Questions:
- 1. Why would I want to join the Massachusetts School Psychologists Association?
- 2. How do I join the Massachusetts School Psychologists Association?
- 3. How do I find out about Massachusetts Department of Education (certification) licensing requirements?
- 4. How do I obtain Massachusetts licensure as an Educational Psychologist?
- 5. How do I become a Nationally Certified School Psychologist?
- 6. I am a member of MSPA. How do I contact the MSPA Board?
- 7. How do I find employment information for Massachusetts?
- 8. Does MSPA have an annual conference?
- 9. Are there training schools in Massachusetts?
- 10. What are the options for doctoral programs?
- 11. What counts for Massachusetts Department of Education and NASP re-certification / renewal of license ?
- 12. I can’t find a catalogue. Do you know the 1-800 numbers or email addressess of the publishers that school psychologists use most?
- 13. I am moving from another state. How can I find out about requirements from state to state?
Answers:
1. Why would I want to join the Massachusetts School Psychologists Association?
MSPA is the only statewide organization representing the interests of school psychologists in Massachusetts. MSPA is an organization dedicated to advocating for appropriate educational and mental health services for children and families. Members are professionals who maintain a communication network in order to disseminate and respond to information of local and statewide concern.
The Benefits of MSPA Membership include:
- Occasional Bulletins updating you on school psychology in Massachusetts and professional development opportunities electronically or via postal service.
- MSPA Newsletter containing news about current activities of the organization, recent research, and innovative practices oflocal school psychologists. The Newsletter is issued at least three times per year.
- Licensing and Vendorship Lobbying, which has made significant progress toward the passage of legislation for third party payment for licensed educational psychologists.
- Continuing Professional Development, which includes our annual spring conference, a fall conference, occasional co-sponsored conferences, and occasional regional workshops. APA, NCSP, CEU’s and PDP’s are provided.
- Public Relations and Advocacy to inform your schools and superintendents of the services school psychologists provide in order to meet the mental health needs of children. PR materials are available to members. In addition, MSPA seeks to promote the profession of school psychology within public policy, educational, and mental health circles as well as with the general public.
- MSPA Members Listserve and Electronic Bulletin to keep every member informed of important issues for our profession and to update and remind members of the many professional development opportunities both in the state and in states that are nearby.
- Networking Information through conferences and the MSPA Membership Directory, which is produced every other year.
2. How do I join the Massachusetts School Psychologists Association?
It is easy for school psychologists, school psychology students and related professionals to join MSPA. Your E-mail is important for conference confirmations.
To print out, complete and mail the Membership Application: click here.
The initial certification requirements:
Provisional Certification with Advanced Standing requires completion of an approved program with a documented M.Ed. in School Psychology plus 600 hours of a supervised practicum in a school setting.
Standard Certification requires completion of an additional 600 hours of supervised practicum experience either in a school or clinic setting, leading to a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) or equivalent. This must be completed within five years of the granting of provisional certification.
The latest revision of the regulations, 603 CMR 7.00: Educator Licensure and Preparation Program Approval - effective June 2003 indicate that school psychologists require the following:
— For the Initial License: Completion of a master’s degree or higher in school psychology approved by the National Association of school psychologists (NASP), including an advanced practicum of 1, 200 hours, 600 of which must be in a school setting. You must receive a passing score on the Communication and Literacy Skills test.
— For your Professional License: Possession of an Initial License, employment for three years as a school psychologist, achievement or maintenance of a certificate to practice as a school psychologist from the National Association of School Psychologists.
For detailed information please go to http://www.doe.mass.edu/educators/resources.html
4. How do I obtain Massachusetts licensure as an Educational Psychologist?
A Department of Education licensed school psychologist in Massachusetts may obtain licensure as an Educational Psychologist. The requirements are as follows:
— An earned master’s degree, CAGS, or doctoral degree in the area of School Psychology from an educational institution or accredited by the state in which it is located. the degree must consist of a minimum of 60 credits of approved graduate work
— A practicum/internship experience consisting of a minimum of 1,200 clock hours of supervised field placement
— Current license as a school psychologist by the Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
— A minimum of two full-time academic years or equivalent part-time, post-certification and post-master’s degree experience in school psychological services. Individuals must be employed in the role and engaged in the duties of a licensed school psychologist in school or agency. Private practice does not fulfill this requirement.
— Successful completion of a post-certification approved Supervised Clinical Experience is required. An approved supervisor must be a licensed educational psychologist. The term of the supervision is a minimum of sixty hours, during which regularly scheduled meetings are held.
— A passing score on the licensure examination is required. Passing the examination for NASP Certification satisfies the Massachusetts State Licensure examination requirements.
— To get an application, call the Allied Mental Health Board of Registration at 617-727-3080 and ask for an application. Note: a person does not have to be licensed to practice privately in Massachusetts, however, insurance is different issue. Massachusetts educational psychologists do not yet have vendorship.
