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The school psychology program at Cleveland State University promotes the welfare of children and their families by preparing school psychologists who possess knowledge, skills, and values supporting their role as problem-solvers in schools and other educational settings. As an urban university, CSU is committed to meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse population – both the students enrolled in the university educational programs and the clients whose needs will be served by our graduates.

The program faculty views School Psychology as a discipline within the field of Psychology. This broadly-based orientation facilitates teaching and learning about development, cognition, physiology, and social interaction (including dimensions of human diversity), as well as their applications to work with children, adolescents, and adults in educational settings. At the same time, learning experiences are designed to develop skill in assessing and intervening upon children's academic and other school performance problems. Faculty subscribe to an eco-behavioral model of service delivery, which is reflected in the program curriculum and in scholarly research activities. This model emphasizes the direct assessment of children's behavior, including environmental factors, for purposes of developing, implementing, and evaluating the impact of appropriate academic and behavioral interventions. The CSU School Psychology Program reflects is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists.
Students are required to complete the Master of Arts degree program in Psychology (School Psychology specialization) as a pre-requisite for admission to the Psy.S. degree program, which comprises an additional year of study beyond the M.A. The curriculum of both the M.A. and Psy.S. degree programs offers a range of didactic and practicum experiences, with frequent student engagement in K-12 schools in the Cleveland metropolitan area.

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Program Goals

Goal 1 Professional Preparation
Students have completed a comprehensive program that is structured in accordance with national training standards and adequately meets needs for professional preparation.

Goal 2 Data-Based Decision-Making and Accountability
The student is able to define current problem areas, strengths, and needs (at the individual, group, and system level) through assessment, and measure the effects of the decisions that result from the problem solving process.

Goal 3 Interpersonal Communication, Collaboration, and Consultation
The student is able to listen well, participate in discussions, convey information, and work together with others at an individual, group, and systems level.

Goal 4 Effective Instruction and Development of Cognitive/Academic Skills
The student is able to develop challenging but achievable cognitive and academic goals for all students, provide information about ways in which students can achieve these goals, and monitor student progress toward these goals. 

Goal 5 Socialization and Development of Life Competencies
The student is able to develop challenging but achievable behavioral, affective, or adaptive goals for all students, provide in formation about ways in which students can achieve these goals, and monitor student progress toward these goals.

Goal 6 Student diversity in development
The student is aware of, appreciates, and works with individuals and groups with a variety of strengths and needs from a variety of racial, cultural, ethnic, experiential, and linguistic backgrounds.

Goal 7 School Structure, Organization, and Climate
The students has the ability to understand the school as a system and work with individuals and groups to facilitate
structures and policies that create and maintain schools as safe, caring, and inviting places for members of the school
community.

Goal 8 Prevention, Wellness Promotion, and Crisis Intervention
The student has knowledge of child development and psychopathology in order to develop and implement prevention and intervention programs for students with a wide range of needs and disorders.

Goal 9 Home/School/Community Collaboration
The student has knowledge of family influences that affect students’ wellness, learning, and achievement, and are able to
form partnerships between parents, educators, and the community.

Goal 10 Research and Program Evaluation
The student knows current literature on various aspects of education and child development, is able to translate research into practice, and understands research design and statistics in sufficient depth to conduct investigations relevant to own work.

Goal 11 Legal, Ethical Practice and Professional Development
The student takes responsibility for developing as a professional and practicing in ways that meet all appropriate ethical,
professional, and legal standards to enhance the quality of services, and to protect the rights of all parties.

Goal 12 Information Technology
The student has knowledge of information resources and technology relevant to their work. They are able to access,
evaluate, and utilize information sources and technology in ways that safeguard and enhance the quality of services.

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Program Requirements

The School Psychology Program curriculum includes a total of 54 semester credit hours of coursework for the Master of Arts degree, and 30 semester credit hours for the post-Master's Psychology Specialist (Psy.S.) degree.
The first two years of study in the M.A. program phase provide intensive preparation in psychological foundations (e.g., child development, social psychology, research design) and in assessment methods (e.g., interviewing, observation, testing).

The second year of study includes a year-long, intensive (10-15 clock hours per week) field practicum to which students are assigned at the close of their first year of study. The third-year Psy.S. phase focuses on functional assessment of academic problems (with an emphasis on reading), problem-solving consultation, the role and function of the School Psychologist, and legal and ethical issues, as well as a series of seminars offered during the internship year to address issues of timely significance.

The Psy.S. degree is awarded upon successful completion of the internship and related coursework.The program of study comprises a "lockstep" sequence in which students are admitted and enroll in classes as members of a cohort admitted once each year in the fall. This provision allows students to develop interpersonal and collegial relationships supportive of their academic and professional development, and to complete requirements in a coherent sequence in which experiences build on skills and competencies learned earlier in the program.The program does not presently offer an option for part-time study.

