November Ethics blog

Vignette #1: Referrals

Frank wanted to help his supervisees avoid being obligated to administer excessive standardized tests. Because student evaluation teams obtained parental permission for specific test instruments without a psychologist’s input, Frank advised his supervisees to serve on the student development teams. This enabled the psychologists to generate appropriate referral questions with the team and, when necessary, develop suitable assessment plans that targeted specific referral questions.

Vignette #2: Discrepancy

Penelope turned to curriculum-based assessment when she became frustrated with the lack of helpful information obtained during psycho-educational evaluations. Standardized achievement test results invariable indicated that students were performing at grade level, even when they clearly could not meet teacher’s expectations. Parents, teachers and Penelope could never understand that discrepancy.

Dilemma #1: Teammates?

There is a senior student on track to graduate this year on your school psych practicum student’s re-evaluation caseload.  He is eligible for services under Orthopedic Impairment due to Spina Bifida. Your practicum student noted in her chart review that the student was eligible for OI and SLD in middle school only.  Last spring at his annual IEP review, his case manager wanted to "add the SLD" label back on. At the time, you told her to wait until the fall for the re-evaluation.  The student is in general education classes performing well, but she is still asking for this.  What are the supervisory considerations? What should be done?

Dilemma #2: Drawing the Line

Your practicum student comes to you to tell you that the other school psychologist in your district has suggested that the three of you develop a “standard battery” of tests for you to use for all new referrals. Additionally, he wants you to share your budget to purchase some neuropsychological standardized test kits so the district doesn’t have to make expensive referrals to the local hospital. What are the supervisory considerations? What should be done?

Reflection Question #1: Measurement

How do competent school psychologists select evidence-based and appropriate assessment tools? How have changes in cognitive theory influenced this?

Reflection Question #2: SLD Eligibility

What problems are associated with the discrepancy model of diagnosing learning disabilities? What are the benefits of and concerns with using cognitive testing?

October Ethics Blog Post

Vignette #1: Choosing Between a Diagnosis and a Safety Net

Vignette #1: Last year a parent requested testing for her son’s attention problems. Susan, the school psychology intern, collected initial data but the team determined not to complete an evaluation and instead put interventions in place. Later in the year, his mom asked Susan to have teachers complete rating scales so she could bring that data to the doctor. Over the summer she brought her son to the doctor and he was diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed medication. The mom emailed me at the beginning of the year informing me of the diagnosis, so I then called her to see if she wanted to schedule a 504 meeting to see if her son would qualify for accommodations through a 504 plan. She said no, and that she wanted to see how her son would do without a formalized plan. Two weeks later there was an incident during the ACT where the student grabbed the supervising teacher. The teacher pressed charges and the student was arrested for assault. The student is now being put up for expulsion. After the incident, the student’s mom contacted Susan’s supervisor to request a 504 evaluation.

Vignette #2: Systemic issues

Crystal, a fourth grade teacher, is concerned about the mounting behavioral and academic problems she has observed in her classroom. In a conversation with the school psychologist and his intern, MaryAnna, she expressed extreme frustration. “I have eight students with awful behavior during math. The trouble started in January when we started preparing for State-mandated testing. I know it’s frustrating, but I have to give them these daily drills. Now that I think about it, I’ve only had these problems since we started the new math curriculum. I need these kids evaluated now!” Apparently Crystal is not the only fourth grade teacher coming to administration with referrals and concerns. 

Dilemma #1: Making New Connections

Imagine you are a practicum student with an assignment to conduct a multi-modal social-emotional assessment. In your elementary school, personality testing and narrow band diagnostic testing is rarely, if ever, conducted. You are worried that you will not be able to find a student to test. Once you do, you realize that several of the social emotional assessment protocols available in your school are out of date. How would you approach your supervisor about this problem? What are some creative or collaborative solutions to this issue?

Dilemma #2: Drawing the Line

You are an intern at a high school and you are involved in individual counseling with a 16-year-old girl, Renee. Renee tells you during a session that she just found out she is two months pregnant, but she is very afraid to tell her parents and refuses to do so. What are your school policies on student pregnancy? What would you ask your supervisor with help on this case?

Reflection Question #1: Challenges

How can school psychology students and their supervisors gain and maintain an understanding of the communities in which their students live? What can they do to collaborate with and contribute to that community?

Reflection Question #2: Social Emotional Learning

How can supervisors help interns and practicum students to understand and integrate themselves into the systems operations of their schools? How can the supervisory relationship be used to work through difficulties when working with other staff?

September Scenarios and Reflective Questions

Vignette #1: Albert, an administrator who supervises school psychologists and counselors, firmly believes that his supervisees must “join” with the teachers to gain their respect and cooperation.  He finds that otherwise the teachers view them as “self-styled experts in an ivory tower.”  He therefore requires that supervisees observe in multiple schools and classrooms, attend faculty meetings, and be very familiar with the curricula.  He encourages all school psychologists and counselors to “partner” with specific teachers and spend a great deal of time in their classrooms.  He even encourages those without teaching experience to serve as substitute teachers! Imagine you are a supervisee working with Albert. How do you respond to these requests? How do you follow along with his ideas while still protecting your boundaries as a student? What are some ways that you can capture these ideals in the work you already do?

Vignette #2: Everything about Carla bothered her internship supervisor, Matt.  He saw her as a perfectionist, whining, self-absorbed, materialistic “Valley girl.”  The more she tried to please, the angrier he became.  He found himself avoiding answering her phone calls and e-mails, being very curt, and arriving late to or even missing supervision sessions.  He was somewhat bewildered by his atypical behavior until one day he almost called her by his ex-wife’s name.  “Ah,” he thought. “I need to work on this!” Imagine that you are Carla, a hard working intern who enjoys structure and feedback and wants to have a better supervisory relationship with Matt.  You notice he has been less involved than you would like. How do you approach Matt? What do you hope he might say? What are some other recourses if it does not go the way you would like it to?

Dilemma #1: Imagine that you are a supervising school psychologist. An intern who is quite enthusiastic and eager – and who looks very young—is under your supervision.  The majority of teachers in your school are mature and close to retirement   They have seen many educational fads come and go and have little patience with young enthusiasm.  After 6 months, you perceive that the teachers in the school consistently turn to you even regarding those cases handled entirely by the intern.  What are the supervisory considerations? What should be done? What could have been done to prevent this?

Dilemma #2: You and the other intern in your school disagree about the appropriateness of social contacts with school personnel and turn to your supervisor for advice.  One of you believes that participating in social events outside of school hours is helpful and appropriate in that it enables her to build friendships with colleagues that facilitate her work in the school as a consultant.  Therefore, this intern accepts invitations to dinners, parties, and after-hours socializing in bars.  The other intern believes that participating in social events is an ethical violation that leads to dual relationships.  Which intern are you? Or are you somewhere in between? Describe your stance on this, as well as what you think the supervisor should say in response.

Reflective Question #1:  Why do challenges to positive interpersonal relationships between supervisors and supervisees occur, and how do they manifest themselves?

Reflective Question #2:  School psychologists often encourage the positive social and emotional development of students.  How can these principles apply to the interpersonal relationships between supervisors and their supervisees?

August Scenarios and Reflective Questions

Please respond to one of these scenarios or reflective questions. Please limit two responses to each. Put the scenario number you have chosen in the title of your post (ex. Vignette 1 response). NO NAMES PLEASE If you are the second to respond, make sure you comment on the first responder's remarks.

Vignette #1:  Barbara has been working as a school psychologist for 10 years and feels reasonably capable and competent in the position. This year, one of her schools is entering into an agreement with a nearby university to become a professional development school, which means that she is now expected to supervise interns.  She feels that the supervision she received as an intern was excellent, but that was a long time ago.  She is not sure her skills are completely up to date, she no longer has a supervisor, and she has neither had a course in supervision nor ever worked in a setting in which she received supervision other than her internship.  She feels that having interns would be exciting and enriching but is concerned that she is being asked to practice in an area beyond her expertise. Imagine that you are Barbara’s intern. What conversation would you like her to have with you and what concerns would you express?

Vignette #2: Intern Fran had two remarkably different supervisors.  At the high school, her supervisor Sam was highly suspicious, monitored every minute of her time, and in general made her feel incompetent even at the end of her internship year.  Her supervisor at the middle and elementary schools, Joan, was the complete opposite – she fostered Fran’s professional growth through guided practice and encouraged Fran to take on substantial responsibility.  Joan would have liked Fran to take over her position upon her retirement that August, but Fran declined the job offer.  Her experience with Sam had so undermined her self-confidence that she left the field of school psychology. Imagine you are in Fran’s cohort. What would you tell Fran if she told you she was thinking of leaving school psychology after this experience?

Dilemma #1: Your supervisor knows your university has very specific expectations for the internship year. The intern is expected to perform the full range of school psychological services, including direct and indirect interventions and assessment.  While your supervisor was trained in direct interventions such as counseling, their job has been restricted, omitting many of these activities, so it seems they feel extremely rusty and incompetent with these skills, and their job description has limited their access to these types of activities.  How would you, the intern approach this situation? What would you want your supervisor to say or do to help?

Dilemma #2:  It is the beginning of a new school year, and you have emailed your supervisor about their expectations as supervisor and your wishes for learning opportunities for the school year. The supervisor writes back that they have just found out about many unexpected evaluations that have appeared on their case load and these need to be completed in a short amount of time.  This is going to put additional time constraints on what introductions and topic the supervisor intended on covering with your intern at the beginning of the year.  They are afraid they may not have time to complete your beginning of the year intern evaluation. As the intern, ow can you approach this situation?

 

Reflective Question #1: Discuss the development of supervision goals as part of a comprehensive supervision contract.  Why are they important and how should they be formulated?

Reflective Question #2: Describe the fundamental learning principals to which supervisors should attend when they design supervisory teaching strategies.  How might these principles have ramifications on the evaluations of your work as an intern?