School Psychology Graduate Program
We offer Specialist-Level (Ed.S.) training in our School Psychology graduate program, where students can learn and apply evidence-based practices to promote students' academic, behavioral, mental health, and social-emotional development in a multi-tier service delivery model.
Our Ed.S. Program in School Psychology is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), and graduates are eligible for licensure as school psychologists by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and to become Nationally Certified School Psychologists (NCSP) by NASP. Students may enroll inn either full or part time study to complete the program and licensing requirements.
The Focus of Our School Psychology Program
School psychologists serve in roles have moved increasingly away from "test and place" for special education service to roles where school psychologists take responsibility for providing academic, behavioral, mental health, and social-emotional prevention, intervention, and consultation services and supports in schools. The profession of school psychology is in high demand given the shortage of professionals in schools who are prepared to provide supports and services to address mental health and learning needs of today's PK-12 schools.
Our students learn evidence-based, functional assessment and intervention practices with an ecological and preventive/early intervention focus. Our curriculum has been developed with program-level outcomes linked to the NASP 2020 standards, where training is built around the Program Big Ideas. The goal is to prepare our graduates to assume leadership roles in their district, not only as service providers, but as school leaders to advocate for students and social justice.
The School Psychology Program at NLU provides training that integrates both classroom and field based settings that focus on the broad knowledge base and skills that School Psychologist need. As a program approved by the National Association of School Psychologists, the program prepares students for work outlined by NASP https://www.nasponline.org/about-school-psychology/who-are-school-psychologists
