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SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM HANDBOOK

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

TULANE UNIVERSITY

2011-2012 Academic Year

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The Department of Psychology offers the School Psychology Training Program at Tulane University. The program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation American Psychological Association 750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 Phone: 202-336-5979 / email: apaaccred@apa.org Web: http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/

For new graduate students, completion of the Ph.D. program requires approximately five years representing four years of course work and a year of internship. For students coming into the program with a Master's degree in school psychology or a closely related field, prior course work will be evaluated by the Department for possible transfer credit. The Department does not offer a terminal Master's degree program in school psychology.

This handbook should be used as a program-specific supplement to the general information provided in the Department’s Graduate Training Handbook. All of the information and forms contained in this document can also be accessed online through the School Psychology Program website.

Program Philosophy and Training

The School Psychology Program at Tulane University is an ecologically-grounded scientist-practitioner model of training. The Program emphasizes sensitivity to the ecological systems surrounding the child, with a particular emphasis on the contexts of development and culture. Specifically, the goal of our training is to prepare professionals who are sensitive to the complex interplay of biological, cultural, economic, social, and psychological influences that contribute to child development. The educational philosophy that serves as the foundation of this training specifies that the development of expected competencies must be met through student exposure to and engagement with multiple disciplines, research methodologies, and practice contexts. We are firm in our commitment to produce broadly trained psychologists who possess the requisite and unique skills necessary to further the knowledge base in psychology and education and to provide professional services to a wide range of children and adolescents in the variety of settings where they develop.

Through a variety of courses, students learn the knowledge base and methods for scientific inquiry that allows them to broadly consider the influence of development, culture, and ecological systems in their professional and research activities. These key foundational components mutually inform the program goals related specifically to professional practice and research. In brief, the goals of the training program are to build competence in assessment, intervention and research, each mutually informed by consideration of the contexts of development, culture, and other ecological systems. Applied skills are developed through year long practicum placements. Practicum experiences are matched to student skill levels, with students broadening their applied experiences as they develop new skills. Throughout the practica, faculty members provide students with close supervision.

The School Psychology Program at Tulane has the advantage of being located within the Department of Psychology. The resources of the Department are available to students, both in terms of faculty guidance and supervision and in terms of physical resources such as microcomputer and main frame computer facilities, videotaping equipment, and experimental rooms for collecting data. There are ongoing research programs in the Department in areas of

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psychology such as social, developmental, physiological, cognitive, quantitative, neuroscience, and industrial/organizational. Students in the School Psychology Program may draw upon the faculty in these areas in pursuing their interests. In addition, the Psychology Department maintains affiliations with schools, hospitals, and clinics that provide a wide variety of research and training opportunities with ethnically and culturally diverse populations.

Below are the substantive areas of professional psychology for which we prepare students to enter the field. Each of the six training goals listed above is associated with specific competencies expected of program graduates, which are outlined below.

1. Developmentally Informed Research and Practice. Program graduates will: A. Understand normative development, including milestones and developmental

sequences. B. Apply and integrate knowledge from other core psychological domains to understand

developmental processes. C. Understand how developmental processes are influenced by and interact with culture

and context. D. Utilize a developmental psychopathology perspective to understand maladjustment. E. Understand developmental research methods and conduct ethical and developmentally

sensitive research. 2. Ecologically-grounded Research and Practice. Program graduates will:

A. Engage in research and practice that is sensitive to the microsystems that surround the developing child.

B. Engage in research and practice that is sensitive to the mesosystem and strive to strengthen the connections within that system.

C. Engage in research and practice that is sensitive to exosystem influences on child development and strive to become advocates for change within those social structures, as needed.

D. Engage in research and practice that is sensitive to macrosystem influences on child development and understand the reciprocal relations between research, practice, and social policy.

3. Culturally Informed Research and Practice. Program graduates will: A. Recognize ethnicity and culture as significant factors in understanding psychological

processes and behavior. B. Demonstrate an awareness of how one’s own cultural background, attitudes, values, and

biases influence psychological research and practice. C. Be open to educational and training experiences and demonstrate a willingness to learn

about diverse cultures. D. Use knowledge of the role of culture in interactions in work as a professional. E. Recognize the limitations of their competencies and expertise. F. Demonstrate an understanding of and respect for cultural differences in research and

practice and abide by APA’s Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists.

4. Psychological Assessment. Program graduates will: A. Engage in assessment as a method of hypothesis generation and testing. B. Follow guidelines for nondiscriminatory, reliable and valid assessment as outlined by the

ethical guidelines of the APA and the NASP, as well as State and Federal laws. C. Competently select, administer, interpret, and psychometrically evaluate psychological

tests to facilitate the design and evaluation of interventions. D. Conduct developmentally, culturally, and ecologically sensitive interviews and

assessments with children, adolescents, and adults.

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E. Integrate data from multiple sources to inform case conceptualization, differential diagnoses, and treatment recommendations.

