School Psychology Program
A Day in the Life of Lehigh University Graduate School Psychology Student Kelly Sassa
Follow Lehigh grad student Kelly Sassa, Ed.S., School Psychology '20 as she shares a day in her life!
Accredited by American Psychological Association (APA) and Approved by National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).
Our doctoral programs are accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). This means we have met the rigorous criteria and standards designed by these governing boards to ensure that our programing provides a top education for students in our programs.
School psychologists must follow best practices that are supported by empirical research. Our program trains graduates to do that by using a problem-solving model that approaches consultation, assessment and intervention from a behavior analytic framework and emphasizes the influences of family, community and culture in the problem-solving process.
Students in our Ed.S. and Ph.D. programs receive supervised practicum experience in school settings from the beginning and gain a knowledge and experimental underpinning in multicultural perspectives.
Our faculty and students engage in research in areas such as academic assessment and intervention, ADHD, autism, behavioral/emotional assessment and intervention, and pediatric school psychology, and they have published in journals and presented their research at national and international conferences.
The Ph.D. program is accredited by the American Psychological Association, the National Association of School Psychologists and the Pennsylvania Department of Education; the Ed.S. program is accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Learn more about our School Psychology program from our students!
Daniel Peek, School Psychology, Ed.S. '18
Training future leaders in school psychology by developing and evaluating best practices that help children and the community.
The School Psychology program invites you to explore the exciting opportunities as a prospective student in the field of school psychology.
Our program was ranked #1 by Best Counseling Degrees.
The Journal of School Psychology has ranked our program #2 in the nation for scholarly productivity and research impact.
In a Chronicle of Higher Education report, Lehigh was ranked #3 among the nation’s elite for research productivity.
Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania Student Accolade
Joelle Harrington, M.Ed.
Lehigh University, School Psychology, Ed.S. Program
Accomplishments: Joelle Harrington is deserving of this accolade given her enduring passion for learning, commitment to the field of school psychology, and in particular, her efforts to improve school climates and academic, social, and emotional outcomes for sexual and gender minority students.
As part of her Ed.S. program requirements at Lehigh University, Joelle completed a thorough literature review on the effects of school-based gay-straight alliance (GSA) organizations on LGBTQ adolescents’ social and academic outcomes. She presented this research at the 2017 NASP Convention in San Antonio.
As an extension of this project, Joelle has formed a committee of graduate students at Lehigh University, who have organized a large colloquium event that was held on March 4, 2017 entitled, “Creating Safe and Supportive Schools for LGBTQIA Students.” Joelle and her peers have, over the course of 6 months, received nearly $2,000 in grant funding to support this event, and have secured a number of individuals and organizations in PA and nationally (e.g., Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, Equality PA, PA Youth Alliance) to speak, including Dr. Kris Varjas, Chair of NASP’s LGBTQI2-S Committee. It is anticipated that school psychologist trainees and those in practice around the state will join us for this event.
As a practicum student at Derry Township School District, Joelle has been involved in a number of initiatives, including assisting her supervisors in the development of ASPP’s statement supporting SB 44: An Act prohibiting mental health professionals from engaging in sexual orientation change efforts with individuals under 18 years of age. She also served as a student volunteer at ASPP's PSU Fall Conference this past fall. Within Lehigh’s school psychology training program, Joelle currently serves as an ASPP Student Representative, and last year, served on the Executive Board of the University’s School Psychology Club.