PreDoctoral Internship

Internship/Practicum in School Psychology

Cobb County Psychological Services

The Cobb County School District served over 107,000 students during the 2007-2008 school year in the following facilities:

The School District is the largest employer in Cobb County. Among the more than 15,229 employees are:

As the second largest school system in Georgia, the Cobb County School District is responsible for educating more than 106,000 students in a diverse, constantly changing suburban environment. The district meets this challenge by focusing on four key areas: improving student achievement, developing leaders, being fiscally responsible and building relationships among schools, families, businesses and the wider Cobb County community.

The district’s purpose is to ensure that all Cobb students maximize their individual learning potential. Toward that end, every school has implemented Performance Based Instruction for every student, meaning that students will know, do, use and communicate what they are learning. The result is high achievement for Cobb County students. Cobb students consistently score above the national average on norm-referenced tests. In 2007, 80 percent of Cobb seniors took the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), achieving a combined average score of 1534, compared to the national average of 1511, and the state average of 1472. Cobb boasts six magnet programs including: (a) Campbell High School International Baccalaureate Program, (b) Kennesaw Mountain High School Academy of Mathematics, Science, and Technology, (c) North Cobb School for International Studies, (d) Pebblebrook High School Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts, (e) South Cobb High School Academy of Research and Medical Sciences, and (f) Wheeler High School Center for Advanced Studies in Science, Mathematics, and Technology to challenge students and a unique Advanced Placement Certified Schools program that is designed to increase access to and participation in challenging coursework for all students, especially underrepresented populations, in order to improve post-secondary success. This program is offered in many middle and high schools in the CCSD.

Excellent educators and strong leaders are an essential element of successful schools. The Cobb County School District employs nearly 8,800 highly qualified teachers and administrators whose collective passion is teaching and motivating students. The school district is the largest employer in Cobb County with more than 15,000 employees in 120 facilities.

Effective and efficient use of taxpayer dollars is a major priority for the district. The district’s general fund operating budget totals more than $907 million for fiscal year 2008, with a per-student spending average of $8,545. The district carries no long-term debt and funds construction, renovation, technology, and safety projects through a one-penny Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). Since first approved in 1998, the SPLOST has funded construction of 21 new schools, more than 2,000 new classrooms, hundreds of roofing, paving, plumbing, painting, HVAC, and other projects. In addition, SPLOST is in the process of refreshing all computer workstations throughout the county, has provided a laptop computer for every teacher, and has improved student safety through the installation of surveillance cameras, fencing, and electronic access-control systems for all elementary schools.

Building relationships with the wide variety of people who are impacted by and support Cobb schools is a critical component of the district’s focus. Parental involvement is a hallmark in the District, as demonstrated through 100 percent PTA participation in most schools and the active participation of parent volunteers. Each school has its own School Council that includes the school’s principal, teachers, parents and business representatives. These councils are an integral part of the school improvement process and help bring community concerns to school leadership.

The district’s relationship with the Cobb Chamber of Commerce has yielded a variety of programs supporting students and teachers. The Partners in Education program is the longest-running support initiative, pairing local businesses with schools in need of community support. As of fall 2007, more than 1,000 local businesses have committed to partnerships with Cobb County’s 115 schools through the Partners in Education program. The Chamber also sponsors a job shadow program for students to experience real-world work environments, as well as Project 2400, a special scholarship program that helped 273 students take part in a free SAT preparation course in 2007.

The Cobb County School District has a clear mission from its Board of Education - to guarantee a quality educational program for all students in a challenging, secure environment. In every school and every classroom, the focus is on helping each student achieve and become prepared for the world ahead. That goal is supported by the district’s efforts to recognize and build leaders within its schools, responsible stewardship of fiscal resources and the relationships built through open, cooperative communication.

Cobb County Psychological Services Department utilizes the scientist/practitioner delivery model with a developmental model of supervision. Therefore, the model of training utilized is experiential and developmental in nature. Emphasis is placed on the scientific and ethical growth of the intern or practicum student and the practice of tying all observations and conclusions to sound theory and definable data. As such, interns and practicum students are supported through critical thinking and evaluation to determine and make empirically-based judgments within a context of broad experiences. The internship is an integrative experience which incorporates a systematic and sequenced program of increasing duties and responsibilities while working with a culturally diverse population of children, adolescents, and families at the preschool, elementary, and secondary levels. The program maintains that a well-rounded school psychologist must be prepared to serve the entire school population. To that end, the internship program allows interns and practicum students to develop a variety of new skills and to interact with students of all age levels and from diverse backgrounds in order to meet the numerous academic, behavioral, and emotional needs of its students.

