Abstract Book of the 9th International Conference on Teaching, Learning and Education
Year: 2025
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Examining Development of Clinical Competencies Required in the Workplace: Jump-Start Pilot Project
Margo Collier, Cathy H. Qi
ABSTRACT:
There is a critical shortage of school psychologists, which contributes to the increased pressure of complex cases that fall to the educational diagnosticians to test. This pilot project, Jump-Start, examines the development of clinical competencies in graduate students studying to become educational diagnosticians. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating knowledge gained in the classroom with practical clinical training through continuous clinical internships starting from the first semester of their training program and running through their entire training program. All 100 licensed diagnosticians who graduated from the EDAG Program, 5 current interns and their 5 supervising educational diagnosticians, and 5 current interns and their 5 supervising educational diagnosticians who participate in Jump-Start pilot project will complete the survey. A mixed methods design was used in the present study. An online questionnaire will be administered to all participants. Six percent of the participants will participate in a 30-minute virtual interview. Comparisons will be made with students in the traditional program who complete all the required classes before an internship in the last semester of the program. Graduate students in both the traditional program and the pilot project complete a 300-hour internship under the supervision of licensed diagnosticians. Data will be analyzed, and findings will be presented at the conference.
Keywords: assessment, clinical internship, special education