5. How do I become a Nationally Certified School Psychologist?
The Nationally Certified School Psychologist is the professional credential of the National School Psychology Certification System. The standards for national certification are as follows:
— Completion of a sixth-year specialist or higher level degree program in school psychology with 60 graduate semester hours consisting of course work, practicum, internship, and an appropriate degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
— Successful completion of a 1,200 clock hour supervised internship in school psychology of which 600 hours must be in a school setting.
— Applicants must take and achieve a passing score on the National School Psychology Examination administered by the Educational Testing Service (PRAXIS II: NTE Test #10400). (Prepare for the PRAXIS examination by reviewing Jacob and Hartshorne’s Ethics and Law text, Best Practices IV, and a recent school psychology text).
For more information see: http://www.naspweb.org/certification.html
6. I am a member of MSPA. How do I contact the MSPA Board?
The MSPA membership can communicate directly with the board of directors or with the entire membership that is on line through the MSPA Listserve. If you are a member you will have been added to the Listserve. If you find that you have not been added please contact us through this website and we will add your email address.
Read messages posted to this folder by going to: www.counsel.neu.edu/mspa.html.
Post messages to the folder, MSPA Forum and the web site by sending an e-mail message to: mspaforum@www.counsel.neu.edu.
7. How do I find employment information for Massachusetts?
MSPA provides employment information for members through the Employment Chair, Jason Kaplan. The Employment Chair may be found by looking on the Committees page and then looking up the address of the individual through the MSPA directory. Individuals searching for employment information who are not members might like to contact the major school psychology programs in Massachusetts, all of whom have employment bulletin boards, or subscribe to the major Massachusetts newspapers, the Boston Globe (bostonworks.com) and the Springfield Union. NASP has an employment list and the Department of Education in Massachusetts has employment information on it’s website.
Massachusetts Department of Education Job Placement Service can be accessed at: http://www.doe.mass.edu/mecc.
In order to post your resume, login to https://www4.doemass.org to create an ELAR account. You may then post your resume and take advantage of MECC’s new features.
Globe subscription e-mail: circulation@globe.com
8. Does MSPA have an annual conference?
MSPA has an annual conference in the spring each year and often has a second conference in the fall.
9. Are there training schools in Massachusetts?
There are several training schools in Massachusetts:
— Northeastern University - The CAGS Program in School Psychology prepares students to function as school psychologists in schools and related human service agencies. This is a three year program which includes pre-practicum, practicum, and internship experiences. In addition, students are required to complete a comprehensive examination. A Master’s Program in Applied Educational Psychology with Specialization in School Psychology contains the prerequisites for the CAGS Program in School Psychology.
— Tufts University - The School Psychology Program is a three year, 23 course program leading to a Masters of Arts and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in School Psychology. The Master of Arts degree requires completion of 12 courses, as well as the 150-hour pre practicum experience. The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study requires completion of 11 additional courses, including the 600-hour practicum and the 1200-hour internship.
http://ase.tufts.edu/education/
—University of Massachusetts - Amherst . The Ph.D. program in School Psychology is one of only three such doctoral programs in the New England region to be accredited by the American Psychology Association. The Ph.D and M.Ed./CAGS programs are approved by the National Association of School Psychologists and the Massachusetts State Department of Education. The Ph.D program is 110 semester hour credit program and the M.Ed./CAGS program is a 64 semester hour credit program which typically takes 3 years including a 1 year internship.
— University of Massachusetts - Boston. This program offers a CAGS credential. Courses are available in the evenings and summers through the Department of Counseling and School Psychology.
Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology – This specialist program prepares graduates to become licensed school psychologists. It consists of two years of coursework and a full-year of internship, for a total of 66 semester credits. Students earn a Master of Arts in Professional Psychology after completing 30 or more credits, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) after completing the full program, which culminates in a 1200 hour internship. Applicants with a Master’s degree in school psychology or a closely related field (e.g., clinical psychology, counseling, special education) may qualify for advanced standing.
10. What are the options for doctoral programs?
Northeastern University and UMass/Amherst both offer doctoral level programs in school psychology.
An interesting option to consider is a Concentration in Special Education and Disability Policy.
The U.S. Department of Education has funded the University of Massachusetts Boston’s Public Policy Ph.D. Program, the Leadership in Urban Schools Ed.D. Program and the Children’s Hospital Institute for Community Inclusion to offer a concentration in leadership in special education and disability policy. This doctoral concentration will target the very serious issues that plague urban systems as they struggle with education reform, accountability systems, and the worsening shortage of qualified special education leaders. This concentration is designed for educational leaders in school-based management or policy development to integrate current policy and practices across general education, special education and community resources to build partnerships, leverage resources, and promote systems change.
As regular and special education attempt to come closer together and create seamless services for students with disabilities, new and energetic leadership is sorely needed. Graduates with a concentration in Special Education and Disability Policy can expect to assume top-level positions as policy analysts, state and federal agency personnel, special education and school administrators, university faculty, or researchers.