The mission of Cobb County Psychological Services is to provide psychological services that facilitate learning and promote positive mental health for students.

The overall goal of Psychological Services is to provide each school with a full range of psychological services. These services include the following: comprehensive psychoeducational assessments, behavioral interventions and management, therapeutic treatments, membership on Student Support Pre-referral Teams, consultative services to students, parents, and school personnel, and participation in special education meetings. Special Education meetings may include the Re-evaluation Consideration Meeting, Individual Education Plan (IEP) and placement meetings, as well as discipline review meetings for all students in the psychologist's assigned schools. There is also requirement for participation in staff development workshops and professional growth activities, which might include individual and group counseling, family counseling, development and presentation of workshops for school personnel or the community. The primary focus and purpose is in assuring breadth and quality of training.

The objectives of the internship experience is to further broaden and deepen the university course work and practicum experiences of our interns. The approach to diagnosis and treatment can best be described as eclectic, with a primary emphasis on cognitive-behavioral and ecological approaches. Training objectives are both to improve interns' proficiency in providing evidence-based clinical services to children and adolescents, their parents and teachers, and to enhance the personal and professional qualities necessary to participate cooperatively in the public school setting.

Interns and practicum students will resolve problems through consultation, prevention, and intervention activities. A broad range of supervised therapeutic treatments and intervention experiences are available for interns and practicum students and provided throughout the year. Additional opportunities are also provided for interns to pursue individual interests and research during the internship training year.

The Cobb's School Psychology Internship and Practicum Program uses all five stages of internship and practicum supervision with goal-directed teaching activities (Alessi et al.,1981). During the course of an internship or practicum experience, all stages may not be accomplished. Although these stages are sequential, an intern or practicum student may be sent back to an earlier stage, if more intensive training is needed. Specifically, the five stages are:

The goal of Cobb's School Psychology Internship and Practicum Program is to train students to function as independent, ethical, and professional psychologists in a school environment which encourages the development of professional identity and fosters competence in the delivery of psychological services. The general goal of the practicum program is to prepare students who are in the beginning stages of their graduate course work to experience field-based application of their university training. The general goal of the internship programs is to prepare students who are in the final stages of their graduate course work to function competently and responsibly as a professional psychologist in the schools at the Ed.S. or Ph.D. level. More specifically, the purpose of this collaborative program is to provide interns with the opportunity to develop and refine general skills fundamental to the practice of school psychology in a wide variety of educational settings through the integration of theoretical knowledge and practical experience to provide growth and development of the intern. Objectives are both to improve proficiency in providing clinical activities with children and adolescents, their parents and teachers, and to enhance the personal and professional qualities necessary to participate cooperatively in the public school domain while being responsive to the needs and skills of the student. The program allows interns and practicum students to develop a variety of new skills and to interact with clients from diverse backgrounds. Interns will refine competencies in psychological assessment, intervention, and consultation. Interns are expected to pursue professional interests and establish career directions. Research activities are encouraged during the internship year through collaboration with supervisors. Interns are also encouraged to become involved in departmental Focus Groups.

While interns and practicum students are apprentices, they should emerge from the field-based experience as fledgling psychologists. Although interns will hold the title of "school psychology intern," they are regarded as professionals and are expected to work together closely as colleagues of the regular Psychological Services staff. Their growth as competent psychologists is a major aim of the training program.

The intern and practicum student's role is that of a psychologist in training within the schools. Because the practicum is a students first field-based experience, there are no expectations for independent practice. However, interns will become increasingly autonomous over the course of the year and are responsible to their supervisors for performance of all duties. All interns and practicum students will wear a Cobb County School District identification badge. They are expected to be present at all staff meetings held on a bi-monthly basis, attend all didactic training sessions, and are also strongly encouraged to join one or more of the special interest groups.

The internships and practicum begin and end based on the calendar of employment for the 200-day school psychologists. This will be posted at www.cobbk12.org when the final dates have been set by the Cobb County School District board. The predoctoral-internship is divided into two rotations, with interns changing rotations at mid year, during the week of January 5, 2009. At the time of internship selection, first choice and second choice rotations for the year will be assigned by Director of Internship Training based upon preferences provided by the interns and availability of positions.

The practicum is a school year long part-time experience. Practicum students will work about 2 days a week with their supervisors in their assigned schools. The practicum student is also required to attend staff meetings and didactic presentations, which typically occur on Fridays.

The pre-Ed.S. internship is structured for an approximate forty-hour week. The interns usually work to 1600 hours. The intern should determine university and/or licensure requirements. The pre-doctoral interns will spend three to four days each week with the primary supervisor, working directly in the supervisor's schools and completing activities of assessment, consultation, and intervention. One day each week will be used for report writing, staff meetings, didactic training, and paper work.

The pre-doctoral internship is structured for an approximate forty-hour week. The pre-doctoral internship experience can range from 1200 to 2000 hours depending on the needs and goals of the intern. The intern should determine university and/or licensure requirements. The pre-doctoral interns will spend two to three days each week with the primary supervisor, working directly in the supervisor's schools and completing activities of assessment, consultation, and intervention. One and one half days each week will be spent with the rotation focus in a specialized area. This might involve working with a secondary supervisor. One day each week will be used for report writing, staff meetings, didactic training, and paper work.

All interns and practicum students are expected to attend the staff meetings and didactic training sessions, which generally occur on Fridays.

Cobb County serves children from varying ethnic and minority backgrounds, as well as students with varying disabilities and needs. Therefore, diverse training opportunities are available. The internship experience is designed to expand and enhance the intern's competency in a multitude of areas.

Psychological assessment is a fundamental role of each psychologist in the school. Interns and practicum students will gather knowledge of varied models and methods of assessment that yield information useful in identifying strengths and needs, in understanding problems, and in measuring progress and accomplishments. Interns will use these models and methods as part of a systematic process to collect data and other information, translate assessment results into empirically-based decisions about service delivery, and evaluate the outcomes of services.

Assessment is emphasized during training in all of the rotations of the predoctoral internship. Assessment skills including behavioral observation, interviewing, functional behavioral analysis, adaptive behavior, cognitive assessment, achievement, emotional diagnoses (including DSM-IV-TR ), and other objective and projective assessment techniques are refined during the course of the year. Assessment training includes selection of appropriate instruments, test administration, scoring, data interpretation, acquisition and integration of information from collateral sources, preparation of written reports, and oral communication of findings and recommendations to parents and professionals. Attention will be offered to the use of assessment techniques with ethnic and culturally diverse populations and legal/ethical issues in assessment of children and families. Additional assessment experiences are available through the through the Family/Couples Rotation.

In addition, all interns and practicum students are required to develop and refine report writing skills. Interns are trained to provide concise and accurate test results as well as to develop appropriate recommendations.

Interns and practicum students will be given field-based experiences with behavioral, mental health, collaborative, and/or other consultation models and methods. Interns will use these models and methods and apply them in the appropriate settings based on each particular situation. Interns will collaborate effectively with others in planning and decision-making processes at the individual, group, and system levels. These skills will assist in an intern's consultation and collaboration with parents, the school, and outside personnel regarding mental health, behavioral, and/or educational concerns. These skills will also aid in designing and developing procedures for preventing disorders, promoting mental health and learning, and improving educational systems. This will include the development of collaborative relationships with clients and involvement of clients in assessment, intervention, and program evaluation procedures.

Consultation experiences include a broad range of professional activities with students and staff in various settings. Interns will be encouraged to provide in-service training and other skill enhancement activities for school personnel, parents, and others in the community regarding issues of human learning, development, and behavior. Consultation and collaboration are emphasized in numerous settings within the internship training. Interns may be required to consult with teachers, parents, administrators, outside community professionals, and other individuals. Interns will also work closely with the school counselor, special education lead teacher, regular education teachers and administrators at each school. Interns will be members of the RTI (Response to Intervention) Committee and IEP (Individualized Education Plan) committee. Interns are expected to attend re-evaluation considerations meetings, placement meetings, and discipline reviews. Consultation may also involve developing behavior management plans, supporting and assisting a teacher to implement behavioral interventions in the classroom, facilitating program design, or developing educational modifications.

