AREA I. PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY

Vision: SDSU school psychologists integrate our educational, psychological, and social and cultural foundations with relevant disciplines to create and engender a vision of educational equity in the public schools. We design, organize and deliver services to meet the needs of the diverse children, youth, families, and communities served by these schools. We are accessible to members of the school system and community at all levels. Our professional effectiveness is enhanced by strong personal, interpersonal, and leadership qualities. We are committed to our own life-long learning and to influencing the professions which serve children, especially culturally and linguistically diverse children, in the schools.    

PROFESIONAL OUTCOMES

•  in the context of an understanding of the history and current issues of the profession, including roles and functions of school psychologists;
• consistent with the laws (federal and state) and professional ethics and standards (e.g., NASP, APA, CTC) governing the profession; and
• with clear delineation of priority, activity, time, and resource management to enable effective delivery of such broad-based services.

B. Professional Identity and Development

• practices consistent with legal mandates and ethical standards;
• skills in ethical decision making and resolution of ethical dilemmas;
• skills in self-assessment and goal setting for ongoing professional development;
• responsibility for communicating concerns regarding fellow students and other professionals consistent with ethical standards and guidelines;
• professional currency through membership and active involvement in professional associations (local, state, and national), workshops and inservices which inform their practice; and
• professional currency through their informed reading and integration of the literature informing best practices.

C. Personal Characteristics and Development

• self-awareness and orientation to learning (e.g., good mental health and life balance; articulation of personal values and belief system; utilization and access of their own resources and talents; understanding of their personal strengths and need for growth; strength of character and general maturity, wisdom and common sense; passion, humor, empathy, and patience; flexibility - ability to adapt to situations, openness and willingness to change);
• professional demeanor and appearance (e.g., trustworthiness and reliability, acceptance of professional responsibility and consistent follow-through; responsiveness to supervision and evaluation by faculty, field supervisors, and peers; empowerment, efficacy and confidence across settings); and
• appropriate interpersonal relationships (e.g., ability [capacity] to develop and maintain effective interpersonal relationships; collegial, collaborative, team-oriented attitudes and actions; personal learning and development through interactions with others).

Program Outcomes for New Graduates

Vision: SDSU school psychologists engage in best practices in school psychology informed by research and professional literature. We approach our practice using scientific methodology, raising systematic hypotheses, and using research to guide program and service delivery. We use our knowledge and expertise in research and program evaluation to facilitate systemic changes in the school-community.

  PROFESSIONAL OUTCOMES

• critically and competently use research and new knowledge to inform their practice of school psychology in culturally diverse schools;
• understand the basic principles of research design, methodology, and statistics; interpreting and communicating research findings to address district, school, and individual child needs (including research to inform case studies);
• possess the skills to evaluate the methods, results, interpretations, and intentions that drive research; and
• are aware of current research trends to inform their practice.

B. Conducting Research.

• are familiar with and have the skills to conduct needs assessments, program evaluations, and applied research in the school setting;
• have the ability to apply diverse methodologies (e.g., ethnographic, single subject designs, quantitative methods) to design, implement, analyze and report the results of evaluation and research, assisted by statistical packages for computer analysis, as appropriate;
• have knowledge of the legal and ethical guidelines governing the process of research and abide by them at all times; and
• understand the impact on communities in which they are conducting research.

C. Design & Analysis of Service Delivery.

• possess the skills to access, analyze, and use existing school data to guide their hypotheses development regarding service delivery;
• develop, maintain, and use a data-base regarding their own services and referrals for services; and
• conduct analyses to identify referral patterns which would inform the differentiation of needs of teachers, programs, and children, including those from ethnolinguistically diverse backgrounds.

D. Research with Diverse Populations.

• have specialized knowledge and expertise regarding both historical and current trends in research with ethnolinguistically diverse populations; and
• serve culturally and linguistically diverse children in the schools by communicating their knowledge of such research (original or in the literature) and its implications to all members of such systems, including teachers, administrators, students, and families.

Program Outcomes for New Graduates

Vision: Effective service delivery in diverse schools requires a solid foundation in the social and cultural bases of behavior. It is from this knowledge base, in interaction with educational and psychological factors, that SDSU school psychologists determine whether the focus of assessment-and-intervention should be at the individual, dyad (e.g., teacher-pupil), group (e.g., classroom, family, ethnic group), or systems level. We apply our ecosystems perspective and sociocultural knowledge base to raise hypotheses that would not ordinarily emerge as variables for mainstream children (i.e., cultural advocacy). We integrate our cultural wisdom with a scholarly knowledge base to enhance our skills and services in, for example: cultural community relations and linkages; parent empowerment and involvement in education; prejudice reduction and race/human relations; addressing overt, covert, intentional, unintentional, and institutionalized racism; and developing school and classroom climates which celebrate diversity. We approach all service delivery with a social milieu mindedness.   PROFESSIONAL OUTCOMES

• are grounded in and understand their own cultures and ethnic backgrounds;
• conduct accurate assessment of their cultural and cross-cultural competence, engaging in ongoing analysis of and intervention in their personal biases; and
• are aware of how their own value and belief systems influence effective service to children, youth, parents, and school personnel with different values and beliefs.

B. Knowledge of Other Cultures

• possess breadth of knowledge regarding the cultural themes of at least five ethnic groups (i.e., Asian American, African American, Hispanic, Native American, and Euro-American) and the diversity within each group; and
• possess depth of knowledge in at least one culture different from their own.

C. Knowledge of Cross-Cultural Transactions

• know principles of cross-cultural interactions and their effects on teacher-pupil, pupil-pupil, and their own interpersonal relationships; and
• recognize the limits of their cultural competence and will call upon the assistance of a cultural advocate as needed.

D. Ecosystemic Understanding of Social and Cultural Bases

• apply ecological-systemic understanding of the social and cultural bases of human functioning and relationships (e.g., cross-cultural studies, culture-specific studies, social and cultural diversity, social psychology);
• know the effects of culture, race, ethnicity, religion, lifestyle, family, socio-economic status, political views, gender, sexual orientation, physical appearance, disability, acculturation, language and values on pupil¹s learning and behavior; and
• understand the social-psychological underpinnings (e.g., attribution theory) of stereotyping, prejudice, and oppression, and their detrimental consequences.

E. Linguistic Proficiencies

• accurately assess their own language proficiencies to determine the nature and extent of services they can deliver to linguistically diverse populations; and
• have the knowledge and skills to develop an effective working relationship with translators and interpreters for the appropriate delivery of psychological services.

F. Knowledge of Social and Societal Influences

• understand social and societal influences and social learning theory on behavior;
• understand the effects of society, community, family, and peers on the behavior and interpersonal relationships of individuals; and
• understand and analyze human relationships and classroom/school climates.

Program Outcomes for New Graduates

Vision: The school in school psychologist represents far more than a setting in which to work; it reflects the SDSU school psychologists¹ commitment to the public schools as an avenue for societal change, and describes our expertise regarding the school as a culture and a system. We strive to effect educational equity for all children and youth in both opportunities and outcomes. We are integrally involved in the school-community and provide leadership for collaborative efforts toward systemic change and program development. Our knowledge of educational foundations, combined with social-cultural and psychological factors, informs the level (i.e., individual, dyad, group, systems) and nature of our services.   PROFESSIONAL OUTCOMES

• know the school as a culture and a system.
• are aware of the nature and interactions of formal and informal power systems in the school-community. This includes knowledge of both formal and informal organizing and operating processes, decision making, budget and governance as well as the relationship of school and surrounding community.
• recognize and communicate the social and cultural influences in the school culture and climate that affect pupil success (and failure).
• are familiar with current issues and trends in the design and delivery of educational systems (e.g., California reform documents, Goals 2000, charter schools).
• know elements which contribute to school effectiveness.
• understand and respect for the contributions of other educational professionals and staff members (e.g., teachers, administrators, counselors, aides, secretaries, custodians).
• understand and respect for the contributions of parents, parenting communities, cultural communities, and public agencies.
• integrate their knowledge of the schools as a culture and a system in the design of their service delivery.

B. Schools and Ethnolinguistic Diversity

• know the historical experience of ethnolinguistic groups in U.S. public schools (e.g., segregation, school language practices, Native American boarding schools) to current educational outcomes (e.g., achievement, drop-out/push-out rates).
• know and application of the federal and state legislative (e.g., Civil Rights Act, Bilingual Education Act, Indian Education Act, IDEA) and litigative (e.g., Lau, Plyler, Brown) mandates for educational equity in public schools.
• know the effectiveness of educational models, philosophies, and pedagogies related to the learning styles and educational achievement of culturally and linguistically diverse children (e.g., bilingual education models, Comer model,
• master the educational bases of bilingual education programs and services including the variety of models and their outcomes.
• effect positive, culturally-affirming learning environments.

