Edwardsville Community Unit School District
The school psychology staff of Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 has worked collaboratively with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for over a decade. In recent years, District 7 has invested in updating and improving its MTSS frameworks for the benefit of all students, and doctoral interns are enthusiastically welcomed into that work. The district takes pride in providing comprehensive evaluations and interventions to all students who need them. School psychologists are building-based to the greatest extent possible, to allow them to be fully integrated into the school community. School psychologists serve as a resource for students in general education and special education, and to teachers, administration, and parents.
Internship experiences are scaffolded as the school year progresses, to increase independence over time. The goal of the internship program in ECUSD7 is to provide the intern with a rich and varied experience so that the intern develops a systematic understanding of a preschool through twelfth grade public school district. Interns will participate in MTSS initiatives, as well as a collaborative model supporting teachers in their implementation of specialized supports for students. Given the significant obstacles that students and families often experience in accessing mental health services, the doctoral intern is invaluable in the integration of behavioral supports across both clinic and educational settings.
The Edwardsville School District operates on a staggered schedule for the high school, middle schools, and elementary schools. The high school workday is from 7:00-2:45, middle school is from 7:45-3:30, and the elementary school workday is from 8:00-3:45. The Office of Student Services and Special Education is located at the central office. The special education director, special education coordinators, and administrative office staff are available to answer questions and assist in technical cases and transition to the district. Interns are assigned a mentor school psychologist, and schedules are developed to allow exposure to the full range of students served by the district. Interns are provided with an office equipped with a desktop computer, office telephone, access to a printer, testing materials, and ISPIC-related mileage reimbursement.
Triad Community Unit School District
Triad Community Unit School District #2 is partnering with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the doctoral internship program for the first time in the 2024 – 2025 school year, and we are excited to be a part of this collaborative experience. The district is committed to providing more support for our students and staff, and hired an additional school psychologist for the 2023-2024 school year. This allowed each of our four larger buildings to have one dedicated school psychologist in the building at all times, and for our two smaller buildings to share a school psychologist. We look forward to working with a doctoral intern who will have full access to all of our buildings and programs. School psychologists serve as a resource for students in general education and special education, to teachers, administration, and parents.
The intern will have a school-based supervisor who will support and facilitate a variety of learning options. These opportunities include working alongside our staff to offer MTSS and mental health services to our students, in addition to the full array of typical school psychological services (e.g., consultation, evaluation, and direct intervention). Consistent with the Developmental, Ecological, and Problem-Solving (DEP) supervision model that is used throughout ISPIC, the intern’s experiences vary over time, with greater expectations for independence as the year progresses.
Triad has an overall enrollment of about 4,500 students and 550 staff members who serve students grades Pre-K through 12. The Triad School District consists of the communities of Troy, St. Jacob, and Marine, which are all located in Madison County, Illinois. The district covers a total of 121.5 square miles. Triad is located in the southwestern sector of Illinois – just 18 miles northeast of St. Louis. The biggest part of the District sits at the crossroads of Interstates 55, 70, and 270.Doctoral interns will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of settings and grade levels, from working with our smallest learners with developmental delays to our oldest learners with low and high incidence disabilities. The doctoral intern will have access to Early Intervention Programs, Early Childhood Special Education and Preschool Programs, Self-Contained Behavioral Programs, Life Skills Programs and of course, The Success Center.
The doctoral intern will be provided with an office equipped with a laptop computer, office telephone, access to a printer anywhere in the district, and a variety of assessment tools. The psychology intern spends approximately 3 days per week in the Triad Community School District # 2 (TCUSD2) and the remainder of his/her time at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). This schedule continues during the summer months, and may fluctuate during the year as needed to accommodate ISPIC intern activities, conference attendance, and other scheduling needs at both TCUSD2 and SIUE. Elementary certified staff members work 8:00am-3:45pm. Middle School certified staff members work 7:15am-3:00pm. High School certified staff members work 7:30am-3:15pm. Interns must pass a background check and maintain their own malpractice and health insurance.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Attention and Behavior Clinic
The Attention and Behavior Clinic provides comprehensive, low-cost evaluations of children and college-age adults suspected of having Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and/or autism. The intern provides direct client services and assists in supervision of graduate practicum students, providing valuable experience in doctoral level practice and preparing interns for future graduate training roles.
Our comprehensive evaluations include the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – 2nd Edition (ADOS-2), cognitive and/or academic assessment as appropriate, school-based observations and interviews, and thorough developmental histories. The physical space of the Attention and Behavior Clinic includes two treatment/evaluation rooms, an administrative office, and a waiting area. Commonly used test kits are readily available within the clinic, and additional materials may be accessed via the Psychology Resource Center at SIUE when needed.
Pediatricians, psychologists, school staff, Board Certified Behavior Analysts, and other mental health professionals in the St. Louis and Metro East areas make referrals to the Attention and Behavior Clinic throughout the year. In addition, the AB Clinic is now partnering with St. Clair County Head Start to provide evaluation services to young children suspected of having autism. Thus, interns receive the opportunity to work with a racially and socioeconomically diverse clientele, including families from the urban core of St. Louis, MO and East St. Louis, IL, as well as suburban and rural communities surrounding the Edwardsville area.
