FROM THE COORDINATOR - Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Transcription

Internship
Seeker's
Handbook
School Psychology Specialist Program
Department of Educational and School Psychology
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Lynanne Black, Ph.D.
Timothy J. Runge, Ph.D.
Fall 2010
Update: Courtney L. McLaughlin, Ph.D.
Fall 2012
Table of Contents
Welcome Letter from Internship Coordinator............................................................................
Internship Description & Intent.................................................................................................
Location Policy.....................................................................................................................
Site Requirements.................................................................................................................
Supervisor Requirements......................................................................................................
Academic Requirements.......................................................................................................
Attaining an Internship..............................................................................................................
Phase I: Self Study - Who Are You and Want Do You Want?............................................
Phase II: What's Out There?.................................................................................................
Phase III: Putting Your Best Foot Forward..........................................................................
Phase IV: Methods of Inquiry...............................................................................................
Phase V: Application...........................................................................................................
Your Resume.............................................................................................................................
The Interview............................................................................................................................
Phase VI: Decision Making..................................................................................................
Words to the Wise......................................................................................................................
Salary / Stipend..........................................................................................................................
Phase VII: Professional Courtesy - Graciously Declining....................................................
Phase VIII: Accepting an Offer............................................................................................
Phase IX: Appropriate Professional Coverage and Documentation.....................................
Most Frequently Questions........................................................................................................
Most Common Mistakes of the Internship Seeker.....................................................................
Intern Seeker's Timeline.............................................................................................................
IUP Internship Site Requirements..............................................................................................
Distance Internship Guidelines..................................................................................................
Distance Internship Application.................................................................................................
School Psychology Internship Site Visit Evaluation.................................................................
EDSP Internship Form...............................................................................................................
Appendix A: In-State Internship Site Opportunities..................................................................
Appendix B: Out-of-State Internship Site Opportunities...........................................................
Appendix C: Sample Letter of Internship Site Requirements to Employers.............................
Appendix D: Letter of Agreement.............................................................................................
Appendix E: School Psychology Portfolios...............................................................................
Appendix F: Preparing Graduate Students for the Internship Application Process...................
Appendix G: Interview Information..........................................................................................
IUP School Psychology Certification Internship Handbook (Fall, 2012)
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Dear Student:
Congratulations on your accomplishments to date in the School Psychology Program at IUP.
This handbook is intended to facilitate the next step in your development, the attainment of a
specialist level internship in the schools. This should be a very exciting time, since you will
soon be practicing the skills you have worked so hard to develop.
Internship seeking can be a very worthwhile learning experience, but it can also be stressful.
While your internship decision is not likely to be the most important one you ever make, it
nevertheless will be a significant influence on your professional development. The information
included here is based on faculty and student experience with the internship process and is
intended to maximize effective decision making while minimizing worry and confusion. Please
note that this handbook is not intended to replace the School Psychology Student Handbook or
the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Graduate School Catalog. You should be familiar with
both of those publications.*
The School Psychology faculty welcomes your feedback on this material and wishes you a
productive internship search.
Sincerely,
Courtney L. McLaughlin, Ph.D., NCSP
Assistant Professor
Internship Coordinator
*In the event of a discrepancy between this handbook and the IUP publications noted, the official publications take
precedence.
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Internship Description & Intent
The internship, EDSP 952, is a field-based experience completed on a full-time basis by the
student in the third year of the specialist program. It is the culminating experience of the
specialist program in school psychology. Requirements of the internship are dictated by the
National Association of School Psychologists and are not subject to modification based on
student convenience or prior experience.
The internship is a two-semester (full academic year) on-site experience. Usually all of this time
will be spent in a school setting. On occasion, an internship will be across two settings, only one
of which is actually in the schools. That is permissible as long as all of the intern’s experiences
are related to school-based issues. During this field placement the student functions under the
direct supervision of a certified school psychologist at the internship site. The student practices
in a carefully supervised, but relatively independent manner, and progressively assumes the role
and function of a psychologist in the schools. IUP faculty facilitator is also provided through site
visits and periodic meetings between the intern and the faculty supervisor on campus.
The specialist internship encompasses the IUP academic year, which is defined as the period
from the beginning of the fall term to the end of the spring term, as defined by the Friday before
graduation. In no circumstances may the internship be less than 1200 hours. If a student
negotiates an internship agreement with their internship site that goes beyond the IUP academic
year (e.g., after spring graduation until the end of the school district’s school year), the
termination date of the internship will be the date that the student negotiates. Students in the
doctoral program should be aware of the beginning of summer term before entering into such
agreements.
You are devoting a year of your life to the internship experience. You are paying tuition for the
year (3 credits each semester that are not paid for even if you have had an assistantship). And, if
you leave the area, you will have the cost and energy expended in moving. So, even though you
are busy, take the time to think carefully about your internship and explore your options
thoroughly. A quality internship experience is an investment in your professional development
that will pay you back for years to come.
Location Policy
It is the responsibility of the intern to locate an internship site that meets the requirements of the
specialist program. Interns may be placed in urban, rural, or suburban settings. However,
exposure of the intern to children and families of diverse backgrounds, strengths, and needs is
paramount. Because sites will be visited by faculty supervisors, locations must be within an 8
hour drive from IUP. In the event that personal or professional needs suggest an exception to
this policy, the student must obtain permission from the School Psychology faculty committee
for placement further away. The committee reserves the right to make decisions regarding the
intern’s distance placement on a case-by-case basis. There are special requirements for securing
a distance internship placement. See the appendix for a copy of the distance internship
application form.
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Site Requirements
The most important characteristic of an internship site, in addition to quality supervision, which
will be discussed below, is the variety of experience that is offered. All sites must provide
experience with students from at least grades K-12, and preschool experience is also desirable.
