Psychology Program Earns Approval

Sam Houston State graduate students who earn their degrees in school psychology through Dec. 21, 2010, can complete their degrees knowing they will not only have a master’s degree but can also be a nationally certified school psychologist due to the recent full approval by the National Association of School Psychologists.

The department of psychology and philosophy’s Master of Arts in school psychology program is now one of 161 universities across the country with either conditional or full NASP approval for post-graduate level programs.

Of those 161, only eight programs in Texas have been fully approved, three of which are on the doctoral level, and one other has been approved conditionally in Texas as of June 2005, according to department chair Donna Desforges.

“The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is delighted that another of our programs has been nationally recognized for the excellent work they are doing,” said Jerry Bruce, professor of psychology and CHSS associate dean. “NASP recognition means the SHSU school psychology program will be listed in the premier site for information on the profession of school psychology.”

In order to receive the full approval, the program had to complete a “very substantial” self-study package and engage in a program development process, showing evidence of compliance with NASP standards not only on the faculty level, but performance documentation from student candidates must be submitted as well, according to Desforges.

She attributes the program’s approval in part to Marsha Harman and Ramona Noland, whom she said put forth a “tremendous effort” in the process.

“Three years ago we submitted our first self-study application and received a three-year approval at a time when many other universities failed to get approval,” she said. “This time around, we were granted the five-year approval.

“This is significant because the standards and requirements have become much more stringent,” she said.

Desforges said the approval has several implications for the program including continuing to attract top students in the field, as well as recruiting and retaining top-quality faculty members, the latter of which will be a “key factor that NASP will be looking for when we undergo our next review in five years.

“We also expect that this approval will enable us to grow our training program,” she said. “Working toward, achieving and maintaining this approval is the right thing to do for our students, which is why we're all here.”

Not only does this approval have implications for SHSU, but for the students in the program as well.

A graduate of a NASP-approved program is automatically eligible to become a nationally certified school psychologist, pending documentation of an internship consistent with NASP standards and passing the national school psychology examination administered by Educational Testing Service.

In Texas, graduates of the program are eligible to become Licensed Specialists in School Psychology, granted by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, according to Bruce.

“NASP maintains very high standards for the programs they approve,” he said. “It becomes much more difficult for students to receive the specialist designation for school psychology, which they need in order to practice, if they do not graduate from a school so designated.”

Students with a degree from a NASP-approved university also reap its benefits when it comes time to find a job, Desforges said.

“They can be confident that their program of study has provided them with a national focus for work in this field, and as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, they can find work as a school psychologist in most states across the country,” she said. “NASP has worked diligently since the early 1980s to make this national certification available, and very few professions offer this level of reciprocity between states.”

This kind of approval is especially crucial in a time when the demand for school psychologists is exceptionally strong and on the rise, said school psychologist and assistant professor of psychology Ramona Noland.

“The profession currently faces large-scale retirements and subsequent shortages of trained school psychologists to fill positions nationwide,” Noland said.

“School psychologists serve all age groups from infancy through college and work in a variety of settings, with the most common setting being public and nonpublic school systems,” Noland continued. “School psychologists help children and youth succeed academically, socially and emotionally by teaming with educators, parents and other mental health professionals to create safe, healthy and supportive learning environments.”

In order to receive NASP approval again after 2010, the program must continue with ongoing program development, as well as continue the self-study process over the course of the five years of program approval.

NASP is a constituent member of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and conducts independent program reviews as part of the NCATE unit or institutional accreditation process.

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SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt
Feb. 16, 2006
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