Graduate Catalog
School Psychology
School psychologists work in deeply engaged and collaborative ways with students, teachers, families, administrators, and other professionals to address the social, emotional, and learning needs of children in schools. School psychologists possess not only an in-depth understanding of children, families, and schools, but also a highly-developed set of relational and communication skills. In this way, school psychologists are able to see and understand children in rich and comprehensive ways (through observation, consultation, data collection, and assessment) and share those understandings in helpful ways with parents, teachers, and other school personnel. The primary goal of school psychologists is to help children flourish in schools, at home, and in life.
In our nationally-approved school psychology program, we emphasize the development of this deep understanding of children, families, and schools as well as the development of these effective relational and communication skills. Through coursework and practica in counseling, consultation, assessment, and intervention, our students learn to work effectively with individual children, whole families, special education teams, as well as whole school communities to help create learning environments that foster the healthy development of all children.
Accreditation and Licensure
Lewis & Clark's School Psychology program is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and has also been approved by the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Graduates of the School Psychology program earn the Educational Specialist degree (Ed.S.) and are eligible to apply for the National Certificate of School Psychology (NCSP). Holders of the NCSP may be eligible for an abbreviated process as they apply for out-of-state school psychology licenses.
Educational Specialist in School Psychology
The Educational Specialist degree program is designed for students seeking initial licensure as school psychologists. The Ed.S. degree demands a level of preparation significantly greater than that called for by a master's degree. The Ed.S. is widely regarded as the intermediary degree between a master's and a doctoral degree. Completion of our program requires a minimum of three years (including coursework in fall, spring, and summer semesters), with a second-year practicum, and a third-year, full-time internship in a public school setting.
Degree Requirements
A minimum of 63 semester hours, distributed as follows:
Required Degree Courses
| CPSY 504 | Family Therapy: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| CPSY 506 | Life Span Development | 2 |
| CPSY 507 | Introduction to School Psychology I | 2 |
| CPSY 508 | Introduction to School Psychology II | 2 |
| CPSY 514 | Group Counseling With Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| CPSY 517 | The Exceptional Child in Schools | 3 |
| CPSY 523 | Counseling and Interventions With Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| CPSY 530 | Research Methods and Statistics I | 3 |
| CPSY 531 | Research Methods and Statistics II | 3 |
| CPSY 540 | Applied Developmental Neuropsychology | 2 |
| CPSY 541 | Assessment and Intervention I | 3 |
| CPSY 542 | Assessment and Intervention II | 3 |
| CPSY 543 | Assessment and Intervention III | 3 |
| CPSY 550 | Diversity and Social Justice | 3 |
| CPSY 571 | Prevention in Educational Settings | 3 |
| CPSY 573 | School-Based Consultation | 3 |
| CPSY 574 | Advanced Consultation and Program Evaluation | 2 |
| CPSY 581 | Ethical and Legal Issues for School Psychology Practicum | 2 |
| CPSY 585 | Practicum in School Psychology (taken three semesters, 2 semester hours in fall, 2 hours in spring, 1 hour in summer) | 5 |
| CPSY 586 | Internship in School Psychology (taken two semesters, 4 semester hours in fall and 3 semester hours in spring) | 7 |
Elective Courses
Students are expected to complete one hour of elective credit from any program in the Graduate School.
Graduate Core Requirement
A minimum of 2 semester hours of Core Program coursework and one Core convocation
Testing Required for the Initial School Psychology License
Students who wish to be recommended for an Oregon Initial School Psychology License (and for out-of-state licenses) must achieve passing scores on the following tests:
- Praxis I, CBEST, WEST-B, or NES: EAS test of basic skills*
- ORELA exam, "Protecting Student and Civil Rights in the Educational Environment"
Testing Required for the Ed.S. Degree
- Praxis II specialty area test in school psychology*
| * | These scores must be on file in the Counseling Psychology Department office prior to program completion. |
Initial License Only in School Psychology
Note: No applications for the licensure-only program will be accepted through 2014.
Students with a master's, specialist's, or doctoral degree in counseling, psychology, special education, or a related field may qualify for admission into the Initial License-Only program. Students in the licensure program who are not seeking a master's or specialist's degree may petition to waive required coursework based on competence, experience, and/or equivalent graduate credits from other institutions. Upon admission, transcripts of previous graduate work and supporting documentation are evaluated by a faculty committee to determine which courses will be waived and to develop an individualized program plan for licensure as a school psychologist.
