About / Dec 11 / School Psyschology Program receives unanimous recommendation for state re-accreditation

December 6, 2011
For immediate release

The School Psychology Program at UC Santa Barbara is commended for its high quality programs and receives unanimous recommendation for state re-accreditation

After its recent site-visit, the state-level team from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) recommended the School Psychology Program Credential (PPS) at UC Santa Barbara receive full re-accreditation with no stipulations and no concerns (a rare occurrence). The draft report asserts: Multiple interviews and copious review of documents provided the review team with evidence that the university in fact “develops and maintains exemplary programs that serve as models for teaching, research, and service….Evaluation results demonstrate that candidates consistently meet high expectations for excellence across training expectations and professional standards. From every perspective, including course grades, counseling skills evaluations, fieldwork supervisor ratings, national examination results, University faculty ratings, alumni and employer feedback, the UCSB School Psychology credential candidates not only meet every expectation, but also, seem to exceed minimum requirements….District employer and supervisors concur that the UCSB School Psychology candidates are ‘well rounded, confident and resourceful.’” (Official accreditation will not occur until the CTC meets and approves the report in February.)

“In all cases, interviews with cooperating professionals and districts leaders confirmed the assessment data [provided in reports to the CTC]. Interviewees agreed that UCSB candidates are held in high regard throughout the region for their professionalism and reflective practice, as well as for their skills in collaboration,” the report reads. “In addition, UCSB graduates were described as exceptionally well prepared to educate and support diverse learners, and able to draw knowledgeably on a wide range of effective strategies. Several employers stated during interviews that they seek out graduates of UCSB programs, who often become leaders in the field. In addition, a variety of stakeholders noted that UCSB candidates seek out opportunities to engage with families and communities. UCSB is to be commended for preparing educators who are so highly valued throughout the region.”

“The accreditation site visit was incredibly comprehensive, involving review of numerous candidate and program documents and interviews with over 200 stakeholders, including students, alumni, field supervisors, administrators, and faculty,” Jill Sharkey, School Psychology Program Coordinator, says. “We are very proud of our training model. As a small, mentor-focused, scientist-practitioner program, we faculty have the privilege of working with very talented students at M.Ed. and Ph.D. levels. We are fortunate to have the support of highly qualified field supervisors in local school districts who are willing to volunteer their time to supervise students in their fieldwork training. We also enjoy collaborative relationships in the community with schools, government agencies, and local nonprofits that further enhance training. Our program has an excellent reputation nationally, we were ranked #2 in faculty publications among APA-accredited school psychology training programs in 2006 and received national recognition-full approval from the National Association of School Psychologists in 2010. We are thrilled to have further validation of our program’s excellence in such a comprehensive review by an exceptionally qualified and well-rounded team of experts. The intensive CCTC review cycle provides us with the in-depth program and candidate analysis to continually monitor and improve our program.”

UCSB offers the School Psychology (PPS) Credential through M.Ed. or Ph.D. programs in the school psychology emphasis in the Department of Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychology. Both programs are intensive and require full-time study that includes over 100 quarter units of coursework, fieldwork, and research practicum. In year 2, all students complete a 350-hour practicum working closely with a school psychologist in the field. In year 3, the M.Ed. candidates complete 1,200 hours of internship while the Ph.D. candidates complete advanced fieldwork in behavioral consultation. The Ph.D. candidates complete their 1,500-hour doctoral internship in their final year of study (typically year 5 or 6), after completing doctoral milestones such as qualifying examinations and their dissertation.

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing is an agency in the Executive Branch of California State Government. The major purpose of the agency is to serve as a state standards board for educator preparation for the public schools of California, the licensing and credentialing of professional educators in the State, the enforcement of professional practices of educators, and the discipline of credential holders in the State of California.

[Jill Sharkey is available for interviews; contact George Yatchisin at 805 893 5789]

– end –

School-wide Links
Courses Apply	Computing Contact

News

The School Psychology Program at UC Santa Barbara is commended for its high quality programs and receives unanimous recommendation for state re-accreditation