School Psychology as a Career free essay sample

School Psychology Career paper Psychology 250 My subject of attention is school psychology and career choice is school psychology. I have researched this topic and found lots of valuable information to discuss. I will cover all aspects of this career including a definition of what it involves on a day to day basis, why I have chosen this career as my subject of interest, common personality characteristics and values that go along well with this job. I will also talk about the minimum requirements and educational path that must be followed for this career choice along with advancement opportunities.Lastly, I will discuss the leading companies in this area, local perspectives, and present outlooks and salaries that can be expected here and in other U. S. geographical areas. School psychologists work with public and private schools. They directly assess and counsel students at these schools. School psychologists have consultations with school staff and parents while also conducting behavioral interventions when needed. We will write a custom essay sample on School Psychology as a Career or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page According to Landrum and Davis (2009) â€Å"they help people within the educational system maintain the intellectual, social, and emotional development of children at the school† ( p. 5). They also help create optimal learning environments and atmospheres that foster positive mental health. I find this field intriguing because working in a school with children, parents, teachers, and other school personnel seems very interesting to me. I like the idea of working with various groups of people compared to just with one specific group. School psychologists can obtain jobs working with early childhood, elementary schools, and secondary schools. The overall goal is to work with all of the groups mentioned above to create a school that is healthy and safe. Students deserve to have a supportive learning environment. If students have learning and/or behavioral problems the school psychologist will address these issues while making helpful suggestions to teachers and parents. This can include parenting techniques used and classroom management strategies. The psychologist will do an evaluation of students who are both disabled and gifted and talented. Providing alternative, helpful ways to educate these students is always the goal to aim for. Educational institutions employ psychologists that teach, counsel, test, research, and take part in administration.By understanding the psychology of learning environments, school psychologists improve socialization, teaching, and learning strategies. Academic programs are evaluated for their effectiveness by psychologists. Other areas that are looked at by these professionals are prevention programs and behavior management procedures that schools may implement on a day to day basis It helps a lot if people going into the field of school psychology possess certain personality characteristics and values.Some of these include heightened sensitivity to the environment of diversity that they live in, ability to self-reflect and adjust their own behavior so that is appropriate, basic empathetic and caring attitudes, wanting to increase human dignity and human welfare, and participating as a team-player among many while following ethics and laws related to career. They must also be emotionally stable, mature, compassionate, patient, possess great communication skills and perseverance, able to inspire and lead others, and work both independently and with teams.Next, I will talk about the educational requirements for entry into the fiel d of school psychology and salary possibilities with advancement options. A master’s or doctoral degree are necessary for most psychologists. There are a few states that only requilre a master’s degree in Psychology to fulfill the school psychology requirements. The doctoral degree for school psychology includes a year internship as part of the program. Most states however, require a specialist degree or its equivalent for a person to work as a school psychologist. A specialist degree (Ed. S. in school psychology requires a minimum of three years of full-time graduate study which equals at least sixty graduate semester hours and a full-time one year internship. Coursework along this path demands both education and psychology due to the nature of the work. There are mental health components and educational aspects. The masters degree in psychology requires at least two years of full-time graduate study and usually includes practical experience in an applied setting and a thesis based on personal research that is original. Getting accepted into graduate programs for psychology can be full of competition.School psychologists must meet credential and licensing requirements for individual states. These vary state by state. The licensing varies by type of position and is based on professional competence through training and experience. Some states require continuing education for renewal of licenses. According to Landrum and Davis (2009) â€Å"right now twenty-nine states recognize the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) designation on a national level† (p. 73). Credentials transfer from state to state in this case and new credential exams do not have to be taken when moving from one of these states to another.Requirements for the NCSP include completion of sixty graduate semester hours in school psychology, a twelve hundred hour internship (six hundred hours in school setting), and a passing score on the National School Psychology exam. Psychologists can improve their opportunities of advancement by earning advanced degrees and by participating in continuing education (Jacob, Susan. , 2003). The average annual salary in school psychology in 2006 was $59,440. The middle fifty percent earned from $45,300 to $77,750. The lowest ten percent earned less than $35,280 and the highest ten percent earned more than $102,730.The median annual earnings in the industries employing the highest number of school psychologists was $61,290 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2008-2009). Leading companies in the area that employ school psychologists are obviously schools in the area, both private and public. I will focus on the Minneapolis Public school district locally. The local perspective on this career is one of increased opportunities for employment by sixteen percent in the next ten years (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2008-2009). This is a very positive outlook and will allow practice to increase.These school psychologists working in the Minneapolis public school district will spend their time doing many different things. Pre-referral interventions, consultations and evaluations, dealing with behavioral issues and early intervention, assessment through direct and indirect methods, and using the Minneapolis Problem-Solving Model (Christenson, Sandra L. , 1994). Psychologists focus on school staff, parents, and others concerning student, classroom, and school-wide needs is essential to this area and its needs.Providing individual and group intervention services includes social skills training and crisis intervention and response. Providing training to staff and parents is important. There are various state and federal laws that need to be followed as well when dealing with the public school system (Christenson, Sandra L. , 1994). Job prospects in school psychology in the U. S. are very good. The Department of Labor cites employment opportunities in the field among the best across all fields of psychology.This includes both the specialist and doctoral levels. Apparently, seventy-four percent of school psychologists are female with an average age of forty-six (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2008-2009). Since school psychologists are experts in both psychology and education this can be challenging as a career. Application of knowledge about human development, psychopathology, impact of culture, learning theory, principles of effective instruction and effective schools, and impact of parent and family functioning on children to serve families and learners.The school psychologist must follow the scientist-practitioner framework and does make decisions based on research that is empirical (Christenson, Sandra L. , 1994). It is important to note that not all school psychologist are employed by schools. This was a surprise to me personally. I thought all of them worked in schools. Many practice in other places such as clinics, hospitals, forensic settings, correctional facilities, universities, and also independents practice. This includes those with doctoral degrees in the field which opens a lot of doors career-wise.