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Branches of Psychology

School Psychology

Educational and School Psychology

School psychology applies principles from educational psychology, developmental psychology, community psychology and behavior analysis to meet the learning and behavioral health needs of children and adolescents. School psychologists collaborate with educators, families, school leaders, community members and other professionals to create safe, supportive school environments, conducting psychological testing, psychoeducational assessment, intervention, prevention, counseling and consultation within their profession's ethical, legal and administrative codes, in support of students who struggle academically, emotionally or socially.

Facts
Central Question
School psychology asks how principles drawn from educational, developmental, community and behavioral psychology can be combined to meet the learning and behavioral health needs of children and adolescents in a school setting. 1
Key Debate
The field has debated its own entry credential since the Thayer Conference, where some participants held that only a doctoral degree should qualify someone to hold the title of school psychologist, a dispute the field settled for practice, but not for prestige, by making the non-doctoral specialist-level degree the entry-level standard. 1
Sources
1. School psychology
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section, opening sentence
    School psychology is a field that applies principles from educational psychology, developmental psychology, community psychology, and behavior analysis to meet the learning and behavioral health needs of children and adolescents.
  • Training Standards Discussion section, Thayer Conference
    some participants felt that in order to hold the title of a school psychologist an individual must have earned a doctoral degree
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