Rider University offers one of the finest school psychology programs in the country. It is one of only seven specialist-level programs in New Jersey to hold full accreditation from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). This program is designed for students seeking national certification as a school psychologist.
Making a Difference in the Lives of Children
Across the country, there is a growing need for specially trained school psychologists who can work with students, teachers, families and other professionals to promote safe and supportive learning environments. They play an increasingly important role in helping children succeed — and thrive — academically, socially and behaviorally.
Rider University’s School Psychology program will prepare students to become a productive and vital member of the school team through a highly-structured, developmental curriculum that builds on coursework and hands-on experience.
The program emphasizes problem solving and data-based decision making aimed at improving the educational and mental health of children and adolescents. Rider's innovative program provides a blend of traditional and contemporary school psychology training, including psychological assessment, cognitive assessment, multi tiered system of support/response to intervention, consultation, positive behavior support, counseling and curriculum-based measurement. And, students learn to work sensitively with people from diverse cultural and individual backgrounds.
Stefan C. Dombrowski, Ph.D.
Professor and Director, School Psychology Program
Bierenbaum Fisher Hall 202J
609-895-5448
sdombrowski@rider.edu
(64 total credits)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Foundations | ||
| EDSO 510 | Sociological and Cultural Foundations of Education | 3 |
| EDPS 508 | Cognitive Processes and Learning | 3 |
| EDPS 551 | Introduction to School Leadership & Systems | 3 |
| Human Behavior and Development | ||
| EDPS 502 | Psychological Development of the Child and Adolescent | 3 |
| or EDPS 503 | Human Growth and Development | |
| EDPS 535 | Biological Basis of Behavior | 3 |
| EDPS 538 | Developmental Child Psychopathology | 3 |
| SPED 514 | Applied Behavior Analysis for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other Behavior Needs | 3 |
| Total Credits | 21 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment and Intervention | ||
| EDPS 500 | Cognitive Assessment | 3 |
| EDPS 514 | Standardized Measures of Academics and Behavior | 3 |
| EDPS 515 | Curriculum-Based Assessment and Measurement | 3 |
| EDPS 509 | Psychoeducational Assessment and Report Writing | 3 |
| EDPS 510 | Assessment of Behavioral and Social-Emotional Functioning | 3 |
| EDPS 570 | Advanced Interventions for Children, Adolescents and Families | 3 |
| EDPS 581 | Practicum in Psychoeducational Assessment and Report Writing | 1 |
| EDPS 582 | Practicum in the Assessment of Behaviorial and Social-Emotional Needs | 1 |
| EDPS 584 | Practicum in Curriculum-Based Measures | 1 |
| Consultation | ||
| CNPY 515 | Consultation in School and Agency Settings | 3 |
| EDPS 583 | Practicum in Consultation in School and Agency Settings | 1 |
| Research | ||
| EDUC 500 | Introduction To Research | 3 |
| EDPS 521 | Statistics and Quantitative Analysis | 3 |
| Professional Practice | ||
| EDPS 513 | Professional Practice of School Psychology: Issues and Historical, Ethical, and Legal Considerations | 3 |
| EDPS 590 | Internship in School Psychology I | 3 |
| EDPS 591 | Internship in School Psych II | 3 |
| Counseling Psychology | ||
| Students are expected to complete 400 practicum hours prior to their internship. During each practicum, students will develop specific skills in the field relative to associated coursework and under program faculty's supervision. | ||
| EDPS 550 | Counseling for the School Psychologist | 3 |
| Total Credits | 43 | |
Internship serves as the culminating experience consisting of 1,200 hours. The internship occurs on a full-time basis over the period of one year OR on a part-time basis over two consecutive years.
EDPS 500 Cognitive Assessment 3 Credits
This course addresses contemporary intellectual theories and the process and procedure of cognitive assessment. It presents the relevant issues related to intelligence testing and interpretation. Through a variety of pedagogical approaches, students acquire needed skills in administering, scoring, and interpreting results from contemporary tests of cognitive ability.
Prerequisite(s): EDPS 513.
EDPS 502 Psychological Development of the Child and Adolescent 3 Credits
Discusses principles and theories of lifespan development from conception through adolescence. The analysis, interpretation, and practical implications of significant research that has contributed most to the knowledge of human development of the child and adolescent will be presented. Developmental principles/processes in relation to counseling and evaluating children and adolescents as well as an understanding of individual differences and mental health will also be discussed.
EDPS 503 Human Growth and Development 3 Credits
Provides an overview and broad understanding of life span developmental theories and research applied to counseling services with special emphasis on developmental processes, individual differences and mental health. Includes strategies for working with developmental issues across the life span.
