Pupil Personnel Services Credential

The School of Social Work has been approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to offer the Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential specializing in School Social Work and Child Welfare and Attendance. This competency-based credential program is fully integrated into the M.S.W. program, and prepares students to work as partners with other educators, parents, and the community, working to maintain high expectations of all pupils, facilitate pupils reaching their highest potential, foster optimum teaching and learning conditions, and prevent school failure.

Introduction

A major goal of education is to promote personal growth and to prepare pupils to become literate and motivated workers, caring family members, and responsible citizens.  Professionals concerned with education recognize that in addition to intellectual challenges, pupils encounter personal, social, economic and institutional challenges.  Strategies are essential to address these challenges, promote success and prevent educational failure.

School social workers and child welfare and attendance specialists are professional school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, and child welfare and attendance specialists.  They are trained to provide appropriate prevention and intervention strategies to remove barriers to learning.  These professionals are partners with other educators, parents and the community, working to maintain high expectations of all pupils, facilitate pupils reaching their highest potential, foster optimum teaching and learning conditions, and prevent school failure.

School social workers respond to school teachers and staff concerns about students at risk and their families.  Together with teachers and staff, they work to develop, implement and evaluate programs to help students and their families.  Through the use of assessment, counseling, consultation and coordination of services, School Social Workers serve students, parents, school and community.  They may intervene in areas related to students’ learning opportunities, achievement, personal-social functioning, and the need for change in the interaction of school, student, parent and community.  The focus is on identifying, weighing and assessing the factors in the intrapersonal, interpersonal and social systems that contribute to the problem and that can be used to resolve or ameliorate it.  Child welfare and attendance specialists provide assessment and intervention around issues of attendance for pupils, families and school personnel.

The School Social Work credential is offered by the Council on Social Work Education accredited schools/departments of social work in California who have been approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.  The School Social Work Credential is often offered in conjunction with the Child Welfare and Attendance Credential, enhancing the marketability of social workers in school districts throughout the state.  CSULB School of Social Work has been approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to offer the PPS Credential, specializing in School Social Work and Child Welfare and Attendance.

The Pupil Personnel Services Credential Program is a specialization in the Children, Youth and Families Concentration of the Master of Social Work Program at California State University, Long Beach. Candidates for the PPSC in School Social Work and Child Welfare and Attendance simultaneously complete academic course work and fieldwork requirements for the MSW degree and the PPS credentials.  Students interested in obtaining their PPS credential during their MSW work will attend a PPSC Orientation during their first year of field placement.

The development of the PPS Credential Program within the School of Social Work was a response to the increasing need in school districts to prepare school-age children with skills to function in complex and challenging communities. Professionally trained social workers bring their assessment, intervention, and organizational skills to the interdisciplinary educational team to provide coordinated and comprehensive services to children and their families. 

The purpose of the Pupil Personnel Services Credential Program with specializations in School Social Work and Child Welfare and Attendance is to develop practitioners who:

• Assist children in developing age-appropriate competence;
• Influence the school to be more responsive to the needs and aspirations of the children it serves with regard to laws, policies, practices, and procedures;
• Assist in eliminating the barriers between the child and school, family and school, community and school;
• Engage the positive forces in individuals, families, and communities to change environmental properties and characteristics that have an adverse effect on the child’s growth and adaptive functioning in the school settings;
• Engage community institutions and develop societal resources, networks, and support systems to meet the identified needs of school-age children.
• Utilize research to inform policy and practice in the school setting;
• Translate the laws and policies governing schools and children into programs and activities designed to promote school achievement in high-risk children.

These program goals are congruent with the standards for school social workers established by the National Association of Social Workers, the program standards established by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, State of California, and the MSW program. 

California State University, Long Beach, School of Social Work was initially approved to offer the Pupil Personnel Services Credential with Specialization in School Social Work and Child Welfare and Attendance by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing on August 24, 1995, and was re-accredited in 2002.  The Program was re-accredited for a third time in 2007.

Helpful Links

• PPSC Program Requirements for Current MSW Students
  • PPSC General Requirements Information Sheet (PDF)
• PPSC Documents for 2023-2024
  • PPSC - Checklist and Evaluation (PDF)
  • PPSC - Orientation Script  (PDF)
  • PPSC - Orientation Powerpoint (PDF)
  • PPSC - Application Sample (PDF)
• Helpful Resources Regarding School Social Work
  • NASW Paper: Who are School Social Workers (PDF)

For more information send email inquiries only to the PPSC program.

Important

The Post graduate MSW, PPSC program is paused at this time

Eligibility

• Only applicants with a Master's degree in Social Work (MSW) are eligible for this program.

PPSC Information Links

• Introduction and Overview (PDF)
• Post PPSC Application Information (PDF)
• Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
• PPSC Program Estimated Cost (PDF)
• Link to Certificate of Clearance Instructions on the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) Website (Link)
• Program Requirements (PDF)
• PPSC Comprehensive Skills Evaluation (PDF)
• PPSC Program Application Part I (PDF)
• PPSC Program Application Part II (PDF)

PPSC in School Counseling

If you would like more information regarding a PPSC in School Counseling, visit the college of education website. 

PPSC in School Psychology

If you are interested in obtaining a PPSC in School Psychology, visit the college of education website. 

For more information send email inquiries only to the Post-PPSC program.