School Psychology

School Psychology Program Information:

Application Deadline: December 15th | GRE is not required

For more information contact Dr. Lisa Kelly-Vance at lkelly-vance@unomaha.edu

Prospective Students

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Social Justice
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Join Us!

Our program of study is highly respected and fully accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), and we are very excited that you are interested!

The UNO School Psychology curriculum provides a 4-year training program and fully prepares students to be Nationally Certified School Psychologists (NCSP). We offer rich hands-on experiences through our multiple partnerships with local schools and the Academic Clinic at the Munroe-Meyer Institute at UNMC. Students choose our program because we offer exceptional balance between research and practice, an extraordinary amount of practicum experience, and the individualized focus our faculty provides for all students.

Over the past 20+ years, our program has matched 100% of our students with internships, and historically 100% of our students have found employment following their internship year. Because UNO prepares students to become nationally certified, our students have sought internships and employment not only in Nebraska, but in numerous other states including Iowa, California, Georgia, Tennessee, Alaska, Colorado, Utah, and many more.

Program Philosophy

The School Psychology Program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha embraces a scientist-practitioner model of school psychology training. The program emphasizes a problem-solving approach to service delivery including direct intervention and consultation at the individual, family, and system levels with a strong foundation in evidence-based practice.

The graduate program strongly emphasizes the preparation of psychologists for comprehensive and effective delivery of psychological services in schools.

The UNO School Psychology program is accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists and therefore endorses the NASP Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Policy. The UNO School Psychology program endorses and commits to the School Psychology Unified Anti-Racism Statement and Call to Action.

Our Mission

Social justice is both a process and a goal that requires action. School psychologists work to ensure the protection of the educational rights, opportunities, and well-being of all children, especially those whose voices have been muted, identities obscured, or needs ignored. Social justice requires promoting nondiscriminatory practices and the empowerment of families and communities. School psychologists enact social justice through culturally responsive professional practice and advocacy to create schools, communities, and systems that ensure equity and fairness for all children and youth.
- (Adopted by the NASP Board of Directors, April 2017).

School Psychology Unified Antiracism Statement and Call to Action

Specific Learning Objectives:

MS

• Student Learning Outcome 1: Data based decision making and accountability
  Students have knowledge of varied models and methods of assessment that yield information useful in identifying strengths and needs, in understanding problems, and in measuring progress and outcomes. As part of a systematic and comprehensive process of effective decision making and problem solving that permeates all aspects of service delivery, students demonstrate skills to use psychological and educational assessment, data collection strategies, and technology resources and apply results to design, implement, and evaluate response to services and programs.
• Student Learning Outcome 2: Consultation and Collaboration
  Students have knowledge of varied methods of consultation, collaboration, and communication applicable to individuals, families, groups, and systems and used to promote effective implementation of services. As part of a systematic and comprehensive process of effective decision making and problem solving that permeates all aspects of service delivery, students demonstrate skills to consult, collaborate, and communicate effectively with others.
• Student Learning Outcome 3: Interventions and Instructional Support to Develop Academic Skills
  Students have knowledge of biological, cultural, and social influences on academic skills; human learning, cognitive, and developmental processes; and evidence-based curriculum and instructional strategies. Students, in collaboration with others, demonstrate skills to use assessment and data collection methods and to implement and evaluate services that support cognitive and academic skills.
• Student Learning Outcome 4: Interventions and Mental Health Services to Develop Social and Life Skills
  Students have knowledge of biological, cultural, developmental, and social influences on behavior and mental health; behavioral and emotional impacts on learning and life skills; and evidence-based strategies to promote social–emotional functioning and mental health. Students, in collaboration with others, demonstrate skills to use assessment and data-collection methods and to implement and evaluate services that support socialization, learning, and mental health.
• Student Learning Outcome 5: School-wide Practices to Promote Learning
  Students have knowledge of school and systems structure, organization, and theory; general and special education; technology resources; and evidence-based school practices that promote learning and mental and behavioral health. Students, in collaboration with others, demonstrate skills to develop and implement practices and strategies to create and maintain effective and supportive learning environments for children and others.
• Student Learning Outcome 6: Preventive and Responsive Services
  Students have knowledge of principles and research related to resilience and risk factors in learning and mental health, services in schools and communities to support multitiered prevention, and evidence-based strategies for effective crisis response. Students, in collaboration with others, demonstrate skills to promote services that enhance learning, mental and behavioral health, safety, and physical well-being through protective and adaptive factors and to implement effective crisis preparation, response, and recovery.
• Student Learning Outcome 7: Home/School/Community Collaboration
  Students have knowledge of principles and research related to family systems, strengths, needs, and culture; evidence-based strategies to support family influences on children’s learning, socialization, and mental health; and methods to develop collaboration between families and schools. Students, in collaboration with others, demonstrate skills to design, implement, and evaluate services that respond to culture and context and facilitate family and school partnership/ interactions with community agencies for enhancement of academic and social–behavioral outcomes for children.
• Student Learning Outcome 8: Diversity in Development and Learning
  Students have knowledge of individual differences, abilities, disabilities, and other diverse characteristics; principles and research related to diversity factors for children, families, and schools, including factors related to culture, context, and individual and role differences; and evidence-based strategies to enhance services and address potential influences related to diversity. Students provide professional services that promote effective functioning for individuals, families, and schools with diverse characteristics, cultures, and backgrounds across multiple contexts. Understanding and respect for diversity in development and learning, and advocacy for social justice, are foundations for all aspects of service delivery.
• Student Learning Outcome 9: Research and Program Evaluation
  Students have knowledge of research design, statistics, measurement, varied data collection and analysis techniques, and program evaluation methods sufficient for understanding research and interpreting data in applied settings. Students demonstrate skills to evaluate and apply research as a foundation for service delivery and, in collaboration with others, use various techniques and technology resources for data collection, measurement, and analysis to support effective practices at the individual, group, and/or systems levels.
• Student Learning Outcome 10: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice
  Students have knowledge of the history and foundations of school psychology; multiple service models and methods; ethical, legal, and professional standards; and other factors related to professional identity and effective practice as school psychologists. Students demonstrate skills to provide services consistent with ethical, legal, and professional standards; engage in responsive ethical and professional decision-making; collaborate with other professionals; and apply professional work characteristics needed for effective practice as school psychologists, including respect for human diversity and social justice, communication skills, effective interpersonal skills, responsibility, adaptability, initiative, dependability, and technology skills.
• Student Learning Outcome 11: Professional Work Characteristics
  Students develop good rapport with students, teachers, staff members, parents, and site supervisors. They engage in professional behaviors that enable them to develop positive relationships (e.g., enthusiasm, dependability, cooperation) and they are reflective practitioners who use feedback to improve performance. They participate in the program’s student organization and attend and contribute to local, state, and national conferences.

