CEP 551 School-Wide Practices for Diverse Learners

This course covers diversity issues and school-wide practices for school psychologists in training. Diversity dimensions covered within the course include ethnicity, culture, language, socio-economic, sexual orientation, and disability. An emphasis is placed on developing a professional, knowledgeable, sensitive, and flexible mindset that enables school psychologists to effectively engage students and families from various backgrounds and enhance home-school communication/connectedness. In addition, the course explores school-wide practice models that include Responsiveness to Intervention (RTI) approaches, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and social/emotional skills curricula. Though such school-wide programs are intended to support all students, the ways in which they can most effectively be adapted to support students from diverse backgrounds, with diverse learning needs, is emphasized.