School Psychology. Student Handbook. Minot State University. MSU School Psychology 1

Transcription

1 School Psychology Student Handbook Minot State University MSU School Psychology 1

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS The Program...02 Mission...02 Goals of the School Psychology Graduate Program...03 Program Objectives...04 Admission Standards...05 Financial Aid...05 Criteria for Retention...05 Integrity, Professionalism, & Service...05 Academic Honesty...06 Confidentiality...06 Caveat...06 Program of Study...08 Course Descriptions...09 Skills for School Psychologists...12 Practicum...13 Weekly Contact Log (Form)...14 Policy on Full Time Continuous Enrollment...15 Policy on Tests...15 Written and Oral Comprehensive Examinations...15 Internship...15 Praxis II and National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) National Certification Examination...16 Student Amenities...15 Accreditation...16 MSU School Psychology 2

3 Education Specialist in School Psychology Program Director: Dr. Casey R. Coleman Full Professors: Dr. Donald M. Burke, Dr. Rita Curl Associate Professors: Dr. Shirley Cole Harding, Dr. Paul Markel Assistant Professor: Dr. Darren Dobrinski Revised 2007 THE PROGRAM The Education Specialist Degree in School Psychology is designed to prepare students for national certification by the National Association of School Psychology (NASP) and as a School Psychologist in the State of North Dakota. Graduate students participate in a rigorous three year program. The program emphasizes hands on experience culminating in a one year, 1200 hour internship. The program intends to provide the student with the theoretical and practical skills to be an effective school psychologist. The curriculum stresses teaching assessment skills, intervention techniques, and consultative strategies through numerous practicum opportunities. The program trains practitioners who are culturally competent service providers. MISSION The School Psychology program trains professional school psychologists who do whatever it takes to make a difference for children. The key concepts in the mission statement are: C professional school psychologists C do whatever it takes C to make a difference Professional school psychologists are practitioners who utilize their skills and training to positively impact the psychoeducational functioning of children. They have expertise in evaluation, intervention, consultation, and collaboration, and they use these skills within a Response to Intervention framework to help ensure that all learners under their care experience success in school. Professional school psychologists do not limit themselves to considerations of disability, but work with parents, teachers, and the community to create an enriching learning envirionment for all children.. Do whatever it takes means the school psychologist does not operate within narrow parameters. The school psychologist might model effective teaching for a teacher. He or she might assist the family in finding appropriate assistance for family related problems that are impacting a child=s success in school. In short, the school psychologist broadly defines his or her role. Doing whatever it takes also implies commitment and an attitude of service. To make a difference means that the school psychologist=s job is not giving tests and writing reports. Those tasks are only steps in the process. The job is take a child who is not experiencing success in school and provide the things that are needed so that the child starts down the road of success. The job is not over until the child in failure finds success in school. MSU School Psychology 3

4 GOALS OF THE PROGRAM 1. To train practitioners who are competent in psycho educational assessment and diagnosis of specific learning, emotional, and behavioral difficulties. 2. To train practitioners who use a scientific approach to evaluation that results in idiopathic diagnosis and individualized remediation. 3. To train practitioners who use the collaborative model in providing consultation services to parents, teachers, and administrators. 4. To train school psychologists to recognize and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of family systems so they can intervene appropriately to enhance child development and learning. 5. To prepare school psychologists who understand the political, fiscal, and administrative structures of schools so they can function effectively within a collaborative framework. 6. To train school psychologists who have good written and oral communication skills. 7. To train school psychologists who can develop and implement functional and relevant academic and behavioral interventions. 8. To prepare practitioners who, within their profession, are life long learners. 9. To prepare practitioners who are change agents for the profession and the educational community they serve. 10. To prepare school psychologists who uphold the highest ethical standards. 11. To train school psychologists who are comfortable with the uses of modern information technology. 4

5 Program Objectives Students graduating from the School Psychology Program shall demonstrate an understanding of the following: Psychological Foundations biological bases of behavior human learning social and cultural bases of behavior child and adolescent development individual differences Educational Foundations instructional design organization and operation of schools interventions/problem solving assessment direct intervention, both individual and group indirect intervention Statistics and Research Methodologies research and evaluation methods statistics measurement Professional School Psychology history and foundations of school psychology legal and ethical issues professional issues and standards alternative models for the delivery of school psychological services emergent technologies roles and functions of the school psychologist ADMISSION STANDARDS The Department of School Psychology is committed to providing students with a diverse academic environment. Students of all ethnic backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. A. Students with permanent residence in North Dakota, as defined in the University catalog, will receive priority consideration. B. Students who apply to the School Psychology program should have a strong background either in education or psychology and preferably in both. C. The following admission requirements are necessary: 1. Baccalaureate from an accredited college or university. 2. Completion of Minot State University graduate application. 3. Submission of official transcripts. 4. Cumulative GPA of Three letters of recommendation. MSU School Psychology 5