F. Communicate assessment findings and recommendations to clients, families, and other professionals in both written and oral formats.

G. Conduct assessment activities in a manner consistent with the values and ethics of integrity and responsibility.

H. Relate effectively and meaningfully with clients, families, staff, and other professionals to carry out assessment activities.

5. Prevention and Intervention. Program graduates will: A. Understand the theoretical foundations and procedural strategies of various approaches

to interventions. B. Conceptualize treatment goals and develop interventions based on the literature on

empirically supported treatments. C. Understand the roles of surrounding ecological systems on intervention efforts and

acknowledge that change is mutually influenced by developmental, ecological, and social therapeutic interventions.

D. Select, design, and provide developmentally, culturally, and ecologically sensitive individual psychotherapy and family/school based interventions.

E. Monitor and evaluate treatment progress and effectiveness. F. Provide consultation services that are ecologically and culturally sensitive. G. Follow ethical guidelines of the APA and the NASP, as well as State and Federal laws,

in the provision of prevention, intervention, and consultation services. H. Conduct intervention activities in a manner consistent with the values and ethics of

integrity and responsibility. I. Relate effectively and meaningfully with clients, families, staff, and other professionals to

carry out intervention activities. 6. Research and Evaluation. Program graduates will:

A. Demonstrate an understanding of various methodologies and statistics used in applied and basic research.

B. Understand, employ and critically evaluate methodology to determine treatment effectiveness.

C. Demonstrate the ability to design, evaluate, and conduct research studies that are sensitive to development, culture, and ecological systems.

D. Conduct nondiscriminatory research in accordance with the ethical guidelines of the APA and the NASP, as well as State and Federal laws.

E. Contribute to new knowledge base within the fields of psychology and education. F. Conducts research activities in a manner consistent with the values and ethics of

integrity and responsibility. G.

Student Advisement Students receive initial advisement from the Program Director. No later than the second semester of the student's first year of study, students will select a major advisor. Students, in consultation with the Program Director and their major advisor, will develop a plan of study for their graduate training. Students in the School Psychology program need not complete the formal SPEC plan outlined in the Department’s Graduate Training Handbook.

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Coursework The curriculum is designed to provide a broad-based knowledge of psychological research and theory, as well as training in professional issues and skills. Both within the School Psychology Program and within the Department of Psychology, classes at the graduate level are small and are often conducted in a seminar format so as to actively involve students in the learning experience. Course offerings and curriculum requirements are listed in Appendix A and a typical course sequence is presented in Appendix B. In the case of a graduate student entering with graduate-level work from another university, the Program Director, in consultation with the other School Psychology faculty, will make recommendations to the Graduate Training Committee by the end of the first semester as to which courses taken elsewhere should be credited toward the Tulane doctorate. If the student wishes to receive credit for a core course or other required course, the approval of the professor teaching that course must be obtained before consideration is made by the Program Director. With regard to other transfer credits, the Program Director will make a recommendation to the Graduate Training Committee. The Graduate School Bulletin should be consulted for regulations governing transfer credit for graduate courses taken at another university. Upon recommendation of the faculty, the Department Chairperson will then write a letter of request to the Graduate Dean who will make the final determination. Research Requirement

Students are expected to be engaged in research during each of their four years of graduate training. The faculty encourage active student involvement in the research process and students are expected to join and attend the meetings of relevant professional and research organizations (e.g., American Psychological Association, Society for Research on Child Development, Society for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology). In addition, we encourage students to seek out and take advantage of opportunities to co-author presentations and workshops at professional meetings as well as journal articles and book chapters for publication.

All students are required to complete a Master's thesis and Doctoral dissertation following Departmental guidelines. The following are timelines for the completion of these requirements. Students are expected to complete the Master’s degree requirements before beginning their

third year of study. Students must complete their Master’s degree requirements no later than the last day of classes the Fall semester of the third year of study.

The faculty will review theses of students entering the program who have earned a Master's degree elsewhere to determine if the theses satisfy departmental research requirements. Students are referred to the Department’s Graduate Training Handbook for specific procedural guidelines.

Students are expected to propose their dissertation prior to leaving for internship. Ideally, students will defend their dissertation prior to the internship year.

Preliminary Examination Students are eligible to take the preliminary examination on recommendation from the Department faculty once they have completed the Master's requirements. Students must adhere closely to the research deadlines outlined in the previous section to take the preliminary examination on schedule.

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Students are expected to complete the Master’s degree requirements before beginning their third year of study so they can complete the preliminary examination during the third year of study.

The Master's degree requirements must be completed no later than the end of classes in the Fall semester preceding the preliminary examination.

All components of the preliminary examination must be completed by October 15th of the fourth year of graduate study. Students who have completed the preliminary examination by this deadline are eligible to apply for internship.

Students who do not meet the October 15th deadline will not be eligible to apply for internship until the following year.

The preliminary examination is composed of two components: a practice examination and a research examination, each of which are described in detail below. Both components must be satisfactorily completed before the student is judged to have passed the preliminary examination.

