply these to the field of school psychology. Students may continue to work on an expository paper or empirical study that was part of a class assignment and use this for their Focus Area exam. The student s major professor and focus area professor will read the paper and grade it on pass/fail basis. In the case where these two professors disagree (one passes and the other fails the paper) the student s entire Ph.D. committee (5 faculty) will grade the paper on a pass/fail basis. At least 50% of the committee members must grade the paper a pass in order for the student to have satisfactorily completed their focus area requirements. Option 2: Oral or Written Exam For students taking four courses, the typical focus area examination (oral or written, administered by the focus area faculty member, will be used to evaluate the student in their focus area. Written Preliminary Comprehensive Examination (WPE) The WPE will be scheduled three times a year. AT LEAST 60 DAYS BEFORE THE WPE IS SCHEDULED, you must apply through the Departmental Graduate Coordinator to take the WPE. Doctoral students should read the information regarding both the written and oral portions of the Preliminary Examination in the College of Education Doctoral Student s Guide. To be eligible to take the Written Preliminary Examination for the Doctor of Philosophy in Education degree, students must: 1. have demonstrated satisfactory performance on the pre-dissertation research requirement (i.e., Qualifying Examination on Statistics/Research); 2. be within six-hours of completing all course work* (exclusive of Internship and Dissertation Research hours); 3. have completed all research skill requirements, including your supervised pre- dissertation research defense; 4. have passed a Focus Area Examination and have a letter from the Minor Professor substantiating this; 5. have the Dissertation topic approved (the formal Dissertation Proposal does not have to have been approved); and 6. be enrolled for a minimum of one semester hour of credit during the semester in which the Preliminary Examination is administered. *A student enrolled in more than six-hours of course work during the Spring term but who will have completed all course work (excluding Dissertation and Internship hours) by the end of the Spring term will be eligible to take the Written Preliminary Examination during the March administration of the examination (assuming that all other prerequisites for eligibility have been satisfied). WPE Content. The WPE is constructed as essay questions by the School Psychology program faculty and scored by School Psychology faculty. You are allotted one day to answer the WPE essay questions. The examination is divided into two 4-hour sections. The School Psychology Foundation section examination covers the following three areas. You will be required to answer one question from each of these sections: 37 of 50

38 1. Assessment 2. Consultation and Intervention 3. Practice and Professional Issues The Psychology Core will focus on the following areas. You will be required to answer one question from the pool of questions covering the Psychology Core. Biological Basis of Behavior Cognitive Basis of Behavior Social/Cultural Basis of Behavior Individual Behavior General Psychology and Educational Psychology You are expected to type your answers. If you are unable to type, the department will retain your hand written original after you photocopy it so you may acquire the services of a typist to transcribe your handwritten copy. The typed text will be checked against the original handwritten copy to determine if any changes have been made to the answers outside the examination setting. To assure yourself that you fully understand WPE policies and procedures, you need to read carefully the College of Education Doctoral Students' Guide can be obtained at Failure to heed this advice could cause you stress, if not downright grief. WPE Grading Process: Each question will be graded by the core school psychology faculty using a Likert scale (1-5). Students must pass all four questions in order to pass the WPE. Students must average a 3 to pass a question. Whenever possible, faculty ratings will be blind. When there is a discrepancy of more than 1 point across faculty and the student fails a question (on average) the low and high scores will be removed. The remaining scores will be averaged. If the student still fails to pass, they would have to follow College of Education guidelines in an attempt to appeal a failed WPE (see the College of Education Doctoral Student Handbook). If a student fails a question, they will be required to re-take that section within 30 days. Although the specific question will be different, it will be from the same pool of questions. If the student again fails the question, they will have failed the exam and will be required to re-take the entire exam with another pool of questions at the next WPE administration. If a student fails two or more questions, they will have failed the entire examination and will be required to take the entire examination again at the next WPE administration. Before students take the examination a second time, they must meet with their advisor and develop and file a written remediation plan designed to assist them in passing the WPE. This plan may include taking additional course work, auditing courses, scheduling regular meetings with their advisor, completing and summarizing