6 6. Graduate Record Exam (verbal, analytical, and qualitative sections). 7. Vita. 8. Personal statement of career goals. 9. Immunization records. FINANCIAL AID Financial aid is available to students who have been officially accepted into the graduate program at Minot State University. Students requesting financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. A Financial aid award is based on need and the availability of funds. The Financial Aid Office reserves the right to make the final determination regarding the type(s) and amount of aid awarded to students. Students applying for financial aid must: 1) be a citizen or an eligible non citizen 2) be officially accepted into a graduate degree program at Minot State University 3) be enrolled in at least 6 semester hours per term of attendance 4) be making satisfactory progress towards completion of a course of study 5) not be in default on any Federal Family Educational Loan Programs 6) not owe repayment on a Federal Pell grant or Federal SEOG grant 7) have signed a statement of educational purpose 8) have signed a statement of registration compliance 9) have signed an anti drug use statement Three types of financial aid are available for graduate students: (1) Stafford Loans, (2) tuition waivers, and (3) assistantships. The Financial Aid Office and the Graduate School have information and applications regarding specific loans and waivers. A limited number of assistantships are available on a competitive basis. Applications for an assistantship for the upcoming academic year are due to the Dean of the Graduate School by 1 June. CRITERIA FOR RETENTION A. Students may not continue enrollment in this program if they earn any grade lower than a "B" in core program course work. B. Students must maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA). C. Students who do not meet the criteria for retention may not enroll in additional course work in the School Psychology program. D. Students must receive the support of the core school psychology faculty when they met at the end of each semester to review each student=s academic and especially their professional development in the areas of integrity, professionalism, and service. INTEGRITY, PROFESSIONALISM & SERVICE INTEGRITY means maintaining honesty in one=s work and interpersonal relations. It is demonstrated by respecting the decision making process set forth in policy and practice by the organization, the administration, and colleagues. A person who has integrity operates from the principle that others also have integrity, unless there is objective evidence to the contrary. Integrity means that disagreements are resolved at the lowest possible level, preferably with the person with whom one disagrees. A person who has integrity does not misrepresent the situation to others. The person who has integrity responds to adversity with patience, renewed effort, and objectivity. MSU School Psychology 6

7 PROFESSIONALISM means accurately presenting one=s ability and expertise and producing work of the highest possible quality. A professional recognizes and works toward group goals, shows willingness to share ideas, and demonstrates self discipline. A professional is responsible. He or she recognizes the symptoms of stress and has strategies for responding to personal stress before they interfere with the quality of one=s work. A school psychologist who is a true professional has effective interpersonal relations with supervisors, colleagues, parents, and students. SERVICE refers to using one=s professional skills, talents, and training to help others. It often requires putting the needs of the consumer and the demands of work before personal convenience. Service means fulfilling commitments to students, parents, colleagues, and administrators in a timely manner. It also means demonstrating sensitivity when dealing with others, regardless of cultural or economic status. ACADEMIC HONESTY Academic honesty is at the core of any graduate program. Any behavior deemed as academically dishonest by the department will result in dismissal from the program. Academic dishonesty would include, but is not limited to, the following types of behaviors: A. Misrepresenting another individual's work as one's own, e.g. plagiarism. B. Copying from another student during an exam. C. Altering one's exam after grading for the purpose of enhancing one's grade. D. Submitting the same paper to more than one class. E. Use of any material not approved by the instructor during an exam. F. Turning in a report intended to be based on field collected data but, in fact, is not. G. Failure to respect the confidentiality of persons served or studied and to maintain the professional standards for ethical conduct as set forth in the Professional Conduct Manual published by the National Association of School Psychologists. Dismissal from the program can be appealed. A student who wishes to appeal his or her dismissal needs to follow the appeal procedure established by the Graduate School. CONFIDENTIALITY The School Psychology Program emphasizes an application approach to instruction and training. Examples of recent or extant case studies will be discussed in class with appropriate deletion of confidential information. Despite the deletion of identifying information, the possibility exists that a graduate student will be able to identify the student. In this unlikely event, the graduate student is expected to regard the information as confidential. Since this is a practicum based program, graduate students will be evaluating and consulting with students in the public schools. It is imperative that the graduate student strictly adheres to confidentiality. Cases should never be discussed in a public setting. Even if names and schools are studiously avoided, records generated from these cases should never be left unattended in public settings. Confidentiality also extends to class discussions, formal or informal. At times, decisions made by other educators are questioned and examined in class. This appropriate questioning, assessing, and critiquing can only be done if confidentiality of information, statements and opinions is observed. Strict adherence to the principal of confidentiality is required and expected in all contexts. MSU School Psychology 7