1. The Practice Examination. The practice examination involves a demonstration of the knowledge of important content and process issues relevant to the practice of school psychology. Students must receive a passing score on the National School Psychology Examination (NSPE) to complete this component of the preliminary examination. The passing score is set by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and may vary from year to year; it was 165 in 2008.

The NSPE is required for certification by most states and it is also required as part of the National School Psychology Certification System. The NSPE is administered by ETS as part of the Praxis program. Summary information on the content and format of the NSPE, as well as sample test items, is provided on the ETS website: http://ftp.ets.org/pub/tandl/0400.pdf. The NCSP is administered five times each year for a fee ($75.00 in 2006) and special administrations of the exam are possible, upon request. Students are responsible for the examination fee.

Once students have been approved to take the preliminary exam, they may take the NSPE at the next available administration date. Online registration for the exam is available at: http://www.ets.org/praxis/index.html. Once the student has registered for the exam, this information must be filed with the Program Director (see Appendix C). The student must arrange for an official score report to be sent directly to the Program Director. As noted above, all components of the preliminary examination must be completed by October 15th of the fourth year of study. Therefore, the Program Director must receive an official score report indicating a passing score on the NSPE by October 15th of the fourth year. Students who do not meet this deadline will not be eligible to apply for internship in the fourth year. Students should consult the NSPE exam schedule and plan accordingly—score reports arrive approximately 4 weeks after the test date.

2. The Research Examination. The research examination involves a demonstration of the ability to integrate information and critically review a body of empirical research. The research topic should be related to the area in which the student plans to conduct his or her dissertation research. Students may select one of two options to complete this component of the preliminary examination.

A. The Comprehensive (Comps) Paper

The comps paper is intended to assess depth of knowledge in the chosen area, and comprises the preparation of a review article sufficient in quality and scope as to merit publication in

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Psychological Bulletin or Psychological Review. Students are referred to APA’s publication manual and the following two reference articles for specific strategies for writing a review article:

Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1997). Writing narrative literature reviews. Review of General Psychology, 1, 311-320.

Bem, D. (1995). Writing a review article for Psychological Bulletin. Psychological Bulletin, 118, 172-177.

Students should select a topic for the comprehensive paper in consultation with his or her research advisor. The topic chosen should have a body of empirical research sufficient to warrant a comprehensive review. The final decision regarding the appropriateness of the breadth of the specific topic rests in the hands of the student’s Comps Paper committee. Students pursuing this option must receive approval for the project (i.e., its topic, scope) from the Comps Paper committee, although a formal proposal meeting is not required.

It is the responsibility of the student to form the Comps Paper committee, which must consist of at least three regular faculty members from within the Department, including the student’s research advisor. A form indicating approval of the general topic and committee membership, along with a 1-page abstract outlining the scope of the paper, should be placed in the student's

file and a copy of the approval should be forwarded to the School Psychology Program Director (see Appendix D).

The comprehensive paper should not have been prepared for any other Program requirement or course, nor should it be simply an extension of a paper prepared for another course or requirement. The form of the paper should conform to APA style. Because good papers are potentially publishable ones, the paper must not be unwieldy in length. Papers containing more than 60 pages of text (references and tables are not counted) would need specific justification. The written comps paper may be prepared with input from the committee chair with respect to theoretical background or conceptual issues. The student will provide a copy of the final paper to each committee member no later than 5:00 p.m. on September 15th, at the start of the student's fourth year.

The Comprehensive Paper committee will evaluate the paper and will schedule a meeting with the student within a reasonable time period (ordinarily two weeks) after the student has submitted the completed paper. Students who submit their papers during the summer will receive no guarantees from their committee members that the paper will be reviewed prior to the start of the Fall semester. The committee will design a set of questions that address the comps paper and related areas. The student's responses to these questions may be written independently as an examination or may be elicited during an oral defense, the former option provided at the discretion of the committee. In the case of a follow-up written examination, student responses to questions must be completed no later than 2 weeks following receipt of commentary from the committee. The student must successfully defend the comps paper by October 15th of the fourth year to be eligible to apply for internship that year. The criteria used to evaluate the comps paper are based on guidelines from the APA Publication Manual (2001) and include the adequacy of: Definition and clarification of the problem. Summary of previous investigations that informs the reader of the state of current research. Identification of relations, contradictions, gaps, and inconsistencies in the literature. Discussion of next step or steps in solving the problem. Specificity and clarity of the

description of the research skills and knowledge to be acquired and objective evaluation of progress in each area.