Sites must offer contact with children who have a variety of disabilities and those who are gifted;
and they must offer opportunities to work with children outside of special education. In addition
to the type of student served, variety must be available with regard to the role of the school
psychologist and the intern. The best way to assess whether or not the role diversity is
appropriate is to think about what you have been trained to do and to see whether those services
are actually provided by the school psychologists in the setting you are considering. Role
diversity should include consultation, counseling, provision of in-service, crisis intervention, and
involvement in system related services, in addition to assessment and formulation of
recommendations. See the appendix for a copy of the internship requirements.
Supervisor Requirements
Quality of supervision is the characteristic of your internship that will have the most influence on
your professional development. As you evaluate a site, you should place special emphasis on the
type of supervision you will receive, who will provide it, and whether you feel that you would be
compatible with that individual. There are some supervisor requirements that must be met for a
site to be approved:
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Supervisors must be certified school psychologists at the specialist level or higher in the
states where employed.
Supervisors must be employed full time by the school district in which the student is
interning.
Supervisors must have worked in the district at least one full year prior to taking on an intern
Supervisors must have been certified and practiced as a school psychologist at least 3 years
before taking on an intern.
No more than 2 supervisors are permitted for any one intern during the internship period.
Supervisors must provide at least two hours of supervision to the intern per week.
Supervisors must be approved by the university internship coordinator.
In addition to these requirements, there are some other factors you should consider. You should
ask questions about the role your supervisor plays in the district. A supervisor who is also a
director of special education in a large district may have limited time to devote to supervision, in
spite of the best intentions. You should ask about a typical day for your supervisor. This will
give you an idea of what a day might be like for you after you have been in the district for a
while. It will also tell you about the role diversity of school psychologists in the district. Again,
in spite of the best of intentions, a supervisor who has a limited role as a school psychologist is
not likely to be able to provide varied experience and adequate supervision in all of the areas to
which interns should be exposed.
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Academic Requirements
It is imperative to note that no student will be permitted to begin their internship prior to the
successful completion of the comprehensive examination. If a student has failed the
comprehensive examination, it needs to be retaken and passed before starting internship. In
addition, all Pass with Reservations must be remediated before starting internship.
Attaining an Internship
Phase I: Self Study: Who Are You and Want Do You Want?
As you probably know by now, at the specialist level, the school psychologist is trained as a
generalist, i.e., the student is exposed to a variety of roles and functions. The effective internship
will continue to provide you with learning and experience in this diverse role. However, school
districts can be as different from one another as the communities of which they are a part. Also,
you will make professional contacts in the area of your internship that may increase your chances
of eventually getting a job in that geographical area.
So, it is a good idea to begin your internship search by asking yourself some personal questions:
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5.
6.
7.
Would you prefer to work close to your original home or to locate in an area that is
less familiar?
Can you afford to live on your own, perhaps without a roommate, if you leave the
area?
Are you more comfortable in a rural area? Suburban? Urban? (If you would like to
try something different, perhaps now is the time.)
Would you enjoy working with ethnically diverse populations and perhaps use your
skills with a second language or learn one?
Will your car survive long trips back and forth to campus if you decide to intern
longer than eight hours away?
Do personal responsibilities tie you to this local area?
Would you prefer an internship site where many IUP interns have gone before or
would you like a place where no one else has been?
There are also many professional development issues to consider:
1.
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Will you learn more if you are one of several interns that form a cohort group at the
site or would you benefit most by being the only intern?
Does it matter to you if your supervisor is male or female, younger or older, has been
with the district a long time or just a few years?
Would you learn more in a large district with many psychologists or benefit from
working with only a small group in a smaller district?
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Phase II: What's Out There?
Once you have narrowed your interests a bit, you are ready to look into some available sites.
Most school districts have Web sites. While those sites may not directly address school
psychology internships, they will tell you about the district and also who to contact with
questions. Our internship box is another place to check. It consists of forms completed by prior
interns and includes their impressions of the site. Be sure to check the dates when an IUP intern
was last placed at the site, to see how recent the information is. Also note that, just because a site
is in the box does not mean that it is approved. Each internship arrangement must be cleared
with the Internship Coordinator each time it is used. Feel free to contact prior interns and get
their suggestions and ideas. Internships are also posted on our bulletin board and our department
Web page. Now that interns are so much in demand, you will also find internships advertised in
the Communiqué, so be sure your NASP membership is up to date. Please see Appendices A
and B of this Handbook with a listing of internship sites previous interns have secured.
It is also a good idea to call the special services department of any school district in which you
are interested. Some districts just depend on word of mouth to get interns and you will not hear
anything about the site unless you take the initiative to call. Some districts may decide to take an
intern, even if they have not before, if you give them the idea.
Phase III: Putting Your Best Foot Forward
This phase is actually one that you should have been working on all along, but real life being
what it is, you may not have done all that you could. Now is the time.
• Organize all of that good work you have done in the last two years into a portfolio that
illustrates the relevant skills you have mastered.
• One easy way to do this is to review your work by course, since each course really
represents a different facet of school psychology practice.
• Include representations of your best work neatly grouped by area. This is best done by
training standard, with work representing each NASP standard placed in that location.
• Assistance for developing electronic portfolios, and a format arranged by standard, is
available through the College of Education by speaking with Lloyd Onyett.
• Review different resume models and develop a resume that emphasizes your training and
experience in school psychology and with children, in general. Many different models can
be effective. Remember to keep it brief and to emphasize what is relevant to the internship.
• Choose three (3) individuals to write letters of recommendation.
• Ideally, one letter should be from someone who can attest to your work outside of the
classroom. The field supervisor on your practicum, the principal at the school where you
have had some experience, or someone from an agency where you have volunteered,
might be good possibilities.
• At least one letter should be from a faculty member here at IUP.
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Phase IV: Methods of Inquiry
If you just want to know if a site is planning to take interns, a call, Web site visit, or email may
suffice. Be sure to contact a person who really knows. For school psychology interns, that
person is unlikely to be in the personnel office. Usually, you will have to make a contact with
the supervisor of school psychologists or with the school psychologist, if there is only one.
