PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS
2007-2008
PhD candidates submit on a yearly basis a professional portfolio in order to insure that they have mastered program goals. The portfolio is reviewed each year by core faculty, who provide input and guidance to the student. Students meet each year with the faculty to discuss progress and plans. A meeting will be arranged for students toward the end of the spring semester and all faculty members must receive the completed portfolio at least one week prior to the meeting.
The content of the portfolio includes samples of work that have been completed throughout the program, as well as work created specifically for the portfolio. Portfolio materials should be typewritten or word-processed on 8 ½ x 11-inch paper and place in a hard cover, three-ring binder. The first entry should be a Table of Contents. All identifying characteristics of children and their family members, teachers, etc., should be removed from all work
General requirements:
A. Each of the listed requirements must be included in the portfolio and each must adhere to all standards described below.
B. Proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling are expected on all documents.
C. All school psychology faculty members will review each portfolio. If any required items are determined to be unsatisfactory, by one or more faculty members; the faculty will meet to discuss the portfolio and if a majority of faculty members (3/4) agree, the student will be asked to revise those portions of the portfolio and resubmit the portfolio.
All materials can be organized under one or more of the following first-order headings: Research and theory; Professional issues and ethics; Application and practice.
Second-order headings can include: Scientific Psychology, Methodological and Theoretical Foundations of Practice, Psychological Assessment and Interventions, Research Methods and Applications.
Note: The student can petition the faculty to create an electronic portfolio.
CONTENTS OF THE PORTFOLIO
1. Annually: Current resume or vita, summary of practicum, multicultural, and research activities, and a personal essay. Students should submit their practicum or internship log at this time. Students can include any course, research, or service related product that emphasizes their contribution. Products can include class papers, assessment reports, research papers (draft, final), convention posters, news reports, and so on.
Specific requirements:
(Vitae)
1. Name, address, phone, and e-mail
2. Education
3. Work Experiences
4. Presentations
5. Publications
6. Honors
(Summary of practicum, multicultural and research activities)
1. For each practicum, list dates and setting, types of services provided, and an evaluation of the experience.
2. For each multicultural experience, the student will indicate how he or she met one or more of the following objectives:
a. The student will demonstrate an increased awareness of his or her own culture, values, traditions and biases that influence personal and professional perspectives.
b. The student will demonstrate an increased awareness, sensitivity and respect for individual differences.
c. The student will increase his or her knowledge and understanding of diverse groups.
d. The student will increase his or her knowledge and understanding of how to create a “safe” environment for all clients who are in need of their services.
e. The student will increase his or her knowledge and understanding of how socio-political factors influence the status of diverse groups.
f. The student will increase his or her knowledge of multicultural theories, be able to evaluate the validity of the theories and demonstrate how to incorporate multicultural theories and research into clinical practice.
g. The student will increase his or her knowledge and skills in providing culturally competent services to clients.
(Personal essay)
1. The statement outlines the student’s theoretical orientation, integrating theoretical content of core psychology areas (learning, development, individual differences, social behavior), and providing documentation of the basis for the integration
2. Professional strengths and areas of interest in school psychology
3. Career goals within school psychology
4. Personal and professional development occurring through the training program
5. View of oneself as a school psychologist
6. Integration of coursework and knowledge (core and specialty)
7. Discussion of areas needing improvement and long-term goals for professional development
8. Recommendations to the program and practicum sites
2. By end of year 1: One sample of a psychological evaluation (completed entirely by student). By the end of year 2, a second sample would be included.
One report should be an assessment completed during a school-based practicum. The second report, whenever possible, will be an assessment conducted in a non-school setting.
Specific requirements:
1. Includes well-defined referral question(s) based on interview(s)
2. Review of available records conducted and integrated with referral question and other data
3. Classroom observation conducted and integrated with referral question and other data
4. Curriculum-based assessment or work sample analysis conducted and integrated with referral question and other data
5. Cognitive evaluation conducted and integrated with referral question and other data
6. Personality assessment includes empirically-based instruments
7. Standard scores provided for all tests when available and are presented within a range or with standard error of measurement noted
8. Accurate statement made concerning validity of current assessment
9. Lack of “jargon”
10. Findings from various subtests and/or test instruments are integrated with one another. Contradictions are noted and attempt is made to explain them
11. Assessment findings are linked to recommendations and relate to referral question
*When social, emotional or behavioral concerns are present, the evaluation should include behavior rating scales; clinical interview with the student; and other assessment techniques as appropriate.
