Asset 8

Students



Benefits of getting involved in ASPP
Networking
  • Access to all other ASPP member's contact information
  • Access to important contact information for all graduate programs in the state.
 
Expanding Knowledge
  • Access to Insight Newsletter
  • Access to other professional resources
  • Annual regional fall workshops and spring conference at reduced fees.
 
Preparing for the Future
  • Information regarding rules and regulations specific to Pennsylvania.
  • Great place to start getting involved in School Psychology Advocacy at the state level.
 
 Applying to Grad School
 http://www.apa.org/education/grad/applying.aspx - Information from APA
 
Funding
 
NASP Student Leaders
  • http://www.nasponline.org/students/studentleader.aspx - Over 180 NASP Student Leaders, nominated by a faculty member, from school psychology training programs across the country have been recruited to facilitate communication between NASP and graduate students. Student Leaders also play a key role in encouraging campus based activities and greater student involvement in NASP.
  • The Student Development Workgroup (SDW) falls under the umbrella of the Professional Development Committee within NASP Leadership. The group is made up of a chair, co-chair, and additional workgroup members. SDW’s primary role is to oversee the NASP Student Leader Program which provides Student Leaders with an avenue to future leadership roles within NASP.
  • Tasks of the workgroup include, but are not limited to, the development of student resources such as fact sheets and articles for the Student Connections column in the Communiqué, moderation of student online Communities, creation of student panel presentations at the annual convention, and monthly e-mail updates. Each year, the SDW also assists Student Leaders with School Psychology Awareness Week and advocacy outreach activities.
 
How to be licensed in PA 
Specific Education Laws for PA
  • http://www.education.state.pa.us/ - Pennsylvania Department of Education
  • http://www.pdesas.org/ - The Pennsylvania Standards Aligned System (SAS) is a collaborative product of research and good practice that identifies six distinct elements which, if utilized together, will provide schools and districts a common framework for continuous school and district enhancement and improvement.
  • http://www.wrightslaw.com/ - Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys can go to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities.
 
Upcoming and local PD/training/workshops/conferences 
Internships in PA
Currently, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania does not maintain a centralized bank of internships; therefore, ASPP has decided to create a voluntary database of potential internship sites. This list indicates the date that the listing was last updated. Potential internships sites can and do change over time. Some years a district may temporarily suspend an internship program; new internship sites can be developed in districts; internship programs can become closed. Availability of supervisors, budget, school consolidations, and other factors can influence internship availability.

Internship Database
 
School psychology training programs in PA vary in their approach to internships: Some place students, others require students to seek out and apply for internships on their own. Some internships sites in PA provide interns with a stipend. Others do not. Depending upon location, some students in PA training programs seek internships in other states that are nearby (e.g., Philadelphia in NJ or DE).  If you are interested in interning in PA, here are some things you can consider….
 
  • Where in the state do you want to intern and maybe eventually work?
  •  What kind of requirements does your program have? i.e. does it need to be paid? Some internships sites provide stipends while others do not. Do you need to be supervised by a licensed school psychologist?
  • Look at the individual district or IU (below) for the director or head of psychological services to determine who to contact.
  • Send a letter or a phone call of inquiry to determine whether or not they are taking interns.
  • ·Pennsylvania has intermediate units in addition to districts. IU’s operate as regional educational service agencies providing cost-effective, management-efficient programs to Pennsylvania’s 501 public school districts and over 2,400 non-public and private schools.  In addition, intermediate units serve as liaison agents between the school districts and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. IU’s typically deal with early intervention, low incidence, and autism programs. There are 29 IU’s in Pennsylvania.
  • Map of Pennsylvania’s districts and Intermediate Units - http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/Bureaus/pdPlanRes.nsf/infoBPR_Education_PA_Intermediate_uni
 
Helpful Links for Students: