LICENSURE PROGRAM GUIDELINES FOR WISCONSIN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION:
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY
While very similar to the NASP Domains of Training and Practice, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has a separate set of eight domains for school psychology. Also included here are the Wisconsin DPI Pupil Services Standards. All UW-RF school psychology students must document they have met all Wisconsin DPI school psychology and pupil services domains through the use of an ongoing portfolio.
By the end of a Preparation Program leading to Licensure in School Psychology, a student will demonstrate proficiency in:
FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS
Domain 1: Communication, Collaboration, and Leadership Skills
- Content knowledge and interpersonal skills necessary to effectively communicate, collaborate, and lead.
- Communicate in a supportive, problem-solving fashion using active listening, flexibility, and effective facilitation.
- Use empirically supported consultation methodologies to improve learning at the individual, group, and systems levels.
- Work effectively as change agents, offering leadership and professional development to staff, schools, districts, and systems.
- Understand the organization, development, management and content of collaborative and mutually supportive pupil services programs in schools.
Domain 2: Competence in All Aspects of Diversity
- Recognize when, where, and how issues of diversity are manifest.
- Address diversity in service delivery.
- Recognize occasions when issues of diversity affect the manner and nature of interactions with other people and organizations and work to address those issues as necessary.
Domain 3: Technological Competence
- Use technology and databases in evidence based practice, decision-making, program evaluation, assessment, and progress monitoring.
- Help students, parents, and teachers know how and where to access relevant technologies, as well as how to enhance learning with appropriate technologies.
Domain 4: Legal/Ethical Practice, Public Policy, and Professional Development
- Understand and meet all relevant ethical, professional, and legal standards to ensure high quality services and protect the rights of all parties.
- Have a knowledge base of the history and foundations of their profession and engaging in ongoing professional development.
- Support policy development that creates safe and effective learning environments.
- Understand regular and special education legal requirements at both the state and federal level, and ensure compliance with these requirements.
- Have knowledge about relevant research, and directly and indirectly apply research to practices in schools.
PROCESSES
Domain 5: Assessment, Decision-Making, and Accountability
- Define and use a wide variety of effective assessment and evaluation methods at the individual, group, and system levels.
- Gather, analyze, and utilize data that aid in understanding strengths and needs, in choosing interventions, and in assessing outcomes as part of a decision-making process.
- Understand and use research, research methods, statistical analyses, and program evaluation techniques.
- Understand the implications and analysis of large-scale assessments, and use those data to help schools meet accountability requirements.
- Collect, analyze, and report data to stakeholders relating to the effectiveness of psychological services.
Domain 6: Relationships Among and Between Systems
- Understand the influence of home, community, and school systems on student success, and develop evidence-based prevention and intervention programs consistent with this understanding.
- Promote safe and nurturing school environments, with positive climates and high expectations for all students.
- Perform needs-assessment to identify service requirements.
OUTCOMES
Domain 7: Effective Instruction and Development of Cognitive and Academic Skills
- Use and support others in the use of evidence-based prevention and intervention programming to develop competencies.
- Apply cognitive psychology and learning theory to improve instruction.
- Help to develop cognitive and academic goals for all students, adjust expectations for individual students, implement alternative methods, and monitor progress.
- Assist State and Local Education Agency personnel who design state and local accountability systems.
Domain 8: Wellness, Mental Health and Development of Life Competencies
- Use knowledge about human development to design and implement prevention and intervention programs to promote wellness.
- Help schools develop behavioral, affective, and adaptive goals for all students.
- Prepare for and respond to a wide variety of crisis situations.
- Work as skilled mental health practitioners in the schools, performing accurate assessment of mental health disorders, implementing empirically-based interventions with individuals and groups, and closely monitoring outcomes.
• The pupil services professional understands the Ten Teacher Standards (see below).
• The pupil services professional understands the complexities of learning and knowledge of comprehensive, coordinated practice strategies that support pupil learning, health, safety and development.
• The pupil services professional has the ability to use research, research methods and knowledge about issues and trends to improve practice in schools and classrooms.
• The pupil services professional understands and represents professional ethics and social behaviors appropriate for school and community.
• The pupil services professional understands the organization, development, management and content of collaborative and mutually supportive pupil services programs within educational settings.
• The pupil services professional is able to address comprehensively the wide range of social, emotional, behavioral and physical issues and circumstances which may limit pupils' abilities to achieve positive learning outcomes through development, implementation and evaluation of system-wide interventions and strategies.
• The pupil services professional interacts successfully with pupils, parents, professional educators, employers, and community support systems such as juvenile justice, public health, human services and adult education.
Ten Standards for Teacher Development and Licensure
To receive a license to teach in Wisconsin, an applicant shall complete an approved program and demonstrate proficient performance in the knowledge, skills and dispositions under all of the following standards:
• Teachers know the subjects they are teaching.
The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines she or he teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for pupils.
• Teachers know how children grow.
The teacher understands how children with broad ranges of ability learn and provides instruction that supports their intellectual, social, and personal development.
• Teachers understand that children learn differently.
The teacher understands how pupils differ in their approaches to learning and the barriers that impede learning and can adapt instruction to meet the diverse needs of pupils, including those with disabilities and exceptionalities.
• Teachers know how to teach.
The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies, including the use of technology, to encourage children's development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
• Teachers know how to manage a classroom.
The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
• Teachers communicate well.
The teacher uses effective verbal and nonverbal communication techniques as well as instructional media and technology to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.
• Teachers are able to plan different kinds of lessons.
The teacher organizes and plans systematic instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, pupils, the community, and curriculum goals.
• Teachers know how to test for student progress.
The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the pupil.
• Teachers are able to evaluate themselves.
The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his or her choices and actions on pupils, parents, professionals in the learning community and others and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.
• Teachers are connected with other teachers and the community.
The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support pupil learning and well-being and acts with integrity, fairness and in an ethical manner.
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