8 CAVEAT No handbook can completely describe every possible contingency that can arise during a student=s participation in a program. The Minot State University School Psychology faculty take it upon themselves to keep the students informed of everything that can be reasonably foreseen, but some events are beyond foresight. In these cases the Program will follow Department, College, Graduate School, and program precedent to find reasonable responses to student needs. PROGRAM OF STUDY After admission to the program, the student must file an approved Program of Study in the Graduate School Office prior to the end of his/her first semester. A copy of the Program of Study must also be filed with the Director of the School Psychology Program. The student should keep a copy for his/her records. If a student wants particular courses waived, the requested modifications must be submitted in writing to the Director of the School Psychology Program. The petition should include supporting documents (transcripts, course syllabi, and rationale). The Program Director brings that petition to the consideration of the Dean of the Graduate School. If course work is being transferred in from another institution, it must be current (taken within the last seven years). If the course work is not current, the Minot State University School Psychology faculty member who teaches in that subject area must certify to the Graduate School that the applying student=s skills are appropriate to current best practice.. This Program of Study is used by the University to check that all requirements have been fulfilled by the student in order to receive his/her degree. The maximum time limit for completion of a graduate program is seven years. This is calculated from the date the student first enrolls in course work for graduate credit which is required for the degree. Should any of the course work (resident or transfer) exceed the time limit, the classes would have to be repeated. First Year Student Program of Study Suggested Sequence Fall PSY 503 Statistics... 3 PSY 511 Human Growth and Development... 3 PSY 518 Child Psychopathology... 3 PSY 525 Role and Function of the School Psychologist... 3 Total semester hours Spring PSY 512 Research Design and Measurement... 3 PSY 513 Research Seminar...2 PSY 514 Individual Cognitive Assessment... 4 PSY 533 Social and Behavioral Interventions in School... 3 Total semester hours Summer ED ED 540/541 Reading: Advanced Diagnosis and Remediation... 3 PSY 590 Counseling Skills... 3 Total... 9 semester hours MSU School Psychology 8

9 Second Year Fall PSY 5550 Graduate Seminar in School Psychology PSY 584 School Psychology Practicum I... 3 SPED 542 Methods and Materials of Teaching the Developmentally Disabled... 3 SPED 550 Special Education Assessment... 2 SPED 533 Clinic Practice... 1 Total semester hours Spring SPED 561 Behavior Problems of Exceptional Children...3 PSY 585 School Psychology Practicum II... 3 SPED 572 Methods of Teaching the Learning Disabled... 3 PSY 586 Clinical Experience...3 Total semester hours Third Year Fall PSY 598 Internship... 6 semester hours Spring PSY 599 Internship... 6 semester hours PSY 597 Thesis Credits...Variable Can be taken at any time during the second or third year. COURSE DESCRIPTIONS ED 540 Reading: Advanced Diagnosis and Remediation (2 SH) Students learn to evaluate and remediate children's reading problems within a Response to Intervention framework.. This course includes a practicum experience (ED 541) in which students must administer a formal and informal reading test to a child and formulate recommendations for instruction based on the results. ED 541 Clinical Practice in Remedial Reading (2 SH) This course focuses on applying concepts from Ed 540 to actual clinic work with a student experiencing difficulties with reading. It is complementary to ED 540 PSY 503 Statistics (3 SH) This course provides instruction in the tools necessary for understanding contemporary educational research, including probability, measures of central tendency, sampling theory, and simple parametric and nonparametric methods of analysis. PSY 511 Human Growth and Development (3 SH) Theory and research in the areas of sensorimotor, language, cognitive, emotional, social, and moral behavior of the normal child. The interaction of the biological and environmental factors influencing growth and development are stressed. PSY 512 Research Design and Measurement (3 SH) MSU School Psychology 9