EdS

• Student Learning Outcome 1: Data based decision making and accountability
  Students have knowledge of varied models and methods of assessment that yield information useful in identifying strengths and needs, in understanding problems, and in measuring progress and outcomes. As part of a systematic and comprehensive process of effective decision making and problem solving that permeates all aspects of service delivery, students demonstrate skills to use psychological and educational assessment, data collection strategies, and technology resources and apply results to design, implement, and evaluate response to services and programs.
• Student Learning Outcome 2: Consultation and Collaboration
  Students have knowledge of varied methods of consultation, collaboration, and communication applicable to individuals, families, groups, and systems and used to promote effective implementation of services. As part of a systematic and comprehensive process of effective decision making and problem solving that permeates all aspects of service delivery, students demonstrate skills to consult, collaborate, and communicate effectively with others.
• Student Learning Outcome 3: Interventions and Instructional Support to Develop Academic Skills
  Students have knowledge of biological, cultural, and social influences on academic skills; human learning, cognitive, and developmental processes; and evidence-based curriculum and instructional strategies. Students, in collaboration with others, demonstrate skills to use assessment and data collection methods and to implement and evaluate services that support cognitive and academic skills.
• Student Learning Outcome 4: Interventions and Mental Health Services to Develop Social and Life Skills
  Students have knowledge of biological, cultural, developmental, and social influences on behavior and mental health; behavioral and emotional impacts on learning and life skills; and evidence-based strategies to promote social–emotional functioning and mental health. Students, in collaboration with others, demonstrate skills to use assessment and data-collection methods and to implement and evaluate services that support socialization, learning, and mental health.
• Student Learning Outcome 5: School-wide Practices to Promote Learning
  Students have knowledge of school and systems structure, organization, and theory; general and special education; technology resources; and evidence-based school practices that promote learning and mental and behavioral health. Students, in collaboration with others, demonstrate skills to develop and implement practices and strategies to create and maintain effective and supportive learning environments for children and others.
• Student Learning Outcome 6: Preventive and Responsive Services
  Students have knowledge of principles and research related to resilience and risk factors in learning and mental health, services in schools and communities to support multitiered prevention, and evidence-based strategies for effective crisis response. Students, in collaboration with others, demonstrate skills to promote services that enhance learning, mental and behavioral health, safety, and physical well-being through protective and adaptive factors and to implement effective crisis preparation, response, and recovery.
• Student Learning Outcome 7: Home/School/Community Collaboration
  Students have knowledge of principles and research related to family systems, strengths, needs, and culture; evidence-based strategies to support family influences on children’s learning, socialization, and mental health; and methods to develop collaboration between families and schools. Students, in collaboration with others, demonstrate skills to design, implement, and evaluate services that respond to culture and context and facilitate family and school partnership/ interactions with community agencies for enhancement of academic and social–behavioral outcomes for children.
• Student Learning Outcome 8: Diversity in Development and Learning
  Students have knowledge of individual differences, abilities, disabilities, and other diverse characteristics; principles and research related to diversity factors for children, families, and schools, including factors related to culture, context, and individual and role differences; and evidence-based strategies to enhance services and address potential influences related to diversity. Students provide professional services that promote effective functioning for individuals, families, and schools with diverse characteristics, cultures, and backgrounds across multiple contexts. Understanding and respect for diversity in development and learning, and advocacy for social justice, are foundations for all aspects of service delivery.
• Student Learning Outcome 9: Research and Program Evaluation
  Students have knowledge of research design, statistics, measurement, varied data collection and analysis techniques, and program evaluation methods sufficient for understanding research and interpreting data in applied settings. Students demonstrate skills to evaluate and apply research as a foundation for service delivery and, in collaboration with others, use various techniques and technology resources for data collection, measurement, and analysis to support effective practices at the individual, group, and/or systems levels.
• Student Learning Outcome 10: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice
  Students have knowledge of the history and foundations of school psychology; multiple service models and methods; ethical, legal, and professional standards; and other factors related to professional identity and effective practice as school psychologists. Students demonstrate skills to provide services consistent with ethical, legal, and professional standards; engage in responsive ethical and professional decision-making; collaborate with other professionals; and apply professional work characteristics needed for effective practice as school psychologists, including respect for human diversity and social justice, communication skills, effective interpersonal skills, responsibility, adaptability, initiative, dependability, and technology skills.
• Student Learning Outcome 11: Professional Work Characteristics
  Students develop good rapport with students, teachers, staff members, parents, and site supervisors. They engage in professional behaviors that enable them to develop positive relationships (e.g., enthusiasm, dependability, cooperation) and they are reflective practitioners who use feedback to improve performance. They participate in the program’s student organization and attend and contribute to local, state, and national conferences.