FOr Entering Students

A Message from the School Psychology (MA/CAGS) Program

Welcome Letter | Faculty Introductions | Field Education | Primary Project

Welcome from the Program Director <back to top>

Dear Admitted Student,

Congratulations on your offer of admission to the MSPP School Psychology Program. This is your opportunity to become part of a unique higher education community that trains practitioners like none other.

Our competency-based curriculum and experienced faculty provide the future school psychologist with the strongest possible foundation for a career as a mental health professional. As you may know, MSPP emphasizes experiential education, personal growth, and social responsibility.

I hope you will find the introductory information at this website to be useful. This includes:

• Greetings from School Psychology Program faculty members.
• A description of field placements at MSPP. We can begin matching you with a first year practicum site as early as this May.
• An overview of Primary Project, an invaluable learning and service activity that is integrated into the first year of the program as students serve as child associates and in other roles.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at bob_lichtenstein@mspp.edu or 617-327-6777 x283 with any questions you may have about the MSPP School Psychology Program, or your specific issues concerning graduate school preparations or decisions.

Whether at MSPP or elsewhere, I hope you will have a fulfilling graduate school experience that prepares you well for a long and satisfying career in the field of school psychology.

Best regards,

Bob Lichtenstein, PhD
Head, School Psychology Department
bob_lichtenstein@mspp.edu

Faculty Introductions <back to top>

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A Message from Dr. Caroline Wandle

Dear Admitted Student,

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the incoming class in school psychology! As a core faculty member, I enjoy working with students during all three years of their program at MSPP. Currently, I co teach the first year clinical seminar that accompanies the field placement. This is a time for first year students to discuss their placement experiences as well as to practice skills being taught in several academic courses. I also teach two second year classes (Social Emotional Assessment, and Legal, Ethical and Professional Issues in School Psychology). Finally, I teach the clinical seminar for third year students that accompanies their full time internship. It is rewarding to watch our students in their journey to become professional school psychologists.

In addition to teaching, I advise about 10-12 students in the program, meeting with my advisees several times a year. This provides an opportunity for students to discuss their experiences in the program and plan their academic course work. As a small program, we have many opportunities to interact across classes, advising, program and faculty meetings, and MSPP events.

I hope to have the pleasure of working with you next year and look forward to meeting you.

Sincerely,
Caroline Wandle, PhD, NCSP
Core Faculty – School Psychology

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A Message from Dr. Bruce Ecker

Welcome to the MSPP School Psychology Program!

Once you enter, we will have the pleasure of working together in three courses: Psychopathology of Childhood and Adolescence, Counseling and Psychotherapy in the Schools, and School and Family Systems. My courses emphasize the mental health aspects of the profession of school psychology. In so doing, I integrate important theoretical and research papers with numerous case examples from my more than 25 years of practice as a school and clinical psychologist. I look forward to sharing these with you.

Bruce Ecker, PhD

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A Message from Dr. Ronda Goodale

Congratulations on your admission to MSPP. I am looking forward to meeting you in the first year. I teach two first year courses, one focused on instructional assessment, the other on behavioral assessment and consultation. During the instructional assessment course you learn first hand about CBM (curriculum based measurement), as well as the foundations of reading. This course supports your role as a school psychologist in assessing and recommending solid academic interventions. During the behavioral course you gain an appreciation of how various components contribute to the behavior observed in a classroom setting. You have the opportunity to practice and evaluate solid consultation approaches.

I really am excited about the opportunity to work with you over the course of an entire year and see the many milestones reached.

Sincerely,
Ronda A. Goodale, PhD

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A Message from Dr. Jane Utley Adelizzi

Hello students,

I teach the Lifespan Development course for the School Psychology Program at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (MSPP). This 3-credit course is usually taught during the Fall semester, and requires reading from the following:

Ackerman, Diane (2004). An alchemy of mind: the marvel and mystery of the brain. New York, NY: Scribner.

