School Psychology EdS
Major: School Psychology
Degree Awarded: Education Specialist (EdS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 90.0
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 42.2805
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 19-3031
About the Program
The Drexel University School Psychology Educational Specialist (EdS) Program embraces a scientist/practitioner model of training. The program will develop school psychologists to use scientific inquiry, problem-solving, and a parsimonious approach to data analysis and outcome interpretation in their research and practice. This is a full-time, hybrid cohort model - therefore all students are expected to be in the Philadelphia area. With the cohort model, all students begin practicum in the first year, through our partnerships with the local schools. This full-time hybrid format means all school psychology (EDSP) courses are in-person, and the remaining coursework is online, utilizing both synchronous and asynchronous learning activities. In the third year of the program, students apply skills learned through coursework by completing a 1200-hour internship under the supervision of a certified school psychologist.
The program adopts and supports the ecological/behavioral orientation in psychology, focusing heavily on behavioral and ecological variables that facilitate and impede individual academic success and behavioral health functioning. The program also has a strong emphasis on behavioral health across pediatric, community, and school settings with a focus on children as they function within family, school, and community systems. The program strongly emphasizes the training of school psychologists who are agents of change in children’s lives. The development of evidenced-based assessment practices, consultation knowledge and skills, behavior analytic technology, and intervention/treatment skills are central to the program's mission and are informed from a behavioral and developmental framework. There is a strong focus on "hands on" work in schools, clinics, hospitals, and institutions.
The training program has been approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) for School Psychology certification in Pennsylvania. It also includes a course sequence that has been approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board to fulfill one of the requirements for sitting for the national board certification examination in behavior analysis.
Additional Information
For more information about this program, visit the School of Education's website.
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor's degree
- 2 letters of recommendation
- GRE scores of 1100 recommended but not required
- Undergrad GPA exceeding 3.0
- Letter indicating interest in school psychology
Degree Requirements
| School Psychology Core Courses | ||
| EDSP 500 | Professional School Psychology | 3.0 |
Assessment | ||
| EDSP 510 | Academic Assessment in School Psychology | 4.5 |
| EDSP 512 | Cognitive Assessment in School Psychology | 4.5 |
| EDSP 514 | Social, Emotional and Psycho-behavioral Assessment | 3.0 |
Early Childhood and Human Development | ||
| EDSP 521 | Typical and Atypical Development in Early Childhood Education | 3.0 |
| EDSP 523 | Teaching and Learning Environments for Children | 3.0 |
| EDSP 536 | Special Education Law and Process for School Psychologist | 3.0 |
School Psychology Ethical Requirements | ||
| EDSP 530 | School Psychology Legal and Ethical Requirements | 3.0 |
Multicultural Awareness, Sensitivity and Practice in School Psychology | ||
| EDSP 540 | Multicultural Awareness, Competence and Sensitivity in School Psychology | 3.0 |
Practicum | ||
| EDSP 600 | Practicum in School Psychology I * | 3.0 |
| EDSP 601 | Practicum in School Psychology II ** | 3.0 |
Internship | ||
| EDSP 700 | School Psychology Internship *** | 4.5 |
| Applied Behavior Analysis Sequence | ||
| ABA 630 | Fundamental Elements of Behavior Change | 4.5 |
| ABA 632 | Behavioral Assessment and Functional Analysis | 4.5 |
| ABA 633 | Behavioral Interventions | 4.5 |
| ABA 634 | Consultation, Systems Change and Supervision | 4.5 |
| ABA 635 | Ethical Considerations and Professional Conduct | 4.5 |
| ABA 636 | Applications of Fundamental Elements of Behavior Analysis | 4.5 |
| ABA 731 | Research Methods and Practice | 4.5 |
| Special Education | ||
| EDEX 550 | Teaching Individuals with Low Incident Disabilities | 3.0 |
| EDEX 582 | Evidence-Based School Interventions and Trauma Informed Education/Care | 3.0 |
| English Language Learners | ||
| EDUC 565 | Foundations in Instructing English Language Learners | 3.0 |
| Professional Electives † | 9.0 | |
| Total Credits | 90.0 | |
- *
Students will take EDSP 600 Fall, Winter & Spring terms during Year 1
- **
Students will take EDSP 601 Fall, Winter & Spring terms during Year 2
- ***
Students will take EDSP 700 Fall, Winter & Spring terms during Year 3
- †
Professional electives will consist of 9.0 credits that will be selected in consultation with the Program Director and/or Advisor.
Sample Plan of Study
Note: Some terms are less than the 4.5-credit minimum required (considered half-time status) of graduate programs to be considered financial aid eligible. As a result, aid will not be disbursed to students these terms.
| First Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ABA 630 | 4.5 | ABA 633 | 4.5 | ABA 634 | 4.5 | ABA 636 | 4.5 |
| ABA 632 | 4.5 | EDSP 510 | 4.5 | EDSP 512 | 4.5 | ABA 731 | 4.5 |
| EDSP 500 | 3.0 | EDSP 600 | 1.0 | EDSP 600 | 1.0 | ||
| EDSP 600 | 1.0 | ||||||
| 13 | 10 | 10 | 9 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ABA 635 | 4.5 | EDSP 514 | 3.0 | EDEX 550 | 3.0 | EDSP 536 | 3.0 |
| EDSP 521 | 3.0 | EDSP 523 | 3.0 | EDSP 530 | 3.0 | EDSP 540 | 3.0 |
| EDSP 601 | 1.0 | EDSP 601 | 1.0 | EDSP 601 | 1.0 | Professional Elective | 3.0 |
| EDUC 565 | 3.0 | ||||||
| 8.5 | 7 | 10 | 9 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| EDSP 700 | 1.5 | EDSP 700 | 1.5 | EDSP 700 | 1.5 | ||
| Professional Elective | 3.0 | Professional Elective | 3.0 | EDEX 582 | 3.0 | ||
| 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | |||||
| Total Credits 90 | |||||||
Program Level Outcomes
Upon completion of the program graduates will be prepared to:
- Demonstrate the ability to administer, score, and interpret various assessment tools and utilize data-based decision making when planning interventions.
- Effectively utilize various consultation strategies to engage teachers, parents, and administrations in a collaborative problem-solving process.
- Possess an understanding of the diverse biological, environmental, social, and culture factors that influence academic skills, behavior, and mental health.
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and analyze effective interventions and supports for academic skill deficits and behavioral and mental health challenges.
- Understand the systemic organization and operation of schools, including school-wide practices that enhance learning for all students.
- Apply the multi-tiered prevention and intervention model to support students mental and behavioral health preventatively and following crisis.
- Possess the ability to strengthen reciprocal relationships between the school and community by collaborating with parents and community agencies.
- Show awareness and sensitivity to the diverse population served in schools, including knowledge of the impact of race, ethnicity, gender identity, socioeconomic status, cultural and linguistic background on student development; advocate for equitable practices to support all students.
- Understand relevant research principles to evaluate programs and practices; apply knowledge of statistics and measurement to conduct scientific analyses.
- Behave in a manner consistent with the legal and ethical principles that govern the practice of professional school psychology.
Education Faculty
Jennifer Adams, EdD (Harvard University). Associate Professor. Comparative and international education; Poverty and education; Child welfare; Educational policy.
Ayana Allen, PhD (Texas A&M University ). Associate Professor. Urban education; Identity construction in school contexts; Urban school transformation.
Kristen Betts, EdD (George Washington University). Clinical Professor. Higher education administration and governance, online blended education, instructional design and educational technology, program assessment and evaluation.
Eric Brewe, PhD (Arizona State University). Associate Professor. Physics Education Research, introductory course reform, network analysis in learning, neuromechanisms of learning.
Stephanie Smith Budhai, PhD (Drexel University). Associate Clinical Professor. Teacher and higher education, culturally responsive teaching, equity and social justice, online learning, community engagement and service-learning, family involvement and partnerships, and learning technologies.
José Luis Chávez, EdD (University of Southern California). Clinical Professor. Higher education leadership and administration.
