School Psychology Program Mission Statement

We emphasize important content areas that contribute to the development of competencies with an understanding and respect for individual differences and human diversity. Our developmental and competency-based course of study ensures that student learning is appropriately sequenced and integrated into relevant practical experiences.

The program and its conceptual framework reflect a practitioner-scientist model in health service psychology, designed to ensure that school psychologists become competent, evidence-based practitioners with well-developed functional competencies as well as skilled researchers—that is, training is focused on the practical application of scholarly knowledge.

The program’s mission is to train future school psychologists whose practical experiences are underscored by the application of evidence-based research to solve problems. Specifically, student training is based on the reciprocal influence of knowledge gained from established methods of scientific inquiry. Moreover, our mission embodies a commitment to work from an ecological and social justice perspective, understanding a child’s development through the lens of a larger sociocultural context.

This training is intended to extend students’ awareness, knowledge and expertise to address the needs of all children and families, regardless of their particular status (including wealthy and underserved populations). In addition, the program is designed to acquaint students with the diversity of theories and practices of school psychology—allowing the student sufficient intellectual freedom to experiment with different delivery systems and various theoretical bases.