Field-Based Experiences
Experiences Connected to
Early Coursework
During the five quarters of
the masters program, students will participate in various field-based
experiences connected to their core school psychology courses. The majority of
these experiences will be conducted at the practicum sites in the Columbus
Public School District. Students are expected to complete approximately 100
field-based hours participating in activities such as shadowing a school
psychologist and assisting practicum students with assessments, consultations,
and mental health interventions. Students will also complete their own cases in
various core school psychology courses. Students are expected to maintain a log
of their hours for these experiences in order to document their 100 hours. First
year master's level students will be assigned a doctoral student supervisor.
They will be expected to meet with their supervisor on a regular basis as
described in relevant course syllabi.
Second-Year Practicum
All students will participate
in a practicum experience in their second year of the masters program. This
experience will be completed in the Columbus Public Schools and will take place
over the entire academic year. During the first quarter of the second year,
students will be expected to be in the schools 4 hours each week (2 credit
hours). During the Winter and Spring quarters, students will be expected to be
in the schools 8 hours each week (4 credit hours). Additionally, students will
be expected to participate in weekly supervision for an hour and a half each
week. In addition to school site hours, students will also spend time designing
interventions, writing treatment plans and psychological reports outside of
school-based hours and supervision. Students are also expected to keep a log of
their hours while on practicum, and forms for documenting hours will be
provided. In total, students need to complete 300 hours connected to
practicum. Additional requirements include a case study presentation and
quarterly reflection papers.
Students must receive at
least a B- in all of their school psychology courses and be granted advancement
to practicum during the annual review of their first year. Students who do not
complete practicum with their cohort group for any reason may be expected to
find their own practicum site and supervisor. However, to ensure the quality of
the practicum experience, the practicum student must follow the policies and
procedures outlined in the practicum syllabus.
During the summer prior to
practicum, students will be expected to participate in a practicum orientation
and meet with their practicum supervisor. Also, students are expected to review
material from the first year courses and practice test administration. Specific
instructions for how students should prepare for practicum will be provided
during the practicum orientation.
Professional behavior and
development of clinical skills are extremely important aspects of the practicum
experience. You will be expected to have a clear understanding of the program
contract and how that relates to your behavior while in practicum. If you have
any questions or concerns regarding professional behavior, you are encouraged to
ask questions, reacquaint yourself with professional standards and ethical
guidelines, and review the program contract. Ignorance will never be allowed as
an excuse for unprofessional behavior. Because the school psychology faculty is
charged with the duty of gatekeeper for the profession, students will not
advance to practicum until certain skills have been acquired during the
coursework of the first year. The faculty possesses the complete authority to
deny practicum to students who are not sufficiently prepared.
Evaluation of practicum is
done once per quarter. During the quarterly individual meeting with their
supervisor, practicum students will review the practicum evaluation form
included in the practicum syllabus. Copies of these evaluation forms will be
given to the student and the practicum coordinator to be placed in the student's
program folder. Students who have difficulty while on practicum and do not
acquire the necessary level of skills to proceed to internship can be denied the
opportunity to go on internship the following year. Because internship
placements are made at the beginning of the Spring quarter, only students who
have satisfactory performance on practicum during the Fall and Winter quarters
will be placed at an internship site. However, in order to be allowed to begin
internship, satisfactory performance (a grade of B- or higher) must also be
obtained during Spring quarter. If a student is not placed at an internship site
at the beginning of Spring quarter due to performance while on practicum, the
student may be given a site at a later date if s/he is able to demonstrate the
skills necessary for internship during the Spring quarter. The decision to place
a student at a later date is left to the discretion of the faculty. Due to the
timing and logistical demands of internship, students will not be allowed to
make up practicum hours during the Summer Quarter. Internship placements can
only begin in the Fall due to the State Department of Education funding. |