EDPS 508 Cognitive Processes and Learning 3 Credits
This course deals with what is known relative to the principles of cognitive psychology and their application to learning. The flow of information is followed from where it begins through the processes of integration and storage. Cognitive principles will be studied relative to concept formation, reasoning, and problem solving. Their relationship to specific educational tasks such as the teaching of reading, writing, mathematics, and other content will be explored and confirmed through empirical evidence.
EDPS 509 Psychoeducational Assessment and Report Writing 3 Credits
This course furnishes students with the clinical, practical, and theoretical sophistication to understand the assessment and report writing process for academic, behavioral, adaptive, and social-emotional concerns. Students are expected to master a wide range of concepts and skills to successfully complete this course including integrating multiple pieces of assessment data for case conceptualization, classification, and treatment recommendation. Students are required to synthesize data from multiple methods of assessment and sources to produce written psychoeducational reports that inform intervention practice.
Prerequisite(s): EDPS 513.
EDPS 510 Assessment of Behavioral and Social-Emotional Functioning 3 Credits
The assessment of behavioral and social-emotional functioning is studied from an empirically based, problem-solving model that links directly to intervention. Students learn to select appropriate assessment tools to match individual referral questions so as to evaluate the behavioral and social/emotional problems of children and adolescents.
Prerequisite(s): EDPS 513.
EDPS 513 Professional Practice of School Psychology: Issues and Historical, Ethical, and Legal Considerations 3 Credits
This course is designed to provide an introduction to school psychology through an analysis of the contemporary roles and functions of school psychologists. Professional issues are explored in the context of the history and evolution of school psychology as a specialty area of professional psychology. In addition, the study of professional ethics, best practices, and standards for delivery of school psychological services that have been adopted by national organizations representing the profession of school psychology will be reviewed.
EDPS 514 Standardized Measures of Academics and Behavior 3 Credits
This course will increase students’ understanding of the standardized assessment process, measurement issues, psychometric properties of assessment instruments, and the role of these instruments in informing academic, behavioral, and social-emotional interventions.
EDPS 515 Curriculum-Based Assessment and Measurement 3 Credits
This course will build upon students’ knowledge and skills in individual-referenced assessment based upon the standards and general curriculum. Students will be able to design, administer, score, and interpret curriculum-based assessment and link these data to intervention.
EDPS 520 Measurement,Tests and Assessments in Counseling 3 Credits
The primary goal of this course is to provide an understanding of the role of tests in a counseling relationship and of ways to select, administer, and interpret assessments for a wide variety of purposes. Students must first master some elementary statistical concepts due to their importance in understanding assessment. The basic measurement concepts of validity and reliability will be introduced and used to help students understand their role in selection of tests. Other selection criteria, administration, scoring methods, and test interpretation will enable students to evaluate, employ and interpret tests and other assessment procedures.
EDPS 521 Statistics and Quantitative Analysis 3 Credits
This introductory statistics course will cover basic descriptive and inferential statistics for use in counseling, school psychology, and education. Students will learn how to interpret and evaluate statistics in empirical articles and to understand some of the considerations in selecting and using different statistical techniques. In addition, they will learn to analyze data and interpret output using statistical software.
EDPS 535 Biological Basis of Behavior 3 Credits
This course will emphasize a biological approach to the study of psychology and behavior. Topics studied will include the following: 1) the genetics of human psychological differences; 2) the anatomy of the nervous system; 3) psychopharmacology; 4) neuropsychological diseases (e.g., epilepsy, autism, multiple sclerosis); 5) memory and amnesia; 6) sleeping, dreaming, and circadian rhythms; and 7) the biopsychology of mental health difficulties.
EDPS 538 Developmental Child Psychopathology 3 Credits
The course will furnish students with a comprehensive account of the characteristics, correlates, causes, contexts, and outcomes of psychopathology in children. It serves to augment students’ understanding of specific conditions in childhood and adolescence including autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, mental retardation, childhood anxiety/depression, enuresis/encopresis, learning disabilities, communication disorders including selective mutism, and emotional/behavioral disorders. The diagnostic nosologies of the DSM and IDEA will be referenced and thoroughly discussed. A special emphasis upon a developmental-systems framework for understanding child psychopathology will be presented wherein the importance of context and the influence of multiple, interacting events and processes in shaping adaptive and maladaptive development will be investigated.
EDPS 550 Counseling for the School Psychologist 3 Credits
This course provides an introduction to the theory (e.g., humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, family systems) and practice of counseling. It offers students the opportunity to observe and practice individual and group counseling skills. Under closely supervised conditions, students will develop basic skills in intake interviewing, active listening, creation of case notes, and generation of treatment plans. A fundamental understanding of legal and professional practice in counseling (e.g., limits to confidentiality, informed consent, dual relationships) will also be discussed.
Prerequisite(s): EDPS 513 with a minimum grade of 'B'.