Licensure Requirements
A minimum of 15 semester hours of coursework
CPSY 586 Internship in School Psychology
Passing scores on the Praxis I, CBEST, or WEST-B test of basic skills*
Passing scores on the Praxis II specialty area test in school psychology*
Passing scores on the ORELA exam, "Protecting Student and Civil Rights in the Educational Environment"
| * | These test scores must be on file in the Counseling Psychology department office prior to program completion. |
Practicum and Internship Information
Each school psychology student will complete a practicum in a public school setting during his or her second year in the program. The practicum, which runs from September to June, generally requires eight to 10 on-site hours per week as well as additional coursework. Students will be provided assistance in locating a practicum site and a list of schools at which previous students have completed practica. Students may also find their own sites, subject to approval.
During their third year in the program, school psychology students complete a full-time internship that runs the entire school year (August-June). It is designed as an opportunity to develop autonomous skills in direct services such as assessment, counseling, and consultation. The internship requires 1,200 hours of supervised service in a public school setting at the elementary and secondary levels. Some school districts provide a small stipend for this work. On-campus group supervision is provided, as well. In preparation for this internship, students apply during their second year to districts that have requested interns through the program and supervisors are approved by program faculty.
Prior to enrollment in a practicum or internship, students must complete a portfolio of their work in the program, including coursework, field work, and other professional activities. Details regarding field training can be found in the School Psychology Program Handbooks.
Licensure Requirements
In addition to fulfilling the following educational requirements, students seeking initial licensure must submit passing scores on the Praxis I, CBEST, or WEST-B test of basic skills, and the Praxis II specialty area test in school psychology. Those scores must be on file in the Counseling Psychology department office prior to graduation.
School Psychology Courses
CPSY 504 Family Therapy: Theory and Practice
Content: Overview of the fundamental assumptions and ideas
of general systems theory and the basic premises
of theoretical orientations within family therapy.
Participants explore the application of course
material to their work setting or training track.
Prerequisites: For students in the Professional Mental Health Community
Counseling or Professional Mental Health
Counseling-Addictions programs, CPSY 502 or 503, CPSY 506,
CPSY 509 or 511, CPSY 513, CPSY 550, CPSY 530 or CPSY 535.
For students in other programs, none.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
CPSY 506 Life Span Development
Content: Exploration of life span development through the
lenses of social, cultural, cognitive, biological,
and learning theories and research. Emphasis is on
gaining better conceptual understanding of healthy
development and better practical understanding of
how to help children, adolescents, and adults
address the developmental challenges they face
across the life span. Particular focus placed on
understanding our own developmental processes as
well as the role of cultural difference and
commonality in the developmental process.
Prerequisites: For Professional Mental Health Counseling and Professional
Mental Health Counseling--Addictions students, CPSY 502 or
CPSY 503, CPSY 513.
Credits: 2 semester hours.
CPSY 507 Introduction to School Psychology I
Content: Overview of the history, systems, roles, and
functions of school psychologists. Readings in
contemporary issues and historical events provide
the foundation for graduate preparation in school
psychology. Students observe the work of school
psychologists and discuss the profession in a
seminar format. This course is a practicum in
school-based systems, and includes overviews of
the theories and practices for school-based
emotional, behavioral, social, and academic
change.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to School Psychology Program and consent of
instructor.
Credits: 2 semester hours.
CPSY 508 Introduction to School Psychology II
Content: Overview of the history, systems, roles, and
functions of school psychologists. Readings in
contemporary issues and historical events provide
the foundation for graduate preparation in school
psychology. Students observe the work of school
psychologists and discuss the profession in a
seminar format. Practicum in school-based systems.
This course is a practicum in school-based
systems, and includes overviews of the theories
and practices for school-based emotional,
behavioral, social, and academic change.
Prerequisites: CPSY-507.
Credits: 2 semester hours.
CPSY 514 Group Counseling With Children and Adolescents
Content: Instruction and practice in developing group
treatments for children and adolescents in
clinical and school settings. Students gain
practice as group leaders in addressing issues
related to group dynamics, cultural diversity,
potential problems encountered when running
groups, and generalization and maintenance of
behavioral change. Students also gain experience
constructing curricula for specific issues such as
divorce, substance use, grief, and social skills.