assigned readings, writing position papers, taking practice exams, etc. These remediation steps are extremely important as students who fail the WPE twice will be dismissed from the program. Oral Preliminary Examination The Oral Preliminary Examination (OPE) needs to be scheduled immediately after you have been notified by your major professor that you passed the WPE. The OPE will be conducted by your doctoral committee with each member asking you questions. You will be expected to demonstrate (a) thorough familiarity with school psychology literature; (b) understanding of the relationships among the various areas of fields related to school psychology; (c) general knowledge and training including the use of oral English; and (d) the ability to apply, synthesize, and evaluate knowledge gained in relation to problems encountered in school psychology. To perform well on the OPE, you will need to be able to think quickly, express ideas and thoughts fluently and competently, and express opinions in a well-articulated, logical, and comprehensive manner. There are a number of policies and rules regarding the OPE. They 38 of 50

39 appear most succinctly in the Doctoral Students' Guide. Once again, you are urged to know these rules and policies. Program Research Requirements All educational specialist students are expected to be consistently engaged in program and personal research throughout their program. This will be accomplished as part of formal coursework, through collaborative projects with faculty and other students, and through the requirement of completion of the educational specialist research project. All doctoral students are expected to be consistently engaged in research throughout their program. This will be accomplished as part of formal course requirements, through collaborative projects with faculty and other students, and through the requirement to present a minimum of one (1) refereed paper at a regional or national conference and the submission of one (1) research manuscript to a refereed journal. Students may also submit a manuscript for publication as a book chapter or completed an approved test review to satisfy the research submission requirement. College of Education and Departmental Research Requirements The Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education Graduate Student Handbook and the College of Educational Graduate Student Handbook outlines the research skills requirements. These requirements can be met in several ways. However, the school psychology faculty strongly encourage students to be continuously involved in research. Furthermore, students should also participate in moving the practice and science of school psychology forward by disseminating their research findings. Educational Specialist Students The school psychology program strongly encourages students in the educational specialist program to contribute to research by engaging in faculty and student research projects and by presenting professional presentations and posters at professional association meetings. Ed.S. students are required to complete an educational specialist project in order to graduate from the program. Students must identify a director along with two other faculty to serve as committee members. Students are encouraged to choose faculty with similar research interests in order to assist in the development and completion of a well planned study. Students must enroll in six (6) hours of independent study (EPY 7000) under their director s name. Students often gather the data for their independent project in the school systems or clinics depending on the nature of the scientific inquiry. Ed.S. students must present the completed research project at a colloquium meeting. At that time, the committee will make one of two decisions which include: a) pass or b) fail. The student must also develop a professional manuscript that is to be evaluated by members of the committee. At that time, the committee will make one of three decisions which include: a) accepted, b) accepted with minor changes, or c) rejected. If students, fail either the oral presentation or the written project, they will be allowed to meet with the committee to address their concerns and given one more chance to address the concerns through another oral presentation or resubmission of the written project. Although, not formally required for graduation, students are encouraged to submit the research project for presentation at a professional conference and submit the manuscript for publication in an appropriate peer-referred journal. Doctoral Students 39 of 50

40 The school psychology program requires doctoral students to present as a first author a minimum of one (1) refereed paper at a regional or national conference and the submission of one (1) research manuscript to a refereed journal by the end of their fourth year in the program. Processes and procedures related to this project are described below. As the school psychology program stress students' contribution to the field through research, the school psychology faculty encourage students to meet their research skills requirements in the following ways. Part I Adequate completion of the departmental and program statistics and research sequence. Part II Authoring (student must be primary or first author), submitting, and presenting a scholarly paper at a regional or national professional meeting or serving as primary author of a scholarly paper