Virginia Law

The school psychology program shall ensure that the candidate has demonstrated the following competencies:

1. Knowledge of basic teaching and learning principles and the conditions under which they operate maximally, including academic environment and instructional match.

2. Knowledge and application of psychological foundations of human functioning, including biological bases of behavior; cultural diversity; infant, child, and adolescent development; effects of poverty and lack of opportunity on learning; interplay between behavior, learning and motivation; personality theory; human learning; and social bases of behavior and mental health, to ensure student academic achievement, student growth and development, and mental health.

3. Knowledge of and skill at applying educational foundations of schooling, including education of exceptional learners; evidence-based instructional and remedial interventions, techniques, and strategies; formative and summative evaluation; evidence-based behavioral interventions; and organization and operations of schools, to ensure effective collaboration with other school professionals toward implementing school practices that promote learning and mental health.

4. Knowledge of various methods for assessing students' cognitive processes and abilities and skill in administering a variety of such methods; knowledge of various methods for assessing student academic strengths and weaknesses and skill in administering a variety of such methods; knowledge of various methods for assessing student interpersonal emotional and social and behavioral functioning and skill in administering a variety of such methods; and knowledge of universal screening measures designed for early and tiered academic and behavioral intervention. Knowledge of a variety of progress monitoring tools, especially student growth percentiles and skill in implementing at least two such tools.

5. Understanding and knowledge of direct and indirect methods of academic and behavioral intervention, and proficiency in delivering such interventions, including:

a. Counseling on an individual, group, and family basis;

b. Consulting with administrators, teachers, parents, and other professionals about student problems and appropriate change strategies;

c. Designing and implementing individual and group behavior change programs; designing, implementing, and evaluating crisis intervention and threat, such as self-directed and other-directed assessment programs; and

d. Designing and implementing academic and instructional interventions.

6. Statistics and research design, measurement, and program evaluation.

7. The profession of psychology applied to schools, including:

a. Basic knowledge of the standards of practice promoted by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP);

b. Knowledge of and skill with several basic problem-solving schemes;

c. Knowledge of and ability to identify the variety of mental health problems exhibited by infants, children, and adolescents through age 21 years, including the ability to collaborate with other community-based professionals and private practitioners in providing wraparound services to the extent possible or considered as systems of care philosophy;

d. History and foundations of school psychology;

e. Legal and ethical issues of practicing in schools;

f. Professional issues and standards related to practicing as a psychologist in a public school setting; and

g. Knowledge of the roles of all individuals practicing and working in a public school setting.

8. Understanding of and proficiency in grammar, usage, and mechanics and their integration in writing.

9. Understanding of and proficiency in pedagogy to incorporate writing as an instructional and assessment tool for candidates to generate, gather, plan, organize, and present ideas in writing to communicate for a variety of purposes.

10. The candidate shall have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and completed 60 graduate hours, 54 of which are academic coursework, exclusive of field-based experiences, that culminate in at least a master's degree.

11. The candidate shall complete an internship in school psychology that is documented by the degree granting institution. The internship experience shall occur on a full-time basis over a period of one year or on a half-time basis over a period of two consecutive years. The internship shall occur under conditions of appropriate supervision, such as the school-based supervisor shall be licensed as either a school or clinical psychologist. The internship shall include experiences at multiple age levels, at least one half of which shall be in an accredited schooling setting.