Interns will develop knowledge and understanding of human learning processes, techniques to assess these processes, and direct and indirect services applicable to the development of both cognitive and academic skills. Interns, in collaboration with others, will learn to develop appropriate cognitive and academic goals for students with different abilities, disabilities, strengths, and weaknesses. In addition, interns will develop skills to implement interventions to achieve these goals and to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

Interns will receive experiences in instructional interventions and consultation. Each intern will serve on the pre-referral and referral teams for the schools served. These teams will assist in developing academic interventions to facilitate student learning. These interventions could result in on-going parent and teacher meetings, monitoring of a student's academic outcomes, and referrals to other supportive services within and outside the school district. Interns will be provided with opportunities to utilize problem-solving skills in collaboration with other school professionals through the use of curriculum-based measurement, single-case research design, and program evaluation to assess, measure, and monitor student progress. Interns may also assist in developing strategies to increase student processing abilities

Interns will gather knowledge of human developmental processes, techniques to assess these processes, and direct and indirect services applicable to the development of behavioral, affective, adaptive, and social skills. Interns, with collaboration with others, will learn to develop appropriate behavioral, affective, adaptive, and social goals for students of varying abilities, disabilities, strengths, and weaknesses. In addition, interns will develop skills to implement interventions to achieve these goals and to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

Intervention experiences with children and adolescents are provided throughout the year. Interns may receive experiences related to behavioral assessments and interventions, counseling, and consultation. Opportunities for interns to work with students either through individual or group counseling is encouraged. Interns can assist in co-leading groups with school counselors or school psychologists, leading classroom guidance groups, parent training groups, or theme-oriented groups. Interns seeking experience with providing individual counseling to students can also gain training in skills building and assistance in developing self-monitoring behaviors. The Family/Couple Rotation also provides interns with experience in this area. Interns may participate in activities such as parent training, reunification of family members, and the development of behavior management plans. Interns may also be involved in the Social/Emotional Focus Group that reviews assessment scales, presents and problem-solves difficult cases, and provides an arena for professional collaboration with other psychologists in the schools.

Interns will have the opportunity to develop further understanding of individual differences, abilities, and disabilities as well as the potential influences of biological, social, cultural, ethnic, experiential, socioeconomic, gender-related, and linguistic factors in development and learning. Interns will be exposed to the sensitivity and skills needed to work with individuals of diverse characteristics and to implement strategies selected and/or adapted based on individual characteristics, strengths, and needs.

Interns will have the chance to receive experiences related to assessment, interventions, counseling, and consultation. Cobb County is fortunate to have a Cultural Diversity Focus Group that is comprised of school psychologists with a background, interest, or knowledge of working with diverse populations. Interns are encouraged to participate on the committee that reviews assessment scales, presents and problem-solves difficult cases, and provides an arena for professional collaboration within psychologist in the schools.

Interns and practicum students will be exposed to developing knowledge and understanding of general education, special education, and other educational and related services. This will provide the intern with the understanding of schools and other settings as systems. Interns will work with other individuals or groups to facilitate policies and practices that create and maintain safe, supportive, and effective learning environments for children and others.

Interns and practicum students will develop knowledge of human development, psychopathology, and of associated biological, cultural, and social influences on human behavior. Interns will be provided with opportunities to contribute to prevention and intervention programs that promote the mental health and physical well-being of students.

Cobb County is fortunate to have a Prevention/Intervention Center. The P/I Center provides intervention services, student services (e.g., crisis response and prevention programs), center services (e.g., assessments, consultation, programs, resource library), and employee services (e.g., courses, assessments, consultation, the Wellness Center). Interns are offered the opportunity to gain knowledge while performing a rotation at the center during their internship experience. Through the center, interns can increase their understanding of crisis prevention, intervention, and postvention through both indirect and direct services.

Interns and practicum students will be exposed to experiences that assist in gaining knowledge of family systems, including family strengths and how families influence student development, learning, and behavior. Interns will also be provided with methods to involve families in education and service delivery. These experiences will assist in developing skills needed for psychologist in the schools to work effectively with families, educators, and others in the community to promote and provide comprehensive services to children and families.

Ranges of supervised experiences are available to each intern. Family Therapy is offered within the Family rotation.

Interns have the opportunity to be involved in a broad range of research projects. Research and program evaluation experiences will assist in developing knowledge of not only research, but also statistics and other evaluation methods. Interns will be provide with opportunities to evaluate research, translate research into practice, and understand research design and statistics in sufficient depth to plan and conduct investigations and program evaluations for improvement of services.

To facilitate interns' professional development in accordance with the "scientist practitioner" model, interns are encouraged to participate in research during the course of the year through collaboration with the Research Special Interest Group. Research involvement can take many forms, such as: field based data gathering within the schools, individual case studies, or literature reviews of areas related to interns' professional interests. One focus might include collecting and analyzing data to evaluate student interventions. Some interns use Cobb County students as research subjects for projects associated with university assignments. This activity is approved and coordinated by the Director of Research and Evaluation, Dr. Judi Jones.

Interns will continue to develop knowledge and understanding related to the history and foundations of the profession, various service models and methods, public policy development applicable to services provided to children and families, and of ethical, professional, and legal standards. Cobb County will supervise, support, and encourage interns to practice in ways that are consistent with applicable standards in order to develop the needed skills to acquire career-long professional development. Psychological Services is also supportive of interns being involved in professional organizations and attending conferences.

Many of the district's school psychologists are members of GASP (Georgia Association of School Psychologists), NASP, APA, and other professional organizations. In addition, Cobb County school psychologists regularly present research at these conferences. Interns can also become involved in the department's Public Relations Committee, a focus group that promotes community and district-wide awareness of the role of the psychologist in the school. Interns also have the option of participating on the Ethics Committee, a focus group that reviews assessment scales, presents and problem-solves difficult cases, and provides an arena for professional collaboration within psychologist in the schools.

Interns and practicum students will be provide with the opportunity to develop additional knowledge of information sources and technology relevant to the field of school psychology. Interns will be able to access, evaluate, and utilize information sources and technology in ways that safeguard or enhance the quality of services provided to children and families. Cobb County provides the intern and practicum students with access to computerized scoring programs, statistical programs for research, and other computerized projects.

Psychological Services also presents the opportunity for interns to be involved with the Technology Committee, a focus group that maintains the departments website, computer technology updates, purchasing and installing software, and providing support for staff school psychologist. In addition, interns can also gain research experience in this area.

Supervision is an essential and valued feature of the internship and practicum experience. Practicum students and pre-Ed.S. interns will be assigned to one or more supervisors throughout the year. Pre-doctoral interns will Interns will be assigned to both a primary and two secondary supervisors (rotation supervisors). The assignment of supervisors is based on consideration of the needs and professional interests of each intern and the unique supervision style as well as the experiential and training background of the various supervising psychologists.

Each practicum and pre-Ed.S. student will be supervised by a Georgia certified school psychologist. Each pre-doctoral intern is supervised by a licensed psychologist. The supervisor for all interns and practicum students will carry clinical responsibility for the cases being supervised. Internship supervisors in Cobb County supervise no more than two interns at any given time. For practicum and pre-Ed.S. interns the supervisor provides a minimum of two hours per week of scheduled formal individual supervision. For pre-doctoral interns, the primary supervisor provides a minimum of one hour per week of scheduled formal individual supervision. In addition, pre-doctoral interns obtain a minimum of either one additional hour of individual supervision from the primary supervisor or from their rotation supervisor, for a total of two hours weekly. Assigned supervisors work with university professors to understand university practicum or internship requirements.

Also, two hours weekly are spent in group supervision and/or didactic training, which includes all interns and practicum students.

Evaluation and feedback are an integral aspect of the internship training program. Interns and practicum students will be formally evaluated twice during the training year by both their primary and rotation supervisor, taking place at the end of each semester. Interns will also participate in formal and informal evaluation of both the training program and their supervisory experience. Evaluations of each interns’ progress will be reviewed by the primary supervisor, the intern, and other professionals who have worked closely with the intern (i.e., the intern's university supervisor). The supervisor may use the Professional Developmental Plan (PDP) to identify and make plans to remediate areas that the intern need additional training.

Each year we offer a number of rotation experiences for our pre-doctoral interns. The exact rotations offered varies from year to year, based upon staff availability to lead the training experience. The following is a list of rotations offered during the current school year.