published in a refereed professional journal. Dissertation There are several steps involved in completing a dissertation. A dissertation pre-proposal is not required. However, many students choose to go through this step in order to receive feedback regarding their proposed research before progressing deeper into the dissertation process. Dissertation Pre-proposal Doctoral students in the School Psychology program may convene their committee to present a Preliminary Dissertation Proposal. You should schedule this meeting only after your major professor and director of the dissertation have approved the direction of your dissertation research. You may schedule this meeting at any point after your Doctoral Program of Study has been filed and your doctoral committee has been approved by the Proposal is a concept paper and the approval of it, and the direction of the dissertation, is not binding upon you or your doctoral committee. Your proposal should adhere to the following format. 1. A one-paragraph introduction should present the topic. 2. A 300-word abstract of relevant research and theoretical literature with no citations should follow. 3. An outline of your literature review should follow. 4. A listing of the research questions appears next. 5. A detailed methodology needs to be described. 6. An explanation of the proposed data analysis needs to be presented next. 7. A list of references in APA style should be attached (No fewer than 10 references). Dissertation Proposal You may schedule a dissertation proposal meeting any time AFTER you have passed the Doctoral Comprehensive Examination requirement. At the dissertation proposal meeting, you are expected to present the first three chapters (introduction, review of literature, and methodology) of your dissertation in its final form. To reach this stage of completion, you must work closely with your major professor and director of your dissertation. You MUST anticipate a number of rewrites, especially if you fail to follow APA style. Because you are at the proposal stage, you are strongly cautioned against collecting data for your dissertation. Collecting data prior to formal approval of the research plan puts you at great risk. The committee may reject your proposal or recommend a modification which would force you to begin anew. 40 of 50

41 You should NEVER collect data unless you have gained approval from the MSU Committee on the Protection of Human Subjects (IRB). Additionally, all graduate students in the College of Education must complete IRB training with a certificate of completion during their first semester. This certification must be renewed every three years. The specific guidelines for the proposal meeting are contained in the College of Education Doctoral Students' Guide. You should review the information in the Guide as you prepare for the dissertation proposal meeting. If you do review it and follow the outlined procedures, the stress you experience at this stage in the dissertation process may be reduced. You should contact your major professor, director of the dissertation, and committee members to schedule a date, time, and place for the dissertation proposal meeting. It is your responsibility to coordinate the scheduling of the meeting. After you have obtained agreement from your committee on the date, time, and place of the meeting, you must inform the Records Secretary. The Records Secretary will then issue a written invitation to all members of your committee and the faculty of the department. An announcement inviting the public to attend your meeting will be placed on the departmental announcements bulletin board. You must submit a copy of your dissertation proposal to your committee members at least ten (10) working days prior to the scheduled meeting date. Also, you must submit a copy to the Departmental Graduate Coordinator and the Records Secretary. Faculty not on your committee, students, and the public may read the copy of the proposal held by the Records Secretary. They may attend your proposal meeting and ask you questions upon invitation of your major professor. Dissertation Defense The faculty expects you to consult with your Major Professor frequently and comprehensively as you conduct your research and write the initial drafts of your dissertation. If you do not stay in close contact with your major professor during this critical period, you can expect to experience stress, delays, rewrites, teeth gnashing, and sundries of other unpleasantries. Among the important ethics of scientific research, there is one which you must be extremely careful not to violate during the dissertation research process. This cardinal ethic is "Absolute adherence to the research protocol you report in your research procedures section." If you do not follow the research protocol you designed and had approved by your committee and the university's Committee on Protection of Human Subjects (IRB), you could be subject to severe penalties. After you have collected and analyzed the data and written your dissertation, you are ready to meet with your major professor to discuss defending your dissertation. Your major professor will review your draft and, with few exceptions, ask you to rewrite and rewrite portions, small or large amounts, of your draft. After your major professor is satisfied that you have a defendable dissertation, he or she will meet with you to discuss scheduling your dissertation defense. After getting