Year one
Fall Semester

Psy  550  Child & Adolescent Development and Disorders
-Consideration of theories and research relating to the development of individual affective patterns; ontogenetic development of motor, sensory, perceptual, cognitive, and linguistic skills in infants, children, and adolescents.

Psy  536  Behavioral Assessment
-Examination and application of methods for understanding and measuring behavior in naturalistic settings, including sampling methods and single subject designs for purposes of problem identification and progress monitoring under treatment conditions.

Psy  538  Intellectual Assessment and Practicum for School Psychology
-Provides graduate students in school psychology with basic knowledge of theories of intelligence, familiarity with current practices and issues in intelligence testing, and competence in the administration, scoring, and interpretation of measures of intelligence commonly used in school settings. This course is open only to students enrolled in the school psychology program.

Spring Semester

Psy  525  Social Psychology
-Review of the field with emphasis on social motivation, social cognition, impression formation, social influence, attitude change, and group processes; consideration of social processes in applied settings.

Psy  537  Child & Adolescent Assessment and Intervention
-This course provides students with a background in assessment and intervention for common academic, affective, and behavior problems experienced by school-aged children. Emphasizes the direct link between assessment and intervention. Students gain competencies in the development and delivery of evidence-based interventions for childhood problems.

Psy  670  Crisis Management
-Examination of phenomena associated with crises in schools, including suicide, sudden death, violence, and natural disasters. Emphasis is placed on the process and methods of planned crisis response.

Psy  564  Psychoeducational Intervention
-Practicum experience in the application of behavioral consultation methods to academic problems in school settings, including strategies for data collection (curriculum-based measurement), intervention design, progress-monitoring, and techniques for facilitating adherence to intervention plans.

Year Two
Fall Semester

Psy  511 Univariate Statistics and Experimental Methodology
- Special correlational methods, elementary experimental design, and hypothesis testing in psychological research

Psy  690  Field Placement I
-Placement in educational settings for supervised experience in psychological assessment and intervention. Taken in sequence during Fall and Spring for a total of eight credit hours.

Psy  672  Mulicultural Psychology and Diversity
- Examination of theories of differences and their application to behavioral and organizational change. Through didactic and experimental exercises, the course focuses on the sensitivities and information needed to work effectively with multicultural populations.

EDT 504  Special Topics: Special Education Principles and Practices

Spring Semester
 
Psy  651  Psychopharmacology
-Survey of the principles of drug action on the nervous system and behavior, with particular regard to drugs used in social, medical, and psychotherapeutic settings.

Psy  691  Field Placement II
-Placements in clinical, community, hospital, and educational settings for supervised experience in psychological assessment and intervention. In addition to placement experience, students are supervised in small groups by faculty members who are licensed psychologists. Taken in sequence during Fall and Spring for a total of eight credit hours.

Psy  572  Group Interventions
-Review of evidence-based group intervention programs in schools. Basic knowledge about group process, development, and leadership. Applications of group interventions in school settings and practice in applying group leadership skills.

Psy  513  Measurement and Program Evaluation
-The course examines program evaluation methods in terms of task-specific knowledge (e.g., principles of measurement), skills (e.g., data analysis), and process issues, using a case study approach based on actual program evaluations in a variety of educational institutions.


Award of Master of Arts (M.A) Degree

Summer Session

Psy  725  Role and Function of the School Psychologist I
-Examination of the profession of school psychology, including history, legal and ethical issues, service delivery models, employment trends, credentialing standards, and contemporary issue

Psy  726  Role and Function of the school Psychologist II
-Continued examination of issues addressed in PSY 725.

Psy  694  Directed Observation in Schools
-Directed observation and participation in a school setting for students in the Psychology Specialist program to provide experience in a variety of school settings. Applies only to those not holding an Ohio Teaching Certificate or License.

Psy  767  Special Topics: Applications of Law in School Psychology

Psy  730  Reading Assessment and Intervention
-Study of principles and techniques for asessing the reading skills of children. Students gain competency in developing and applying remedial interventions, with emphasis on applications in school setting.

Psy  735  Consultation in School Psychology
-Comprehensive examination of models and methods of consultation in schools, with emphasis on the problem-solving process, communication skills, and managing resistance.

Psy  767 Special Topics: Orientation to School Psychology 
-Introduction to the field of School Psychology in a seminar format, featuring topics and speakers of timely significance.

Year Three
Fall Semester

Psy  790  Supervised Experience in School Psychology I
-Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Full-time school psychology internship experience for students enrolled in the School Psychology program.