EDPS 551 Introduction to School Leadership & Systems 3 Credits
This introductory course will provide school psychology students with a conceptual framework for understanding kindergarten to grade 12 school systems. Theories and issues of educational governance, leadership, multitiered systems of support, school climate/culture, conflict resolution, decision-making, organizational problem solving, and school change will be examined and applied through lecture, class discussion, case studies, and student inquiry/research projects and presentations.
Prerequisite(s): EDPS 513 with a minimum grade of 'B'.
EDPS 570 Advanced Interventions for Children, Adolescents and Families 3 Credits
This course provides opportunity to expand each student’s knowledge and skills in the development of effective interventions to meet academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs. Currently accepted practices based upon the individual’s referral problem will be explored. Intervention will be approached from a problem-solving model and based on current assessment data. Case studies will be used to link theory and application.
Prerequisite(s): EDPS 513.
EDPS 581 Practicum in Psychoeducational Assessment and Report Writing 1 Credits
This practicum experience provides supervised practice in administering, scoring, and interpreting an array of individually administered assessment instruments for the purpose of producing a written psychological report that is linked to intervention.
Prerequisite(s): EDPS 513.
EDPS 582 Practicum in the Assessment of Behaviorial and Social-Emotional Needs 1 Credits
This practicum experience provides supervised practice using the techniques and methods taught in EDPS 510 Assessment of Behavioral and Social-Emotional Needs. Students will be expected to complete a Functional Behavioral Assessment including recommendations for a behavior intervention plan and a means to monitor and evaluate the target student’s progress.
Prerequisite(s): EDPS 513.
EDPS 583 Practicum in Consultation in School and Agency Settings 1 Credits
This practicum experience provides supervised practice in the study, implementation, and evaluation of a problem-solving model to provide consultation across school and agency settings. Students will be expected to successfully initiate and lead the 4-step consultation process resulting in a databased intervention. The consultation will be documented in a formal report.
Prerequisite(s): EDPS 513.
EDPS 584 Practicum in Curriculum-Based Measures 1 Credits
This practicum provides supervised experience in identifying academic needs of students utilizing curriculum-based assessment (CBA) methods within a problem-solving framework. Students will practice the selection and administration of appropriate CBA tools to match referral question(s) at the individual, class-wide and school-wide levels. Students will also practice assessment of the academic environment by conducting structured direct observation of the classroom. Students will summarize and analyze assessment data, develop goals and objectives and make recommendations for intervention.
Prerequisite(s): EDPS 513.
EDPS 590 Internship in School Psychology I 3 Credits
The student functions as a school psychologist in a 600-hour approved field placement under the supervision of a certified school psychologist. At least 50 percent of the internship must occur in a school setting. Additionally, students attend weekly seminars that deal with issues related to professional ethics, problem-solving and intervention design, and group supervision. The internship occurs at the end of the student’s program.
EDPS 591 Internship in School Psych II 3 Credits
The student functions as a school psychologist in a 600-hour approved field placement under the supervision of a certified school psychologist. At least 50 percent of the internship must occur in a school setting. Additionally, students attend weekly seminars that deal with issues related to professional ethics, problem-solving and intervention design, and group supervision. The internship occurs at the end of the student’s program.
Prerequisite(s): EDPS 590.
EDPS 600 Independent Research and Study in School Psychology 1-3 Credits
Course content varies with the academic research interests of students who wish to engage in independent study related to the overall content of school psychology.
EDSO 510 Sociological and Cultural Foundations of Education 3 Credits
The American public school as a social organization which influences and is influenced by local, national and international cultural evolution. An exposition and analysis of the vibrant multicultural issues that sometimes determine the outcome of public education. An exploration of contemporary educational problems and challenges resulting from changing social and cultural conditions. A perceptive and reflective placement of these changes in a historical context to enable students put the future in perspective.
EDUC 500 Introduction To Research 3 Credits
This course will provide students with the tools to evaluate the claims and uses of research related to teaching, counseling, and psychology. Students will learn how to find and critique the literature, and will be able to conduct some of their own basic evaluative research to assess the efficacy of their practice and programs. At the conclusion of the course, students will have developed an understanding of rigorous research and evaluation design, and will have skills in data analysis and interpretation.
SPED 514 Applied Behavior Analysis for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other Behavior Needs 3 Credits
This course is designed to provide extensive knowledge and practice in meeting the behavioral challenges of individuals through Applied Behavior Analysis for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other behavioral issues. Candidates will receive instruction in a problem-solving approach to identify the possible function(s) of problem behavior and the design of proactive, positive behavior intervention plans that emphasize the teaching of appropriate alternative skills. An emphasis is placed upon behavior change strategies, which intervene on antecedent events, teach appropriate alternative skills, and provide supports in the natural environment. Multi-component interventions also are designed to include the interest and preferences of the target student. Legal and ethical considerations are considered. An experience in the field will enable students to apply knowledge in a realistic classroom setting.
Prerequisite(s): SPED 512.