Growing school psychology program awarded NASP accreditation once again

The graduate program in school psychology at Saint Rose recently received accreditation once again from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), meaning students can feel secure in the knowledge that the Saint Rose program meets and exceeds NASP’s rigorous national standard for graduate preparation.

“We are truly committed to meeting and exceeding the gold standard of school psychology preparation. School psychologists have a direct impact upon the lives of children, families, classrooms, and the community at large. The work that we do as a professional training program has a far-reaching impact well beyond the Saint Rose campus,” said Dr. Andrew Shanock, associate professor of school psychology at Saint Rose. “By going through our program, the students know that they will be most prepared for completing the duties of a school psychologist. They will be well trained to address the mental health, social, and academic needs of all children, provide support and guidance to educators, and be leaders within the educational community.”

The school psychology degree is offered at the master’s level and operates in student cohorts that work together for the three years required by the 69-credit, full-time program. The program has been accredited by NASP since 2009. Accreditation now runs through February 1, 2028.

By completing the College’s NASP-accredited program and passing the Praxis II School Psychology exam, students will be eligible to become Nationally Certified School Psychologists (NCSP). For well over a decade, Saint Rose students have had a 100% pass rate on the exam and the College is one of the top producers of Nationally Certified School Psychologists (NCSP) in the United States.

The faculty constantly receive requests for school psychologists from districts around the country. This demand is thanks in part to the strong representation of program alums in Massachusetts, Vermont, Arizona, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, and California, in addition to New York. Program graduates are valued for their broad skill base, which includes counseling and consultation, testing and evaluation, and mental-health and academic intervention, honed by experience working with all different types of populations – rural, urban, suburban.

And the College’s enrollment in school psychology is rising. Since Fall 2017, school psychology enrollment has grown 45%. In Fall 2020, new student enrollment increased 39% over Fall 2019.

The program has also increased its student diversity ¬– gender identity, sexual identity, race, culture, ethnicity, nationality, and disability status – thanks to a federal grant for Project THRIVE, which supports school-psychology and special-education candidates, and especially encourages candidates from underrepresented groups.

“We will continue to address issues of social justice and diversity within the field of school psychology,” Shanock said. “We are being purposeful and mindful in recruiting students who are from underrepresented or minoritized groups. We are committed to being on the forefront of providing educational and mental health services to children via remote technologies.”