SPY - School Psychology

The course examines cultural, socioeconomic, and ethnic variables that impact interventions in schools with multicultural students. Through readings, discussions, inquiry, and field activities, candidates examine cultural factors that foster understanding of learners, deepen cultural awareness of self and others, and increase cultural competence necessary for performing ethical school psychological practices. Pre-requisite(s): None. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This course provides beginning School Psychology students an introduction to the field from historical and contemporary perspectives. The class explore topics/issues seminal to the field including the role of school psychologists in promoting positive development and early intervention using research-based practices and the interaction of law, ethics, and culture in assessment and decision making and intervention. Students take this course concurrently with SPY 560, School Psychology Practices and Principles Practicum to link class topics to real life practice in schools. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S. or Ed.D. School Psychology Program. Co-requisite(s): None. 2 semester hours

School psychology candidates will engage in readings, discussion, and observations of evidence- based interventions for working with families in schools and within the community. Candidates will learn and gain experience in observing families, interviewing parents, and obtaining strategies for conducting parenting programs. Emphasis is placed on integrating theory and concepts from a developmental perspective of social, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and academic domains into effective family programs. Issues of working with families of diverse cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic status are explored. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S. or Ed.D School Psychology Program. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

Candidates will learn about the theoretical and practical basis for evaluating and using the wide range of test and measurement data in educational research. The purposes of assessment and decision making will be covered and psychometrics of various published norm-referenced tests will be analyzed. Candidates will be introduced to the four assessment methods: Review, Interview, Observe, Test (RIOT) and the four assessment domains: Instruction, Curriculum, Environment, and Learner (ICEL) in an ecological approach to evaluation. Applications of basic measurement skills will be required in a school setting. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S. or Ed.D. School Psychology Program or permission of program coordinator. Undergraduate introduction to statistics course recommended. Co-requisite(s): None. 2 semester hours

This is the first of a two-course series in prevention and intervention for behavioral health in the schools. The course is designed to examine the need for social and emotional learning (SEL) and school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) and implement empirically-based SEL and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) within the whole school and classroom climates. The course is sensitive to diverse cultural and economic environments promoting early promotion and school-wide mastery of SEL and PBIS skills. There is a field experience connected with this course. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S. or Ed.D. School Psychology Program or permission of program coordinator. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

Students will learn an ecological assessment approach designed to prevent and remediate learning problems in a multi-tiered service delivery model. Building on basic psychometric practices, students will learn educational assessment practices within a Review, Interview, Observe, and Test (RIOT) approach for basic skills screening, progress monitoring, and intervention planning. School Psychology students must take this course concurrently with SPY 561, Educational Assessment for Tiered Services Practicum. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed. S. or Ed.D. School Psychology Program; and SPY 508 or equivalent or permission of program coordinator. Co-requisite(s): SPY 561. If not admitted to the School Psychology Program, permission of the School Psychology program coordinator. 2 semester hours

Candidates will learn and apply research-based instruction with diverse learners across grades and content areas. Clear guidelines for identifying key concepts, strategies, skills, and routines to differentiate instruction and ensure a positive learning environment will be explored. Candidates will learn how to design and deliver effective lessons. Candidates will analyze the relationship between research-based principles and contemporary curricula, instructional practices, and assessment tools. Application of diagnostic assessment and research-based instruction will be required in a school setting. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S. or Ed.D. School Psychology Program or permission of program coordinator. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

