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The Ohio State University
School Psychology
Program Philosophy
Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century, a societal emphasis has been
placed on schools to provide a better future for children through a life-long
educative process. In their professional roles, school psychologists are
sensitive to the needs of a culturally diverse community, value the importance
of children to the future of society, and advocate on the behalf of children. As
an integral part of human services available to children, adolescents, adults,
and families, school psychologists function across multiple settings with a
focus on educational institutions. School psychologists address diverse referral
issues with varied services such as consultation, counseling and other
social-emotional interventions, academic and behavioral interventions,
psychoeducational assessment, inservice education, administrative services,
research and evaluation.
The primary distinction that
separates school psychology from other areas of professional psychological is
the combining of education and psychology in the study and delivery of services
to children, youth, families, and learners of all ages. The additional focus of
education to this area of psychology stems from the assumption that "schools
play a primary nurturing and socializing role " in the lives of all individuals.
School psychologists focus on the natural ecologies of children, youth,
families, learners, and persons involved in schooling; and the process of
schooling in multiple settings. Because of the training in both education and
psychology, school psychologists are in a unique position to coordinate
educational, psychological, and behavioral health services to learners across
the life span.
The school psychology program
at The Ohio State University (OSU) is guided by a transtheoretical framework, a
model of training, and a specialty focus. The transtheoretical framework
permeates the entire program including coursework, practica experience, and
mentoring relationships with faculty, and provides a shared mission for the
students and faculty. The specific framework used as the overarching philosophy
to the program is the ecological model based on both the works of Bronfenbrenner
(ecological model) and Bandura (reciprocal determinism) and it focuses on the
multiple systems in which children exist. In addition, current research in the
areas of child neuropsychology, cognitive neuroscience, and developmental
psychopathology provides a foundational understanding of the ways in which
genetic, biological, and environmental factors play a role in the lives of
children. While students are trained in school psychology practice through a
specific framework, they are also exposed to numerous psychological theories
(i.e. behavioral, cognitive, socio-cultural, constructionistic, humanistic,
social learning) that offer a balance between a shared mission and a more
comprehensive approach to training. This perspective recognizes the complex
interaction of person variables within and across multiple systems. The
following premises are used as a foundation for this transtheoretical
perspective and a visual diagram of this model is also included.
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The client, usually the
child, is both the center of and an active participant in the ecological
model. These variables (e.g. biological and genetic make-up, internal
representations of psychological constructs, metacognition) demonstrate that
to some extent behavior is under the control of the child and that the child
possesses the ability to rationally reflect on and modify his/her interaction
with the environment.
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The child resides in
multiple systems that have both direct and indirect influences. The
microsystem includes immediate environments such as home, school, and
community. Larger systems such as the cultural and political context of the
community (e.g., exosystem and macrosystem) influence the child's microsystem
indirectly.
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A reciprocal relationship
exists between child and system. The child acts on his/her environment
exerting control and influence over variables in the immediate and larger
systems. Also, the multiple contexts in which the child resides influence the
psychosocial development, adjustment and educational experiences and
performance of the child.
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Psychologists intervene in
the ecology in multiple ways. For existing concerns, problems are defined with
information related to the child, the multiple contexts, and the interaction
between the child and context. This information guides the practice of
psychology including prevention, assessment and intervention services.
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Additionally, psychologists
provide services that assist in the creation of healthy individuals and
systems. These services focus on wellness and maintenance of healthy
environments and individuals.
The
scientist-practitioner model of training was used as a guide in creating six
program goals, four that are practice-oriented, one that is research-oriented
and one that focuses on the acquisition of professional skills. The practice
goals include acquiring foundational knowledge in psychology and education,
understanding the importance of individual differences in psychological service
delivery, linking assessment to intervention skills, and developing professional
interpersonal skills. These practice goals cut across the multiple needs of
learners to provide a balanced approach to training psychologists. As increasing
demands are placed on school personnel to meet the holistic needs of children,
comprehensive psychological services that address the academic, behavioral, and
social-emotional needs of children need to be provided in the school setting.
The school psychologist is in a prime position to provide these services and
bridge the psychological and educational worlds of children. However, these
services are best provided when guided by ethical and professional standards of
behavior.
In
addition to intersecting the practice goals with learner needs, the research
goal cuts across each of the practice goals to entirely reflect the
scientist-practitioner model of training. All students are taught to use the
scientific model to make clinical decisions by operationalizing problems,
identifying appropriate data collection techniques, analyzing and interpreting
data collected, and utilizing the findings to determine the efficacy of and need
for change in interventions. These clinical decision-making skills are applied
to the development of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional interventions.
Throughout the program, a developmental balance between knowledge and skills is
maintained. The doctoral programs begins with coursework that focuses on
students acquiring the knowledge and beginning skills necessary to practice with
structured guidance and field-based assignments. Students then complete practica
refining their clinical and leadership skills and applying psychological
research and theory to practice. Finally, professional autonomy is developed
with supervision while on internship.
Finally, the faculty shares a common goal of training school psychology students
to meet the needs of children in urban settings with a focus on early
intervention. This specialty focus, although integrated heavily throughout
coursework, is actually an added area of training that all students in the
school psychology program receive. The OSU program is committed to preparing
school psychologists to work in not only suburban and rural areas but to also
acquire a better understanding of the psychological and educational dynamics
related to stressors in urban settings. Recognizing that children in urban areas
experience additional challenges related to population density (e. g., poverty,
family and community violence), the urban specialty focus allows students to
understand issues of poverty in particular and how these issues influence the
lives of children in any setting. |