There is a seven course sequence embedded into the core requirements for either doctoral program as well as field work and internship opportunities. The curriculum provides students with the opportunities to develop skills in design, implementation, management and analysis of programs and systems that support children, youth and adults with disabilities. Tuition waivers and stipends of up to $10,000 per year are available through graduate assistantships with varying work commitments. For further information, please contact Barbara Graceffa at 617-287-6937 or barbara.graceffa@umb.edu.
Contact the Program in Public Policy at UMass Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA 02125-3393. Call 617-287-6937/8 FAX 617-287-6949. For more information http://omega.cc.umb.edu/~pubpol
School psychologists may need professional development points of various kinds for re-certification. There may be several types of re-certification that an individual school psychologist may need and various questions arise:
a) Can I give myself credit for belonging to a committee?
You do not get credits just for belonging to a school council, educational advisory committee, or education association board automatically. However, you can give yourself credit if a tangible product is generated such as a book, article, report, curriculum, training module, videotape, software package, or school improvement plan.
b) How much credit can I award myself for making presentations?
You receive three hours for every one hour of presentation (two hours for preparation for each hour presented).
c) Can I receive credit for research or for publishing an article?
Credits for research and publications are appropriate. There is a ceiling however on how much credit you can claim. For example: unpublished research can be counted up to a 10 CPD credit maximum. Research that is published or presented can be credited up to a 25 CPD limit. Non-research based published articles with references, or poster presentations at a state or national convention can be credited up to 10 CPD credit. Unpublished theoretical or editorials articles can be credited up to a 5 CPD credit maximum per period of certification.
d) I was engaged in several activities associated with a project and have written two articles, can I get credit for all of these activities?
You can claim credit only once for each activity.
e) How do I verify activities for which I have no documentation from an approved organization?
For NASP, you use an activity documentation form. In the case of a publication, an abstract of the article is sufficient. In the case of the state of Massachusetts, your agreement for re-certification or renewal of your license is primarily with DOE. Submit a plan and provide evidence that you have met the stipulations which were set by the plan.
f) Can I count on-line activities for continuing professional development credit?
To use on-line activities for NASP re-certification you must be able to say that the activity enhanced your professional skills or added to your knowledge base, that it was relevant to the practice of school psychology, that it fit into your personal plan for continuing professional development, and the activity went beyond the ordinary aspects of your job. Again you would use the self-study form provided by NASP and credit yourself with no more than 15 hours per subject and no more than two self study subjects for a total of 30 CPD credits per cycle. Reading E-mail alone would not count, but discussion by asking questions, researching information, and responding could count.
The Massachusetts Department of Education re-certification program has undergone recent changes. It is now required that school psychologists develop a personal professional development plan which must be approved by the local LEA. Professional Development Points (PDPs) can be awarded by the local LEA, by colleges and universities and by other providers such as MSPA. However, it is no longer possible to earn PDP’s for Mass DOE by attending conferences. PDP’s must be grouped into ten-hour blocks per topic and a product of some kind is required (such as a pre and post test, a paper or some other tangible product).
School psychologists need to be NASP certified in order to be professionally licensed by DOE to work in public schools in Massachusetts. (The term “professional license” has taken the place of the old “standard certification” term).
For more information go to: http://www.doe.mass.edu/recert/
American Guidance Service, Inc. at http://www.agsnet.com (1-800-328-2560)
Consulting Psychologists Press (1-800-624-1765)
DLM-(1-800-527-4747)
IPAT- (1-800-225-4728)
Jastak Associates- (1-800-221-WRAT)
Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. at http://www.parinc.com (1-800-331-8378)
Pro-Ed at http://www.proedinc.com (1-800-897-3202)
The Psychological Corporation at http://www.PsychCorp.com (1-800-228-0752)/(1-800-732-1318)
Riverside Publishing (1-800-323-9540)
Western Psychological Services (1-800-648-8857). www.wpspublish.com
13. I am moving from another state. How can I find out about requirements from state to state?
In an effort to facilitate the movement from one state to another, NASP attempts to collect information for school psychologists on licensure, administrative regulations, state boards, and state associations for the 50 States. States are continually revising their psychology laws and regulations. This page is intended to help you gather planning information on states of your choice! Good luck in your search!!
The following website may be helpful to you: http://www.uky.edu/Education/EDP/psyinfo2.html
The Massachusetts Department of Education offers licensure reciprocity for support personnel. Massachusetts has licensure reciprocity for support personnel with the following states:
Support Personnel:
Alabama
Maine
Rhode Island
Alaska
Maryland
South Carolina
Arizona
Mississippi
Tennessee
Connecticut
New Hampshire
Utah
District of Columbia
New York
Virginia
Florida
North Carolina
Washington
Guam
Oklahoma
West Virginia
Indiana
Oregon
Wyoming
The information contained on this website is provided to the Massachusetts School Psychologists Association (MSPA) by members. MSPA does not endorse, approve or certify such information, nor does it guarantee the accuracy, completeness, efficacy, timeliness, or correct sequencing of such information. Use of such information is voluntary and reliance on it should only be undertaken after an independent review of its accuracy, completeness, efficacy, and timeliness. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process or service by trade name, trademark, service mark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation or favoring by MSPA.