Candidates will learn and apply research-based reading, math, and writing interventions across grades. Analysis of intervention materials used as part of a tiered service will be conducted. Candidates will assess students for instructional planning prior to beginning instruction and monitor progress while teaching their intervention groups. Candidates will be required to apply course content at a school-based practicum site. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S. or Ed.D. School Psychology Program; SPY 541 or permission of program coordinator. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This is the second of a two-course series in prevention and intervention for behavioral health in the schools. This course examines psychopathology in childhood and adolescence as it impacts cognitive and social-emotional and behavioral functioning in school, family and community contexts. Candidates will critically examine evidence-based knowledge about etiology, essential features, and effective prevention and intervention strategies for psychopathologies from an integrated diversity, genetic, neurophysiological, and social perspective. Medical, psychosocial, and multi-tiered systems of support models of prevention and intervention will be addressed with an emphasis on treatment applications in school settings. There is a field experience connected with this course. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S. or Ed.D. School Psychology Program; and SPY 508 and SPY 518 or equivalent or permission of program coordinator. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

Candidates apply research tools and strategies of problem investigation to the formulation of original small-scale research proposals and plans for program evaluation relevant to Educational and School Psychology that embody acceptable standards of reliability, validity, and ethics. Candidates develop sound and testable research questions and hypotheses conduct an abbreviated literature review, and use quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis techniques. These techniques may include measures of central tendency and dispersion, measurement error, correlation, t-tests, analysis of variance, factor analysis, chi-square, meta-analysis, observation, interviewing, case study, and questionnaire construction. Pre-requisite(s): SPY 524 or equivalent course consent of program coordinator. Co-requisite(s): None. 2 semester hours

Candidates learn to administer, score, and interpret cognitive tests in the context of accumulated research on their utility in educational decision making, especially as part of special education eligibility. In addition to technical skills, candidates review the psychometric limitations in many elements of cognitive test use, including an ill-defined construct, reliability of difference scores, and consequential validity. Pre- requisite(s): SPY 524 or equivalent. Admission to the School Psychology Program. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This course introduces candidates to the conceptual and empirical issues underlying the science of behavior. Candidates will learn basic concepts in science and behavior, selecting, defining and measuring behavior, evaluating and analyzing behavior change. This course will allow candidates to practice interpreting articles from the behavior analytic literature. Candidates in the School Psychology Program must take this course concurrently with SPY 562, Applied Behavior Analysis Practicum I. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S. or Ed.D. School Psychology Program or permission of program coordinator. Co-requisite(s): SPY 562. 2 semester hours

The purpose of this course is to provide the opportunity to explore professional school psychology practice issues from the perspective of three sources of influence, (a) the law, (b) professional ethics, and (c) evidence-based practices. These sources of influence will be examined from the perspective of schools with diverse needs and resources. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the School Psychology Program; SPY 508, SPY 520, SPY 534, SPY 538, SPY 560 or equivalent. Co-requisite(s): Concurrent enrollment in SPY 565 (Year 2 School Psychology Practicum). 1-3 semester hours

This is the first course in a three-term sequence examining theories and practices of school-based consultation. Over the course of three terms, candidates explore school based consultation models, the role of consultation in prevention, intervention, social justice, and problem solving. Through lectures and field activities, candidates will acquire and practice consultation skills in a school setting. In the first course of the sequence, the focus will be on collaborative problem-identification and the beginning stages of problem solving. Candidates will exit this course with a thorough understanding of the problem solving process, and, more importantly, how this process can be used to successfully address student concerns through consultation with teachers, parents, and administrators. Candidates are expected to participate in ongoing group and individual university-based supervision in conjunction with this course. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S. or Ed. D. School Psychology Program. Co-requisite(s): This course must be taken concurrently with SPY 565. 3 semester hours