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Determination of a ―pass‖ will rest on a 2/3 majority vote of the committee (i.e., at least two of the three members of the committee must agree on passing or failing the paper). The

committee may require revisions of the document and an additional meeting prior to making a decision regarding whether the student has passed this portion of the Preliminary Examination. No further opportunities for revisions will be provided; if the student does not pass this portion of the exam even after revisions, the committee will make a decision about the student’s continuation in the doctoral program. If the student is invited to stay on in the program, the student will have to select a new topic and begin the process anew. One copy of the approved paper must be put in the student's file in the Psychology Department office. A second copy must be submitted for the general file of comprehensive papers in the School Psychology Program Library. Some comps papers will be available to future students as a model for their own papers. B. The Research Grant Proposal

The research grant proposal is intended to assess depth of knowledge in the chosen area, and comprises the preparation of a NRSA-grant proposal. Students are referred to the website of the National Institutes of Health for preparation guidelines: http://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm.

It is the responsibility of the student to form the Grant Proposal committee, which must consist of at least three regular faculty members from within the Department, including the student’s research advisor. Only those students who plan to submit the grant proposal may pursue this option. Students should select a research project in consultation with his or her research advisor. A formal proposal meeting is not required. A form indicating approval of the general topic and committee membership, along with a 1-page abstract outlining the scope of the proposal, should be placed in the student's file and a copy of the approval should be forwarded to the School Psychology Program Director (see Appendix D).

The grant proposal should not have been prepared for any other Program requirement or course, nor should it be simply an extension of a grant proposal prepared for another course or requirement. The form of the proposal must conform to NIH guidelines regarding style and length. The written grant proposal may be prepared with input from the committee chair with respect to theoretical background, research design, and analysis.

The student will provide a copy of the final grant proposal to each committee member no later than 5:00 p.m. on September 15th, at the start of the student's fourth year. Students who submit their grant proposals during the summer will receive no guarantees from their committee members that the paper will be reviewed prior to the start of the Fall semester. After all members of the committee evaluate the written proposal, the committee will design a set of questions that address the grant proposal and related areas. The student's responses to these questions may be written independently as an examination or may be elicited during an oral defense, the former option provided at the discretion of the committee. In the case of a follow-up written examination, student responses to questions must be completed no later than 2 weeks following receipt of commentary from the committee. The student must successfully defend the grant proposal by October 15th of the fourth year to be eligible to apply for internship that year. The criteria used to evaluate the grant proposal will be the same as those recommended by NIH for review of NRSA applications and include the adequacy of: Objectives, design, and direction of the proposed research program. Specificity and clarity of the description of the research skills and knowledge to be acquired

and objective evaluation of progress in each area.

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Overall coherence and potential of the research training plan to provide the fellow with individualized supervised experiences that will develop research skills.

Clarity, completeness, originality, and significance of the goals of the proposed research and training plans.

Knowledge of relevant literature and current methods in the proposed research area. Proposed research training to serve as a sound foundation that will lead the applicant to a

productive career in mental health, drug abuse and addiction, alcohol abuse and alcoholism, or the environmental health sciences research.

Plans for the protection of human subjects, animals, or the environment, to the extent they may be adversely affected by the research proposed.

Plans to include women, children and minorities as subjects in research, if applicable. Plans to provide training in the responsible scientific conduct of research. Determination of a ―pass‖ will rest on a 2/3 majority vote of the committee. The committee may require revisions of the document and an additional meeting prior to making a decision regarding whether the student has passed this portion of the Preliminary Examination. No further opportunities for revisions will be provided; if the student does not pass this portion of the exam even after revisions, the committee will make a decision about the student’s continuation in the doctoral program. If the student is invited to stay on in the program, the student will have to select a new topic and begin the process anew.

One copy of the approved proposal must be put in the student's file in the Psychology Department office. A second copy must be submitted for the general file of grant proposals in the School Psychology Program Library. Some of these proposals will be available to future students as a model for their own grant proposals.

The following table provides a summary of the research and preliminary examination timelines.

Program Requirement Ideal Timeline Program Deadline

Masters Thesis Prior to beginning the 3rd

year End of Fall semester of the 3rd

year

Preliminary Examination End of Spring semester of the 3

rd year

Practice exam completed by September 15

th of the 4

th year

Research exam turned in to committee by Sept 15

th of the 4

th

year

Research exam defended by October 15

th of the 4

th year

Dissertation Defend dissertation prior to internship year

Defend dissertation proposal before internship year

Internship Begin in the 5th year Begin in the 6

th year

Those students who have completed all coursework and internship requirements but who have not completed the dissertation will be required to register for Dissertation Research. According to the policy set by the School of Science and Engineering (http://www.sse.tulane.edu/pages/documents/SSETuitionScholarshipPolicy.pdf), registered students will be required to pay for 3 credit hours reflecting Dissertation Research. Tuition is projected to be $5850.00 for the 2009-2010 academic year, but tuition cost is subject to

