St. John's grad psyched to be on way to doctorate

    Francyne Rose Bykofsky, of West Hempstead, received her Master of Science degree in school psychology from the trustees of St. John's University on Sunday, May 16.
    Bykofsky is continuing her studies at St. John's as a doctoral candidate in school psychology and will begin an externship program in the fall at the Rose F. Kennedy University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Children's Evaluation & Rehabilitation Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx.
    Following completion of the externship in 2011, Bykofsky, who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Binghamton University, will seek employment as a school psychologist. She is a student member of the American Psychology Association and the National Association of School Psychologists, and has presented at annual conventions of the APA and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.
    Her doctoral dissertation, titled A Preliminary Assessment of Response to Intervention in Schools, will investigate the effect of training modalities on teachers' knowledge, opinions and motivation. Bykofsky has applied for provisional certification as a school psychologist and anticipates earning her Doctor of Psychology in school psychology in May 2012.