The purpose of this course is to facilitate the development of assessment skills and techniques focused on the social-emotional and behavioral functioning of children and adolescents. An emphasis will be placed on assessment of children in the school setting as well as an introduction to linking assessment to intervention. Developmental, diversity, and urban issues related to assessment with children will also be addressed. There is a field experience connected with this course. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S. or Ed.D. School Psychology Program; and SPY 518, SPY 528, and SPY 562 or equivalent or permission of program coordinator. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This is the first of a two-course series in evidence-based mental health interventions in the schools with a small group and individual focus. The course is designed to examine the need for social and emotional learning (SEL) support in a multi-tiered system of services. This course covers the basic assumptions of cognitive-behavioral theory‚ reviews the major cognitive-behavioral theorists‚ and introduces the student to the components of intake assessment, treatment planning‚ case conceptualization‚ therapeutic techniques, intervention delivery and progress monitoring. The main emphasis is on the acquisition of a range of cognitive-behavioral assessment techniques and intervention skills. The course is sensitive to diverse cultural and economic environments promoting school-wide mastery of SEL skills. There is a field experience connected with this course. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S. or Ed.D. School Psychology Program. SPY 518 and SPY 528. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This is the second of a two-course series in evidence-based mental health interventions in the schools with a focus on utilizing manualized and/or modular treatments with individuals and small groups. The course is designed to examine the need for social and emotional learning (SEL) support in a multi-tiered system of services. This course builds upon and extends candidates’ foundational knowledge of cognitive-behavioral theory (CBT), assessment and case conceptualization, treatment planning‚ therapeutic techniques, and intervention delivery and progress monitoring. The course is sensitive to diverse cultural and economic environments promoting school-wide mastery of SEL skills. There is a field experience connected with this course. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S. or Ed.D. School Psychology Program and SPY 550 (Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy Approaches I) or equivalent or permission of program coordinator. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

This is the second consultation course in a three-term sequence examining theories and practices of school-based consultation. Over the course of three terms, candidates explore school based consultation models, the role of consultation in prevention, intervention, social justice, and problem solving. In this course, candidates will continue to practice consultation skills with a specific focus on systems-level consultation, coaching, and working on school teams. Candidates are required to participate on one or more school-based teams at their practicum sites. Candidates are expected to participate in ongoing group and individual university-based supervision in conjunction with this course. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S. or Ed.D. School Psychology Program. Additionally, SPY 544. Co-requisite(s): This course must be taken concurrently with SPY 565. 3 semester hours

This course is the field experience component that is paired with SPY 508, Practices and Principles of School Psychology. An emphasis is placed upon understanding how school psychologists practice in a schools within a Multi-Tier System of Services and Supports (MTSS) and how schools and educators work to promote positive and social-emotional health. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S or Ed. D School Psychology Program. Co-requisite(s): None. 1 semester hour

This course is the school-based field experience component that is paired with SPY520, Educational Assessment for Tiered Services. Students engage in educational assessment practices using a Review, Interview, Observe, and Test (RIOT) approach for basic skills screening, progress monitoring, and intervention planning. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S or Ed.D. School Psychology Program; SPY 508. Co-requisite(s): SPY 520. 1 semester hour

This course is the school-based field experience component that is paired with SPY 538, Applied Behavior Analysis. Candidates will learn and apply basic concepts in science and behavior, selecting, defining and measuring behavior, evaluating and analyzing behavior change. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S. or Ed.D. School Psychology Program or permission of program coordinator. Co-requisite(s): SPY 538. 1 semester hour

This practicum series is designed for students seeking state certification in school psychology. Over a three-quarter period, students work in schools with practicing school psychologists and other educators in a variety of experiences consistent with their future professional role. An emphasis is placed upon promoting research-based practices in a preventive approach including early intervention for those students who need it. In addition to weekly field-based supervision, students participate in weekly on-campus faculty supervision for additional understanding, feedback, and targeted applied learning. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to the Ed.S or Ed.D. School Psychology Program; SPY 520, SPY 534, SPY 508, SPY 524, SPY 538, SPY560. Co-requisite(s): None. 1-3 semester hours

The School Psychology internship is a 10 to 12-month (1500 hour) full-time experience as a school psychologist under the supervision of licensed field-based school psychologists, and their university supervisors. This internship experience is required for eligibility for an Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) endorsement for school psychology licensure and for eligibility to be a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Pre-requisite(s): Completion of all courses required in the Ed.S. School Psychology Program or all identified coursework deficits identified for Illinois licensure as a school psychologist. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours