Culturally Competent Practice in School Psychology

1
Culturally Competent Practice in School Psychology

• Department of Education
• Personnel Preparation Training Grant
• Marilyn S. Wilson, PI

2
Need

• Shortage of school psychologists nationally
• Under-representation of culturally and
  linguistically diverse school psychologists (8)
• School psychologists not well trained to work
  with students from diverse cultural, linguistic,
  and economic backgrounds
• Need training in empirically supported early
  interventions
• Academic and behavioral deficits dont go away
  students drop out of school, especially minority
  students

3

• Central Valley of California has cultural and
  economic diversity, including over 75 languages,
  many low-performing schools, high rates of drop
  out, limited family involvement in education.
• White (Not Hispanic) 24, African American7,
  Hispanic 55, Asian 11
• 28 students in FUSD are ELL
• 66 Fresno County students free or reduced lunch
• 33 third graders reading at 50th tile.
• 24 of African Americans, 23 of Hispanics, 22of
  economically disadvantaged, 10 ELL

4
Goals

• Recruitment more students from culturally and
  linguistic backgrounds
• Train all students in culturally competent
  practices
• RTI to identify students in need of intervention
• Culturally appropriate assessment
• Decrease over-representation of minority children
  in special education
• Increase family-school partnerships
• Communication with families from diverse
  backgrounds
• Coordination with sensitive community services

5
Recruitment

• Targeting high school students, psychology
  undergraduates
• Specialized students groups students with
  disabilities, ethnic and cultural groups
• Utilize current students as recruiters!
• Off campus recruiting
• Brochures posters, web page!
• Grant will help by providing some financial
  support to allow students to focus on training
• Funding available for professional travel

6
Training

• Increased research-based, culturally competent
  practices in the curriculum
• Early identification and screening (e..g, DIBELS)
• Early behavioral interventions (Parlier social
  skills)
• Home-school collaboration (materials from Futures
  conference)
• Mentoring
• Frequent meetings with faculty
• Campus services e.g., writing classes,
  counseling
• Cohort experience
• Social events

7
Research-Based Curriculum

• Behavioral strand
• ABA, consultation, intervention prevention,
  cognitive behavior therapy
• Culturally Competent Assessment and Intervention
• Cognitive assessment, learning and development,
  instructional consultation
• Field work Practicum and internship in diverse
  settings
• Practice assessment, consultation, counseling,
  and interventions
• Incorporate families in assessment and
  intervention

8
Additions

• Adding more intense multicultural course
• Field supervisor for practicum
• Karla Burgos Rodriguez
• Coordination of DIBELS and social skills with
  students from culturally diverse groups

9
Evaluation

• Number of students recruited
• Logs reflections from culturally diverse
  practicum
• Pre-post data from social skills groups
• DIBELS data across year
• Individual academic and behavioral assessment and
  interventions with students from diverse
  backgrounds evaluation of process
• Evaluations from field supervisors
• Feedback from Project field supervisor and
  faculty
• NCSP Praxis exam pass rate
• Student graduation rate!
• Employment in field!

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Funding

• 2500 stipend / semester
• Years 1 and 2 in school psychology program
• Up to 1000 for conference travel / year
• Stipends need to be reported as income
• No funding for interns
• Students must work 2 years in the field for each
  year in which any funding is received OR repay
  the funds
• Must report contact information until service
  obligation is finished

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Participant Requirements

• Writing research papers focusing on culture
  and/or language acquisition
• For a course or thesis
• 1 per year
• Practicum/fieldwork reflecting diversity.
• Documentation of diversity of settings (Yrs. 1
  2)
• Conducting social skills group with children from
  culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
  (Yr. 1)
• Writing a mini-paper each semester on working
  with students and families of diverse backgrounds
  (Yr. 1)
• Conducting and reflecting on assessment with
  students from other cultures (Yr. 2)
• Conducting and critiquing an assessment with a
  Limited English Proficient student (Yr. 2)

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• Mentoring
• Monthly meetings with program faculty
• Support and services as recommended (e.g.,
  writing classes, thesis workshops)
• Presentation
• During the 2nd year in the project, the
  participant must submit a presentation for a
  regional, state, or national conference that
  incorporates an aspect of cultural or linguistic
  diversity
• Professional development
• Joining NASP CASP each year
• Attending 1 conference/year (NASP, CASP, or other
  approved conference, e.g., CEC, ABA, WPA). Attend
  2 sessions or 1 workshop focused on diversity at
  the conference
• Evaluation and documentation requirements
• All evaluation documents must be submitted on
  time
• Participants agree to meet with any project
  external evaluators
• Participants will develop a special portfolio of
  CCP activities

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Work in progress!!!

• Paperwork
• Recruitment materials
• Performance measures for grant
• Goals
• More student attendance at regional and national
  conference
• Increased presentations and publications
• Increase opportunities for varied practicum sites
• Future
• Add summer experiences and/or workshops
• Bring in speakers

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Next Steps

• Sign up for appointment to discuss interest
• Must be accepted into the school psychology
  program
• Meet with financial aid
• Sign student affidavit and service obligation
• Share contact information for practicum site set
  up visits