10 A variety of research methodologies, as pertains to school psychology, will be examined, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of their use. Nature and type of measurement in school psychology are also examined. Social controversies about measurement and the construction of measuring devices will be discussed. PSY 513 School Psychology Research Seminar (2 SH) This course is a practicum in research design and implementation. Students will design a research projects relevant to issues in school psychology. Students on the thesis track will select and meet with an advisor regarding the preparation of the project, and have their research proposals approved by the graduate committees and the Institutional Research Board. Students who are not on the thesis track will develop a research proposal to present to the class and the instructor for evaluation and feedback. PSY 514 Individual Cognitive Assessment (4 SH) LOOK AT DARREN=S SYLLABUS Concerned with theory and methodology as well as procedures and techniques of administering a wide range of group and individually administered tests of intelligence. Some of the tests the students will learn are the SB V, WISC IV, WAIS III ******. The students will be required to complete 20 test administrations and protocols and ten written reports, one of which will be a cap stone report where some child has been administered at least three tests. PSY 518 Child Psychopathology (3 SH) Behavior problems are considered from the point of view of genetic abnormalities, teratogens, deviations in normal development, effects of social and family stressors, and failure to develop appropriate social skills. The major theories and research related to the development of deviant behavior in children are examined within this framework. PSY 525 Role and Function of the School Psychologist (3 SH) This course is survey of historical and current topics, related issues, and professional problems relative to the practice os school psychology. Emphasis is given to the roles and functions of the school psychologist, to professional standards, and to legal and ethical considerations. PSY 533 Social and Behavioral Interventions in School (3 SH) Using the Response to Intervention framework, measurement of social, emotional, and behavioral issues, and the application of research based interventions to the social and behavioral problems of children and adolescents in the school setting will be discussed. Mental health issues in the schools are also considered. PSY 584 School Psychology Practicum I (3 SH) The practicum provides an opportunity for students to apply their learning from content courses to elementary and secondary students who are at the Universal, Strategic, and Intensive levels of service in the Response to Intervention framework. Practicum I gives school psychology students hand on experience with students, faculty, and parents in the school setting. PSY 585 School Psychology Practicum II (3 SH) This is a cap stone course wherein the students apply information learned and skills acquired in previous courses in evaluation and intervention planning to actual school based cases. It is a continuation of Practicum I, in which theory and techniques are applied to assisting school children at the Universal, Strategic, and Intensive levels of service.. Emphasis will be placed on deciding whether an intervention or consultative role will best meet a particular child's needs. PSY 586 (3 SH) MSU School Psychology 10

11 get description from darren PSY 590 Counseling Skills (3 SH) This course will equip the students with the counseling micro skills of active listening, and will help the students explore various counseling modalities within a Response to Intervention framework. The students will understand the background and rationale of these skills and modalities.. Moreover, they will develop beginning level skills through practice with supervised feedback. Opportunities to observe these skills being applied and supervised implementation in the public school will be provided during the second year. PSY 592 Special Topics in School Psychology (3 SH) This course provides a seminar format for instructin and discussion of current topics of interest in School Psychology. These will include consultation and collaboration, early childhood evaluation and intervention, specific behavioral techniques (Functional Behavioral Assessments, writing Positive Behavior Supports), and informal evaluation and intervention using the Response to Intervention service delivery model. PSY 598 Internship (6 SH) The internship will involve spending 600 hours in schools or appropriate community setting. The internship will involve an integrative experience where the individual will demonstrate competencies in assessment, programming, consultation and counseling. PSY 599 Internship (6 SH) The internship will involve spending 600 hours in schools or appropriate community setting. The internship will involve an integrative experience where the individual will demonstrate competencies in assessment, programming, consultation and counseling. SPED 542 Methods and Materials of Teaching the Developmentally Disabled (3 SH) A methods course in instruction of young children and older learners with severe or multiple handicaps, birth through 21 years. The course emphasizes current best educational practices and research based programs in curriculum development, delivery and monitoring, including individualized program planning and adaptations, specific instructional strategies, and organizing for the delivery of instruction. SPED 550 Special Education Assessment (2 SH) An introduction to evaluation techniques that are commonly used to assess and intervene with student learning difficulties as they move from the Universal level of the Response to Intervention framework to the Strategic and Intensive levels. Particular emphasis is placed here on continuous progress monitoring in order to document positive responses to interventions. SPED 533 Clinic Practice (1 SH) This course, taken in conjunction with SPED 550, provides practicum experience in the administration of commonly used education evaluation and assessment techniques. SPED 561 Behavior Problems of Exceptional Children (3 SH) Principles and techniques of behavior management are related to classroom structure, development of academic and social skills within a Response to Intervention framework.. SPED 572 Methods of Teaching the Learning Disabled (3 SH) MSU School Psychology 11