Making a direct contact is a good idea because if they have not entertained the possibility of
taking an intern, they may after talking with you. You are permitted to make long distance calls
regarding internships from the department phone designated for this purpose. You must
document your call.
If your preliminary contact has resulted in an invitation to apply, you should skip the inquiry
letter and go right to the application packet. It is inconvenient, however, to send application
packets to a long list of sites, some of which may not be taking interns that year, so do your
preliminary contacts first.
Even in this age of electronics, a formal letter is still the preferred method of inquiry and
application for jobs and internships. The utmost care should be taken to ensure that this letter is
well written, grammatically correct, and totally free of spelling errors (spell checker is not
sufficient!). Send your letter to a specific individual whose address you have double-checked. It
is useless to send a letter to “Director, School Psychology Services” (they may not have one), or
to “Director of Personnel.” These kinds of letters rarely find their way the person with whom
you really want to communicate. Take the time to find out where your letter should be sent and
to whom.
Begin your letter with the reason for your contact and a brief description of the program and your
progress to date. Explain, again briefly, what you are looking for in an internship. There is no
need to be very specific at this point because, if you decide that you are interested in a particular
site, the program coordinator will send the internship requirements to the site, so that they will be
fully aware of them. Finally, you should highlight a few of your qualifications that you would
like them to know about early on. Do not talk about personal characteristics like being
motivated, liking children, or being hard-working. Instead, focus on something that makes you
unique among internship applicants. One thing all of you have, for example, is experience in a
clinic setting and in the schools (Practicum II). If you have a master’s degree in another area,
mention it. If you were a Teaching Associate, mention that. If you have received a graduate
merit award, have a research interest that you have presented on or written about, or have had an
uncommon assistantship position, say so.
After a week or two, if you have not received a response, follow-up with a phone call.
If you get a positive response, and are still interested, you are ready to send an application
packet. Find out what the district would like you to send. Sometimes they have forms they
would like you to complete and include with your application packet. Sometimes you will just
have to make your own decision about what to include. Usually, you should send at least the
following:
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2.
3.
Your resume
Another cover letter
Three letters of recommendation
Be sure to find out exactly to whom the packet should be addressed. For faculty letters of
recommendation, ask the professor if you might have the letter on plain paper addressed, “Dear
Colleague.” That allows you to copy the letter on department letterhead each time you apply to a
new site. Take only the number of letterhead pages that you will need for your internship
applications, please.
Phase V: Application
Your Resume
There are many different acceptable formats for a resume. You might contact the University
placement office for ideas, if you would like more help. The faculty Internship Coordinator
would be happy to review your letters and your resume and to help you with planning both.
Here are a few things to keep in mind. For identifying information, include your full name,
address, and phone numbers separated with regard to day and evening, or home and school/work.
Include an email only if you check it regularly and if it does not sound silly (Bubbles, Cutie, or
Sexyone, for example, will not set the right tone!). There is no need to include your age or
marital status. With regard to education, list your most recent degree first. For most of you, that
will be your M.Ed. List each degree separately, and include what the degree was in (your M.Ed.,
for example is in Educational Psychology), and include the college or university from which it
was received. If you have been accepted into the doctoral program, say something like, IUP
School Psychology Doctoral Program acceptance (the date of acceptance). Do not include the
high school attended; just go back as far as undergraduate school. List your job experience with
your most current job first. If you have jobs that are not related to the field but you spent several
years doing them, list them (for example, if you had a prior profession and are retooling).
However, if they were filler or part time jobs, leave them out, or put them at the end under a
classification of part time, or something of that nature.
List volunteer positions separately, but do not neglect to include them. They tell a lot about your
commitment to children and your willingness to contribute and learn. Your assistantship at IUP
is best listed as employment, since that gives you a chance to explain what you did on your
assistantship (and do describe what you did). You should list it as an assistantship, with the
Department of Educational & School Psychology at IUP as your employer (unless, of course,
you were assigned to another department for your assistantship). You should also list your
assistantship under awards and honors, but do not describe it again. Be sure to include a section
on professional development where you can list conferences attended, presentations made,
articles written, and involvement in SPAN. Membership in professional organizations such as the
National Association of School Psychologists and the Association of School Psychologists of
Pennsylvania is very important and should be listed separately as Membership in Professional
Associations.
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The Interview
The interview process is so variable that it really is not possible to give any guidelines with
regard to expectations. Interviews have been a ½ hour where the applicant is mostly just given
the opportunity to ask questions, and interviews have lasted several hours where applicants have
met with different groups of personnel and have been given scenarios and asked how they would
address them. If other IUP interns have been at the site, ask them how they were interviewed.
However, this is not always fool proof because processes change. It is always a good idea to ask
the district what you might expect, in general, with regard to the interview process, for example,
how long might it be and who will be attending. This should help you plan, at least a little. You
may also choose to use the School Psychology Internship Site Visit Evaluation form to
memorialize your experiences at the interview.
Following your interview, you should send a note or e-mail of thanks to your primary contact.
Phase VI: Decision Making
Words to the Wise
IUP faculty and student experience has led to some knowledge of what to avoid, or at least some
"red flags," that should be carefully evaluated. Think twice if:
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Your interview focuses mainly on what tests you have been taught to give.
You are not able to meet the individual who will be your supervisor.
The district has been unable to fill school psychologist positions over a relatively long period
of time.
The district has been cited for compliance issues.
School personnel show no interest in seeing the list of experiences you are required to have.
Administrators seem to have the impression that you will learn so much at their schools that
you should not even consider the possibility of being paid.
The stipend is so high that it is clear you are really being hired as an employee, not a learner.
Salary / Stipend
Most school districts provide a stipend for school psychology interns. This is a factor that
changes with the need for interns and school psychologists, in general. Right now, stipends are
on the rise, even in western Pennsylvania where they have traditionally been low. Between 2007
and 2010, the mean internship stipend for IUP interns has been approximately $13,000. Between
2011 and 2012, the mean internship stipend for IUP interns was approximately $11,500.