Rebecca Clothey, PhD (University of Pittsburgh) Department Head, Global Studies and Modern Languages. Professor. Comparative and international education, education of ethnic and linguistic minorities, refugees, China studies.
James Connell, PhD (Louisiana State University) Founding Clinical Core Director and Research Fellow, A.J. Drexel Autism Institute. Associate Professor. Identifying the variables that influence adult behavior change in community settings; autism intervention; widespread dissemination of evidence-based interventions in school and community settings.
Kareem Edouard, PhD (Stanford University). Assistant Professor. Educational technology; internet-based STEM learning; equity and inclusion in STEM education
Salvatore V. Falletta, EdD (North Carolina State University). Clinical Professor. Human Resource intelligence (i.e., HR research and analytics practices); HRD assessment, measurement, and evaluation models and taxonomies; organizational diagnostic models; web-based employee and organizational survey methods, and computational modeling.
Aroutis N. Foster, PhD (Michigan State University) Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies. Professor. Educational psychology and educational technology, especially the following: Motivation; Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK); Immersive Interactive Digital Environments (simulation, games, virtual realities.
Rajashi Ghosh, PhD (University of Louisville, Kentucky) Department Chair for Policy, Organization & Leadership. Associate Professor. Mentoring and leader development, workplace Incivility, workplace learning and development.
John M. Gould, PhD (University of Pittsburgh) Harrisburg EdD Educational Leadership & Change Program. Clinical Professor. Change leadership, curriculum re-design, the impact of technology on learning.
Dominic F. Gullo, PhD (Indiana University). Professor. Studying the relative and long-range effects of early schooling experiences in prekindergarten and kindergarten on children's achievement and social adaptation to school routine.
H. Bernard Hall, PhD (Temple University). Assistant Professor. Hip-hop Pedagogy, English Education, Urban Teacher Education.
Paul Harrington, PhD (University of Massachusetts, Boston) Director, Center for Labor Markets and Policy. Professor. Teen and young adult job access; economic outlook, college labor market; workforce development, planning, and development; vocational rehabilitation and job market transition.
Michael J. Haslip, PhD (Old Dominion University). Assistant Professor. Early childhood education, social and emotional learning, child guidance strategies, effects of public pre-school attendance.
Deanna Hill, JD, PhD (University of Pittsburgh). Associate Clinical Professor. Higher education, international education, education law, education policy
Erin Horvat, PhD (University of California, Los Angeles) Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. Professor. Urban education, access and equity, high school dropout, parent involvement/family involvement, community engagement in research.
Jennifer Katz-Buonincontro, PhD (University of Oregon) Associate Dean of Research. Associate Professor. Educational administration, leadership development, survey & instrument design.
Larry Keiser, PhD (Drexel University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Education and corporate/business leaders’ creativity and entrepreneurial mindsets; creative school/work environments; neuroscience of creativity; everyday creativity for teachers and educators.
Kristy Kelly, PhD (University of Wisconsin, Madison). Associate Clinical Professor. Sociology of gender and development; anthropology of policy; comparative and international education; qualitative research methods; Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Cameron Kiosoglous, PhD (Virginia Tech University) Program Director. Assistant Clinical Professor. Coached on the USRowing National Team staff since 2002, including the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympic Games; coaching development; measuring coaching quality; self-insight and reflective practices; coaching leadership; conference presenter; published author.
Valerie Klein, PhD (Amherst College). Associate Clinical Professor. Mathematics learning and teaching; teacher's use of formative assessment in mathematics; creating opportunities for rich problem solving in the classroom; examining teachers growth and change; qualitative research methods.
Peggy Kong, PhD (Harvard University). Associate Clinical Professor. Comparative and international education, equity in education, family and community, Chinese education and society, sociology of education
Michael G. Kozak, Ed.D. (Rowan University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Leadership, STEAM, online and blended learning environments, systems thinking, experiential learning, K-12 education, and facilitating change
Amanda Lannie, PhD (Syracuse University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Applied behavior analysis and special education; School-based consultation; system-wide interventions as a mechanism for delivery supports to all students; Designing effective and efficient interventions for students with emotional/behavioral disorders.
Vera Lee, EdD (University of Pennsylvania) Department Chair for Teaching, Learning & Curriculum. Associate Clinical Professor. Practitioner Research in online courses to explore inservice/preservice teachers’ emerging understandings about issues of diversity; the development of information/digital literacies of urban youth; English language learners.
Bruce Levine, JD (New York University). Associate Clinical Professor. Educational policy, school law, public-private partnerships, intersection of business and education.
Kristine Lewis-Grant, PhD (Temple University). Clinical Professor. Experiences of students of African descent at predominantly white colleges and universities, college access and college student development, youth civic engagement in urban school reform, qualitative research and evaluation.
William Lynch, PhD (University of Maryland). Professor. Curriculum and educational leadership, educational technology, distance learning policy development, higher and adult education.
Constance Lyttle, PhD, JD (University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University). Clinical Professor. Legal rights of gifted and talented children and children with disabilities; inclusive education of exceptional children; special education mediation; special education IEP/IFSP facilitation; resolution session facilitation
Joy Phillips, PhD (The University of Texas at Austin). Associate Clinical Professor. Visionary leadership in theory and practice, school reform as innovative problem-setting, thinking qualitatively about school reform. thinking about school reform by drawing, Educational Leadership Program Assessment.
Kathleen Provinzano, PhD (Marywood University). Assistant Professor. Educational administration.
Harriette Rasmussen, EdD (Fielding Graduate University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Educational leadership and change.
Lori Severino, EdD (Neumann University). Assistant Professor. Special education, differentiated instruction, reading, Wilson language, multi-sensory instruction, reading comprehension, assessment, adolescent literacy.
Jason Silverman, PhD (Vanderbilt University). Professor. Teaching and learning of advanced mathematical ideas (algebra and calculus); improving teachers' ability to orchestrate and sustain inquiry-based and discussion-based instruction; technology in mathematics education.
Janet Sloand, EdD (Duquesne University) Department Chair for Teaching, Learning & Curriculum. Associate Clinical Professor. Special Education Leadership, Trauma-informed care, Parent engagement in special education service delivery.
Toni A. Sondergeld, PhD (University of Toledo). Associate Professor. Cognitive and affective assessment development; program/grant evaluation; high stakes testing measurement; STEM education; urban education
Bridget Sweeney Blakely, PhD (Temple University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Consultation; Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS); Response to Intervention (Rtl); Systems-level change; performance feedback
Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, EdD (University of Pennsylvania). Associate Clinical Professor. Early literacy development, learning differences, knowledge construction, urban education.
Sarah P. Ulrich, EdD (Saint Joseph’s University) Associate Dean of Teacher Education and Undergraduate Affairs. Clinical Professor. Cross-cultural, language and academic development, school reform, teacher preparation, teacher retention, teacher residencies in urban contexts.
Sheila Vaidya, PhD (Temple University). Professor. Educational psychology, school psychology, research design.
Christina Vorndran, PhD (Louisiana State University) Program Director, Applied Behavior Analysis and Special Education. Clinical Professor. Designing effective and efficient community-based interventions, Severe behavior disorders, Functional behavior assessment
Christopher G. Wright, PhD (Tufts University). Assistant Professor. Engineering and science education, Urban education, elementary teacher education.
Emeritus Faculty
Mary Jo Grdina, PhD (Case Western Reserve University). Clinical Professor. Undergraduate studies, science education, curriculum design.
Joyce Pittman, PhD (Iowa State University of Science and Technology). Clinical Professor. Curriculum and instruction K-16; teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL); instructional design business education and administration; industrial and career technology; oral and written communication; research methodology; instructional and assistive technology assessment; online learning pedagogy
Fredricka K. Reisman, PhD (Syracuse University) School of Education, Founder, Drexel School of Education. Professor Emerita. Director, Freddie Reisman Center for Translational Research in Creativity and Motivation, Creator and Former Director-Creativity and Innovation Programs, Co-Director- Drexel/Torrance Center for Creativity and Innovation, Drexel University Named Recognition- Freddie Reisman Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity Awards
LEARN MORE