Miller, Patricia H. (2002). Theories of developmental psychology (4th edition). New York, NY: Worth Publishing

Sprenger, Marilee (2008). The developing brain: Birth to age eight. Corwin Press

Our class is contructivist in nature, and requires that students dig deep into their own academic and life experiences in order to better understand the individuals in their care. The readings encompass developmental theorists in education, psychology, and brain research. We approach our work together in a case study format and analyze specific characters from situational comedies as well as from clinical examples of case studies. The final project project is a case study which integrates the theories we cover in class in conjunction with thoughtful and comprehensive analysis.

I look forward to meeting all of you in the Fall 2009!
Jane Utley Adelizzi, PhD

Field Education <back to top>

Students in the MSPP School Psychology Program are in field placements during each semester of full-time enrollment. These field placements are intended to be of value for both the trainee and the host school district. Internships are of the conventional NASP variety, as describedbelow. Practicum placements require more of an explanation.

Practicum placements
MSPP practicum placements differ from those of some other training programs in several respects:

• Each practicum placement is intended to afford trainees the opportunity to practice specific skills, related to concurrent course work, that promote positive student outcomes.
• The field placement is arranged, not just with the field supervisor, but with the school and school district. It is important that the building administrator supports, and recognizes the value of, key activities in which the practicum student is engaged.
• MSPP faculty are available to support best practices in the participating school, for example, by consulting with or arranging professional development opportunities for school psychologists, teachers, or other school personnel.

Practicum placements are arranged or facilitated by the MSPP administration, to assure that the placement will offer appropriate supervision and enable the student to engage in the requisite activities and training experiences. It is acceptable and desirable to designate an associate field supervisor, who need not be a school psychologist. The Field Training Contract is used to verify practicum site appropriateness, and to formalize practicum placement arrangements.

Close collaboration between the MSPP faculty and field supervisors is central to the process. The role of the field supervisor is both facilitative and supervisory. Key aspects of the field supervisor’s facilitation role include orientation and monitoring of interactions with school personnel and arranging opportunities to complete assigned coursework. The field supervisor also ensures that the student is functioning in a manner that meets the performance standards and expectations of the setting, primarily through direct observation and individual supervision. The field supervisor schedules a time to meet weekly with the student, or students.

The MSPP practicum seminar instructor and other course instructors assume a significant role in assigning and monitoring course-related tasks, ensuring proficiency of course-related skills, and providing clinical supervision. Work products that are put to use by the field site (e.g., observation summaries, intervention monitoring data, test protocols) are routinely reviewed by an MSPP instructor.

As a rule, practicum placements run from the beginning of the school year, through at least the beginning of June. Some flexibility during the final month may be necessary to accommodate changes in the student’s schedule with summer session courses. However, the practicum student is expected to meet ongoing responsibilities and to reach closure in a professional manner, for example, in following through with counseling services, completing a program evaluation, or presenting the results of an assessment.

Each year of practicum has a distinct character, as described below and as outlined by the Practicum Grid (PDF).

First year practicum
The time requirement is 9-10 hours, or approximately 1-1/2 school days, per week. The primary field supervisor must be able to provide a minimum of 1/2 hour per week of direct supervision. This practicum is best suited to early childhood and elementary level settings. The school administration must be supportive of the placement, and ensure that the school can provide a setting in which the student can practice the skills associated with the specific practicum (e.g., screening of academic progress in general education, assisting with problem-solving team interventions, gathering data to monitor behavior intervention plans, conducting educationally relevant assessments).

Second year practicum
By comparison, the second year practicum encompasses a more comprehensive domain of training experiences. The essential component is that the trainee has the opportunity to engage in individual and group counseling and other clinical practice activities. In addition, the student is expected to pursue further development of assessment, consultation, and intervention skills. The weekly time requirement is 15 hours, typically scheduled over 2-1/2 schools days. The primary field supervisor must be able to provide a minimum of 1 hour per week of direct supervision. This practicum is best suited to middle school or high school level.