Between 2011 and 2012, nine out of eleven internships were paid. In Pennsylvania between
2006 and 2010, stipends ranged from 0 to $30,000. Rarely, however, will you be paid anything
close to what is made by a professional employee. Interns who are paid a stipend / salary for
their internship in Pennsylvania are eligible for a year of credit toward Pennsylvania State
Educators' Retirement System (PSERS), although some employers do not withhold PSERS
retirement contributions. In this case, interns are eligible to "buy back" that time with matching
contributions provided by the employer. Application for contributions to PSERS can be made
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upon completing PSRS 27 - Application to Purchase Credit for Full-Time Service and submitting
it to the employer. Provision of benefits such as health care or sick leave is also rare, so you
should be sure to provide your own health insurance.
Assistantships are not possible during your internship year. While you will be registering for
only 3 graduate credits per semester, you will still have full time student status. Therefore,
application for student loans is an option during your internship year. Working at a part time job
during your internship is strongly discouraged, since it is very likely to detract from your ability
to give the internship the attention it deserves. Your IUP activity fee can be waived if you are a
sufficient distance from main campus.
Students should keep in mind that the amount of the internship stipend is not at all related to the
quality of the experience. Some of the best sites may not provide the highest stipends. However,
sites are expected, based on guidelines set down by the National Association of School
Psychologists, to provide some stipend for interns. IUP interns almost always get some stipend
unless, for personal reasons, they are limited in the geographical area in which they can apply. A
whole year is a long time to work for no stipend at all.
Phase VII: Professional Courtesy - Graciously Declining
When you have signed a contract, you must notify other districts to which you have applied that
you are no longer available. This should be done in writing as soon as the contract is signed.
Each contact you make with a district contributes or detracts from your reputation and word does
spread. Do not permit a district to waste time and money considering your application when you
already know you will be going somewhere else.
The internship seeking process does not end with your contract. It ends with notification of all
districts to which you have applied that you are withdrawing your application. It is not necessary
to explain why you have chosen another site or even to name the site. A brief notification that
you have taken another internship is sufficient.
Phase VIII: Accepting an Offer
Once you have an offer and are prepared to accept, do not accept an internship offer without first
consulting your faculty Internship Coordinator. Your faculty Internship Coordinator will discuss
the internship experience with you and then directly contact the site supervisor via a letter (see
Appendix C). Once your faculty Internship Coordinator and Site Supervisor have agreed on all
aspects of the internship experience, a Letter of Agreement (see Appendix D) is generated by
your faculty Internship Coordinator and signed by IUP and the Internship Site. You have now
successfully secured an internship. Congratulations!
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Phase IX: Appropriate Professional Coverage Documentation
Prior to beginning your internship, you need to submit a completed EDSP Internship Form (see
pp. 22-23) to your faculty Internship Coordinator. Additionally, make sure documentation of
appropriate professional coverage has been secured and copies are provided to your faculty
Internship Coordinator: (1) You must have your own professional liability insurance. This
professional liability insurance can be purchased through a number of providers, although
NASP's approved provider often has the most competitive rates. The IUP EDSP Department
must have documentation that professional liability insurance has been purchased. Please make
sure your faculty Internship Coordinator has a copy of your policy number. (2) Likewise, the
department administrative assistant should have copies of current criminal background checks,
valid for the entire internship year (Acts 34, 114, and 151).
Most Frequent Questions
How many sites should I apply to?
A general rule of thumb is to apply to five sites. (You may not interview at all of them.)
However, the number depends a bit on how familiar you are with the sites you are considering.
If you are applying to sites out of state where IUP interns have not been before, in an area with
which you are unfamiliar, you may want to apply to more. If you are applying to a site with
which you have had substantial prior and positive contact, you know they will be taking an
intern, and they have had IUP interns before, you may apply to fewer. However, do not fall into
the trap of believing that you will have an internship because you are liked, have been invited to
apply, or even have had a verbal offer. Budgets change at the last minute and things change from
year to year. Until you have a signed contract, you do not have an internship.
Should I continue to interview after I have had an offer?
Interviewing costs money. This is a matter of personal preference and judgment. Remember,
however, that rarely will the person who made you the offer be the person who signs the
contract. They may not know of the most recent budget problems or issues facing the school
board. Until you have a signed contract, you do not have an internship.
When should I begin this process?
You should start thinking about where you would like to apply now. See the suggested timeline
on the last page of this booklet.
Should I have my faculty Internship Coordinator send internship requirements to all of the sites
in which I am interested?
No. Do some exploration first. If you are interested in a site and plan to apply, give the
coordinator the names and addresses of just those sites. The site should have the internship
requirements before your interview, though, so they know what they will be expected to provide.
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For how many days will the contract be written?
Your contract is for the academic year at the district in question. You begin when the school
psychologists there begin, BUT you end the Friday before the spring graduation at IUP. You
may count the number of working days from the start date for the school psychologists in the
district for that school year to the Friday before the day of graduation at IUP, and use that
number of days for your contract. Or, you may say “academic year” and stipulate a start and stop
date. You should have the same holidays as the full time school psychologists in your district.
On occasion, sites will ask you to work the whole school year, either as a requirement of
employment or as a favor to them. You may do so, if you wish. However, if you are in the
doctoral program at IUP, remember that you must be available to attend summer session I
which, at this writing, begins the first week in June. If a district will not allow you to end your
commitment at a time that is in keeping with your needs, you should consider another district. In
any event, be sure that the length of contract issue is ironed out early on in the process. Interns
may not leave internships early in order to take a permanent position, even in the district in
which they are interning.
What do I do if I have had an offer, but it is not my first choice?
Because this is a matter of personal judgment, it is difficult to give an answer that will fit all
situations. Sometimes, however, students feel a need to give an immediate response to a
district’s offer when such a quick response is really not required. If more time is needed to make
a considered decision, ask for more time. If the district refuses to give more time, one might call
the first choice site and let them know of the situation. If the first choice site is not ready to
make a decision and the offering site will not wait, then the student will have to choose.
