Specialized Instruction
Psychological Services
Achieving excellence in education for the 21st Century requires that every student is ready to learn and every teacher is empowered to teach. School psychologists work with students, educators, and families to support the academic achievement, positive behavior, and mental wellness of all students, especially those who struggle with barriers to learning. School psychologists help schools and families address some of our biggest challenges in education: improving and individualizing instruction to close the achievement gap; creating safe, positives school climates; providing meaningful accountability; and strengthening family–school partnerships.
School psychologists have extensive training in assessment, progress monitoring, instruction, child development and psychology, consultation, counseling, crisis response, program evaluation, and data collection and analysis. Their training is specific to applying this expertise within the school context, both general education and special education, and also includes extensive knowledge in school systems and law.
In the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, there are 14 school psychologists assigned to serve each of the District's schools and educational centers. Together, they have 255 years of experience in the field. Many of the staff also have preschool, general education, or special education teaching experience; leadership, or clinical experience. School Psychology training requires approximately three years of intensive graduate work, field experience and a full-time internship in addition to meeting state certification requirements.
SCCPSS school psychologists provide a variety of services, including the individual evaluation of children. Their work assists parents, teachers and administrators by providing information about the student's intellectual, academic, social, and emotional needs. Additional services provided to children include counseling and crisis intervention. Your school psychologists are available for consultation or training and provide information about issues such as response to intervention, learning disabilities, behavior management, discipline, emotional problems, child development, trauma-informed practices and data interpretation.