Certification of specialized groups of psychologists.

Abstract

The writer lists the professional courses required in the preparation of school psychologists in New York State. At present New York "has no professional licensing of psychologists but it does have certification of school psychologists, as does Pennsylvania." Chief controversy centers on the breadth of training required. It is suggested that the wisest course to follow is to work toward any kind of special certification that is feasible within a state or organization, provided practices and standards are raised to an optimum.

On the conception, birth, and early development of school psychology: With special reference to Pennsylvania.

“…Content for the education and training of school psychologists became fixed as other professional specialists took over some of the early roles. Cornell (1941) discussed the merits of certification for school psychologists when no education and training requirements were set for other types of psychologists. With criteria for certification of school psychologists established through the New York SEA in 1935 and the Pennsylvania SEA in 1937, personnel in education were prescribing programs of study for psychologists.…”

Development of a certification procedure for school psychologists.

“…felt that this plan has the following advantages: (1) From thirty to forty children with their mothers were studied during the year. This permitted the study and comparison of this number of family situations: (2) students had an opportunity of learning techniques in an actual clinic setting-first by observation, and later by practice under supervision; (3) an opportunity was provided for practice in observing and interpreting behavior and in proposing hypotheses concerning the etiology of the problems presented. DEVELOPMENT Thirty years after Dr. Gesell's pioneer work in the state, there were between forty and fifty persons on an approved list of examiners.…”