the "go ahead" from your major professor, you must schedule your dissertation defense meeting. After you have arrived at a date, time, and place agreeable to the committee members, you should inform the Records Secretary of the agreed upon meeting time. The Records Secretary will then issue a written invitation to all of your committee and the faculty of the department (educational psychology as well as counselor education).an announcement inviting the public to attend your meeting will be placed on the departmental bulletin board. You must submit a copy of your final dissertation draft to your committee members at least 10 working days (i.e., two calendar weeks) prior to the scheduled meeting date. You must also submit a copy to the Departmental Graduate Coordinator and the Records Secretary. Faculty not on your committee, students, and the public may read the copy of the dissertation held by the Records Secretary. They may attend your dissertation defense meeting and ask you questions upon the invitation of your major professor. 41 of 50

42 Internship Requirements Educational Specialist Students All educational specialist students must complete a minimum 1200 hour internship during their program over a 10 month period of time according to the Standards for Training and Field Placement Programs in School Psychology. However, most students in this program obtain closer to 1500 hours during their internship year. The internship year is completed during your fourth year of training. As an educational specialist intern, you must be supervised by a professional holding an advanced degree in school psychology that is certified and/or licensed by their state as a school psychologist for a minimum of 2 hours per week. A minimum of 600 hours must be completed within a school setting. Please see current edition of the internship manual for further information regarding internship. Doctoral Students All doctoral students must complete a 12 month 2,000 hour internship during their programs. Although NASP only requires 1500 hours, APA requires a 2,000 hour pre-doctoral internship for licensure purposes. Therefore, students are required to meet the 2,000 hour requirement. The internship year is completed during your fifth year of training. As a doctoral intern, you must be supervised by a professional holding a doctoral degree in psychology for a minimum of 2 hours per week. To assist in obtaining licensure as a psychologist, all students are encouraged to seek an APA Approved internship site. According to the Standards for Training and Field Placement Programs in School Psychology accepted by the Delegate Assembly of NASP on July 15, 2000, at least 600 hours must be completed in a school-based setting or you must demonstrate at least equivalent experience. Currently, equivalent experience may include completion of an internship at the educational specialist level in school psychology or other approved applied experiences in school psychology. Specifically, NASP requires that 1) the prior internships must have been preceded by appropriate graduate coursework and practica and must include a range of activities consistent with both program goals and NASP Domains of School Psychology Training and Practice, 2) the experience must have been consistent with NASP internship standards, particularly the conditions related to supervision, credentials of supervisors, and completion of 600 hours in a school-based setting, 3) there is evidence that the intern successfully completed the internship and has continued to use the knowledge and skills obtained from the experience on a continual basis, and 4) the internship and supervision experiences can be appropriately documented for program approval and accreditation as well as candidate application for state and national certification and licensure. Please see current edition of the internship manual for further information regarding internship. Licensure and Certification All graduate students in the department should plan to become certified as a psychologist in Mississippi after they have completed the necessary course work and have enough experience. Ed.S. and Ph.D. students should apply for National Certification through NASP so that they may become Nationally Certified School Psychologists (NCSP). National Certification allows much smoother transition to certification in other states and also ensures a quality of training and professionalism in individuals who hold this certification. Ph.D. students should also apply for Licensure as a psychologist in Mississippi or other state in which they are practicing. Licensure demonstrates that school psychologists are legitimate mental health professionals. Starting January 1997, only students from APA approved programs will be eligible for licensure in Mississippi. 42 of 50

43 Job Placement Graduates of our educational specialist and doctoral programs have secure varied and interesting jobs. Among our recent graduates, several are assistant professors at universities, others are psychologists or administrators at private or public mental health centers, and of course, several are employed with school systems. The School Psychology Coordinator posts job announcements in the department regularly. Students should also inform their professors as they are looking for a position. Many job leads are passed informally to professors. If faculty members know students are searching, they will assist students in any way possible. The Mississippi State University Career Center assists students in looking for professional positions as they near graduation. Advice on resume preparation, job listings, interview coaching, maintenance of reference letters, and employer directories are some of the services available. Your success in obtaining the job you desire is somewhat dependent upon your performance in the program. By putting forth your best effort and seeking as many applied and research-based training experiences as possible, you will make yourself more marketable to internship sites (An APA approved internship is required for licensure in many states) and employers. Furthermore, by committing yourself early in your training you will find that your scientist-practitioner skills are likely to make you an extremely effective practitioner. We believe that the clients we serve, directly or indirectly, deserve the best from our graduates. Program Admission Matriculation Through the School Psychology Programs Students who have completed a bachelor s degree of a graduate degree in psychology, education, counseling, social work, or other related fields are good candidates for our program. Admission to the school psychology programs is based on the objective evaluation of student performance in five important areas which include a) Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) in undergraduate and graduate work, b) performance on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), c) Letter of Intent for graduate work in school psychology, d) Letters of Recommendation from three sources who can evaluate the student s academic abilities and personal characteristics, and e) performance during a professional interview with the faculty on campus or via phone interview. All required materials must be received by January 15 each year. The program will not accept GRE scores older than five years. Official transcripts must be sent to evaluate coursework and cumulative GPAs for undergraduate and graduate work. Students are encouraged to visit our website at to review the mean GRE and GPAs for students applying to the program in recent year. The Office of the Graduate School provides forms for the Letter of Intent and Letters of Recommendation; however, students are encouraged to attach additional documentation if the space provided on these documents does not allow for an adequate representation of your abilities. Students are interviewed by all faculty in the school psychology program for minutes periods of time usually around the middle of February to the beginning of March after a review of the materials received by January 15. Interested applicants are invited for an interview after an initial review of GRE scores, GPAs, and letters of intent and recommendation. Faculty utilize a standardized set of questions during the interview process to guide academic ability, motivation, and goodness of fit for the program. Interviewees are also encouraged to ask important questions regarding the study of school psychology at MSU of the faculty and representative graduate students during the interview process as well. Decisions about admission are made by the faculty are made after interviews and students are typically notified of 43 of 50

44 their admission status by mid-march. Several admission decisions exist which include: a) Full admission, b) Provisional admission, c) Contingent admission, d) placement on a wait list, or e) rejection. Students who are admitted to the program are required to provide a letter of acceptance or denial to the Program Coordinator by April 15. Contingent and Provisional Admissions Some students may be admitted to the program contingently or provisionally. Students may be admitted this manner because they have not taken the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or some section of their application suggests weaknesses (e.g., low GRE scores, marginal letters of recommendation). Students admitted provisionally must obtain a 3.25 or higher on their first 9-12 hours in the program. Students who do not meet this requirement will be dropped from the program. Students who do meet this requirement will be reconsidered for full admission but must submit letters of recommendation from two of the MSU professors who served as instructors in their courses. Establishment of Residency Full time study on the MSU campus is required of all graduate students to establish residency and to ensure a high degree of involvement in the program. Full time study is defined as 9 or more hours during the fall or spring semesters and 12 hours during a ten week summer term. The residency requirement may be satisfied in the following ways: 1. Full time study for any two consecutive terms (fall semester, spring semester, 10 week summer term). 2. Full time study for ten week summer terms two years in a row. Registration Because prompt registration allows the department and your faculty to plan coursework for the next semester, you are urged to pre-register as early as possible each term. If you fail to register during the pre-registration time period, it is likely that the courses that you need and plan to take will be canceled due to enrollment requirements for courses to be held. You will need to obtain your Registration Access Code (RAC number) from your advisor each semester to access the online registration site. That RAC number is available no later than the first day of pre-registration for the next term. Examinations and Enrollment All graduate students must be enrolled in at least one-hour the term in which they do the following: 1. take the Final Comprehensive Examination, 2. take the Doctoral Preliminary Examinations [both written and oral], and 3. defend the Doctoral Dissertation. 44 of 50