However, in most of these situations, sites are usually willing to be flexible and in a few days
things work themselves out.
Most Common Mistakes of the Internship Seeker
Some of these errors are minor and have not caused any major problems. They are more of a
nuisance than anything else. Others are a little more significant. In any event, with a little
forethought they can be avoided altogether.
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Failure to include specifics in the resume that could really make your application stand
out. Listing an assistantship on which you did educational program evaluation or
research, for example, simply as “assistantship.”
“Shotgunning” letters of inquiry, just sending out a lot of letters without careful
consideration of whether the district takes interns and who the letter should go to
Calling personnel departments and not getting accurate information, when calling the
office of the school psychologists would have been more productive
Failure to get accurate estimates of how long it might be before the district would be
ready to sign a contract
Getting busy during the school year and not taking adequate time to explore internships
Putting convenience before site characteristics, such as not wanting to drive too far and,
therefore, taking a less than quality site
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•
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Putting finances before site characteristics and thereby getting more money but a less
than quality experience
Failing to consider the nature of the community where one will be living and not just the
district, ending up in a rural area when one really wanted to be in the city, for example
Failure to explore options thoroughly and staying only with geographical locations one
knows or where one has contacts
Settling on a site too early because of anxiety about the process, when more exploration
might have resulted in a more quality site
Depending only on the department internship box for ideas and not making independent
explorations (this really does require thinking outside the box!)
Intern Seeker's Timeline
Fall Second Year
Do Self Study
Fall Second Year
Prepare Portfolio/Begin Resume
Mid Fall
Finalize Portfolio/Resume
Draft Inquiry Letter
November
Make inquiry phone calls/Send emails/Check Web
sites
Send inquiry letters
Contact past interns
December
Narrow application list
Find out what is needed for applications
*January
Send applications
February/March/April
Interviews
March/April/May
Accept positions and complete form for the office
April/May
Office sends contracts to districts for signature
*Some internship sites will have earlier timelines (and some will be much later). Be sure to ask about application
deadlines when you contact the site.
Page 14
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)
Internship Site Requirements
Here at IUP in the Department of Educational and School Psychology we believe that our
students have basic assessment and consultation skills when they begin internship. The purpose
of the internship is to refine and expand their skills so that they possess the competencies
required for entry into the profession when they have completed the field experience. The
internship should be structured to lead to competent practice through advice and feedback,
behavior modeling opportunities, and a variety of supervised experiences. Student exposure to a
broad range of roles is most meaningful when these experiences involve a variety of special and
regular education children of various ages.
Supervision should be more intensive during the early stages of the internship and reduced
gradually as the student demonstrates readiness for more independent functioning. The
movement toward independent performance should be advanced or delayed in relation to the
intern’s professional growth during the year. Interns are expected to return to campus one time
per semester to review their progress with the university supervisor and to attend an internship
meeting. Distance interns (sites more than 8 hours from IUP) are required to return to campus
one time during the spring semester to meet with their university supervisor. Students who are
completing their internship at an approved distance site may participate electronically. It will be
the student’s responsibility to make all the necessary arrangements. Also, the university
supervisor will make one site visit per year or use an alternate form of contact to communicate
with the intern and site supervisor.
We expect that the intern will provide services to assist in meeting your program needs during
the school year. However, it is important that these services do not compromise the goal of
providing a diversified, well-rounded supervised experience to the intern. The following outline
of activities should be included in the internship experience with your program. These activities
are in addition to those usual school psychological services provided by your program and attend
to the intern’s needs for training and experience. Please note that, even if an intern receives a
stipend, (his or her) training needs remain primary.
INTERN RESPONSIBILITIES:
Observation of classroom teaching: During the school year, the intern should have the
opportunity to observe at all levels of regular classroom instruction. This requirement is
intended to include secondary as well as elementary opportunities.
Observation of special education facilities: The intern should become acquainted with all
special education programs and facilities in the school district during the first semester.
Work with diverse populations: To the greatest extent possible, the intern should have the
opportunity to work with multicultural populations.
Page 15
In-service Education: Since the intern’s experience is limited in this area, (he or she) should
have an opportunity to participate in the in-service education program provided by the school
psychology services in the school district. The intern may attend in-service presentations
provided by the school district or other agency and/or present an in-service program at their
district.
Research: The intern is required to design (but not carry out) a program evaluation or small
research project of importance to the school district and/or I.U. The project is to have prior
approval of the field supervisor and university supervisor.
Team Problem Solving: Inclusion in school teams, such as pre-referral and/or problem-solving
teams as appropriate, is an integral part of the intern’s training.
Consultation with parents and teachers: The intern’s activities in this area should emphasize
refinement of skills rather than extensiveness of experience.
Functional behavioral assessment and development of behavior management plans: The
intern has been introduced to this process and should be given the opportunity to refine these
skills.
Counseling: Opportunities to practice short term, goal oriented, student and family counseling
for school related problems should be provided.
Awareness of social agencies: The intern should have opportunities to become aware of the
various social service agencies in the district and the role and function of the agencies in relation
to the schools.
To facilitate monitoring of these skills and learning activities, the intern will:
1. Maintain a daily log of activities (one copy of the log sent to IUP at the end of each
month), which shows meetings with the site supervisor of at least two hours per week.
2. Communicate with the university supervisor on a regularly scheduled basis during the
school year.
3. Complete a semester report at the end of the first semester (to be filed with the university
supervisor).
4. Prepare an evaluation of the internship experience at the end of the year (to be submitted
to the university supervisor).
5. Prepare a program evaluation or small research project as noted above (to be submitted to
the university supervisor).
Page 16
Nota Bene
A student will only be permitted to begin the internship experience if he/she has met all
university and department requirements and developed all necessary competencies. In the event
that the student has not satisfactorily met these requirements, the internship may need to be
delayed and the site supervisor will be notified as soon as possible.