Prerequisites: For students in the Professional Mental Health Counseling
or Professional Mental Health Counseling-Addictions
programs, CPSY 502 or CPSY 503, CPSY 506, CPSY 509 or CPSY
511, CPSY 513, CPSY 522, CPSY 530 or CPSY 535, CPSY 534,
CPSY 550. For students in Marriage, Couple, and Family
Therapy programs, CPSY 504, CPSY 506, CPSY 526; for
students in the School Psychology program, CPSY 507.
Restrictions: Consent of Counseling Psychology department required.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
CPSY 517 The Exceptional Child in Schools
Content: Overview of the exceptional child in today's
educational setting. Provides a basic
understanding of special educational law and
public policy related to the birth-to-three early
intervention, preschool, K-12, and vocational
transitioning populations. Exceptionalities
studied include communication disorders, learning
disabilities, intellectual disabilities,
emotional disturbance, behavioral disorders,
orthopedic impairments, other health impairments,
traumatic brain injuries, hearing and vision
impairments, and giftedness. Students gain an
understanding of the criteria requirements for
each category as outlined under the Oregon
Administrative Rules and some of the unique
evaluation considerations for each.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
CPSY 523 Counseling and Interventions With Children and Adolescents
Content: Mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders of
childhood and adolescents. Topics include
identification, diagnosis, and planning of
multifaceted counseling intervention and treatment
strategies; developmental, social, and cultural
influences on diagnoses and interventions;
ecological and social-justice-oriented
conceptualization and intervention across systems.
Prerequisites: For Professional Mental Health Counseling and Professional
Mental Health Counseling--Addictions students, CPSY 502 or
CPSY 503, CPSY 506, CPSY 509 or CPSY 511, CPSY 513, CPSY
522, CPSY 530 or CPSY 535, CPSY 534, CPSY 550. For
Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy students, CPSY 504,
CPSY 506, CPSY 526. For School Psychology students, CPSY
507.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
CPSY 530 Research Methods and Statistics I
Content: Introduction to research methods with an emphasis
on design, sampling, measurement issues, and
introductory data analysis. Topics include (1)
research design: elements of the research process,
types of designs, program evaluation; (2) ethical
considerations of research: informed consent,
research with diverse and vulnerable populations,
research with children, human subjects review; (3)
basic measurement concepts: validity, reliability,
norms, score interpretation; (4) basic statistical
concepts: frequency distributions, central
tendency, measures of variability, correlation.
Reviews Web-based resources for conducting
research. Note: Taught during the fall semester
only, as the first course of a two-semester
sequence. Students who wish to pursue the
thesis-option M.S. program are advised to take
this sequence as early as possible in their course
of study.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
CPSY 531 Research Methods and Statistics II
Content: Research design and data analysis, inferential
statistics. Simple and complex designs, normal
distribution, z-test, t-test, analysis of
variance, statistical power, simple regression.
Overview of nonparametric and multivariate
analysis. Note: Taught in spring semester only, as
the second course of a two-semester sequence.
Students who wish to pursue the thesis-option M.S.
program are advised to take this sequence as early
as possible in their course of study.
Prerequisites: CPSY-530.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
CPSY 540 Applied Developmental Neuropsychology
Content: Conceptual overview of the field of
neuropsychology from developmental and applied
perspectives. Explores the theories and principles
of neuropsychology and their relationship to
practice. Provides students with a basic
understanding of the neurological underpinnings of
challenges their clients face, the effects of
medications and substance abuse, and the
implications for assessment and treatment.
Prerequisites: CPSY 543.
Restrictions: Admission to School Psychology program.
Credits: 2 semester hours.
CPSY 541 Assessment and Intervention I
Content: This course is the first of a three-part
assessment sequence that addresses
psycho-educational, social, emotional, and
behavioral assessment of children and adolescents
from birth through age 21. In this course, the
focus is on gaining competency with the skills and
tools needed to collect, interpret, and present
data using observation, interviews, behavior
rating scales, functional behavioral assessments,
response to intervention, and assessments for
children with pervasive developmental
disabilities.
Prerequisites: CPSY 530, CPSY 531.