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increase each year. Following internship or the loss of a teaching assistantship, tuition cost for Dissertation Research will be billed according to the following schedule: First academic semester (following internship/loss of TA): 100% tuition scholarship Second academic semester: 65% tuition scholarship Third academic semester: 35% tuition scholarship Fourth academic semester: No tuition scholarship Practicum Experiences Students are placed as externs at a practicum site during each of their four years of training. By the end of their training, students typically will have acquired at least 1000 hours of supervised practicum experience. Practicum experiences are organized around the specific training objectives of the Program and reflect a graduated progression through increasingly integrated and independent experiences. Practicum experiences are designed to train our students how to conduct assessment, intervention, and evaluation activities in a developmentally, culturally, and ecologically sensitive manner. Practicum sites have been selected to provide our students with exposure to the diversity of the greater New Orleans area. First year practicum experiences focus on building interviewing and assessment skills. Second year practicum experiences expand assessment skills to include behavioral assessment and externs get their first intervention experiences, including behavioral intervention and cognitive-behavior therapy. The primary focus of third year practicum experiences is the provision of prevention and intervention services, with a secondary focus on continued assessment experience. Fourth year externs gain experience providing diverse psychological services in community-based settings. Students have a voice in shaping their practicum experiences, especially within the third and fourth years. If there are particular skills students would like to acquire or particular types of clients students would like to work with, those preferences should be communicated to both the off- and on-site supervisors at the beginning of the academic year. Students should carefully track their practicum experiences each semester. The School Psychology Program website contains a link to a tracking form similar to those used by APPIC to log their practicum activities. Practicum experiences are supervised by psychologists at the site as well as by faculty (off-site) supervisors. We believe it is a valuable training experience for students to receive supervision from both supervisors and to learn how to navigate between professionals who may have somewhat different theoretical orientations and/or practice approaches. Expectations of students and the responsibilities of the on- and off-site supervisors are outlined in practicum guides for each site. Students and faculty review and sign these guides as the ―starting off point‖ at the beginning of each academic year. Student practicum performance is evaluated annually by both supervisors and those evaluations are reviewed with the student (see Appendix E). In addition to the individual supervision, group supervision occurs once a week and involves all students and training faculty. Case presentations by students are the primary focus of these meetings, with a discussion of assessment, diagnostic, and treatment issues, outcome evaluation, and professional, ethical and legal aspects of cases. Students select cases for presentation in consultation with their faculty practicum supervisor. The format of the presentation should also be discussed with the faculty supervisor but should generally follow the format provided in Appendix F. Students typically supplement clinical case information with

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resources and information drawn from the scientific literature. All students are expected to actively participate during the group supervision of a case. Students have access to assessment materials, scoring programs, and intervention resources through their sites and through the School Psychology Library. The Library is in room 3021 of Percival Stern Hall and can only be accessed by school psychology graduate students and faculty through the use of keypad combination. Students must place a $25.00 deposit each semester to access the Library. Deposits are returned in full at the end of the academic year unless materials have been lost. In that event, the replacement cost of materials is deducted from the general deposit pool, so that each student receives a partial refund of his or her deposit. Evaluation of Student Performance Ongoing feedback is provided to students during the course of the academic year as needed. Faculty members make every effort to give timely feedback regarding student performance (e.g., after exams, during practicum activities, etc.). Students also have the responsibility to ask faculty members for feedback if they are unclear where they stand regarding certain performance criteria or expectations. Annual performance reviews are conducted to gauge student progress toward achieving the specific competencies outlined in our training model. The review is carried out by the entire core program faculty, who meet to review student progress in five areas: academic performance, practicum and professional competence, research progress, professional activities, and teaching assistant performance (if applicable; some students are supported through other mechanisms). The minimum thresholds of achievement in the area of academic performance are course grades of B or higher and a passing score on the Praxis School Psychology exam (taken as part of the preliminary exam); in practicum and professional competence, consistent performance of behavioral indicators on competency evaluation rating forms (behavior present > 80% of the time); in research progress, summative evaluations of passing performance for thesis and dissertation proposal and defense meetings and on research portion of preliminary exam; in professional activities, membership in local, regional, and national organizations and participation in their annual meetings; and in teaching assistant performance, consistent performance of behavioral indicators on evaluation rating forms. Student failure to meet the minimum threshold of achievement in any of these five areas triggers a discussion regarding student remediation and possible termination. In deciding whether to provide opportunities for remediation versus termination of the student, the core program faculty consider the number of domains in which the student failed to meet minimum thresholds of performance, the proximity of the student’s performance to the minimum threshold, the factors that might have contributed to the failure, and the supports that would be necessary to remediate the performance. Immediate termination can occur in cases of egregious violations of the University Honor Code or Professional Codes of Ethics and in cases where the student earns a majority of failing grades. Program decisions regarding remediation and termination are subject to a vote of the entire Departmental faculty. Based on a review of the data and faculty discussion, the program director, with input from the major advisor, compiles the performance information into a letter that outlines the concerns of the faculty and the decision regarding the need for remediation or termination. Remediation plans are communicated in this letter and reviewed with the student. A timeline for review of

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progress toward remediation is also communicated in the letter. Failure to follow through with or make adequate progress in the remediation plan will result in termination for the program.