45 Time Limit to Complete Your Degree Once you are admitted to the graduate program in School Psychology, the faculty expect you to work toward earning your particular degree in a regular, consistent manner. The faculty expect you to be enrolled at MSU each semester until you complete your studies. Faculty are not permitted by university policy to advise, review dissertation drafts, or instruct students who are not enrolled in the university. The university's continuous enrollment policy is one you should be familiar with, especially as you approach graduation. Failure to conform could cost you a significant amount of unnecessary time and money to graduate. Students must complete their degrees within 8 years of being accepted into the MS and Ed.S. Programs. Doctoral students must complete their program within five years after passing their doctoral comprehensive written and oral examinations. There are almost no exceptions to this policy; therefore, it is in your best interest to progress steadily through the program. Additional information can be found in the Bulletin of the Graduate School at Transfer Credit for Required Courses Students are highly encouraged to review the university policies regarding transfer credit in the Bulletin of the Graduate School located at Students will be required to complete the required forms to obtain approval from their advisor, committee, and university which are located at Internships must be taken at Mississippi State University if credit is desired for the M.S., AAA Certification, or Ph.D. degrees. For doctoral students whose master's degree program included an internship at another university, that internship may be used to satisfy departmental standards at the M.S. level, but under no circumstances will the department permit a doctoral level internship to be transferred from another university. Program Status Appeal Students may appeal their program status for failing to meet departmental or program requirements. Students who wish to file appeals must meet with the department head. The department head can accept an appeal or refer students to the Departmental Appeals Committee. The department head will outline the process for bringing appeals before the Departmental Appeal Committee. Students are also able to appeal specific grades and attempt to have any other problems or grievances addressed. The process is outlined in The Graduate School Bulletin and the College of Education Doctoral Students' Guide. However, the first step is typically to inform your advisor or another professor of your appeal, grievance, or issue. Then your advisor will assist you through the process. 45 of 50

46 Student Problems and Grievances The faculty and staff will strive to make your graduate school experience rewarding, educational, and fair. They will treat you with respect and dignity. However, in the course of your graduate school training, you may run into some problems. The faculty wants to encourage you to approach any of them if you are having problems. They will do all they can to help you solve or resolve these problems. However, if at any time you feel you have not been treated fairly or with respect by any faculty, staff, or student, you are encouraged to discuss these matters with your advisor or any faculty member who will help you determine the most appropriate course of action. Serious grievances or problems typically follow a responsible chain through the: School Psychology Program (SPP) coordinator, the department head, the assistant dean of the college of education, the dean of the college of education, the provost, and the president. However, students may approach any faculty member or administrator who will assist them in taking the appropriate professional and ethical action. Most issues are resolved informally at the department level. A formal grievance procedure policy is provided in the Departmental Graduate Student Handbook (p ) and the University policies and procedures for due process, grade appeal, violations of the student code of honor, and academic dishonesty can be accessed via the Office of Graduate Studies website at. Student Remediation and Probation The Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education Consent Form that is provided during the Departmental Orientation during the first week of classes states The Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education faculty members believe, they have a responsibility to dismiss students who are unable to render competent service due to academic or personal limitations. They also recognize their obligation to assist students in obtaining remedial assistance as needed, to consult with colleagues and document their decision to refer students for assistance or to request that students be dismissed from the program, and to assure that students have adequate recourse to address decisions made. If in the professional judgment of a faculty member, a student's behavior is deemed substandard, unethical, illegal, and/or professionally unbecoming at any time during the course of training (including course work, practica, and internships), a faculty