SITE SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES:
The site will support the intern, at a minimum, through provision of secretarial services and
mileage for travel from central office to school and between schools, when possible. In addition,
it is expected that the intern will be permitted to attend state school psychology association
meetings. Awareness of professional organizations and involvement in activities of state and
national associations of the profession are considered part of professional development. School
Psychology conferences are viewed as one avenue of introducing the school psychology intern to
this aspect of professional development.
Specific site supervisor responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
1.
The intern’s skills will be observed by the supervising school psychologist during
initial involvement in an activity, and when ready, he/she will perform the skills
independently.
2.
To meet NASP standards, the supervisor will provide two hours of supervision
per week.
3.
The supervisor will contact the university supervisor to discuss any concerns
regarding the intern’s level of progress.
The university supervisor will remain available to both the site supervisor and the intern to assist,
as needed, with the internship experience. Internship field supervisors will be notified of the
assigned faculty supervisor at the beginning of each internship semester.
Page 17
FACULTY SUPERVISORS (2010-2011)
Lynanne Black, Ph.D., NCSP
Associate Professor and Chair
Dept. of Educational and School Psychology
246 Stouffer Hall
1175 Maple Street
Indiana, PA 15705
lblack@iup.edu
Joseph Kovaleski, D.Ed., NCSP
Professor and Director of the School
Psychology Doctoral Program
246 Stouffer Hall
1175 Maple Street
Indiana, PA 15705
724-357-3785
jkov@iup.edu
Mark McGowan, Ph.D., NCSP
Assistant Professor
Coordinator, School Psychology Certification
Program
246 Stouffer Hall
1175 Maple Street
Indiana, PA 15705
mmcgowan@iup.edu
Assistant Professor
Internship Coordinator
246 Stouffer Hall
1175 Maple Street
Indiana, PA 15705
cmc@iup.edu
Timothy J. Runge, Ph.D., NCSP
Assistant Professor
Director, Child Study Center and Center for
Gifted Education
242 Stouffer Hall
1175 Maple Street
Indiana, PA 15705
(724) 357-3788
trunge@iup.edu
Page 18
Distance Internship Guidelines
I.
The student requesting to seek out a distance internship will submit a distance
internship application along with all supporting documentation as outlined on the
application to his/her Internship Coordinator.
II.
The School Psychology Committee of the Educational and School Psychology
Department will meet to discuss the student’s eligibility for a distance internship
based on the following criteria:
a. Academic skills/development of the student
b. Quality of the internship site
c. Interpersonal skills and maturity level of the student
III.
A decision about whether to allow the student to pursue a distance internship will be
made by the School Psychology Committee.
IV.
If an offer is made to the student by the distance internship site, the final decision as
to whether the student may accept the offer is to be made by the Internship
Coordinator.
Page 19
Distance Internship Application
Directions: Please fill out this form completely and submit it to your Internship
Coordinator.
I.
Intern Information
Name of Intern:
Date:
Year Internship is to be completed:
II.
Location of Internship
State: __________
County/City: ____________________
School District:
________________________________
School District Field Supervisor Name:
___________________________________________
Title:
_________________________
Phone Number:
_________________________
Address:
_________________________
E-mail:
_________________________
III.
Please summarize the reasons why you are requesting a distance internship. Use the
back of this form or attach information, as needed.
IV.
Please note that the site to which you are applying must also provide in writing a
plan for how they will meet the EDSP department’s requirements for internship.
Use pages 15-17 of this Handbook as a guide for site requirements.
V.
Please provide documentation of the supervisor’s qualifications as listed on page 5
of this Handbook.
Page 20
School Psychology Internship Site Visit Evaluation
School System: _____________________________________________
Department: _______________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
City: ___________________________________________________
State: ___________________________________________________
Contact Name: ____________________________________________
Person’s Title: _____________________________________________
Telephone: ________________________________________________
Paid:
Yes ___________
Amount: __________
No____________
Other Benefits (Health, mileage, etc):
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Notes:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Page 21
Educational and School Psychology Department
Internship Form
IUP Faculty Supervisor
Semester / Year
Student Name:
Date:
School Psychologist:
(Site Supervisor) Title – please circle one: Dr.
Mr.
Mrs.
Ms.
Internship Site:
(School District or Intermediate Unit)
Address:
Phone:
Contact Person:
(if different from above)
Fax:
Title – please circle one: Dr.
Mr. Mrs. Ms.
Address:
Contact Person e-mail:
Contact Person Phone:
Page 22
Starting Date:
Ending Date:
Length of Contract:
Stipend Amount:
(Number of Days)
Mileage Reimbursed: Yes
No
Benefits (include health, retirement, professional, e.g., conference reimbursement)
IMPORTANT: Supply the following information
August
During Internship
Address:
Address:
Phone:
Other:
Phone:
Other:
NOTE: All e-mail communication with IUP faculty and staff before and during your internship
should be completed using your IUP e-mail account.
Page 23
Appendix A
In-State Internship Site Opportunities
Updated Fall 2010
Title/Location
Town/City
Allegheny/ Clarion SD
Allegheny IU
Altoona Area SD
Ambridge Area SD
Appalachia IU 8
Armstrong SD
Arnold SD
Bald Eagle Area SD
Baldwin-Whitehall SD
Bellwood-Antis SD
Blackhawk SD
Brookville Area High School
Cambria Heights
Capital Area IU of Summerdale
Centennial School
Central Dauphin SD
Chambersburg Area SD
Chartiers Valley SD
Chester City SD
Clearfield Area SD
Cranberry Area SD
Coatesville IU
Child Development Unit WPIG
Clarion-Limestone SD
Cumberland Valley SD
Cocalico SD
CORA Services Inc.