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APPENDIX A CURRICULUM OFFERINGS AND REQUIREMENTS

PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS Biological Bases of Behavior (3 hours required) Psyc 704 Animal Behavior Psyc 709* Physiological Psychology Psyc 710 Psychopharmacology Human Learning/Cognitive and Affective Bases of Behavior (3 hours required) Psyc 703 Cognitive Neuroscience Psyc 747 Cognitive Psychology Social Bases of Behavior (3 hours required) Psyc 700* Social Psychology Human Development/Individual Behavior (3 hours required) Psyc 702* Developmental Psychology Human Exceptionality and Cultural Diversity (6 hours required) Psyc 716* Children of Color Psyc 740* Developmental Psychopathology Research Design and Statistics (11 hours required) Psyc 609* Univariate Statistics I (4-credit course) Psyc 611* Intermediate Statistics (4-credit course) Psyc 613 Multivariate Statistics Psyc 745 Structural Equation Modeling History and Systems of Psychology (3 hours required) Psyc 618* History and Systems

DEVELOPMENTAL SPECIALIZATION (3 hours required)

Psyc 715 Advanced Adolescent Psychology Psyc 739 Infancy Psyc 742 Child Development and Early Education

PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY (4 hours required)

Psyc 723* Professional Issues in Psychology (1-credit course) Psyc 768* Seminar in Professional School Psychology

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PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS AND APPLICATIONS (21 hours required)

Assessment Courses Psyc 761* Psychological Assessment I: Cognitive and Academic Assessment Psyc 762* Psychological Assessment II: Personality and Psychodiagnostic Assessment Psyc 763* Behavioral Assessment and Intervention Intervention Courses Psyc 769* School-Based Mental Health Psyc 764 Family Therapy Psyc 766 Cognitive Behavior Therapy Psyc 781* School Consultation Psyc 742 Crisis Intervention

PRACTICUM (24 hours required)

Psyc 782* Practicum in School Psychology (register for eight consecutive semesters)

EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS (6 hours required)

Psyc 662 Informal Learning Psyc 742 Child Development and Early Education

THESIS Psyc 998 Master's Research (not assigned credit hours)

DISSERTATION Psyc 999 Dissertation Research (not assigned credit hours)

INTERNSHIP Psyc 783* School Psychology Internship (not assigned credit hours)

NOTE: * denotes required courses

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APPENDIX B EXPECTED COURSE SEQUENCE

Fall 2011 Spring 2012 7610 Psychological Assessment I 7610 Psychological Assessment II 7020 Developmental Psychology 7400 Developmental Psychopathology 6090 Univariate Statistics I 6110 Intermediate Statistics 7230 Professional Issues in Psychology (1-credit) 7820 Practicum 7820 Practicum Fall 2012 Spring 2013 7630 Behavioral Assessment and Intervention 7660 Cognitive Behavior Therapy 7160 Children of Color 6180 History and Systems 6130 Multivariate Statistics XXX Crisis Intervention 7640 Family Therapy 7030 Cognitive Neuroscience 7820 Practicum 7450 Linear Structural Modeling (elective)

7820 Practicum Fall 2013 Spring 2014 7000 Social Psychology 7680 Professional School Psychology 7810 School Consultation 7090 Physiological Psychology XXX Child Development and Early Education 7690 School Mental Health 7150 Advanced Adolescence 7820 Practicum 7820 Practicum Fall 2014 Spring 2015 7470 Cognitive Psychology XXX Educational Systems and Law 7100 Psychopharmacology (elective) 7390 Infancy XXX Supervision 7030 Cognitive Neuroscience 7820 Practicum 7450 Linear Structural Modeling (elective)

7820 Practicum

Courses in italics represent choice points. ♦ You must take either Advanced Adolescence, Infancy, or Child Development and Early Education to fulfill the

developmental specialization requirement. The Child Development and Early Education course also meets the requirement for the educational specialization.

♦ You must take either Family Therapy or Crisis Intervention to fulfill the intervention requirement. ♦ You must take either Cognitive Psychology or Cognitive Neuroscience to fulfill the cognitive-affective bases of

behavior requirement.

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APPENDIX C NOTIFICATION OF REGISTRATION FOR THE

NATIONAL SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY EXAMINATION (NSPE)

Name:_____________________________________ Date:______________________ Year in program:_____________________ Date of Thesis Defense:_____________ Date registered to take the National School Psychology Exam:________________________ I have made arrangements for the score report to be sent to Tulane: Yes No I have completed the research component of my preliminary exam: Yes No ____________________________________ Student signature

____________________________________ ________________________ Program Director signature Date received

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APPENDIX D NOTIFICATION OF THE TOPIC, FORMAT AND COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP FOR THE RESEARCH COMPONENT OF THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION

Name:_____________________________________ Date:______________________ Year in program:_____________________ Date of Thesis Defense:_____________ Format of research component of prelim exam: _______NRSA grant proposal _______ Comprehensive literature review Title of research paper or grant: ________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ _____ 1-page abstract attached Committee Membership and signatures: _________________________________ _________________________________ Major Advisor (printed name) Major Advisor (signature)

