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Working in Wisconsin
· School Psychology in Wisconsin School Psychology in Wisconsin Working as a school psychologist in Wisconsin offers the potential for great variety in your work and the ability to have a direct impact on the children and families that you serve. In larger school districts, you may serve as part of a team of school psychologists, while in smaller school districts you may be working alone, traveling between buildings. School psychologists in Wisconsin help teach students to become knowledgeable, competent, and caring adults, involved citizens, and productive members of our communities. They are trained not only in the traditional psychological domains of mental health and working with behavioral and emotional challenges, but also have a strong background in learning and educational theory. In Wisconsin, the ratio of students to school psychologists has averaged about 1000:1, which is substantially lower than the national average and even better than NASP recommendations. This allows many school psychologists to focus their work on consultation, RtI, and mental health rather than in a strict evaluation role. Job responsibilities will vary with the needs of the school or district. However, most school psychologists in Wisconsin work in a collaborative role with educators, parents, and other professionals. Many work with students in a one-on-one or small group setting. They may also be involved in training teachers and parents to implement effective teaching and learning strategies, along with techniques to support student behavior at home and in the classroom. They help parents and teachers work effectively with students with disabilities or with special talents. They address drug and alcohol abuse problems, and prevent and manage crises. In Wisconsin, the ratio of students to school psychologists has averaged about 1000:1, which is substantially lower than the national average and even better than NASP recommendations. This allows many school psychologists to focus their work on consultation, RtI, and mental health rather than in a strict evaluation role. In a 2007 survey of school psychologists in Wisconsin, they rank ordered the following list of groups served from most commonly provided to least. 1. Students receiving special education services including students referred and those being re-evaluated for disability; 2. Teachers, parents, and administrators expressing concerns with student behavior, learning, or mental health; 3. Students with emotional, behavioral, or academic concerns; 4. Teachers, schools, or districts to develop and implement systems to collect data on academic and social/emotional development, and to then use those data to make instructional decisions (RtI); 5. Groups of students with specialized needs. For example, students with emotional, behavioral, or academic challenges. 6. Schools, students & families who are in crisis. School psychologists are licensed by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. They must complete a minimum of a post-Master’s degree program that emphasizes preparation in mental health, child development, learning styles and processes, behavior, motivation, effective teaching, and school organization. In addition to a Master's Degree, further graduate training of at least 30 credits, including a year-long internship is required for certification. Newly trained school psychologists in Wisconsin will also earn their Education Specialist degree (Ed. S.) following additional coursework and a specialist’s project. School psychologists may also have a national certification (NCSP) obtained through the National School Psychology Certification Board. However, Wisconsin does not recognize the NCSP as part of their standard for certification. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction issues licenses to out-of-state applicants if their educator preparation program is comparable to an approved program offered in Wisconsin. In addition, you must verify that you are eligible for a license in the state where you completed your educator training, including all testing requirements. See http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/tepdl/oos.html for additional information regarding licensure of out-of-state educators. School psychologists are licensed by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). A school psychologist license may be issued to an applicant who has completed or possesses all of the following: 1. A program approved by the DPI for the preparation of school psychologists, resulting in a doctor of philosophy, doctor of psychology, doctor of education, education specialist degree, or the equivalent, including a master's degree, as determined by the institution and approved by the state superintendent. 2. Completion of one of the following, (a) or (b): a. Two years of successful experience as a school psychologist under the supervision of a cooperating school psychologist and a written recommendation from the school system administration. b. An internship in school psychology under the supervision of a cooperating school psychologist and a written recommendation from the school system administration. The internship shall be part of the approved program. Applicants must also demonstrate proficiency in the Wisconsin Pupil Services Standards (http://dpi.wi.gov/tepdl/standps.html). If you are considering moving to Wisconsin and would like further information regarding licensure please contact John Humphries (john.humphries@dpi.state.wi.us), DPI School Psychology Consultant. Most school psychologists are school district employees, generally paid and covered by the teacher’s contract. Some are on administrative contract, while some school psychologists are employed by Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESA’s) that may provide a range of services to a variety of school districts. One advantage of coming to Wisconsin from other states is that, for purposes of employment, interns in Wisconsin are not treated any differently than other school psychologists. While there are additional requirements on all Initial Educators (our license for the first 3-5 years), interns are paid and have a regular contract with their employer. Current trends indicate that the demand for school psychologists is “Average” as compared to other positions in the state. There were approximately 9 applicants for every school psychology position in 2005. (Supply and Demand: Data Trends of Education Personnel in Wisconsin Public Schools, WI DPI, 2005) However, there is great variability across regions of the state, with significantly greater numbers of applications for positions in urban and suburban areas, and fewer in rural areas. School Psychologist CESA 10 in Chippewa Falls is seeking full time or part time school psychologists. Successful candidate(s) will coordinate IDEA/IEP procedures, provide educational evaluation and consultation services, psychological counseling, participate in development, implementation, and evaluation of individual and school-wide educational interventions. Required: Current WI School Psychologist License (62); thorough understanding of psychological services in general and particularly the relationship of school psychology and IDEA. We offer a competitive salary with excellent benefit package. Position will remain open until filled. Interested applicants should send a letter of application, current resume, transcripts and copy of WI license to: Dave Burke Psychological Services
Coordinator CESA 10 is an equal opportunity employer **** Milwaukee Public Schools has a opening for a School Psychologist. More information can be found "HERE"
Wisconsin job postings can be accessed at: State of Wisconsin (http://www.wisconsin.gov/state/employment/app?COMMAND=gov.wi.state.cpp.job.command.LoadSeekerHome) WECAN: Wisconsin Education Career Access Network (http://services.education.wisc.edu/wecan/) NASP (http://jobs.naspcareercenter.org/search.cfm)
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