Master Degree (M.Ed.) Portfolio Requirements

MU Counseling Psychology

Mental Health Practices in Schools

Master Degree (M.Ed.) Portfolio Requirements

Introduction

Comprehensive examinations are required by the Graduate School of the University of Missouri-Columbia. In order to fulfill this requirement, the Mental Health Practices in Schools faculty of the Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology has adopted a portfolio system to ensure that all master students possess the necessary knowledge, skills, and competencies. Specifically, students are expected to demonstrate competence in the following three core areas of the mental health practices in schools program:

  1. Advocacy
  2. Communication and Collaboration
  3. Leadership and Systemic change

Portfolio Components

  1. Title Page. Include your name, degree program (M.Ed. or Ed.S.) and month/year of graduation, and date of portfolio submission.
  2. Vita
  3. MU Transcript (most current)
  4. Statement of Professional Purpose. Write a 3 – 5 page paper describing your professional goals and major interests as you currently see them. You should reflect on your progress in the program, your strengths and weaknesses, your career goals, and your plans for future coursework, research, teaching or other professional development experiences. Include specific references as to how your degree will contribute to these goals.
  5. Analysis of Course Study. In this section of your portfolio you will complete the following:
    1. Create a list of the courses that you completed for the degree program.
    2. Write a brief description of each course and how it contributed to your knowledge base and professional skills. When applicable, give examples of how you have applied the knowledge and skills in your professional work. You are encouraged to comment on which classes you found particularly interesting or useful and why. Each course analysis should be a maximum of 2 pages.
  6. Analysis of Competencies. For each of the three competency areas, write a 5 – 8 page paper describing how you think your coursework and experiences in the program have contributed to the development of your competencies. Specific performance indicators for each competency area are listed below. As you discuss your development of competencies, include references to specific courses as well as to specific artifacts. Artifacts are such things as class projects, papers, exams, case studies—any product created for one of your classes in the program. You should not write a narrative that addresses each performance indicator one by one, nor should you include an artifact for each performance indicator. Rather, you are aiming to integrate your course experiences and the performance indicators into a cohesive whole that explains your development within the competency area. Thus, you might not address every performance indicator in your narrative, and you might include an artifact that addresses several performance indicators (as well as more than one competency area). Be particularly thoughtful about the artifacts that you choose.
  7. Appendix. Include a copy of each artifact discussed in #6 above. The artifact should begin with a cover sheet that clearly states the title of the artifact, the course for which the artifact was created, the date the artifact was originally created, and a brief abstract (summary) of the artifact.

Note: Each component of the portfolio should be typed using Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, and double-spacing.

Competency Area One: Advocacy (A)

Performance Indicators

A1      Human Development, Cognition, Culture and Diversity

A1.1     Display understanding of normal patterns of human physical, cognitive and social-emotional development throughout the lifespan.

A1.2     Display understanding of patterns of development that influence optimism and resiliency.

A1.3     Describe the varieties of human diversity.

A1.4     Display understanding of how issues of culture and diversity influence mental health.

A2      Mental Health Issues

A2.1     Differentiate between a deficit model and strengths-based model for mental health.

A2.2     Understand the historical transition from a deficit-based model of mental health to a strengths based model.

A2.3     Frame mental health issues in positive and proactive ways as an advocate for mental

            wellness.

A2.4     Identify the variety of mental health challenges commonly affecting the people in today’s schools: students, staff and families.

A2.5     Display understanding of common problems impacting development.

A2.6     Display understanding of common childhood stressors and how to cope with them.

A2.7     Be able to select and apply appropriate strategies to prevent, reduce and cope with excessive stress in themselves and others.

A2.8     Display understanding of approaches to working with individuals who are exceptional.       

A2.9     Display understanding of the history of human services professions.

A3      Nature and Needs of the Learner

A3.1     Identify the classroom behaviors that are symptomatic of students under mental stress.

A3.2     Display understanding of healthy development as seen in the school context.

A3.3     Display understanding of school practices that promote resiliency, optimism, positive coping as well as social and emotional competence in students.

A3.4     Understand and manage the school-to-work transition.

A3.5     Understand the learner as a member of the community at large.

A4      Nature and Needs of School Personnel

A4.1     Analyze the roles of various school personnel, from a mental health perspective.

A4.2     Identify and understand the personal mental health challenges common among school

            personnel.

A4.3     Identify and apply strategies for preventing or remediating mental health concerns among school personnel.

Competency Area Two: Communication and Collaboration (CC)

Performance Indicators

CC1    Collaboration and Communication

CC1.1   Demonstrate growth in interpersonal communication skills.

CC1.2   Communicate and collaborate effectively with families, school personnel, and community agencies to promote mental wellness.

CC1.3   Promote open and clear communication.

CC1.4   Draw from a rich variety of community resources in support of mental health.

CC1.5   Display understanding of the dynamics of communication, collaboration and power within schools.

CC1.6   Participate in effective team building.

CC1.7   Design a school-wide crisis management plan.

CC1.8   Demonstrate understanding of and competency with the IEP process.