12 This course focuses on the application of instructional methods for students with B or at risk for B high incidence disabilities. Students enrolled in the course will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of the theoretical framework underlying instructional practices that have been shown effective for students with mild disabilities, to select and implement appropriate modifications that support learners with special needs in content area classes, develop appropriate lessons based on assessment information and models of effective instruction, and correctly apply instructional techniques and curricular materials associated with positive outcomes for students with learning disabilities. SKILLS FOR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS There are many skills that a school psychologist must have to be successful. The School Psychology Program endeavors to help the student to develop and strengthen these skills. Students will be assessed throughout the program on these essential skills. Relationship skills. Establishing good relationships with children, parents, teachers, administrators, and other professionals is the foundation for a school psychologist's success. The graduate student is expected to maintain high professional standards. This includes ethics, demeanor, behavior, and when appropriate, appearance. The students will be encouraged to be supportive of one another and to help each other grow in their career. They are judged against a set criteria, not against each other. Writing Skills. A large portion of the communications that a school psychologist has with parents and other professionals is done through writing. Therefore, good writing skills are essential. In the first semester the students take Human Growth and Development. The development of good writing skills is taught and stressed in this class. The graduate student is also required to take the English Usage Examination during his/her first semester. The student schedules the examination through the Student Development Center in the third floor of the Student Union and reports his/her score to the Director of the School Psychology Program. The student is required to take this examination by 1 November of the first year of the program. Scores of 30 and above are passing. If a student receives a deficiency in either this examination or the class, he/she will be required to take ENG 344 Professional and Technical Writing the following semester in which the deficiency was noted. The student needs to pass this course with at least a grade of a "B." Oral Communication Skills. School psychologists communicate orally with parents and other professionals via telephone and meetings. Also, a school psychologist may be invited to give presentations at conferences or in services. Therefore, good oral communication skills are essential. The students learn about the skills of oral communications in School Psychology Practicum I. They practice oral communication skills by doing presentations as part of School Psychology Practicum II. Analytical Skills. School psychologists are faced daily with problems in which they must come up with meaningful solutions. Good analytical skills are a key factor in that process. Throughout the student's program, students will be given hypothetical, as well as real situations in which they must come up with recommendations to address those situations. Their solutions will be evaluated and discussed as to their effectiveness. MSU School Psychology 12

13 PRACTICUM The School Psychology Program emphasizes practicum experiences throughout the student's course work. These practicum experiences allow the students to apply information and skills acquired in their classes to real situations. Each student will keep a running log throughout the program of their practicum experiences. The running log will include the date of the practicum, what class it was associated with, what the student experienced, and the student's reflections. Reflection of practicum experiences include the students personal feelings of the impact the practicum had on themselves, any learning experiences that can be related to the program, and any implications the practicum experience may have on future life expectations of the student. The practicum log is required in one class per semester. Specifically, the log is to be submitted during the last week of the following classes to the appropriate professor: Child Psychopathology, Individual Cognitive Assessment, Reading, School Psych Practicum I, School Psych Practicum II. It is the instructor=s discretion whether the log will be included in the course grade. Each student will also be required to submit a Weekly Contact Log to the Program Director. This log is a brief accountability of your practicum experiences and other activities related to these experiences. Weekly contact logs should be submitted each Friday. Excessive delinquency in submitting this form in a timely manner will be reflected in one=s student evaluation. MSU School Psychology 13

14 WEEKLY CONTACT LOG NAME: DATE Case # / Class Purpose Week of to TIME Supervision Observation Session Prep Other DATE Case # / Class Purpose Supervision Observation Session Prep Other TIME DATE Case # / Class Purpose Supervision Observation Session Prep Other TIME DATE Case # / Class Purpose Supervision Observation Session Prep Other TIME DATE Case # / Class Purpose Supervision Observation Session Prep Other TIME MSU School Psychology 14