_________________________________ _________________________________ Committee Member (printed name) Committee Member (signature)

_________________________________ _________________________________ Committee Member (printed name) Committee Member (signature) _________________________________ _________________________________ Committee Member (printed name) Committee Member (signature)

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APPENDIX E EVALUATION OF STUDENT PRACTICUM PERFORMANCE

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TULANE UNIVERSITY Evaluation of Student Practicum Performance

Date/Term: ______________________ Student: _____________________________________ Site Name: ______________________ Supervisor: ___________________________________ In comparison to other students at a similar level of training, please rate the above named student on the following performance objectives using the descriptors below: Mastered Objective: Student demonstrated the performance objective 100% of the time. Achieved Objective: Student demonstrated the performance objective at least 80% of the

time. Failed to Achieve Objective: Student demonstrated the performance objective less than 80% of the

time.

Not applicable

Failed to Achieve

Objective

Achieved Objective

Mastered Objective

I. Professionalism

A. Professional appearance and deportment

X 1 2 3

B. Conscientious and attentive to detail

X 1 2 3

C. Meets difficult situations with self-control

X 1 2 3

D. Demonstrates good judgment

X 1 2 3

E. Displays initiative and resourcefulness

X 1 2 3

F. Communicates & listens effectively

X 1 2 3

G. Is respectful & collegial in interactions with staff

X 1 2 3

H. Establishes rapport with clients and continues to develop working alliances

X 1 2 3

I. Works collaboratively with others

J. Demonstrates awareness of sources of potential bias and influence on practices

X 1 2 3

K. Demonstrates an awareness and respect for: cultural variations in practice

multidisciplinary variations in practice

X X

1 1

2 2

3 3

II. Psychological Assessment Skills

A. Engages in psychological assessment as a method of hypothesis testing

X 1 2 3

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Not

applicable Failed to Achieve

Objective

Achieved Objective

Mastered Objective

B. Follows guidelines for nondiscriminatory, reliable and valid assessment

X 1 2 3

C. Competently selects, administers, & interprets tests

X 1 2 3

D. Conducts: developmentally sensitive interviews culturally sensitive interviews ecologically sensitive interviews

X X X

1 1 1

2 2 2

3 3 3

E. Integrates data from multiple sources to inform case conceptualization and differential diagnosis

X 1 2 3

F. Communicates assessment findings and recommendations in written and oral reports

X 1 2 3

III. Prevention and Intervention Skills

A. Understands the theoretical foundations and procedural strategies of various approaches to interventions

X 1 2 3

B. Conceptualizes treatment goals and develops interventions based on assessment data and the scientific literature

X 1 2 3

C. Understands the roles of surrounding ecological systems on intervention efforts

X 1 2 3

D. Understands that change is mutually influenced by social, ecological, and developmental therapeutic interventions

X 1 2 3

E. Selects, designs, and provides: culturally sensitive interventions developmentally sensitive interventions ecologically sensitive interventions

X X X

1 1 1

2 2 2

3 3 3

F. Evaluates treatment progress & effectiveness

X 1 2 3

H. Follows ethical and legal guidelines in the provision of intervention services

X 1 2 3

I. Promotes change to enhance the functioning of individuals and families

X 1 2 3

J. Understands consultant role

X 1 2 3

K. Gathers systematic data on acceptability and ecological validity to inform consultation plan

X 1 2 3

L. Gathers systematic data on integrity and outcomes to evaluate consultation intervention

X 1 2 3

M. Works effectively with consultee

X 1 2 3

21

Not

applicable Failed to Achieve

Objective

Achieved Objective

Mastered Objective

IV. Supervision

A. Reviews material prior to supervision and develops good questions

X 1 2 3

B. Responds positively to supervision suggestions and demonstrates a willingness to learn

X 1 2 3

C. Recognizes limits of competencies and expertise

X 1 2 3

D. Initiates supervision regularly about diversity issues

V. Comments A. Student's Strengths: B. Student's Weaknesses: C. Goals for Continued Professional Development: Evaluator's Signature: _______________________________ Date: ___________________ Student's Signature: ________________________________ Date: ___________________

(Student's signature indicates only that the evaluation has been discussed with the student)

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APPENDIX F GROUP SUPERVISION PRESENTATION SUGGESTIONS

Disclaimer: It is important to note these suggestions and ideas are just that: some suggestions and ideas. There are no standard formats or guidelines for making presentations of clinical activities (case conference, group supervision, case presentation, rounds, etc.) issued by the APA or any other psychological organization. Nor will these ideas be the only approach that you will come across in your careers. Here are some guidelines to help you get a little better prepared and organized for when you present during group supervision. 1) What is the reason for the case conference? - You need to conceptualize the reason or major

purpose of the case conference before you even choose a case (or cases) to present. Case conferences are given for a variety of purposes. "Because it's a requirement…" does not suffice as a reason for your case presentation. Some reasons include:

a) To get feedback from professional or expert audience members on treatment or diagnostic

questions

b) To illustrate an interesting, rare, or unusual diagnostic presentation

c) To demonstrate a specific assessment or treatment technique used

d) To highlight changes in functioning pre- and post- intervention, development, or course of illness

