ESP-Education School Psychometry

ESP 600. Seminar in School Psychometry. 3 Hours.

This 3-hour course is designed to examine the professional roles, identities, and services of school psychologists/ psychometrists. Topics include historical foundations, ethical standards, legal issues, professional functions, and current issues in the fields of school psychology and psychometry. Emphasis is placed on developing the skills needed to consult, collaborate, and communicate effectively with colleagues, families, and community professionals to support problem-solving, planning, accountability, and data-based decision-making related to learning, development, and behavior. Candidates will also learn to serve as advocates for students and for the professional roles of school psychologists/ psychometrists.

ESP 627. Practicum in School Psych. 1 Hour.

Psychometry Practicum (1 credit hour): Supervised practicum experience designed to ensure candidates demonstrate competence in conducting fair and accurate psychological and psychoeducational assessments. Emphasis is placed on the appropriate use of assessment instruments, procedures, and techniques within real-world educational contexts. School Psychology Practicum (1 credit hour): Supervised field experience focusing on the roles and functions of the school psychologist. Candidates gain applied experience in assessment, consultation, crisis prevention and intervention, and home-school collaboration, developing foundational skills necessary for internship preparation.

ESP 628. Data-Based Decision Making: Cognitive Assessment. 3 Hours.

This course is designed to prepare candidates to conduct psychological and psycho-educational assessments on children and youth in a school setting. Candidates are prepared to appropriately select, administer, and interpret non-biased formal assessment instruments, procedures, and techniques such as interviews, observations, assessments of personal-social adjustment, cognition, behavior, language, academic achievement, environmental-cultural influences and vocational interests. Emphasis is placed on using assessment data for decision making, accountability, special education eligibility decisions, and intervention planning. Technology is utilized within this course to enhance the assessment and decision-making processes.

ESP 629. Data-Based Decision Making: Academic & Social Behavioral Assessment. 3 Hours.

In this course, candidates are prepared to use assessment data for decision making, accountability, special education eligibility decisions, intervention planning, and the facilitation of the delivery of special education services. Candidates will be taught to develop direct and indirect interventions for individuals, small groups, and whole-class that will enhance cognitive, affective, social, and vocational development. The candidates will prepare an in-service to help parents and teachers implement the developed interventions. Candidates will be taught to apply diversity knowledge (culture, ethnicity, language, disability characteristics, SES, etc.) in development and learning when engaging in databased decision making and intervention and service planning. Technology is integrated and utilized within this course to enhance assessment, decision-making processes, and intervention planning.

ESP 630. Applied Neuropsychology in the School. 3 Hours.

ESP 630 is designed to provide foundational content in organization of the human nervous system and brain behavior relationships to inform functional skills in administration and interpretation of cognitive test performance from neuropsychological perspective as well as intervention development. This course will include hands-on practical administration, scoring, and interpretation of well-known neuropsychological test batteries and development of interventions based upon the results and interpretations. Upon completion of this course, students should be familiar with how such assessments relate to educational diagnoses, special education eligibility, interventions and recommendations. Minimum grade of C required.

ESP 631. Crisis Intervention & Prevention in Schools. 3 Hours.

This 3-hour course trains candidates in the PREPaRE School Crisis Prevention & Intervention Model, emphasizing the knowledge and skills needed to establish and serve on school safety and crisis response teams. Content incorporates (a) prevention, (b) protection, (c) mitigation, (d) response, and (e) recovery, aligned with the U.S. Department of Education’s Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) guidance and the Incident Command System (ICS) as delineated by the National Incident Management System (NIMS) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Special emphasis is placed on trauma-informed and therapeutic practices, fostering resilience in students and school communities, and the importance of self-care for practitioners. Candidates have the opportunity to earn PREPaRE Certificates of Completion. Minimum grade of C required.

ESP 632. Consultation & Intervention for Learning & Behavior Problems. 3 Hours.

This 3-hour course emphasizes the design, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based academic interventions and prevention programs. Building on consultation and assessment skills, candidates learn to collaborate with teachers, families, and other professionals to support students in both general and special education settings. Content addresses developmental and contextual factors that influence learning, with attention to strategies that promote resilience, positive behavior, and mental health. The course highlights data-based decision-making, family–school–community partnerships, and responsive practices that enhance academic and social-emotional outcomes for all learners.

ESP 689. Internship-School Psychometry. 3-12 Hours.

This culminating course provides a 300-hour, supervised field experience in a P–12 school setting under the direction of a certified and qualified School Psychometrist. Working under the supervision of an appropriately credentialed Internship Site Supervisor, candidates must demonstrate competency in all identified knowledge and skill standards for school psychometrists. Interns engage in the full scope of professional practice, including individual assessment, data-based decision-making, accountability, participation in special education referral and eligibility meetings, and other relevant responsibilities. Each intern independently completes all components of ten special education re-evaluations (case studies) at the placement site. Additionally, interns participate in a monthly university seminar focused on evaluating and synthesizing research as a foundation for effective service delivery.

ESP 690. Internship in School Psychology. 3-12 Hours.

Graduate students enrolled in the educational specialist program at UAB are required to complete 12 credit hours of ESP 689 Internship in School Psychology. The course is a field- based experience for supervised professional experience in school setting or approved setting. The primary purpose of the internship in school psychology is to help develop the intern into a competent, adaptive school psychologist. The internship integrates previous training experiences with practical application of these skills in the school environment. The internship will consist of duties, which school psychologists usually perform such as assessment, intervention, consultation, prevention, education/training, and research. Such activities will primarily take place in a school setting; however, additional experiences may be obtained in a hospital, clinic, or community mental health agency that serves the psychological and educational needs of children. The key assessments for this course are the Academic & Behavioral Case Studies.

ESP 691. Global Perspectives in School Psychology: Promoting Mental Health & Resilience in School Communities. 3 Hours.

In today’s diverse educational systems, school psychologists must engage in culturally responsive, context-aware practice. This course adopts a transnational approach that emphasizes cultural humility, global awareness, and culturally and linguistically responsive services. Students will examine consultation, assessment, intervention, and systems-level practice across cultural contexts using individual, group, and ecological frameworks. Through seminars, international collaboration, case simulations, community engagement, and school-based activities, students will strengthen intercultural competence and develop a global perspective on school psychology. A central component of the course is the partnership with the Laboratory of School Psychology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, where U.S. and Greek students participate in joint online and in-country learning experiences.
Prerequisites: ESP 600 [Min Grade: B]