15 (Minutes) Previous Total Total this Week Cumulative Total POLICY ON FULL TIME CONTINUOUS ENROLLMENT Full time continuous enrollment throughout the program of study is strongly encouraged. Full time continuous enrollment maximizes the student=s learning and socializes the graduate student in the profession of school psychology. Nonetheless, it is understood that full time continuous enrollment throughout the program of study is not feasible for all students. A student may therefore take the first four semesters of the program on a part time basis. However, it is required that the student be a full time student for the fifth semester of his/her program of study. During this last semester of study, the student takes written and oral comprehensive examinations and is given a detailed briefing about the upcoming internship. POLICY ON CHECKING OUT TESTS The test kits are surprisingly expensive. Nonetheless, the School Psychology Program has adequate holdings of various tests and assessment instruments. You must remain mindful that the materials need to be shared among quite a few people. It is important that the tests are not deposited in car trunks or bedroom closets, where they are not available to others. We have established a policy that is designed to ensure the availability of the tests. You check out needed tests and assessment instruments from the School Psychology office. Tests are to be signed out on a continually updated roster, and the person who checks out the test is responsible for the test. If the test is lost or damaged, then the person who checked the test out is responsible to replace the test or damaged items. We rely on Special Education's media center for many tests and materials. They have a three day check out policy. Please honor their policy and promptly return all materials borrowed from the media center. WRITTEN AND ORAL COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS Students will demonstrate their knowledge of school psychology through written and oral comprehensive exams. These exams will be taken in the spring of the student's second year of graduate work. The student must have satisfactorily completed at least 40 semester hours of school psychology course work prior to taking these exams. Written Comprehensive Examinations are taken in April of the student=s second year of residency, under the supervision of the Graduate School. They are evaluated by the two full time graduate faculty members of the school psychology program. Oral Comprehensive evaluations are taken within two weeks of Written Comprehensives, and are scheduled by the student. Oral Comprehensive evaluations are administered and evaluated by the members of the student=s Graduate Committee. INTERNSHIP The School Psychology Program concludes with a one year, 1200 hour internship. The internship gives the student hands on experience in the profession. At least 600 of these hours must take place in a school setting. MSU School Psychology 15

16 This internship will involve an integrative experience where the individual will demonstrate his/her competencies in assessment, interventions, programming, consultation, and counseling. To be eligible for an internship, a student must have satisfactorily completed all content courses and have passed the comprehensive examination. The grade received in the internship is dependent on three matters. The grade reflects the quality of the intern's work. This portion of the grade is determined in consultation with the field supervisor. The grade also reflects the student's compliance with timely reporting on all requirements specified in the Internship Manual. Finally, the grade reflects the quality of the student's daily log. In the daily log, the student briefly reflects at the end of each work day on the relationship between their training and application. Research has shown that this type of reflection significantly enhances the student's professional development. PRAXIS II EXAM AND NASP CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION Second Year students in the program are required to take the the Praxis II School Psychology Examination before beginning their internships. Graduates of the program are encouraged to take the NASP National Certification Examination following their internship and have a copy of the results sent to the MSU School Psychology Program. Information may be obtained by calling STUDENT AMENITIES The MSU School Psychology Program provides its graduate students with office space and computer access in the graduate office. Students are encouraged to look on their office space as both a work center and a place for socialization and mutual support. It has been the experience of our students over the years that moral support from peers is a great help in succeeding in a rigorous program, and the office and work facilities maintained by the program foster this support. Graduate students have excellent access to computer services. The Psychology Department maintains a computer lab on the second floor of Memorial Hall. The lab is particularly useful for doing statistical work. There are two statistical packages on the server. In addition, the "backbone" system and Internet can be accessed through the server. The backbone accesses the state mainframe computer located in Fargo. The SPSS statistical package can be accessed through the backbone. The Internet accesses world class research libraries and compiled research bases such as Medline and Psychlit, among others. Microsoft Word is the official word processing package used by the School Psychology Program. In so far as feasible, work in Word. Having the files in Microsoft Word is of tremendous benefit when it comes to editing written reports done for practicum assignments. The instructor can access your file, pull up your draft, make any necessary changes, and print a professional copy. The same easy interchange facilitates obtaining professional reports and written products. ACCREDITATION The School Psychology Program is accredited by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. This means that all graduates are eligible to apply for certification as a school psychologist. The certification allows the graduate to work as a school psychologist for educational institutions accredited by the ND Department of Public Instruction. The School Psychology Program is also accredited by the National Council For Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Most importantly, the School Psychology Program is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). NASP approval means that graduates can make an expedited MSU School Psychology 16

17 application to take the written examination to be a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP). In turn, the NCSP endorsement facilitates obtaining employment in other states. MSU School Psychology 17

18 MSU School Psychology 18