Students may choose to apply competitively for second year practicum placements that are not exclusive to a given training program, or may investigate prospective new sites. Placements initiated by students, however, must be reviewed by the School Psychology Program's field placement coordinator and determined to meet program standards. In order to meet program standards, a practicum placement:

• must provide opportunities to practice key skills associated with concurrent coursework, as outlined in the Practicum Grid;
• must be supervised by a field supervisor who agrees (1) to provide at least the minimum required amount of weekly supervision, (2) to complete and submit periodic evaluations, and (3) to collaborate with the MSPP field placement supervisor in arranging site visits and maintaining communication.

The field supervisor assumes the primary role of supervising and evaluating training activities. Flexibility is afforded in the content and sequence of practicum activities, and field supervisors are encouraged to arrange activities above and beyond those required for concurrent coursework. To ensure that the field placement offers ample training experience in assessment as well as other domains of practice, it is recommended that the practicum student conduct from 8 to 12 comprehensive assessments. The number of assessment should not exceed 15.

Internship
The internship is the culminating training experience in the MSPP School Psychology Program. Three criteria are essential for a placement to qualify as an acceptable internship placement:

• a minimum of 1200 hours, of which at least 600 must be in a school setting;
• the opportunity to practice and integrate a wide range of competencies across the domains of training and practice in school psychology; and
• two or more hours of field-based supervision per week from a licensed school psychologist with at least three years of experience.

A clearly designated certified/licensed school psychologist (or, in non-school settings, a licensed psychologist or licensed educational psychologist, as appropriate for the setting) with at least three years experience working under the relevant license serves as the field supervisor and assumes responsibility for the integrity and quality of the internship training. Interns receive a minimum two hours of field-based supervision per full-time week from one or more qualified supervisors. To ensure that the field placement offers ample training experience in assessment as well as other domains of practice, it is recommended that the intern conduct from 15 to 25 comprehensive assessments. The number of assessment should not exceed 30.

The instructor for the Internship Seminar that runs concurrently with the internship serves as the training program supervisor(s) for the internship. The MSPP Field Education Office establishes institution-wide policies, and coordinates and monitors record-keeping of field placement documents (i.e., Field Education Contracts, Initial Feedback forms, Field Site Information forms, and competency evaluations forms). The MSPP Field Education Office also assumes administrative responsibility for evaluation of field placements by students, and evaluation of students and of the internship placement by field placement supervisors. The field supervisor works collaboratively with the student, the training program supervisor, and the MSPP Field Education Office to ensure that a quality training experience is provided in keeping with the Field Education Contract.

Students in the MSPP School Psychology Program are encouraged to select an area of personal interest in which to develop advanced expertise through independent study, class assignments, elective coursework and/or field experience. The field supervisor is encouraged to propose an interest area that can be incorporated into the internship experience. Examples of interest areas include:

• Early childhood assessment & intervention
• Children with autism/autism spectrum disorders
• Children with behavior and emotional disorders
• Children with low-incidence disabilities
• Neuropsychology/advanced cognitive assessment
• Counseling/therapy
• Positive behavioral intervention and supports

The internship agreement/contract addresses: (a) the period of appointment, (b) work environment, such as safety, privacy, and workspace needs, (c) compensation, if any, (d) provision for participation in professional development activities—either on site, or through release time, (e) assurance of diversified and advanced training experiences, as defined by the NASP domains of training and practice, (f) compliance with legal and ethical standards, (g) release time for the MSPP internship seminar, and (h) completion of measures for evaluation of the intern and of the internship placement.

The MSPP faculty, in advising students who are seeking internships, will encourage them to favor sites that meet the following criteria:

• High quality supervision
• Use of best practices in the school district and assigned schools
• Opportunity to practice a wide range of school psychology roles and functions
• Opportunity to serve children of a wide range of age/developmental levels
• Availability of at least two school psychologists who meet the supervisor qualifications described above
• A salary commensurate with level of training (recommended range:$8,000 – $24,000)

Evaluation of Field Work
Formative and summative evaluation of the student’s performance in practicum and internship is conducted by the field supervisor using a field placement competency evaluation form. The form is used to structure an informal progress review at the middle of each semester, which is not submitted to MSPP. The form is completed and submitted to the MSPP Field Education Office at the end of each semester. To facilitate monitoring in the early part of the year, field supervisors are asked to complete a brief Initial Feedback form at approximately the six week mark. This will be emailed, and can be completed electronically.