(including deteriorating courses)

e) To illustrate the relationship between assessment or diagnostic data and subsequent treatment

decisions or processes or outcomes

f) To demonstrate any specific principle of doing treatment - the possibilities are virtually endless,

but here are some examples:

i) dealing with the suicidal patient

ii) coping with an ethical challenge –for example: reporting suspected child abuse

iii) the role of racial or ethnic differences between client and therapist

iv) empathic failure and coping with counter-transference

v) client's religious ideology and secular therapy

vi) the importance of assessing substance abuse potential in the treatment of personality

disorder

vii) the impact of the academic calendar on treatment interruption and termination

viii) the role of medication management in the psychotherapeutic process

2) Structuring the case conference. Select one (or at most two) of these reasons as the focus of your presentation. Everything else you say should reflect back to this purpose in your presentation. Organize your presentation around the points you are illustrating, and try hard to come back to it at the beginning, middle, and end of your talk. Information to present should include:

a) The purpose of your case presentation

b) The reason for referral and presenting problem (including the client's own chief complaint). A single initial sentence or two with the critical demographic description and referral will serve to place the case in space and time….e.g. "Today I will be describing the case of an 18 year-old white, female, college student who presented with a history of severe panic attacks associated with test-taking anxiety. I am describing her treatment to illustrate the use of written homework assignments as an adjunct to face-to-face discussion during her weekly individual cognitive-behavioral therapy. I saw this client one year ago for a total of 26 weeks at the ERC."

c) A description of relevant initial presenting data including, but not limited to: i) Intake process and initial interview ii) Rationale for the evaluation process iii) Data from psychological testing iv) Information acquired from collateral contacts or interviews

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v) Developmental and social history vi) Treatment history

d) Summary of client psychodynamics and characterological aspects of personality

e) Etiological factors - it is wise to present your hypotheses concerning etiological factors that may contribute to the presenting illness. These factors may include proximal factors - such as medical or psychosocial stressors - as well as remote events that are thought to contribute to the presenting problem. These may include relevant developmental (perinatal and on), family history (socialization and genetic), and socio-cultural factors.

f) Diagnostic impression at initial phase of treatment - if the diagnosis is not clear then you will need to embark on a discussion of differential diagnostic possibilities and their relative order of likelihood.

g) Prognosis at the initial phase of treatment and whether that has changed if treatment has progressed. Prognosis should be specific to the patient, not to the diagnosis itself. Issues such as the patient's previous response to past treatments, known comorbidity, premorbid adjustment, social support, motivation for treatment, etc. should inform you about prognosis for the individual case.

h) Treatment plan including selection of treatment techniques and goals

i) Overview of the treatment and conceptualization of its relative efficacy and problems. Include a statement about the number and frequency of sessions if not already stated, and if it is a case in progress, an estimation of where in the process you think you may be (initial phase, middle, near termination phase, etc.)

3) Do a little research - remember the scientist-practitioner ideal? Review the literature for relevant

studies on the topic of your case conference. Consider providing your audience with relevant references or sources for additional information about the topic you are presenting. Use the literature to assist in introducing your presentation.

4) Content of the presentation and other aspects of its structure depend upon the reason you have selected for your case presentation. Select illustrative individual sessions or issues to demonstrate your point. Some examples might be:

a) Reading the process notes of a pivotal session that illustrates how you managed the upcoming crisis over the therapist and client separating during Spring Break

b) Describing the evolution of a re-occurring dream as it was related to you by your client who suffered from PTSD

c) Showing the MMPI profiles from a series of patients with substance abuse, pre- and post-intervention

d) Reading some examples from the food diary kept by a client with an eating disorder. 5) What a case conference is NOT.

a) NOT an evaluation of your expertise or skill as a clinician. (You are a beginner. We do not expect you to be expert clinicians. It is an evaluation of your ability to present your ideas clearly, to think clearly and synthetically about clinical issues, to be open to feedback, and to demonstrate your emerging professionalism.)

b) NOT an opportunity to drag out or parade the private contents of your patient's disclosures in a blow by blow account of every session. The focus should be on you in the sense of presenting an idea, principle or point about your clinical work. The case material should be selected to illustrate your purpose, not to distract from it.

c) NOT yours and yours alone. If possible, your supervisor and you should review your presentation beforehand. It is also preferable for your supervisor to be present when you give your conference.

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d) NOT a battle of theoretical ideologies or personal agendas. Whatever the audience does with the material is not ultimately your responsibility. You can shape audience feedback by being prepared with specific discussion questions and fielding comments maturely.