This course represents an in-depth study of the clinical skills necessary for school psychologists to work effectively with multilingual, multiracial, and culturally diverse populations. This experience-based course will develop multicultural competence, specifically awareness, knowledge, and skill related to cultural, racial, linguistic, ethnic, gender, sexual identity, age, ability, and socioeconomic factors that influence and shape behavior and development, including privilege and oppression in each of these areas. There is an emphasis on intersectionality. Personal history, literature, and films will be analyzed in the contexts of acculturation, identity, and systemic oppression. Current research and theoretical and applied knowledge in this field will be reviewed. Students will integrate theoretical and applied knowledge in written assignments and discussions.
Students completing this course will be able to:
1. Demonstrate multicultural counseling competencies (awareness, knowledge, and skill) and recognize this as a life-long developmental process.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of multiple racial, ethnic, and cultural populations in the U.S.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of power, privilege, oppression, and intersectionality in society and its related school psychology and advocacy implications.
4. Apply multicultural counseling and consultation skills in a multicultural context appropriate to specific client situations and school environment, considering their own social locations and intersectionality at school.
5. Critically reflect on the course material, including readings, films, discussions, and project experiences.
6. Recognize student diversity as a valued and respected strength, and the role of the school psychologist as advocate/leader/consultant/change agent.
7. Demonstrate self-awareness regarding their own social status and cultural identity development and implications for counseling and consultation, as well as how their personal attitudes and values may interfere with effective counseling of clients who are racially and culturally different from themselves.
8. Demonstrate improved ability to work productively on a team.
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Evaluation: Each Assignment’s (Task’s) Percent of Overall Course Grade |
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ASSIGNMENT/TASK (Total %) |
INDIVIDUAL |
TEAM |
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Class Participation (10%) |
10% (Midterm 5%; Final 5%) |
-- |
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Final Peer Evaluation (5%) |
-- |
5% |
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Quizzes (15%) |
iRAT 10% |
tRAT 5% |
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Journal Entries (10%) |
10% |
-- |
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The House We Live In Paper (10%) |
10% |
-- |
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Cultural Immersion Experience Paper (15%) |
15% |
-- |
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Counselor Cultural Narrative Paper (15%) |
15% |
-- |
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Film Case Conceptualization Paper (10%) |
10% |
-- |
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Film Case Conceptualization Presentation (10%) |
10% |
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*Students are expected to meet all appropriate/applicable criteria. Failure to meet the criteria will result in an administrative meeting with the instructor and/or School Psychology Program Coordinator to determine how the inability to meet professional standards of conduct impacts the student’s standing in the course and/or program.
All assignments are due on the dates indicated on the course calendar. Grades on assignments will be lowered the designated number of points per day late.
Grading Contract
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A+: 100+ |
B+: 87-89 |
C+: 76-79 |
F: 0-69 |
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A: 94-100 |
B: 83-86 |
C: 72-75 |
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A-: 90-93 |
B-: 80-82 |
C-:70-71 |
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All the individual grades are posted on Blackboard. However, you can also use the attached weighted Excel spreadsheet to input your individual grades. Make sure to only input scores into the blue spaces, since the yellow boxes have formulas embedded in them. This spreadsheet is used to compute your total course score.
Excel Spreadsheet for Computing Your Final Course Grade
Timely submission of work is an important professional attribute. All assignments are due on the dates indicated on the course calendar. Work submitted late will be marked down accordingly at the discretion of the instructor. The only exception is when the student contacts the instructor before the assignment is due, and the instructor agrees to provide an exception to the due date based on the student’s extenuating circumstances. Assignments not submitted on the due date with no advance notice to the instructor will be penalized as specified in the assignment instructions (see individual rubrics). Grades on assignments will be lowered the designated number of points per week/day late, as measured by the beginning of the class period in which the assignment was due. If an assignment is not submitted by the end of the course, an additional five points will be deducted per assignment, on top of the late penalty.
Faculty Council has determined the following policy for Incomplete Grades: A grade of Incomplete (INC) may be given at the discretion of the instructor when 1) a student has satisfactorily completed most, but not all, course requirements, and 2) a student provides to the instructor evidence documenting the extenuating circumstances that prevent the completion of course requirements by the end of the semester. Candidates receive grades of incomplete (INC) only when a situation beyond their control prevents them from completing course work. It is important to note that grades of INC will only be given if the instructor determines the grade is appropriate given the unusual extenuating circumstances and such circumstances are documented by the student. An incomplete grade in a course that is a prerequisite for another course must be cleared before the candidate can enter the next course. Final assignments not submitted on the due date at the end of the semester are given a grade of zero.
The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating and plagiarism. Cheating is any misrepresentation in academic work. Plagiarism is the representation of another person’s work, words, or ideas as your own. It includes submitting a paper previously written for another course. Students should read the complete text of the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity. If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity and, upon investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student admits the violation, the faculty member MUST report the violation. Students should be aware that faculty may use plagiarism detection software. Academic dishonesty in this course is grounds for disciplinary action which may include failure in the assignment and/or class, and dismissal from the program.
Faculty members are bound by the ethical code to ensure that graduates entering the field meet high standards. The Program is committed to ensuring that qualified candidates meeting professional standards of conduct and training will enter the profession. The Professional Standards of Conduct for School Psychologists is an instrument for program faculty to raise a concern about students’ professional and personal development so that the issues can be resolved following college procedures. These procedures may include, but are not limited to, advisement, consultation, and counseling.
Structured Evaluation Methods: Each semester, teaching faculty evaluate students using the Professional Standards of Conduct form to indicate whether students’ professional and personal development meet minimal standards for professional school psychology. If a student receives a rating of “0” in any area, indicating that there is a serious concern to be addressed, the professor and/or program coordinator will meet with the student to develop a plan to address the problem, as well as a method and timeline to evaluate progress. In the unlikely case that there is no adequate progress in the area of concern, dismissal from the program may follow.
Faculty also meet regularly and discuss student progress and concerns. Such faculty discussions are designed to problem-solve areas of concern and plan for support to students. Faculty advisors are alerted whenever there are problematic patterns of behavior resulting in faculty concern.