review committee will be called to review the performance and behavior of the student and to make recommendations for remediation to the Department Head. Unfortunately, there are times when a student may not perform all of the requirements necessary to fulfill the expectations of a didactic or applied course or they may exhibit behaviors that are inappropriate for professional graduate study. With regard to academic deficiencies, the student is typically given a grade of Incomplete in the course and a remediation plan is developed to address the academic deficiencies. With regard to the display of problematic behavior, such concerns are typically documented on a personal characteristics form completed by the student s advisor. As such, remediation plans detailing the specific expectations and timelines to complete these expectations are typically developed by the instructor of an academic course and/or the student s advisor. However, the instructor of record or advisor may seek input from faculty in the school psychology program or department in developing the remediation plan. This formal plan is outlined in writing, reviewed by the faculty, signed 46 of 50

47 by all relevant parties, and placed in the students file. This plan is then explained to the student in conjunction with identification of remedial supports in order to ensure optimal success for the student. University policy requires that all I grades be adjusted within one semester of the assignment of such a grade or the I automatically turns to a F. If the student successfully completes the plan, then an appropriate grade for the course will be assigned. In addition, a letter stating that the terms of the remediation plan have been fulfilled will be placed in the student s for students placed on remediation for behavioral or academic concerns. If a student fails to complete the plan in an appropriate manner, they will be placed on probation, except in unusual circumstances. The school psychology faculty will then hold a staff meeting to discuss the terms of the probation for each individual student case. Adaptations to the initial remediation plan may be made or a new plan may be developed. This formal probation plan is outlined in writing, reviewed by the faculty, signed by all relevant parties, and placed in the students file. As with the remediation plan, problem solving efforts are made with the student to identify the supports needed for successful completion of the probation plan. Students will remain on probation for at least one academic semester. For academic deficiencies, appropriate grade changes will be made. In addition, a letter stating that the terms of the probation plan have been fulfilled will be placed in the student s for students placed on probation for behavioral or academic concerns. If a student fails to fulfill the requirements of the probation plan, he or she may be dismissed from the program. Other potential reasons for dismissals are located below in the Student Retention and Dismissals section of this handbook. Student efforts at successfully completing remediation or probation plans will also be reviewed during annual reviews by school psychology faculty. If, at any time, the student feels that he or she has been treated inappropriately or unfairly, they are encouraged to follow the student grievance procedure outlined above on page 51. Student Retention and Dismissals The MSU faculty, administration, and staff are extremely interested and committed to your successful completion of the program and want to assist you with this process when they can. However, they must also maintain the integrity of the training program. Therefore, a student's acceptance into the program does not guarantee her or his fitness to remain in the program. A detailed description of student retention and dismissal criteria and procedures are provided in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education Graduate Student Handbook. These processes and criteria are also outlined during orientation. The basic criteria will be outlined below. Academic Program Standards Students will be dismissed from the program if: 1. they make more than two grades of C or below or 2. they make an F or U or 3. they fail the masters comprehensive exam twice or 4. they fail the written comprehensive exam twice or 5. they fail the oral comprehensive exam twice or 6. they fail the dissertation defense twice or 7. fail to pass AA certification exam requirements (see below). Any or a combination of these will result in the termination of the student's program in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education. School psychologists must be certified by the State of Mississippi to serve in a school. In order to be certified in psychometry, students should complete our M.S. program and must pass the Praxis tests. Students who do not pass will not be allowed to go on practicum. At this point, students will work with their advisor to develop a plan to assist them in passing the exam (including seeking assistance from The 47 of 50