CC1.9   Identify and apply strategies for collaboration with and referral to appropriate support personnel including outside agencies.

CC2    Strategies & techniques for promoting mental wellness with individuals, school staff,

             and families

CC2.1   Identify and apply effective and supportive interview techniques to identify needs and concerns.

CC2.2   Display knowledge of the theory, research and techniques of the Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) system.

CC2.3   Apply PBS methods to classroom management.

CC2.4   Choose and apply appropriate strategies to prevent and remediate undesirable classroom behaviors.

CC2.5   Understand principles of conflict resolution.

CC2.6   Support victims of all types of school crises.

CC3    Assessment, planning, research and statistics

CC3.1   Identify the mental health needs of children and families.

CC3.2   Collaborate with families to support their mental health needs.

CC3.3   Interpret the results of assessment. (Students may or may not have had training in formal assessment techniques, depending on their prior educational background.)

CC3.4   Develop, select and apply strategies for intervention and prevention in a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach. (Can mean System of Care)

CC3.5   Display understanding of basic statistical concepts used in mental health research.

CC3.6   Interpret educational research.

CC3.7   Evaluate research for potential application.

CC3.8   Design simple school-based research.

Competency Area Three: Leadership and Systemic Change (LS)

Performance Indicators

LSC1  Influencing school climate and culture

LSC1.1  Display understanding of factors influencing school culture and climate.

LSC1.2  Display understanding of the educator’s potential role as a change agent in the school.

LSC1.3  Display understanding of educators’ roles in promoting mental wellness in schools from 

 a systemic point of view.

LSC1.4   Understand systems theory as applied to families and schools

LSC1.5   Assist parents to develop leadership roles in their children’s education.

LSC1.6   Understand factors influencing an effective System of Care.

LSC1.7   Develop a plan for the prevention of school violence and other preventable crises based              

              on principles for building a positive school culture.

LSC2  Legal, ethical & professional standards / issues

LSC2.1   Demonstrate understanding of the professional ethics of mental health workers.

LSC2.2   Demonstrate knowledge of legal rights and laws relating to mental health.

LSC2.3   Display understanding of and competency with the IEP process and IDEA

Portfolio Scoring

Failure to include any of the items requested under the “portfolio components” section above will result in the immediate return of your portfolio without review. In addition, the following rubrics will be used to determine whether or not your portfolio meets the standard and allows you to pass the comprehensive examination portion of your degree requirement. You must score at the “meets the standard” level for all areas before you “pass” the portfolio. You will have a chance to revise your portfolio after the first submission (see Timeline for Submission section below).

Scoring Rubric for Statement of Professional Purpose

Meets the Standard

Not Yet Meeting the Standard

Insufficient Evidence

2 Points

1 Point

0 Points

Deep level of reflection on professional growth as a result of the program; in-depth analysis of strengths and weaknesses is present; demonstrates a clearly developed plan for future professional growth; writing, grammar, and spelling are excellent

Limited reflection on professional growth as a result of the program; analysis of strengths and weaknesses is not in-depth; does not demonstrate a clearly developed plan for future professional growth; significant writing, grammar, and/or spelling errors are present

Evidence is insufficient to make a determination about this component

Scoring Rubric for Analysis of Course Study

Meets the Standard

Not Yet Meeting the Standard

Insufficient Evidence

2 Points

1 Point

0 Points

Summary of courses are clear and accurate; deep level of reflection with many specific examples over how courses contributed to knowledge base and professional skills; writing, grammar, and spelling are good

Summary of courses are unclear and inaccurate; limited reflection with few specific examples over how courses contributed to knowledge base and professional skills; writing, grammar; significant writing, grammar, and/or spelling errors are present

Evidence is insufficient to make a determination about this component

Scoring Rubric for Analysis of Competencies

Meets the Standard

Not Yet Meeting the Standard

Insufficient Evidence

2 Points

1 Point

0 Points

Demonstrates appropriate depth of knowledge and understanding of the competency area; consistently demonstrates the skills associated with the competency area; narrative effectively integrates experiences and persuasively demonstrates how these support competencies; writing, grammar, and spelling are good

Demonstrates limited depth of knowledge and understanding of the emphasis area; can occasionally demonstrate the skills associated with the competency area; narrative and artifacts have little or no obvious relevance to the competency; the explanation of how experiences develop competencies is poorly integrated, poorly developed, or poorly documented; significant writing, grammar, and/or spelling errors are present

Evidence is insufficient to make a determination about this competency

Timeline for Submission

Semester of Graduation

Date of First Submission

Date of Second Submission

Date of Final Submission

Fall

September 23

October 21

November 18

Winter

February 17

March 17

April 21

Summer

May 19

June 16

July 14

Portfolio Assistance

Any questions about the portfolio requirements or process should be directed to Dr. Deb Carr, carrd@missouri.edu.

Academic Dishonesty

It is expected that students will work independently on their portfolios. In the event that we receive a portfolio that is identical or highly similar to another student’s portfolio, a full investigation will be conducted and the Department Chair and Vice Provost notified. The consequence for committing plagiarism of another student’s work on the portfolio is removal from the program.