C. Schools and Special Education Programs

• know and apply federal and state legislative (e.g., PL 94-142 IDEA, PL 99-457, Section 504, CEC 56000, CCR Title V, AB 3632) and litigative (e.g., Park) mandates for special education programs and services.
• master the educational bases of special education programs and services including the variety of models and their outcomes.
• know and apply the nature and outcomes of educational placements and services provided for children and youth with disabilities along the continuum from designated instructional services (DIS) to special schools.
• facilitate a range of interactions between general and special education (e.g., full inclusion, mainstreaming, reverse mainstreaming).
• facilitate a range of interactions between bilingual and special education (e.g., support, coordinated, integrated, inclusive).
• are aware of adaptive technology for children with disabilities.
• effect positive individualized learning experiences.

D. Other Educational Programs in Schools

• access the range of available options and resources for the education of all learners, both school and community based.
• access the wide range of programs and services designed to enhance the success of children and youth in the schools (e.g., AVID, GATE, Title I, CPIE, Parent Institute, counseling services, migrant programs).
• use effective models for school-community partnerships and coordinated services.

E. Teaching and Learning

• are aware of the pedagogical bases and outcomes for a variety of instructional approaches (e.g., collaborative learning, whole-language instruction, mediated learning, direct instruction, phonics, Accelerated Learning).
• are familiar with the characteristics of effective instruction (e.g., meaningful contexts, engagement, intentionality, reciprocity, flexibility).
• are aware of national standards, state curriculum frameworks, district grade level expectancies (or scope and sequence guidelines), and curricular materials in the classrooms.
• are aware of the use of technologies for instruction and learning (e.g., educational software, Internet, distance learning).

Program Outcomes for New Graduates

Vision: SDSU school psychologists bridge psychological theory and research to practice and applications in the school-community. We critically examine the psychological theories and models which underlie common professional practice. We select and articulate those which are particularly appropriate to serving culturally and linguistically diverse individuals. Our knowledge base in psychology, integrated with our cultural, social, and educational foundations, informs hypotheses generation central to our service delivery at the individual, dyad, group, and systems levels. We respect the psychological integrity of the individuals (e.g., pupils, parents, teachers) with whom we work. We contribute to the development of school and classroom climates which enhance the psychological health and well-being of all members of the school-community.   PROFESSIONAL OUTCOMES

• theories of psychosocial, cognitive, and moral development.
• the impact of cultural and ecological contexts on the development of the individual (e.g., cultural identity; self-concept; cognitive, affective, and behavioral structures).
• theories and indicators of normal and abnormal growth and development.
• cultural variations in definitions and expectations of developmental patterns or milestones.
• theories of language development and second language acquisition for bilingual (including Ebonics-speaking) children and youth.

B. Biological Bases and Influences

• neuropsychological perspectives and brain-behavior relationships;
• biologically- and/or physically-based disorders (e.g., Downs, CP, Tourette¹s, TBI, epilepsy, ADD);
• hereditary factors;
• medically fragile conditions and chronic illnesses in childhood (e.g., asthma, Sickle Cell, leukemia, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, otitis media);
• prenatal, birth, and neonatal insults to development, including prenatal exposure to drugs, alcohol, and tobacco;
• substance abuse; and
• common childhood medications including side-effects.

C. Learning and Cognition

• theories and models of human learning and the construction of knowledge.
• theories of intelligence and cognitive structures, processes, and styles.
• the relationships among cognition, culture, language, learning and behavior.

D. Individual Differences and Human Exceptionality

• the social construction of nomenclature systems (e.g., legal criteria for disabilities, DSM).
• the nature, characteristics, and implications of "learning disabilities".
• the nature, characteristics, and implications of "mental retardation".
• the nature, characteristics, and implications of "serious emotional disturbance".
• the nature, characteristics, and implications of "giftedness".
• cultural variations in definitions and expectations of individual differences and exceptionalities.

Program Outcomes for New Graduates

Vision: SDSU school psychologists conduct effective assessments which contribute specific and relevant information to the design or evaluation of an intervention. In so doing, we recognize (a) that we bring to the assessment situation a culturally-based world view, along with a set of experiences, knowledge and skills; (b) that teachers, parents, and students likewise bring to a situation culturally-based world views along with experience, knowledge and skills; and (c) that the interaction of those world views, experiences, knowledge, and skill bases is integral to the assessment process. Assessment-for-intervention assumes the modifiability of systems, both individual (e.g., students or teachers) and institutional (e.g., classrooms, families, districts). Consistent with the position of the National Association of School Psychologists, we hold that systems, families, school districts, classrooms, and teachers, as well as individual students, are legitimate foci for intervention (and therefore of the assessment) process. Thus, the tools and approaches we use reflect these philosophical bases.   PROFESSIONAL OUTCOMES

• are flexible, proficient, and efficient in the assessment of situations as the first phase of direct and indirect intervention processes.
• employ systematic hypothesis-generation-testing processes in conducting assessments.
• bring the pupil¹s culture and language to the foreground as a base for hypotheses generation.
• effectively involve parents and teachers as equal partners in the problem definition process.
• attend to systemic variables affecting the pupil¹s performance.
• assess-to-intervene in teacher-child interactions and classroom climate.
• link assessment results to indirect and/or direct interventions.
• evaluate the effectiveness of individualized educational programs
• evaluate the effectiveness of their own interventions
• and document the reliability and validity of their assessments.