3. By end of year 2: Intervention case study: Content can be connected with any of the coursework completed for the degree program.
Specific requirements:
1. Background information is provided and includes information regarding the context of the problem
2. Problem is described in observable, measurable terms
3. Baseline data related to the problem are collected and provided
4. Present level of performance vs. Expected level of performance is described and a measurable goal is set based upon the discrepancy
5. Issue of instructional match is addressed/assessed (academic intervention only)
6. Problem is analyzed, include assessment methods used, and hypotheses are generated, hypotheses include attention to task/instruction/setting variables as well as to student variables
7. Problem analysis data are linked to methods and goals of the intervention
8. Specific description of the intervention (individual, group, organizational) is provided and steps for implementation of the intervention are described (who will do what by when)
9. Collaboration efforts with family, school, and/or community-based individuals are described.
10. Outcome data are provided and presented visually via graphs or charts and the results of the intervention are discussed (e.g. change in behavior/skills; progress towards goals)
*The case study shall be submitted in a single-spaced typed format. A maximum length of 10 pages (minimum 10 pt. print) will be accepted.
4. By end of year 3: In-service training program or workshop.
Specific requirements:
1. A detailed outline that describes specific topics and subtopics to be presented is provided
2. Objectives of the workshop (i.e. What are the expected outcomes for the participants?) are operationally defined
3. A sample or description of the method used to evaluate how well the objectives were met is provided
4. Methods and techniques to be used during the presentation are provided (i.e. there is evidence of attention to process as well as content)
5. The intended audience is described (i.e. classroom teachers, parents, administrators, etc.)
6. At least six recent (from the past 5 years), published references are used to prepare the presentation, and are presented as an annotated bibliography
7. Samples of handouts for participants are included
5. By end of year 4: Essay on legal or ethical dilemma: Students will produce a 7-10 page paper discussing the resolution of an ethical dilemma. Students will apply specific principles from the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (APA, 2002) to an educationally relevant conflict or practice. A list of ethical dilemmas is available from faculty members. With advisor approval, students may also propose a legal or ethical dilemma of their own. The paper must be typed in APA format and must include a reference list.
Specific requirements:
1. Parameters of situation clearly described
2. Potential ethical-legal issues enumerated
3. Reference made to appropriate ethical-legal guideline sources
4. Rights, responsibilities, and welfare of all affected parties considered
5. Demonstrated understanding of ethical-legal conduct issues
6. List of alternative positions possible for each issue identified
7. Consequences associated with each position fully discussed
8. Evidence presented that the various consequences or benefits resulting from the selected alternative will actually occur
9. Professional responsibility accepted for the decision made, with provision for monitoring the consequences of the course of action chosen
10. Overall evidence of application of the ethical problem-solving model
6. By end of year 4: Analysis of theory and research. Student offers evidence of grounding in psychological foundations. Students will produce a 7-10 page paper offering a synthesis of psychological theory and research in a designated area. Faculty will provide guidelines for the analysis.
ADDENDUM:
The portfolio should provide markers for each year of involvement in the program:
1. Year 1: documentation of course work, practicum, planning for EdS project
2. Year 2: documentation of above, examples of assessment, intervention, other notable outcomes
3. Year 3: documentation of above, internship strategy, dissertation plans
4. Year 4: documentation of above, reports on internship, dissertation
5. Year 5: as above until graduation, employment goals
EVALUTION OF PORTFOLIO
The evaluation of the portfolio is an on-going process, but at the simplest level, the faculty will evaluate whether the portfolio contains the required components. This spring the faculty attempted to judge the portfolio content using the following point system:
1. The portfolio lacks some essential elements and must be completed before the student is given the yearly progress letter. If the student does not complete the portfolio, then a letter indicating unsatisfactory progress will be placed in his or her file.
2. The portfolio contains all of the required components, it is organized and the writing is clear and concise.
3. The portfolio contains all of the required components, it is well organized, the writing is clear and concise, and the student has gone beyond the essential requirements in order to provide evidence of his or her personal and/or professional growth.
All faculty members will give the student feedback on the quality of the portfolio.