The MSPP supervisor evaluates the student by completing a course evaluation that includes evaluation criteria pertinent to field experiences. MSPP students have an annual Assessment and Planning (A & P) Conference at which their progress towards attainment of professional competencies and their “development of the professional self” are reviewed by faculty. Self-evaluation of their field placement performance is a component of the A & P Conference.

Roles of the Field Supervisor and the MSPP Supervisor
A clearly designated, licensed school psychologist (or, in non-school settings, a psychologist with appropriate credentials for the setting) monitors and facilitates the student’s experience on site. The field supervisor works collaboratively with MSPP faculty and the MSPP Field Education Office to ensure that the student meets the quality standards and interpersonal expectations of the setting.

The respective roles of the field supervisor and MSPP supervisor (i.e., the instructor for the practicum or internship seminar) can be flexibly determined, with the understanding that (1) the arrangement must be acceptable to the field supervisor, and (2) the trainee must meet both school district and MSPP standards. The MSPP supervisor provides additional information and support through the practicum or internship seminar, while maintaining professional standards of confidentiality.

The field supervisor maintains communication with the field supervisor, and is available to both the field supervisor and the trainee to help address issues or questions that arise. The MSPP supervisor also monitors the placement by making site visits—from 1-3 per year, depending on the training level and other factors. The field supervisor carries ultimate responsibility for the student’s field placement activities. The field supervisor reviews and counter-signs formal written work, such as evaluation reports and service summaries. Also, the field supervisor provides informal feedback to the trainee in the middle of each semester, and completes a formal Competency Evaluation at the end of each semester using the form provided by MSPP.

To summarize, the field supervisor is expected to:

• Attend the field supervisor orientation program at MSPP in September (which includes a complimentary Continuing Education program);
• Complete and return an Initial Feedback form six weeks into the field placement
• Conduct an informal feedback meeting with the student midway through each semester
• Complete and return a field placement competency evaluation at end of each semester;
• Meet with the MSPP supervisor, who visits the school site 1-3 times per year.

The MSPP supervisor is expected to:

• Be routinely available to the field supervisor and the trainee
• Make periodic site visits
• Promote quality assurance by addressing practice issue in seminar and reviewing students’ work as needed

Primary Project <back to top>

What is Primary Project?
Primary Project is early intervention school based prevention program designed to reduce social, emotional, and school adjustment difficulties and to enhance related competencies. The target audience is children in grades kindergarten through third.

How are children selected to participate in Primary Project?
Through the use of a carefully developed screening tool (AML-R) and discussions with teachers, parents and administrators children are selected to participate in Primary Project. Children who may be shy, anxious, withdrawn, defiant, moody, exhibit problems engaging other peers in positive relationships, exhibit mild physical aggression, or generally experience school as unpleasant are often most appropriate for participation in Primary Project.

Who is involved? Who sees the children?
The Primary Project Team is made up of mental health professionals and child associates, teachers, and administrators within a school. Child associates work with the selected children in one on one expressive play sessions. Child associates receive ongoing training and supervision by experienced professionals.

What happens with the child, once he or she is selected to participate?
Children that are selected will be individually paired with a child associate who will see them once a week for 25-30 minutes usually for 12 sessions. They will engage in child-directed play strategies during their time together. The play sessions occur in a designated playroom within a school. The playroom is intended to provide a safe and welcoming environment in which the child and adult can interact. It is not the role of the child associate to interpret or analyze the play, but to support the child in his or her activities.

Will parents and teachers be involved and/or informed about the child’s progress?
Teachers help select children for the program. They also provide feedback about the child’s progress and help evaluate the program. Parents are encouraged to communicate directly with the school-based mental health professional in order to receive more information, ask questions, or schedule a visit to the playroom.

Updated 6/23/11