Psy  795  Internship Seminar I
-Offered in conjunction with PSY 790/791 Supervised Experience in School Psychology. Focuses on advanced issues in the practice of school psychology through the use of discussion, case presentations, and resource-sharing. Topics include behavioral consultation, crisis management, legal and ethical issues, service delivery models, special populations, and assessment technology.

Spring Semester

Psy  791  Supervised Experience in School Psychology II
-Full-time school psychology internship experience for students enrolled in the School Psychology program.

Psy  796  Internship Seminar II
- Offered in conjunction with PSY 790 and PSY 791 Supervised Experience in School Psychology. Focuses on advanced issues in the practice of school psychology through the use of discussion, case presentations, and resource sharing. Topics include behavioral consultation, crisis management, legal and ethical issues, service delivery models, special populations, and assessment technology.

Award Of Psychology Specialist (PSY. S.) Degree

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Resources

GASP (Graduate Association for School Psychology)

• The Graduate Associate for School Psychology was founded in 2007 as a vehicle for enhancing relationships among cohorts of students, improving communication about program-related issues, providing support for students and their studies, promoting the welfare of children and families in the Greater Cleveland area, and contributing to decisions affecting program curriculum and policies. Through GASP, students also may be eligible to receive funding for professional activities such as conference attendance and presentations. Officers are elected by students to represent each of the three cohorts of students- First, Second, and Third Year (Interns). The School Psychology Program Director serves as the moderator for this student organization. Meetings are held periodically throughout the academic year, while social activities are scheduled on a regular basis.
  

For more information about school psychology resources check out these associations at the city, state, and national level:  Cleveland Association of School Psychologists CASP, Ohio Association of School Psychologists OSPA, and the National Association of School Psychologists NASP.

Some journals that might be of interest can be accessed through the library webpage. Click here to go to the library webpage.

Journal of School Psychology	Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation
School Psychology Review	Exceptional Children
Psychology in Schools	Journal of Applied Behavioral Analysis
School Psychology International

         
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Faculty

Primary Faculty	Scholarly Interests
Constance Hollinger, Ph.D. Professor c.hollinger@csuohio.edu	Development of gifted women and girls; effective school based service delivery models
Colleen McMahon, Ph.D. Associate Professor c.m.mcmahon@csuohio.edu	Early intervention with at-risk Associate children; developmental disabilities; school- based intervention practices
Kathy McNamara, Ph.D. Professor Director k.mcnamara@csuohio.edu	Effective school-based interventions and service delivery models; social Program competence promotion; professional issues in School Psychology

Secondary Faculty	Scholarly Interests
Brenda Johnson, Ph.D. Assistant Professor	Bias and discrimination in the Assistant workplace; multicultural psychology
Stephen Slane, Ph.D. Professor	Personality; statistics; impression Professor formation; stress and coping; diversity psychology
Ernest Park, Ph.D. Assistant Professor	Small group processes; self-regulation and motivation

Adjunct Faculty
Sherry Foulkes, Psy. S.

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Meet the Current Students

First Year (Class of 2011)

Travis graduated from Mount Union College in Psychology with a minor in Business in December 2007. He chose Cleveland State University over several other schools for his graduate studies in school psychology because of the program setup and scholarship.

Sarah graduated in June 2008 from Ohio University with a B.A in Psychology and a Minor in Music. She applied to four School Psychology graduate programs and chose CSU because of the effective program set up, and to able to stay close to her family. Sarah’s area of interest is the transitional stage middle school aged children go through. Eventually she plans on pursuing a Ph.D.

Ronda graduated from Cleveland State University in May 2007 with a BA in Psychology.  Her decision to come to Cleveland State for her graduate studies is multifaceted. She was familiar with the campus as well as the Psychology faculty. The approval of the school psychology graduate program (NASP) finalized her decision. Ronda would like to work with high-school aged children in the Northeast Ohio area.

Julie comes from Michigan where she graduated from Central Michigan University in 2004, with a degree in Therapeutic Recreation. The reputation of Cleveland State University’s graduate School Psychology Program made her decide to choose CSU over other schools. Her future plans include pursuing a Ph.D.

Maria went to the College of Wooster and graduated in 2007 with a degree in psychology. She chose Cleveland State because the School Psychology program is located within the Psychology department. The Graduate Assistantship she received her first year was an additional reason to choose Cleveland State.

Tanja graduated in 2000 from the University of Akron, Ohio with a Masters in Arts Administration. Cleveland State University became her first choice for the graduate program in School Psychology due its reputation, proximate location to her home, graduate Assistantship provided for the first year and in depth curriculum within the Psychology Department. She may eventually pursue a Ph.D.        

