PPS School Psychology and School Counseling Advisory Board

Program Directors: Dr. Sherri Sedler and Dr. Laura Mueller

Interim Dean: Dr. Judy Mantle

Assistant Dean: Dr. Ruth Best

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Welcome!

• Thank you for being one of our treasured Advisory Board members!

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Thank you!

CSOE News:�The search for a new CSOE Dean has begun

The California School of Education is looking for a new Dean. Please feel free to share out this information!

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The Job Position will be available on this link: https://jobsearch.createyourowncareer.com/Alliant/go/Alliant_Staff/4672201/

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Please let me know if you would like me to email you the job description before it is published: Job Description - Dean of CSOE

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School Psychology & School Counseling PPS Clinical Practice Team Updates

• New Site Supervisor Website created
• Office hours for Site Supervisors to meet with Clinical Practice PD and Coordinator
• Office hours for Candidates to meet with the Clinical Practice Team to answer any questions related to their fieldwork courses
• Time2Track program in process to streamline the process for candidates to manage their fieldwork hours, etc.
• Program Director physically meeting with site supervisors
• Hosted a PPS Partnership Meeting for Site/District Supervisors

PPS School Counseling Program Updates

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• Student Advisory Board met in January; brainstorming ways they want to build a strong network for candidates, host an Info Session about SECCA Portfolio and hosting an open house for candidates just to name a few ideas they are working on
• Welcomed a new Student Ambassador to assist toward enhancing our experience for prospective students and participate in engagement activities to promote the program
• Interviewing for new Core faculty position
• Interviewing for additional adjunct faculty positions
• Participated in several Meet & Greet Sessions hosted by our Academic Advisor
• Hosting ongoing Lunch & Listen meetings and Coffee Chats w/alumni, candidates & faculty
• Core faculty member in both the School Counseling & School Psychology program is providing Professional Development workshops on a variety of topics; including Resume Building, preparing for an interview and how to navigate being a professional during your Practicum and Internships courses.

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PPS School Counseling Program Updates (cont.)

• Offered counseling support in collaboration with the CSPP program due to the recent fires in Southern California
• Offered additional counseling support for our current candidates in the program affected by the fires and current climate
• Continued outreach to all things relative to practicing self-care. Posting announcements, reminders in the classroom, in emails and newsletters
• Currently developing a Webinar on Compassion Fatigue
• Collaborating with the Clinical Practice Coordinator and all faculty facilitating fieldwork courses the week prior to the term to review expectations and offer additional personalized support
• PD led collaborative idea sharing with all current fieldwork instructors while they implement mandated weekly group counseling sessions
• In conjunction with the Clinical Practice team creating new and innovative methods to streamline data collection in alignment with the Universities vision.

School Counseling CTC Findings

• That the candidates in the PPS School Counseling Program articulate and provide an example of an individualized self-care plan to ensure long-term wellness and professionalism to successfully cope with high stress situations and that they participate in one and one half (1.5) hours per week of group supervision on a regular schedule throughout the field experience.
• CSOE and the University are focused on instructional practices and clinical experiences that provide opportunities for candidates to successfully meet PPS School Counseling Competencies. Below are program action steps:
• Co-develop holistic self-help interventions with subject-matter experts (SMEs) and research-based practices in partnership with the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University as aligned with CTC standards; design and build Individualized Self-Care Plan to ensure long-term wellness and professionalism with PPS School Counseling * These items have been incorporated in all courses
• Assurance through documentation that University Supervisors provide candidates with 1.5 weekly group supervision for PPS School Counseling in alignment with Syllabus. * This requirement has been ongoing

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PPS School Psychology Program updates

Changes to Assessment Courses over the past year:

1. Spring 2023: The problem was an agenda item for discussion in Core Faculty meetings.

2. Summer 2023: Core Faculty agreed the syllabus, templates, and resources for PPS 61220 should be reviewed and updated, that class sizes should be reduced, and that assessment kits needed to be more readily available or sourced electronically instead of physically if possible. 

3. Fall 2023: One core faculty, the PD, and an adjunct faculty reviewed the course and made revisions to the syllabus, supporting materials, assignments, and templates. 

4. Fall 2023: The PD worked with the library to resource all needed assessment materials/kits through existing online access. 

5. Fall 2023/Spring 2024 The PD created a "letter from the PD" to orient instructors to the key components of the class, the electronic resources and assessment kits available, and the need to provide live and/or recorded explicit instruction on each assessment. 

6. Spring 2024: The PD worked with specific companies to increase candidate access to all relevant materials to study in preparation for completing assessments in person. 

7. Spring 2024 and on: The PD instituted pre-term meetings with instructors facilitating assessment courses to review the demands of the course, the syllabi, and to address any questions and feedback instructors may have. 

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Course Evaluation Data for PPS61220

School Psychology- New MPS and Courses submitted for Executive Leadership review

• Change entry dates to July for PPS School Psychology- MAE and PPS
• Change entry date to March only for PPS School Psychology- EDS
• Change All PPS Practicum courses (MAE, PPS, and EDS) to 1 credit from 1.5 credits. The four Syllabi will be adjusted accordingly to reflect an appropriate reduction in assignments/discussions.
• Change the final PPS Internship course (MAE, PPS, and EDS) to 1 credit from 1.5 credits. Syllabus will be adjusted accordingly to reflect an appropriate reduction in assignments/discussions.
• Add a 3-credit course to the MAE, PPS, and EDS: Cumulative Review in School Psychology
• Add a 1-credit course to the MAE, PPS, and EDS: Career Preparation (Resume development, interview preparation, etc.)

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Rationale

Alignment with School District Calendars�Adjusting programmatic start and end dates to better aligns with school district calendars. This adjustment will support students' seamless transition from coursework to field experiences and eventual employment. By ensuring alignment, we aim to enhance students' preparedness for fieldwork, reduce barriers to securing placements, and improve job readiness in line with the academic calendar of potential employers.

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Credit Adjustment to move toward NASP Certification Standards�These changes ensure our MAE program candidates are eligible to apply for National Certification through the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).

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CSOE Newsletter

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Collaborative Discussion

We Value Your Input!

Your expertise is key to shaping the success of our PPS initiatives.

Discussion Focus

• What are your thoughts about the data and changes we shared?
• What strategies would you recommend to improve outcomes?

Let’s Collaborate!

We’re eager to hear your insights—let’s make a difference together.

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AIU CTC Re-Visit

• Dates: March 25th at 3 pm through 27th at 3pm.
• While the CTC does not currently plan to meet with the Advisory Board, please keep these dates in mind as CTC may ask to meet with you at the last minute.

Program Contacts