48 Learning Center) or advise the student to consider dropping from the program or enrolling in another program. Non-Academic Program Standards Students may also be dismissed if they fail to develop the skills needed to effectively work with people with diverse needs or fail to follow relevant ethical (APA and NASP) and legal codes. Students are expected to: a. be committed to professional development, b. be concerned about the welfare of those with whom they work, c. demonstrate professional skills that suggest they have the emotional and mental fitness to interact appropriately with others, d. receive constructive feedback and alter their performance based on that feedback, and e. apply theories, skills, and techniques that have been empirically supported or valid. Again, the processes and procedures by which students will be dismissed from the program are outlined in the COE/EPY Graduate Student Handbook located at this website ( Please read these carefully. Financial Aid Information Many financial aid opportunities are available for graduate students in the Counselor Education program at Mississippi State University. Students should apply for all assistance programs that interest them. More than one award often is possible. Although most awards are made in the Spring for the next Fall, vacancies occur throughout the year. 1. Applications for low-interest loans and work-study jobs may be obtained from: Student Financial Aid and Scholarships 106 Magruder Hall P.O. Box 9501 Mississippi State, MS (662) and (662) Assistantships for students enrolled in 9 or more credits require 20-hours of work per week and pay a stipend each month. In-state and out-of-state tuition is waived for students on assistantships. Interested students should obtain applications from the following offices: Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology P.O. Box 9727 Mississippi State, MS (662) Other divisions and potential departments include: Division of Student Affairs Assist 115 Lee Hall P.O. Box 9504 Mississippi State, MS Office of Graduate Studies 116 Allen Hall P.O. Box of 50

49 Mississippi State, MS (662) Career Center 316 Colvard Student Union P.O. Box 9533 Mississippi State, MS (662) Rehabilitation Research Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision 150 IED P.O. Box 6189 Mississippi State, MS (662) Social Science Research Center 1 Research Park, Suite 103 P.O. Box 5287 Mississippi State, MS (662) The Department of Housing and Residence Life offers assistantships for Live-In Residence Hall Directors. In addition to a stipend, Directors receive a free furnished apartment, all utilities, and local telephone service as part of their compensation package. Both single and married students, including those with children, are eligible to apply. Applications are available from: Department of Housing and Residence Life Herbert Hall P.O. Box 9502 Mississippi State, MS (662) Many positions are available throughout the university that may allow students to work and attend school. Job announcements are available from: Human Resources Management 105 McArther Hall P.O. Box 9603 Mississippi State, MS Department Graduate Assistantships Assistantships in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education are awarded by the department head based on departmental need, the program the student is enrolled in (these generally are awarded to doctoral students in the three areas). In order to receive a Graduate Teaching/Research assistantship, students must complete the departmental application. An application can be obtained from the departmental records secretary who will keep them on file. Students who teach courses for the department must complete a university-wide Graduate Teaching Workshop held at the beginning of each semester and have obtained a master s degree. 49 of 50

50 Outside Contracts and Employment As students matriculate through the program they will develop skills and obtain credentials that may allow them to work outside the program. It is important to remember that all students in the school psychology programs are school psychologists-in-training that require supervision for the provision of school psychological services to students, families, and school personnel. As such, students must first submit in writing to the school psychology faculty a formal request to engage in outside employment where they will provide school psychological services. The faculty will then meet to review the request, evaluate the impact on the student s training, and provide an official decision regarding the request. Student Awards The SPP program grants two awards: The Thomas McKnight Award and the Jan Ruthvin Award. These awards are given to outstanding school psychology students based on their research, academic performance, service to the department and the community, professional maturity, and contributions to the profession while a student. There are two Scottish Rite scholarships available. These awards have been requested by the sponsor to be awarded to students who plan to work with children diagnosed with dyslexia and who exhibit need. School psychology faculty will solicit Vitas from students and use a democratic process in granting awards. The University also gives a College of Education Graduate Student Research award and there is the Phi Delta Kappa Outstanding Graduate Student award. School Psychology Ph.D. students have an impressive history in the competition for these awards. Finally, various other organizations within the university as well as at state, regional, and national levels grant awards to students to recognize their outstanding performance. The school psychology faculty will work very hard with you to make you an extremely strong school psychologist. You will find that in the process, you may become very competitive for these awards. 50 of 50