Thomas attended Ohio University for two years before transferring to CSU in the spring of 2004. In December 2006, he received his Bachelor’s in Psychology.  His decision to continue his graduate studies at Cleveland State University was due to the pleasant experience he had while completing his undergraduate studies as well as the excellent professors he had.

Melissa graduated from Cleveland State University in December 2007 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Her decision to continue her graduate studies at CSU were based on the School Psychology NASP approval and the outstanding faculty. She plans to work after graduation for a few years before continuing with a Ph.D. and a possible career as college professor. She has a special interest in working with high school students.

Second Year (Class of 2010)

Eddie went to Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA and graduated in 2007 with a degree in psychology. His decision to come to CSU was based on the faculty’s significant experience within the field.  His interest is in Psychology rather than just education, and the fact that the CSU graduate school psychology program is one of the few that is housed in a Psychology department were additional reasons for him to continue his graduate studies at CSU.   He enjoys working with young students and may become a trainer of future generations of school psychologists.

Intern (Class of 2009)

Kristen graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK. She worked for two years at Greenview Day Treatment Center before starting her graduate studies at CSU in 2006. She chose the CSU program because of the first-year student assistantship and the School Psychology program is in the Psychology department, rather than in the education department. Also, during her work experience at the treatment center, she met interns from CSU who seemed prepared to have the skills necessary to become successful school psychologist. Kristen currently interns in Chicago, IL where she also wants to practice as a school psychologist after her graduation in Spring of 2009. Her current interest within the field relates to RTI-related services with early elementary students (e.g. Tier II reading intervention, Tier 1 behavioral interventions). Kristen feels the in depth academic experience at CSU has prepared her extremely well for the intern experience.

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Prospective Students

Applicants first seek admission to the Master of Arts in Psychology degree program, representing the first, 2-year phase of the School Psychology Program. Admission to this initial phase is based on several factors (discussed in greater detail in the CSU Graduate Catalog):

• Demonstration of satisfactory grounding in the principles of Psychology, evidenced in an undergraduate Psychology major or minor, or successful performance on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Psychology Subject Area; or completion (with grade of "C" or better) of the following courses: Introduction to Psychology, Personality Theories, Learning Theories, Child Development, and Behavioral Science Statistics.
• Satisfactory performance in undergraduate studies including an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 (3.0 and above preferred);
• Satisfactory GRE Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical scores (average of successful candidates: 500 - 550);
• Recommendations provided in writing by at least two persons familiar with the candidate's academic performance and potential for career success;
• A commitment to provide school psychological services in Ohio for at least one year following completion of the program;
• A written personal statement describing relevant experiences and professional goals (instructions provided on Student Information Form); and
• A satisfactory interview, conducted upon invitation by the School Psychology Program Committee, in which the candidate demonstrates a working knowledge of the profession, commitment to a professional career in School Psychology, potential for meaningful contributions to the profession and the welfare of children and families, valuing of diversity, and effective interpersonal skills.
• Note that the program requires a 3-year commitment to full-time study. Students who already hold a graduate degree in a related area are welcome to apply for admission, but they must complete the CSU program curriculum in its entirety. Transfer of relevant credit hours from NASP-approved programs will be considered by the School Psychology Program Committee.

The deadline for receipt of applications is February 10th of each year
Admission Application

Student Information Form

Letter of Recommendation Form

For international students TOEFL

Assistantship and financial aid are available to those who qualify.

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Alumni

Contacting alumni:

If you would like to speak to alumni of the CSU School Psychology Program, please contact us at
E-mail address: psychology@csuohio.edu
School Psychology Program
Department of Psychology
Cleveland State University
2121 Euclid Avenue, Ohio 44115

Alumni Giving Back

As you know, the CSU School Psychology program provides a comprehensive academic foundation combined with a practical approach for becoming a successful professional practitioner. Now that you are a successful professional, we are asking you to give back! The School Psychology Textbook Scholarship Fund was established in 2008 to help f graduate students with the increasing cost of textbooks. All donations are used to benefit students with financial need. If you would like to donate, or have any questions regarding donations, please contact us at k.mcnamara@csuohio.edu, Kathy McNamara, Ph.D. the Director of the School Psychology Program. Thank you for your support!!

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FAQ

What is a school psychologist?

According to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), school psychologists help children and youth succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. They collaborate with educators, parents, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments for all students that strengthen connections between home and school.

What makes CSU different from other school psychology programs?

The school psychology program at CSU is the only school psychology program in Ohio that is located in a Psychology Department. This means that students are exposed to the broader field of Psychology, including the expertise and research interests of department faculty. 

What kind of degree will I have when I graduate from CSU?  

After your first two years of study you will receive a Master of Arts; following your third year (internship), you will obtain a Psychology Specialist (Psy. S.) degree.

What is the cost of tuition at CSU?

All information regarding tuition can be found here.

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