B. Psychoeducational Evaluation of Individual Pupils

• understand the impact of historical reliance on culturally limited or biased individual psychoeducational evaluations, limited evaluation tools and processes, and the propensity to use assessment and evaluation for the purpose of labeling.
• conduct comprehensive, multi-faceted, nondiscriminatory psychoeducational evaluations to inform the development of appropriate individualized educational plans.
• appropriately select and apply evaluation procedures to test hypotheses, not children.
• document the reliability and validity of their evaluations.

C. Selection and Application of Assessment/Evaluation Tools

• have a broad repertoire of tools consistent with authentic, behavioral, developmental, dynamic, and ecological assessment models.
• appropriately select and use tools from their repertoire, linking results to indirect and/or direct interventions.
• understand the limits of standardized testing, and issues regarding translation of standardized tests, including the use of translators/interpreters.
• properly select, administer, and interpret psychoeducational evaluation procedures with respect for the psychometric properties of the instrument as applied to the sociocultural status of the individual pupil.
• are proficient with computer-assisted scoring programs and knowledge of the limitations of computer-assisted interpretation programs and computer-generated reports.

D. Communication of Assessment-for-Intervention Results

• communicate the results of their assessments and/or evaluations in both oral and written form, without jargon and in manner that can be understood by parents.
• comply with legal requirements for such reports.
• are proficient with computer-based report writing systems to enhance their efficiency in report writing.

Program Outcomes for New Graduates

Vision: SDSU school psychologists provide effective interventions that are theoretically informed, culturally appropriate, goal directed, and systematically implemented, monitored, and evaluated, in response to assessed situations ranging in foci from individual pupil to total systems levels.  In so doing, we recognize (a) that we bring to the situation a culturally-based world view, along with a set of experiences, knowledge and skills; (b) that school personnel, parents, and students likewise bring to the situation culturally-based world views along with experience, knowledge and skills; and (c) that the interaction of those world views, experiences, knowledge, and skill bases is integral to the intervention process.  Thus, our selected interventions, whether direct or indirect, are implemented in collaboration with key players to enhance and facilitate the effectiveness of environments, interactions, and systemic functioning for the benefit of individuals and the learning communities.   PROFESSIONAL OUTCOMES

• identify the appropriate level (i.e., individual to systems) and foci (i.e., pupil, teacher, parent, administrator) of intervention;
• are flexible and proficient with a broad repertoire of direct and indirect intervention procedures;
• appropriately select, apply, and modify intervention procedures in response to assessed situations and evaluated outcomes;
• formulate and coordinate multifaceted intervention plans involving the pupil, school, home, and community; and
• respect and comply with legal and ethical standards in conducting interventions;
• document the effectiveness of those interventions, communicating outcomes in both oral and written form, without jargon and in a manner that can be understood by parents.

B. Indirect Interventions

• systems change theories and methods.
• methods and techniques for prevention and intervention to maximize the school success of all children and youth (e.g., program development, staff development, parent-community programs).
• consultation (e.g., mental health, behavioral, instructional, and ecological) and their application to both individual and group consultation processes.
• consultee-centered consultation to support the consultee¹s development of knowledge, skills, confidence, and/or objectivity regarding cultural and linguistic issues.
• effective team problem-solving approaches, including the involvement of the parent-community in those processes.
• culturally appropriate bridging between school and home, engaging members of both settings in the development of the intervention approaches.
• networking skills with parents, cultural communities, and community resources and agencies, as part of the intervention options available to pupils, families, and school personnel.
• the skills to contribute to culturally and linguistically appropriate individualized educational plans for pupils in general and special education, including modifications of settings to meet a pupil¹s educational and psychological needs.

C. Direct Interventions

• familiarity with the continuum of counseling services, including preventive, developmental, and crisis counseling for individuals and groups.
• counseling theories and models, and appropriately applying that knowledge to individual and group counseling in the schools.
• principles of cognitive modifiability and mediated learning experiences (MLE).
• application of MLE theory to a variety of settings (e.g., home, curriculum, interpersonal skills, vocations) in both individual and group interventions.
• application of that knowledge in both individual and group interventions.

Program Outcomes for New Graduates