School Psychology Philosophy

The CSULB  school psychology program is based on an ecological theoretical perspective (Brofenbrenner, 1979). By promoting an ecological model, our students learn to understand that student achievement and behavioral difficulties result from a discrepancy between the developing capabilities of the student and the multiple demands of his/her environment (Ogbu, 1981; Sroufe, 1979).

Accordingly, our students are well versed in the varied conditions of risk and sources of resiliency that impact child development, with a particular emphasis on manipulable rather than static conditions (Wang, Haertal, & Walberg, 1993).  For example, beginning at the center of an ecological system with the child, our program teaches future school psychologists to assess a student's prior learning, and cognitive, social, emotional, and perceptual skills in order to make recommendations for accommodations, interventions, and services (Gresham, & Noell, 1999; Kamphaus, Reynolds, & Imperato-McCammon, 1999; Reschly, 1997).

More importantly, our program prepares future school psychologists to assist in developing personal competencies such as confidence, perseverance, conflict resolution, and organization among students at-risk for school failure (Bernard, 2000).

An ecological model does not solely focus on the learner.  Recognizing that learning is a transactional process in which the learner is affected and affects the learning environment and the learning process, our program emphasizes the proximal and distal environmental influences of family, home-school collaboration, peers, neighborhoods, communities, world of work, public policies and culture.

For example, home-school collaboration is correlated with student test scores, grades, self-concept, behaviors, attendance, academic engagement, and suspension rates (Christenson, Rounds, Gorney, 1992; Comer, 1984).  Our CSULB students receive extensive preparation in consulting and collaborating with parents and teachers on modifying the learning environment so that the effectiveness of both parents and teachers is maximized (Zins &Erchul, 1995; Gutkin & Curtis, 1999).

Recognizing that teacher preparation and competency is as influential on student outcomes as home environment and student characteristics (Darling-Hammond, 1997), the program teaches future school psychologists to identify and promote best practices in instruction and curriculum modification for all students, including those with exceptional needs (Gersten & Baker, 2000; Rosenshine, 1997; Swanson, 2000).

School psychologists are often called on during times of crises.  Therefore, our program trains students to respond to crisis according to best practices (Poland, Pitcher & Lazarus, 1995), and more importantly, to be actively involved in crisis prevention programs (Domitrovich & Greenberg, 2000;  Meyers & Nastasi, 1999).  Training in crisis prevention and intervention is based on the theoretical tenets described above – increasing personal competency and resiliency among students, forging strong school/home/community partnerships, and preparing teachers to respond to student needs.

Because school psychology has become an increasingly litigious profession, our program is also grounded in current legal and ethical guidelines for practices (AERA, APA, NCME, 2000; Pryzwanski, 1993). Our students are taught to apply both high quality research results (Phillips, 1999) and the current legal requirements in making decisions about assessment and interventions for students with and without disabilities.

In summary, the program relies on a variety of knowledge bases to prepare its students for the ever changing role of a school psychologist.

Last update: 3/23/06