EDSP 525/PSY 514—FALL 2015
Texas AMUniversity
Central Texas
EDSP 599 Educational Diagnostician Internship
Professor:Dr.Lisa Santiso
Email:
Office Hours:TBA
Phone: 972.938.6958
The goal of the Texas A&M University Central Texas Educational Diagnostician program is to develop in graduate students with skills necessary to assess and diagnose learning and social disabilities in school-aged children and adolescents including the administration, interpretation and articulation of academic, social and cognitive assessment data in order to assist parents and teacher to develop appropriate and legally compliant educational environments for exceptional learners.
Course Description
Supervised experience in university and public schools settings working with
faculty and educational diagnosticians. Experience includes: completing
comprehensive assessments, preparing written reports of assessments and
other required paperwork, attending ARD meetings and presenting test data to
educators and families. Regular meeting with university faculty to establish
progress and learn from the experience of classmates is required.
Course Objectives
Students will:
1. Gain experience in the use and interpretation of various types of assessment
and evaluation procedures to identify students with disabilities and determine
educational need.
2. Discuss how diversity in ethnic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds of
students influences evaluation decisions and instructional recommendations.
3. Demonstrate ability to translate the characteristics and needs of the learner
into appropriate decisions for least restrictive placement within a continuum of
services.
4. Demonstrate ability to apply the characteristics and needs of the learner
gained from accurate interpretation of comprehensive evaluation results to
planning individualized programs, writing goals and objectives, and fostering
realistic expectations of the student on the part of parents and teachers.
5. Review information on the models that provide the basis for special education
evaluations and how evaluation procedures relate to educational planning.
6. Demonstrate ability to modify curriculum content, select and adapt
instructional methods and materials, and provide accommodations for students
with disabilities.
7. Demonstrate ability to score assessment and evaluation instruments
accurately.
8. Review skills relating to measurement and statistical methods, including
interpretation of various types of derived scores, basic statistical terminology and
concepts, and terminology and concepts associated with test standardization and
sources of error.
9. Demonstrate knowledge of how to select assessment procedures on the basis
of technical quality, and how to select and modify assessment procedures to
minimize bias.
10. Review the uses and limitations of various types of assessment instruments
(norm referenced and criterion referenced) and observation techniques
(anecdotal, frequency, temporal).
11. Review methods used for academic and nonacademic assessment
(vocational, developmental, assistive technology, motor skills).
12. Discuss procedures for screening, pre-referral, referral, and eligibility.
13. Review rights and responsibilities of parents, teachers, schools, and other
professionals in relation to assessment and educational planning.
14. Discuss the roles of team members, including the student, in program
planning.
15. Review applicable laws, rules, regulations, procedural safeguards, due
process, and ethical considerations that govern assessment, eligibility,
placement, educational planning, plan implementation, and the role of the
educational diagnostician.
16. Discuss ways to relate assessment information to the preparation of
students for vocational settings.
17. Review concepts of behavior intervention (least intrusive intervention),
expectations for social behavior, social skills curricula, and cognitive behavioral
strategies.
18. Review the qualifications necessary to administer and interpret various
instruments and procedures.
19. Be familiar with organizations and publications relevant to the field of
educational diagnosis.
20. Discuss how families support the educational process, how to encourage
active family participation, address family concerns, foster respectful
relationships between family and school, and obtain background information from
families to complete a comprehensive evaluation.
21. Demonstrate skills for effective communication and collaboration in a variety
of contexts.
22. Demonstrate ability to keep accurate records of assessments, maintain and
store eligibility folders, manage time effectively, and use technology in all aspects
of the diagnostician role.
Overall Internship Requirements
I. Case studies: Continue to assemble evaluation case studies according to
Pre and Internship Guidelines. Cases will included both assessments conducted
at local schools and under supervisions of mentor diagnosticians. These cases must be
completed according to presented guidelines and will be turned in for comments
as they are completed. Feedback will be provided on an ongoing basis. Turn in
each case study immediately after it has been completed. 8 completed
cases must be turned in by the end of November 2015.
II. Case presentations: Each of you will present an assessment orally to the
class in the form of a case study. Choose an interesting assessment you have
already completed that presents challenges from which we can all learn.
Distribute copies of print outs of testing protocols (if possible), notes (see
checklist) from parent/teacher interviews and student observations, and the
narrative report (not the district report) to me and each of your classmates the
week before you present the case.
For each case presentation, your classmates will complete the Critique/Comments Guidelines sheet found at the end of this syllabus to facilitate discussion and learning from your presentation. Your case presentation should include:
review of referral file:.
assessment plan: your thoughts about why you selected the particular
tests you used. For each test, include specific information about age
appropriateness of the test, recency of norms, reliability and validity,
ease of administration, time required to administer, qualifications of
examiners needed to administer the test, and limitations associated
with the test’s use. You’ll find that information in the test manual.
For observations and parent/teacher interviews, discuss limitations
associated with those techniques. Finally, discuss possible sources of
bias in your assessment procedure and how you addressed them.
comprehensive narrative report: include complete protocols for tests
(to instructor) you administered when possible. Make copies of the
narrative report to distribute to classmates the week before your
presentation so that we can read your report. Be sure to include
interviews with the parent and teacher or other pertinent information in
your final report.
III. Portfolio: Your Portfolio is due the sometime during the last week of November. To help you along with its preparation, you will
be expected to begin to compile the necessary information.
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