School Psychology

Overview

Program Faculty

Professors: Mark Steege, PhD, BCBA-D
Associate Professors: Jamie Pratt, PsyD, BCBA-D and Garry Wickerd, PhD, NCSP, BCBA
Assistant Professor: Sacha Shaw, PhD, BCBA-D
Clinical Faculty: Samantha Blair, PhD, NCSP

Program Mission and Philosophy

The School Psychology programs at the University of Southern Maine prepare graduates for careers as professionally credentialed school psychologists.

Our mission is to prepare professional school psychologists to provide collaborative, culturally responsive, and evidence-based school psychology services that help all children succeed academically, socially, emotionally and behaviorally. The program seeks to prepare school psychologists for practice by emphasizing the knowledge and skills endorsed by the National Association of School Psychologists.

Coursework and field placements are designed to promote general knowledge in the fields of education and psychology and targeted competencies in assessment, intervention, consultation, and applied research.

To prepare professional school psychologists to advance equitable learning and mental and behavioral health outcomes for diverse students, our curriculum reflects a philosophical commitment to evidence-based practice, collaborative problem-solving, data-based decision-making and applied behavior analysis.

Evidence-Based Practice. A commitment to evidence-based practice is foundational to school psychology practice. School psychologists engage in empirically supported practices by (a) conducting reliable and valid assessments that account for diversity factors and (b) recommending and applying interventions that have been subject to scientific analysis and shown to yield socially meaningful outcomes.
Collaborative Problem-Solving. School psychologists utilize a collaborative problem-solving approach as the basis for all professional activities. They partner with students, educators, families, and others to provide a continuum of culturally responsive services that include assessment, intervention, consultation, and outcomes evaluation.
Data-Based Decision-Making. School psychologists utilize reliable and valid assessment data to (a) determine students’ eligibility for services, (b) design student and systems-level interventions, and (c) monitor students’ progress and evaluate program outcomes. School psychologists gather meaningful data to support the academic, social-emotional, and behavioral success of all students.
Applied Behavior Analysis. School psychologists conduct functional assessments to inform the design of individually tailored, behavior-analytic interventions that promote meaningful improvements in students’ academic, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. School psychologists collaborate with families and school-based teams to design, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions.

Programs of Study

The USM School Psychology program offers two degrees:

Education Specialist (EdS) in School Psychology (67 credits)
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in School Psychology (109 credits)

Both degree programs include requirements for coursework, field-based experiences, and applied research projects. The doctoral program expands on the specialist-level program by emphasizing knowledge across multiple subfields in professional psychology and advanced competencies in (a) applied research, (b) clinical supervision, and (c) assessment and intervention for school-aged children with low incidence, high intensity academic, social-emotional, and behavioral needs.

Graduates of both programs are eligible to apply for state and national certification as School Psychologists. These credentials permit the full range of professional practice within school settings. Graduates of the doctoral program who obtain a year of postdoctoral supervision also may be eligible to apply for licensure in psychology, which expands career opportunities beyond school settings (e.g., clinics and hospitals).