The Cobb County School District Psychological Services provides opportunities for school psychology interns to receive training and supervision in family and couples therapy. The rotation is based on the premise that working cooperatively with parents of children with educational/emotional/behavior problems brings about greater success than working with the child in isolation. Interns will be gain experiences in leading marriage retreats, conducting parent interviews, marital assessments, completing genograms, and applying diverse approaches to family therapy.

Interns are introduced to several family therapy models, with an emphasis on data-based interventions measuring student academic success. Couples therapy will utilize the assessment and interventions techniques of John M. Gottman and Susan Johnson.

During this stage of training, interns will be spending time developing family therapy skills. This time will include preparation for therapy, readings, instruction, actual family training and therapy sessions, didactic experience, and direct supervision. To maximize the student's ability to observe and participate in therapy sessions, the student will co-lead sessions with a licensed psychologist.

On this rotation, the intern will spend one day a week in functional as well as standard assessment. Training will be provided in Functional Assessment techniques. Primary populations will be Severely Emotionally Behaviorally Disturbed (SEBD) and Dual-Diagnosis. The intern will participate in the Boys Town model with both SEBD and Dual-Diagnosis populations. Training in the Boys Town model along with general training in Applied Behavior Analysis will be provided. The intern will also participate in program evaluation activities.

Interns are expected to have previous training in preschool assessment in areas of language, visual-perceptual-spatial, motor, social-emotional assessment, and adaptive skills. Instruction will be provided in various cognitive profiles and supplemental readings will be provided. Initially, the intern will shadow the supervisor. As the rotation progresses, increasing levels of independence will be expected. The ability to use a developmental perspective while functioning as a psychologist in the school within a school will be promoted.

During the preschool rotation the following will be utilized, as applicable: The use of a developmental perspective (b) Social History, (c) Hereditary Factors, (d) Medical Factors, observed, predictive value, (e) Social/Emotional Functioning, (f) Acquired Brain Injury, (h) Traumatic Brain Injury, (i) Neurodevelopmental Disorders, (j) Nonverbal Learning Disability, (k) Psychiatric Disorders, (l) Life Span Orientation, and (m) Pervasive Developmental Spectrum Disorders.

The focus will include: (a) Assessment of Problem, (b) Family Dynamics, (c) Interventions, and (d) Education.

The assessments will include: (a) Developmental History, (b) Traditional Assessment, (c) Testing Limits, (d) Process Oriented Approach Across Domains for Interpretation, (e) Input/Output Across Domains, (f) Rote/Abstract, and (g) Recency/Primacy.

The assessments will also focus on family dynamics, such as: (a) Diagnosis, (b) Stress on the System, (c) Support Systems (Groups, Education), (d) On going Communication with School, and (e) Systems/Problem Solving Approach to Interventions.

The interventions used will include: (a) Systemic Approach, (b) Developmental Therapy, (c) Strategy Based, and (d) Consistency Across Environments.

Educational strategies will focus on: (a) the Student, (b) Awareness of Strengths/Weaknesses, (c) Acquisition of Strategies for Problem Solving, (d) Opportunities for Generalization, (e) the Parent, (f) Diagnosis, (g) Characteristics of Disorder, (h) Support Vs Enabling, (i) Navigating the Educational Domain, (j) School, (k) Strategy Based Instruction/Quantifiable Data Analysis, (l) Collaborative Effort, (m) Consistency/Limit Setting, and (n) Support Necessary for Success.

Eligibility served may include: (a) Intellectual Disability, (b) Learning Disability, (c) Emotional/Behavioral Disorder, (d) Severely Emotionally, (f) Disturbance, (g) Orthopedically Impaired, (h) Speech and Language, (i) Autism, (j) Traumatic Brain Injury, (k) Other Health Impaired, (l) Assessment Issues, (m) Decision Process, (n) Placement Options, and (o) Least Restrictive Environment (consultation, inclusion, resource, self-contained, psychoeducation centers, and residential).

Participation in Individual Education Programs will also include: (a) Support Services, (b) Occupational Therapy, (c) Physical Therapy, (d) Adaptive Physical Education, (e) Vision Impairment, (f) Mobility, (g) Hearing Impairment, (h) Goals-strategy based, (i) Placement-heterogeneous population, and (j) Least Restrictive Environment.

The goals developed will address: (a) Academic, (b) Behavioral, (c) Social, (d) Impulse Control, (e) Language, and (f) Motor skills.

