School

Psychologist
Johnny Fisher III
Mrs. Jones
English IV-7B

Why Do I Want To Pursue This

Career?

I desire to be a school psychologist because I

want to make a positive impact in the lives of
youth. I am aware of the difficulties and
challenges youth face on a daily basis.
Therefore, I would like to be a school
psychologist so I could help youth cope with
their problems, in and out of school, assist
kids with special needs and give all youth
equal opportunities at gaining success.

School Psychologist
Job Description

A school psychologist works within the educational system to

help children with emotional, social and academic issues.

They provide counseling to students in groups and individually. A

school psychologist promotes anger management, positive
coping skills, positive peer relationships, student motivation and
engagement and social problem-solving.

They
improve
academic
achievement
psychological and academic assessments
student progress.

by
and

conducting
monitoring

School Psychologist
Skills/High School Studies

Skills required

Active Listener - Give full attention to what other people are

saying, taking time to understand the points being made, ask
questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate
times.
Cooperative - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job
and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Writing - Communicate effectively in writing as appropriate for
the needs of the audience.
Speaking - Talk to others to gather information effectively.

School Psychologist
Skills/High School Studies
Useful

high school courses

AP Psychology
AP Probability and Statistics
Speech
Writing

School Psychologist
Degree(s)/Years of study required
A

minimum of a master's degree is required to work as a school psychologist, but some

people in this occupation have a doctoral degree. Regardless of the degree earned, the
academic curriculum for school psychologists should include coursework in counseling or
psychology.

School

psychologists need to be licensed to practice in a school. The licensing requirements

vary from state to state, but most states require a master's degree in psychology, the
successful completion of the National School Psychology Examination, and an internship.

The

Louisiana Department of Education issues certificates to school psychologists that

demonstrate completion of a school psychology training program. There are two levels of
certification.
Level A - Applicants must meet requirements for the standard certificate and possess a
doctoral degree (such as Ph.D., Ed. D., or Psy.D.) from a regionally accredited institution in
school psychology or in psychology with a program of study emphasizing child development
and knowledge and skills in education and assessment.
Level B -Applicants must meet requirements for the standard certificate and possess a
master's or specialist degree from a school psychology training program in a regionally
accredited institution.

School Psychologist
Top State & National Colleges Requirements

Top 3 Louisiana Colleges for Psychology are:

Louisiana State University A&M College - Baton Rouge (Psychology- B.S., M.S.
& Ph.D.)

GPA-

3.0
ACT- 22 composite( 18 English & 18 math) or
SAT- 1030 critical reading & math, 450 critical reading & 460 math
19 core units( 4 English, 4 natural science, 4 social science, 2 foreign language and 1 fine art)

Tulane University-

Psychology(Bachelors,

guaranteed admission for Louisiana students must have the following:

Masters and Doctoral)

GPA-

3.5
ACT- 28 composite or
SAT- 1870 combined
18

core units(4 English, 3 math, 3 science, 3 social studies and at least 2 foreign language- preferably 3)

Reside

in Louisiana & graduate from a Louisiana high school

Have no prior college attendance after high school graduation and no suspensions or expulsions

Louisiana State University in Shreveport (School Psychology- M.S.)

GPA-

3.0

Top National Colleges for School

Psychology are:

Bowie State University ( School Psychology- M.S.)

Georgia State University(School Psychology- M.S.
& Ph.D.)
Howard University(School Psychology- M.S. &
Ph.D.)
Michigan State University(School PsychologyM.S. & Ph.D.)

School Psychologist
Income Potential/Projected job market

According to the BLS, school psychologists earned a median salary of $67,650 in 2012.

The best-paid earned about $109,340 while the lowest-paid earned less than $38,450.

The average pay per hour can range from $24.43-$42.32.

Salaries can vary based upon level of education. One of the groups with the best job
prospects will be those with a specialist or doctoral degree in school psychology

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 16,400 new school psychologist jobs will be
added between 2012 and 2022, for an employment growth rate of 11.3 percent. Part
of that expansion comes from the increasing demands from students with learning
disabilities, special needs and behavioral issues.

The job outlook is very promising for school psychology nationwide. It is believed that a
significant proportion of current practitioners will be reaching retirement age within the
next ten years, hence opening the door for a new generation of school psychologists.

Works Cited

Cherry, Kendra What Do School Psychologists Do? About Education

Web.13 Oct. 2014
<http://psychology.about.com/od/psychologycareerprofiles/p/schoopsych.h
tm>
Henderson, KJ. Job Description of a School Psychologist. eHow. Demand
Media, 10 August 2009. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.
MyMajors. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2014<http
://www.mymajors.com/career/school-psychologists/skills />

"Louisiana and School Psychology." Louisiana School Psychological

Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.
<http://lspaonline.org/schoolpsychinla>.

Palmer, Kimberly. "School Psychologist: Reviews and Advice." School

Psychologist Job Reviews. U.S. News and World Reports, 2014. Web. 13 Oct.
2014. <http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/schoolpsychologist/reviews>.

THE
END