Restrictions: Admission to the School Psychology Program or consent of
instructor.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
CPSY 542 Assessment and Intervention II
Content: The second of a three-part assessment sequence
that addresses psycho-educational, social,
emotional, and behavioral assessment of children
and adolescents from birth through age 21. In this
course, the focus is on gaining competency with
the skills and tools needed to collect, interpret
and present data using psycho-educational
assessments involving cognitive, academic, and
adaptive measures.
Prerequisites: CPSY 541 or consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Admission to the School Psychology Program.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
CPSY 543 Assessment and Intervention III
Content: This course is the third of a three-part
assessment sequence that addresses
psycho-educational, social, emotional, and
behavioral assessment of children and adolescents
from birth through age 21. In this course, the
focus is on gaining competency with the skills and
tools required to interpret and integrate multiple
assessment measures, including reporting and
consulting on such assessment data in written and
verbal formats.
Prerequisites: CPSY 542 or consent of instructor.
Restrictions: Admission to the School Psychology program.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
CPSY 550 Diversity and Social Justice
Content: Development of diversity awareness and knowledge
including systems of power and privilege.
Introduction to methods/skills for working with
clients who are diverse in culture, race,
ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, or
physical or mental ability. Focus is on helping
students become capable therapists in varied
environments, including becoming aware of their
own beliefs, biases, and prejudices.
Prerequisites: Professional Mental Health Counseling and Professional
Mental Health Counseling-Addictions students, CPSY 502 or
CPSY 503, CPSY 513.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
CPSY 571 Prevention in Educational Settings
Content: Theory, application, design, implementation, and
evaluation of prevention and intervention programs
for school-age youth in school and community
settings. Students also examine the cultural,
social, psychological, family, and political
factors bearing on children's understanding of and
experiences with alcohol and other drugs.
Prevention and intervention through enhancement of
social competence are presented from
constructivist and ecological-developmental
perspectives with application to individuals and
to small-group and classroom-based settings.
Prerequisites: CPSY 585.
Restrictions: Admission to the School Psychology Program.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
CPSY 573 School-Based Consultation
Content: Theory and practice of consultation, which is
fundamental to the delivery of mental health
services in schools. Covers models of behavioral
and instructional consultation in schools and with
families. In-school observations facilitate
students' understanding of consultation in
schools. Emphasis is on identifying ways to
collaboratively assess and intervene in
problematic behavioral and instructional
situations. Addresses issues of cultural,
linguistic, and socioeconomic differences.
Prerequisites: CPSY 508.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
CPSY 574 Advanced Consultation and Program Evaluation
Content: Application of consultation in schools and other
social service delivery systems. Topics include
theoretical and practical considerations for the
use of mental health consultation, advocacy
consultation, process consultation, organization
development, and other approaches. Explores the
application of ethical principles to consultation
practice including careful consideration of issues
of cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic
diversity. Students develop strong consultation
skills grounded in well-articulated theory.
Prerequisites: CPSY-573 or consent of instructor.
Credits: 2 semester hours.
CPSY 581 Ethical and Legal Issues for School Psychology Practicum
Content: Consideration of the applicable ethical and legal
issues for school psychologists in mental health
and school settings. Students develop skills in
counseling, consultation, assessment, and
intervention planning.
Prerequisites: CPSY-506, CPSY 507, and CPSY 508.
.
Corequisites: CPSY 523.
Restrictions: Consent of advisor.
Credits: 2 semester hours.
CPSY 585 Practicum in School Psychology
Content: Didactic class instruction, practicum placement,
and clinical training as related to work as a
professional school psychologist. Covers the
application of psychological therapies with
children, adolescents, and families in educational
settings, as well as the skills involved in
collecting data for consultation and assessment at
the practicum site. In weekly seminars, students
review research, theory, and practice. Students
also present audio- and/or videotapes of their
counseling for supervisory review.
Prerequisites: CPSY-581.
Restrictions: Consent of advisor.
Credits: 2-3 semester hours.
CPSY 586 Internship in School Psychology
Content: Supervised experience as a school psychologist.
Direct weekly supervision is provided by a
field-based licensed school psychologist and
indirect supervision by the course instructor.
Interns provide school psychology services in
consultation, counseling, assessment, intervention
development, and program evaluation with K-12
students in special and regular educational
settings. Regular seminar meetings allow for group
supervision and the examination of legal, ethical,
and professional issues. A comprehensive
examination of school psychology is included.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Consent of instructor.
Credits: 1-4 semester hours.
Graduate Departments and Programs of Study