The rotation will also consider research utilizing: (a) Treatment Effectiveness, (b) Single Case Design, (c) Traditional Data Analysis, (d) Longitudinal Data regarding Outcome, and (e) Incidence Data/Pediatric TBI.

During the first week of the internship, the Intern shall meet with his/her primary and rotation supervisors.

The Intern will be assigned two rotations for the school year and Cobb County School District does not guarantee the order in which the Intern takes the rotation.

The following activities shall count toward the forty hours of work required per week:

(a) Any clinical or educational activities scheduled in the Cobb County School District or other appropriate training activity including, but not limited to, attending conferences, conducting research, and writing for publications or grants.

(b) Presentations related to the field of school psychology given in the community to professionals, parents, and groups. The Intern shall obtain prior written approval from his or her supervisor when giving presentations as a representative of the Cobb County School District.

(c) Attendance at continuing education programs offered by any area educational institution, provided prior approval is obtained from the Intern’s supervisor.

(d) Attendance at any educational offering outside of the work day presented by a Cobb County School District staff member.

(e) Attendance at professional meetings at which the Intern is representing the Psychological Services Division of the Cobb County School District and for which the Intern has obtained prior written approval from his or her supervisor.

The Intern shall maintain an accurate record of the time spent during the internship, using the Psychological Services weekly summary form. The Intern shall turn in the original weekly summary form to the secretary of his or her primary supervisor and maintain a copy for his or her records.

The Intern shall use the Cobb County School District Psychological Services Standard Report Format for evaluations conducted.

The Intern shall keep the Psychological Services Division apprised of his or her whereabouts on a daily basis.

The Intern shall meet with his or her rotation supervisor, as follows:

(a) A minimum of two (2) hours each week for supervision and evaluation.

(b) Midway through and at the end of each rotation for verbal and written feedback to each other regarding the quality of the training experience.

The Intern shall contact Psychological Services Director of Internship Training, or his or her primary supervisor at the earliest possible opportunity should the Intern require assistance or have a problem with his or her internship.

The Intern shall comply with federal, state and local laws and Cobb County School District policies relating to confidentiality of student records and communications. The Intern shall discuss any questions he or she has regarding confidentiality with Psychological Services Director of Internship Training.

The Intern shall comply with all policies of the Cobb County School District as set out in the Cobb County Board of Education Policy Manual.

The Intern shall adhere to the Cobb County School District Employee Dress Code which requires: collared shirts, dress slacks, dress coordinates, suits, dresses, ties and sports coats.

The Intern shall attend weekly didactic training sessions scheduled by the Cobb County School District Psychological Services.

At the conclusion of the internship, the Intern shall return all unused supplies provided by the Cobb County School District and participate in any exit interviews required by the Cobb County School District.

DISTRICT OBLIGATIONS TO THE INTERN

The Cobb County School District designates the Psychological Services Director of Internship and Practicum Training as the staff member responsible for maintaining the integrity and quality of the training experience in the internship program.

The Cobb County School District shall assign a primary supervisor to the Intern for the term of this Agreement who shall be selected based upon the career interest of the Intern and the interest of the supervisor and whose responsibility shall be the educational supervision and instruction of the Intern.

The Cobb County School District shall provide a minimum of two (2) hours per week of direct one-to-one supervision which shall include, but not be limited to, discussion of individual cases before, during, and after contact with students.

The Cobb County School District shall provide the Intern with office space, a telephone, and reasonable office supplies.

The Cobb County School District shall provide access to computers, a printer, a facsimile machine, and secretarial services for work-related activities.

The Intern’s primary supervisor shall send two (2) formal, written evaluations to the Director of Training at the institution where the Intern is to receive his or her Ph.D./Psy.D./Ed.D. documenting the quality of the Intern’s performance as an intern in the Cobb County School District. One evaluation shall be completed at the midterm and a final evaluation completed at the conclusion of the internship. The Cobb County School District shall provide a copy of all written evaluations to the Intern.

Upon the Intern’s satisfactory completion of the pre-doctoral school psychology internship, the Cobb County School District shall provide a formal certificate to the Intern documenting the internship.