The intern has a dedicated office within the Attention and Behavior Clinic, including a desktop computer, email account, and access to SIUE library services as needed for research materials. More information about the Attention and Behavior Clinic can be found at https://www.siue.edu/education/psychology/about/attention-behavior-clinic.shtml
SIUE Psychology Department
During the fall semester of the intern year, the intern receives mentorship regarding undergraduate and graduate teaching. The intern has the opportunity to attend and present several guest lectures, dependent upon previous experiences. The teaching mentor provides feedback to shape development goals for future teaching efforts. During the spring semester, the intern teaches one undergraduate psychology course pertaining to typical school psychological expertise. Courses taught by recent interns include Applied Behavior Analysis, Multicultural Psychology, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
The teaching mentor assists with the development of the syllabus and provides pedagogical supervision via observation and regular meetings. The specific course to be taught will be selected prior to the internship year. Thus, the intern will gain valuable experience in preparing and executing an advanced undergraduate course in topics that are relevant to future graduate trainers and supervisors in school psychology.
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SUPERVISORS
Elizabeth L. W. McKenney, Ph.D., NCSP, is a certified school psychologist and licensed clinical psychologist in Illinois. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Tulane University and a doctorate in school psychology from the University of Florida. She completed her doctoral internship and post-doctoral residency in Round Rock, Texas, prior to joining the faculty at SIUE in 2011. Dr. McKenney is a Professor in the Psychology Department and Director of the Clinical Child and School Psychology graduate program. She studies consultation and implementation support strategies to promote evidence-based service delivery for students with autism, and has related interests in how school psychologists can foster cultural responsiveness and engage in advocacy in the service of social justice for students and families.
Sarah J. Conoyer, Ph.D., NCSP, is a certified school psychologist and licensed clinical psychologist in Illinois. She earned a doctorate in school psychology from the University of Missouri in 2013. She is an ISPIC alumna, completing her doctoral internship and post-doctoral residency at Township High School District 211 in Palatine, IL. Dr. Conoyer is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at SIUE, where she studies the use of formative assessments to assist schools in identifying and monitoring students at-risk for academic difficulties. Dr. Conoyer has consulted with ECUSD7 across multiple years to develop, advance, and evaluate MTSS practices at the systems level. Currently, she is developing the Partnerships in Academic and Community Engagement (PACE) Scholars program. The PACE Scholars program is a before and after school program devoted to increasing community based academic skills intervention opportunities in the area at local school districts. PACE is the newest service provided through the Attention and Behavior Clinic.
Kirsten Potter Wilkerson, Ph.D. is a certified school psychologist in Illinois. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Saint Louis University in 1992 and a doctorate in school psychology from Illinois State University in 1998. She completed her doctoral internship in the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) in Fort Worth, Texas. In 2008, Dr. Wilkerson graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a Master’s degree in Educational Administration with an endorsement as a Director of Special Education.
Dr. Wilkerson began working in 1998 as a school psychologist with Special School District (SSD) in St. Louis County. She was hired in 2001 by the Triad School District to serve as a Violence Prevention Coordinator as part of a state grant. In 2002, Dr. Wilkerson took a position working as a school psychologist in the Triad School District in a more traditional role and has worked at the Pre-K/ECSE, elementary and secondary levels. Her current position includes providing services to the Pre-K/ECSE program as well as one elementary building (K-5).
Dr. Wilkerson has provided services to a wide variety of district level programs, including transitioning young students from state-funded early intervention services, development and implementation of a play-based pre-k screening as part of child find, and development of a multi-tiered systems of support, including progress monitoring activities. Dr. Wilkerson has provided training at the state level as part of the ISPA Supervisor Credential Training and uses the DEP supervision model in her work with practicum students and interns. She serves as a member of the SIUE School Psychology Advisory Board and is a board member for Community Link, an organization that provides a variety of services to children and adults with developmental disabilities. Dr. Wilkerson currently serves on the Triad District special education team, the Triad District progress monitoring team and participates in the district’s MTSS initiatives. Dr. Wilkerson’s role has allowed for delivery of services to students, teachers, administrative teams, parents and community members.
Cindy Steele (not pictured) has served the Edwardsville School District for over 25 years as a school psychologist, with twelve of those years also serving as a special education administrator. Ms. Steele has provided administrative coordination for a wide variety of district level programs and projects, including transitioning young students from state-funded early intervention services, ongoing development of more inclusive early childhood settings, development of multi-tiered systems of support, curricular studies targeting the instructional needs of students with specific learning disabilities in the areas of reading/dyslexia, prevention programs targeting mental illness and suicide, educational programs for English Language Learners, study and implementation of evidenced based programs for students with Down Syndrome, and staff development specific to anti-bullying campaigns and creating a culture of student bystanders. Ms. Steele has been part of the Collaborating for Autism Spectrum Teaching, Learning, and Excelling (CASTLE) program with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville since its beginning and is currently on the leadership team of the district’s MTSS initiatives. Ms. Steele’s role has allowed for delivery of services to a number of constituents, including students, teachers, administrative teams, parents and community members. She currently supervises a team of ten school psychologists.