Cornwall-Lebanon SD
Deer Lakes SD
Derry Area SD
Derry Township SD
Dubois Area SD
Eastern Lancaster County SD
Eastern Lebanon SD
Elizabeth Forward SD
Farrell Area SD/West Middlesex SD
Forest Hills SD
Greater Johnstown SD
Franklin Area SD
Fox Chapel SD
Foxburg
Pittsburgh
Altoona
Ambridge
Ebensburg
Ford City
New Kensington
Wingate
Pittsburgh
Bellwood
Beaver Falls
Brookville
Cambria Heights
Summerdale
Bethlehem
Harrisburg
Chambersburg
Pittsburgh
Chester City
Clearfield
Cranberry
Coatesville
Pittsburgh
Strattanville
Mechanicsburg
Denver
Philadelphia
Lebanon
Russelton
Derry
Hershey
Dubois
New Holland
Myerstown
Elizabeth
Farrell/West Middlesex
Sidman
Johnstown
Harmony
Pittsburgh
Page 24
Greater Latrobe SD
Highlands SD
IU 4
IU 28- Arin
Laurel SD
Kiski Area SD
Laughlin Children’s Center
Lebanon SD
Mechanicsburg Area SD
McKeesport Area SD
Milton-Hershey School
Montour SD
New Kensington SD
North Hills SD
Northampton Area SD (Junior High)
Northeast Educational IU 19
Northern Tioga SD
Hempfield Area SD
Hopewell Area SD
Leechburg Area SD
Lincoln IU 12
Mifflin County SD
Moshannon Valley SD
Owen J. Roberts SD
Penn Hill SD
Penn Trafford SD
Pequea Valley SD
Perkiomen Valley SD
Philipsburg-Osceola SD
Phoenixville Area SD
Pine-Richland SD
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Pleasant Valley SD
Punxsutawney SD
Seneca Valley SD
South Middleton SD
St. Mary’s Area SD
Richland Area SD
Ridgway Area SD
Quaker Valley
Solanco SD
South Allegheny SD
Union-Clarion SD
Wallengford/Swathmore SD
West Allegheny SD
West Mifflin SD
Latrobe
Natrona Heights
Grove City
Indiana
New Castle
Vandergrift
Sewickly
Lebanon
Mechanicsburg
McKeesport
Hershey
McKees Rocks
New Kensington
Pittsburgh
Northampton
Archbald
Elkland
Greensburg
Alquippa
Leechburg
New Oxford
Lewistown
Houtzdab
Pottstown
Pittsburgh
Harrison City
Kizers
Collegeville
Philipsburg
Phoenixville
Gibsonia
Pittsburgh
Broadheadsville
Punxsutawney
Harmony
Boiling Springs
St. Mary’s
Jonstown
Ridgway
Sewickley
Quarryville
McKeesport
Clarion
Wallengford
Allegheny
West Mifflin
Page 25
Whitehall-Koply SD
Wilkinsburg SD
Wilson SD
Wyoming Valley West SD
Allentown
Wilkinsburg
West Lawn
Kingstown
Page 26
Appendix B
Out-of-State Internship Site Opportunities
Updated Fall 2010
Alaska
Ketchikan Gateway SD
Anchorage City SD
Town/City
Ketchikan
Anchorage
California
KASP
Bakersfield
Colorado
Pikes Peak Cooperative Educational Services
Colorado Springs
Delaware
Sussex Consortium
Seaford SD
Lewes
Seaford
Georgia
Cherokee City SD
Gwinett City Public Schools
Canton
Lawrenceville
Illinois
Illinois School Psychology Internship Consortium(9)
Quincy Public Schools
Quincy
Iowa
Greater Prairie AEA
Fort Madison
Louisiana
LA State University
LAS/ PIC
New Orleans
New Orleans
Massachusetts
Belmont Public Schools
Belmont
Maryland
State Dept. of Education
Kent City Public Schools
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Board of Education of Allegheny County
Calvert County Public Schools
Caroline County Public Schools
Charles County Public Schools
Dorchester County Public Schools
Garrett County Schools
Baltimore
Eastern Shore
Annapolis
Cumberland
Prince Frederick
Eastern MD
Charles County
Cambridge
Garrett County
Page 27
Hartford County Public Schools
Howard County Public Schools
Marshall Street School
Prince George’s Count Public Schools
St. Mary’s County Public Schools
Washington County
Bel Air
Ellicott City
Hagerstown
near DC
Leonardtown
Hagerstown
New York
Homer Central SD
Jamestown City SD
Olean City SD
Salamanca City SD
Summitt Educational Resources
Union-Endicott SD
Homer
Jamestown
Olean
Salamanca
Tonowanda
Endicott
North Carolina
New Hanover County Schools
Wilmington
Ohio
Southeast Ohio Special Education Research Center Athens
Ohio School Districts
(Several)
South Carolina
Children’s Hospital
Greenville
Texas
Fort Bend School District
Forth Worth Independent SD
Sugarland
Fort Worth
Virginia
Alexandria City Public Schools
Amherst City Public Schools
Hampton City Schools
Harrisonburg City/JMU Horizons
Falls Church City Public Schools
Loudon County Public Schools
Prince William County Public Schools
Alexandria
Amherst
Hampton
Harrisonburg
Falls Church
Leesburg
Manassas
West Virginia
Monongalia County Schools
Morgantown
Wyoming
Natrona City SD #1
Casper
Page 28
Appendix C
Sample Letter of Internship Site Requirements to Employers
XXXX X, XXXX
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Courtney McLaughlin, and I am the Internship Coordinator for the
Educational and School Psychology Specialist Program at Indiana University of
Pennsylvania. Please find the enclosed sample agreement letter that outlines the
requirements of an internship experience for our school psychology certification level
students. Review the agreement letter and decide whether your site would be able to
provide the experiences listed. For a student from IUP to intern with your school district,
the student and a representative from the school district need to officially sign the letter
of agreement. If you have any questions or require more specific information, do not
hesitate to contact me by phone at (724) 357-2299 or e-mail at cmc@iup.edu. Thank you
for your time and consideration of an intern from IUP. The department looks forward to
the possibility of working with you in the future.
Sincerely,
Assistant Professor
Phone: 724-357-2299
Fax: 724-357-6946
cmc@iup.edu
www.iup.edu/schoolpsychology
Page 29
Appendix D
Letter of Agreement
Date
(Internship Site)
Letter of Agreement
Dear (Supervisor):
This document is to outline responsibilities of (Intern), the (Site), and the Department
of Educational and School Psychology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, with
regard to the school psychology internship field experience for (intern). Thank you
for agreeing to serve as an intern field supervisor for (intern). You have been chosen
to supervise (intern) because of your level of expertise, time in the field of school
psychology (at least three years), time spent in your current school district (at least
one full year prior to supervision), and your willingness to provide at least two hours
of supervision to (intern) per week. The relationship between training program and
internship site should be a complementary experience and we look forward to
working with you this coming year.
We believe that our students have basic assessment and consultation skills when they
begin internship. The purpose of the internship is to refine and expand their skills so
that they possess the competencies required for entry into the profession when they
have completed the field experience. The internship should be structured to lead to
competent practice through advice and feedback, behavior modeling opportunities,
and a variety of supervised experiences. Student exposure to a broad range of roles is
most meaningful when these experiences involve a variety of special and regular
education children of various ages.
Supervision should be more intensive during the early stages of the internship and
reduced gradually as the student demonstrates readiness for more independent
functioning. The movement toward independent performance should be advanced or
delayed in relation to the intern’s professional growth during the year. Interns are
expected to return to campus one day every other month to review their progress with
the university supervisor and to attend an internship meeting.
We expect that the intern will provide services to assist in meeting your program
needs during the school year. It is important, however, that these services do not
compromise the goal of providing a diversified, well-rounded supervised experience
to the intern. The following outline of activities should be included in (intern)’s
Page 30
internship experience with your program. These activities are in addition to those
usual school psychological services provided by your program and attend to (intern)’s
needs for training and experience. Please note that, even if an intern receives a
stipend, (his or her) training needs remain primary.
Observation of classroom teaching: During the school year, (intern) should
have the opportunity to observe at all levels of regular classroom instruction. This
requirement is intended to include secondary as well as elementary opportunities.
Observation of special education facilities: (Intern) should become
acquainted with all special education programs and facilities in the school district
during the first semester.
Work with diverse populations: To the greatest extent possible, (intern)
should have the opportunity to work with multicultural populations.
In-service Education: Since (intern)’s experience is limited in this area, (he
or she) should have an opportunity to participate in the in-service education program
provided by the school psychology services in the school district.
Research: (intern) is required to carry out a small research project of
importance to the school district and/or intermediate unit. The project is to have prior
approval of the field supervisor and university supervisor.
Team Problem Solving: Inclusion in school teams, such as Child Study
Teams / Response to Intervention as appropriate, is an integral part of (intern)’s
training.
Consultation with parents and teachers: (intern)’s activities in this area
should emphasize refinement of skills rather than extensiveness of experience.
Personality assessment and development of behavior management plans:
(intern) has been introduced to this process and should be given the opportunity to
refine these skills.
Counseling: Opportunities to practice short term, goal oriented, student and
family counseling for school related problems should be provided.
Awareness of social agencies: (intern) should have opportunities to become
aware of the various social service agencies in the district and the role and function of
the agencies in relation to the schools.
It is expected that (intern)’s skills will be observed by the supervising school
psychologist during his initial involvement in an activity, and when ready, (he or she)
will perform the skills independently.
Page 31
To facilitate monitoring of these skills and learning activities, (intern) will:
6. Maintain a daily log of activities, (one copy of the log sent to IUP at the end of
each month), which shows, among many activities, meetings with the site
supervisor of at least two (2) hours per week.
7. Communicate with the university supervisor on a regularly scheduled basis during
the school year.
8. Complete a semester report at the end of the first semester (to be filed with the
university supervisor).
9. Prepare an evaluation of the internship experience at the end of the year (to be
submitted to the university supervisor).
The site will support the intern, at a minimum, through provision of secretarial
services and mileage for travel from central office to school and between schools,
when possible. See the attached page for specifics of schedule and stipend
agreements.
In addition, it is expected that (intern) will be permitted to attend state school
psychology association meetings. Awareness of professional organizations and
involvement in activities of state and national associations of the profession are
considered part of professional development. School Psychology conferences are
viewed as one avenue of introducing the school psychology intern to this aspect of
professional development.
The University faculty supervisor will remain available to both the site supervisor and
the intern to assist, as needed, with the internship experience. Internship field
supervisors will be notified of the assigned faculty supervisor at the beginning of each
internship semester. Please contact me at any time with questions or suggestions at
(724) 357-3788 or trunge@iup.edu.
Sincerely,
Assistant Professor
Phone: 724-357-2299
Fax: 724-357-6946
cmc@iup.edu
www.iup.edu/schoolpsychology
Page 32
I, (intern), agree to serve as an intern school psychologist, as described on
pages 1, 2, & 3 attached, for (site) for the 20011-20012 school year for a total stipend
of ($$$$$) for 184 days.
For its part, (site) will reimburse me for mileage and will release me from
time to time to complete all requirements for interns set forth by Indiana University of
Pennsylvania, not to exceed one (1) day per month unless otherwise approved.*
_____________________________
Intern
_______________________________
School District Representative
___________________
Date
_________________
Date
*In the unlikely event that the student does not meet University program requirements to proceed with
internship, all parties of this agreement are released from their responsibilities.
Please sign and return all four (4) pages of this agreement.
Page 33
Appendix E
School Psychology Portfolios
Page 34
Page 35
Page 36
Page 37
Appendix F
Preparing Graduate Students for the Internship Application Process
Page 38
Page 39
Page 40
Appendix G
Interview Information
Page 41
Page 42
Page 43
Page 44
Page 45

FROM THE COORDINATOR - Indiana University of Pennsylvania

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