DISPUTES DURING THE INTERNSHIP

The Intern and practicum student shall conform to the following National Association of School Psychologists and American Psychological Association ethical guidelines regarding disputes with others during the training experience:

(a) The Intern or practicum student shall contact in person the individual with whom he or she has a dispute.

(b) If an adequate resolution is not achieved through personal contact, the Intern or practicum student shall send the individual a personal, confidential memorandum, retaining a copy for his or her files.

(c) If an adequate resolution is not achieved through the personal, confidential memorandum, the Intern or practicum student shall contact the Psychological Services Director of Training in person or by telephone. Dr. Turco shall determine a resolution to the dispute in a timely manner, and such resolution shall be final.

TERMINATION

This Agreement may be terminated by the Cobb County School District for cause. Cause shall consist of failure by the Intern or practicum student to comply with the terms of this Agreement or the policies of the Cobb County Board of Education, to behave ethically, or to provide an acceptable level of clinical performance.

The Cobb County School District shall notify the Intern or practicum student of the termination and the cause(s) therefore in writing by personal delivery of the notice.

Impartial Review

The Cobb County School District shall grant the Intern or practicum student an impartial review by a quorum of the Cobb County psychologists (Ed.S. or Ph.D. level psychologists for pre-Ed.S. and practicum students and Ph.D. level for pre-doctoral interns) and in the Cobb County School District within seventy-two (72) business hours of the time the Intern or practicum student is notified of the termination. The review shall consist of a presentation by Cobb County School District staff of the Cobb County School District’s case and rebuttal by the Intern or or practicum student. The proceeding shall be recorded. The review panel shall render a written decision at the end of the review and shall furnish a copy of the decision to the Intern or practicum student and the Cobb County School District. The decision of the review panel shall be final unless either the Intern or practicum student or the Cobb County School District appeals the decision in accordance with the appeal provisions.

Appeal

The Intern or practicum student or the Cobb County School District may appeal the decision of the review panel to the Director of Special Education Programs for the District by filing with the Director a written notice of appeal within three (3) business days of the review panel’s date of decision. The Director shall render his or her decision within three (3) business days from the date the Director receives notice of the appeal. The decision shall be in writing, and a copy shall be provided to the Intern or practicum student and the District. The Director’s review shall be based solely on the record of the review panel and written briefs submitted by the Intern or practicum student and the District, if briefs are submitted. The Director shall not hear oral arguments as part of an appeal, nor shall he or she consider any evidence that was not presented to the review panel. The decision of the Director shall be final.

Upon termination pursuant to this Section, the District shall pay to the Intern compensation set forth in Stipend Section, up to and including the date of termination, and thereafter all obligations of the Cobb County School District to the Intern shall cease.

The practicum and pre-Ed.S. internship are unpaid training experiences. It is sometimes possible for pre-Ed.S. students to be offered contract payments for cases. However, any possibility of contract payments will only be made after the pre-Ed.S. student has: (a)completed at least twenty cases, (b) completed all University coursework, (c) passed the PRAXIS (certification examination), and (d) the student's Cobb County internship supervisor agrees that the intern is adequately prepared for contract work.

Pre-doctoral internship stipends are $14,600, without benefits. Professional leave is granted for conferences, dissertation activities, and other activities related to professional development.

Applications for pre-doctoral internship are reviewed by an internship committee with group interviews during the winter/spring. Emphasis is placed on the applicant's training interests, previous education, and professional experiences.

Applications should be mailed to Timothy L. Turco, Ph.D., Director of Internship Training, Psychological Services, Martha J. Moore Education Center, 6997 Keene Street, Kennesaw, GA 30144.

At least 800 practicum hours desired: (a) four hundred (400) in direct psychology services to diverse student populations which address a range of presenting problems using a variety of assessment/diagnostic approaches and methods of intervention and treatment (b) two hundred fifty hours (250) of formal supervision (both individual and group), (c) one hundred and fifty (150) additional hours, and (d) practicum hours are distributed over at least one year of graduate study.

Interviews can be conducted in person and/or by telephone; however, preference is given to personal interviews. After all prospective interns have been interviewed, the Doctoral Training Committee meets and ranks the candidates according to their interview responses and applications. Candidates will be rated on a 1 to 4 scale during the interviewing process by each member of the selection committee. The numerical ratings from the interview are weighted with the committee’s impression of the candidate to form the rank order that is submitted to the APPIC match system.

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