BASIC REQUIREMENTS

Course Requirements

I . Attend Weekly Practicum Seminar

Formal weekly sessions led by the practicum coordinator, clinic personnel and/or guest speakers.

II. Individual and Group Supervision

Opportunities exist for students to discuss cases. Students are required to attend and participate in group supervision each week. Group supervision is provided by the practicum coordinator. Additionally, students are required to meet with their supervisors a minimum of one hour per week for individual face-to-face supervision.

III. Academic Intervention Presentation

Practicum students will develop and conduct an evidenced-based intervention during practicum. Students also are required to present their academic intervention at one of the weekly practicum seminars.

IV. Academic Intervention

Each student submits one academic intervention within a school setting to the practicum coordinator for evaluation.

V. Behavioral Intervention

Each practicum student submits one behavioral intervention undertaken within a school or clinical setting (clinical setting with prior approval of the practicum coordinator) for evaluation. Intervention assignments must provide for evaluation of their effectiveness and are to be documented through use of a single case study design approach or Functional Behavioral Analysis/Behavioral Intervention Plan (FBA/BIP).

VI. Participation in School-Based Activities

Classroom and systematic observations, review of school procedures, participation in staff and special education meetings, etc. are expected.

VII. Direct Client/Student Contact

A minimum 200 hours of direct services to clients, students, parents, teachers, etc. must be completed and documented. Direct contact hours include the following:

intakes/interviews, review of school/other records, assessments, feedback, consultation, inservices, behavioral interventions, and other associated services. See the Appendix D for guidelines.

Practicum students are encouraged to complete at least one case in each of the following categories:

1. Behavioral/Social-Emotional 5. ADHD/Attention 2. Early Childhood/Developmentally Delayed 6. Gifted

3. Learning/Academic 7. College-Age/Adult

4. Pervasive Developmental Disorder/Autism 8. Multiple Disability/Low Incidence Disability

“Cases” may or may not include standardized assessment instruments. The number of cases a student is required to complete will be determined by the supervisor and the practicum coordinator. This determination will be based on the student’s level of

competence in skills required for entry into internship experiences. However, practicum students typically complete 5 – 8 psychological evaluations each semester during the academic year. During the summer, each practicum student typically completes one psychological evaluation. Students are expected to provide concrete recommendations for any evaluations that are completed. Recommendations should link the assessment to supporting the client’s achievement and/or growth.

VII. Consultation

The purpose of this experience is to provide an opportunity for students to participate in a collaborative problem solving process in which two or more persons (consultant and consultee) engage in efforts to benefit a student for whom they both have some level of responsibility. Two formal consultation reports documenting consultation are required. VIII. Prevention

Students are required to develop and implement a prevention program at the system, building, and/or classroom level.

IX. Electronic Portfolio

Throughout the program, students are required to develop an on-line portfolio. This portfolio provides a systematic and organized collection of evidence concerning a student’s professional competencies and personal growth and professional development. The goal of the portfolio is for students to develop a means for purposeful self-appraisal that can be used during their careers in school psychology. The portfolios document a collection of work that shows a student’s efforts, progress, and achievement in specified areas of practice.

The portfolio is not intended to replace graded evaluation in classes. Rather, it is a collection of artifacts that are linked to rationale and reflective statements addressing the goals of the program. Although artifacts may include assignments that have already been evaluated in a particular class, individual artifacts are not assessed within the portfolio. Instead, the format provides opportunities for students to connect their field and

classroom experiences and to reflect on how the selected products illustrate their growth and understanding of the knowledge base, professional roles, or responsibilities the artifacts represent. This level of self-assessment is typically not seen in most classroom- based assessments.

A vehicle for reflection, the portfolio is essential to the self-study process in that it is a measure of a student’s development of self-evaluation skills and his/her ability to

document acquired competencies and monitor areas of academic and professional development.

Guidelines and structure for initial portfolio development are referenced in Appendix C. Portfolios are used in prepracticum and practicum classes to evaluate the degree to which first and second year students are able to demonstrate proficiency in the skills necessary to organize a professional portfolio as well as select evidence of competencies. Types of evidence students might include are examples of psychological evaluations, indirect and direct intervention cases, analysis of an ethical/legal dilemma, an in-service presentation, a quality research paper, and a review of professional literature related to an area of specialization. A curriculum vitae and other program elements related to their professional preparation can also be part of the portfolio. The portfolio organized to address the attainment of the program’s goals is assessed as part of Part II of the comprehension exam process. Results of the evaluations are entered into rGrade. The practicum coordinator is responsible for making sure portfolios are evaluated after the completion of practicum and the Co-Director (Dr. Rothlisberg) is responsible for

portfolio ratings being entered into rGrade after being evaluated by the student’s doctoral committee.

X. Exit Interview

When a student and his/her supervisor have determined that she/he has completed all practicum requirements and has met competency levels, she/he should present

him/herself to the Practicum Coordinator for an exit interview. This presentation will take the form of an updated electronic portfolio and must be made at least one week prior to the actual interview appointment. The interview appointment should be scheduled no later than finals week.

RECORD KEEPING