To supervise in the LBSI program, a doctoral student must provide evidence of (a) a special education teaching license and (b) one year of experience in a U.S.-based instructional setting (e.g., school, clinic, home, vocational site) with school-age children with disabilities. If all criteria are met except for the special education teaching license, a student may supervise if evidence is available that the following courses or their equivalent have been completed: SPED 440, 441, 447, 470, and 471. 

Supervision in the LBSI Program involves approximately 10 hours per week across fall and spring semesters. The doctoral student is assigned 3-4 practicum students to supervise each semester and is provided ongoing training and mentoring from the LBSI practicum and program coordinators to develop their supervision skills. During the supervision experience, doctoral students sample the various roles and responsibilities that are involved with practicum supervision. These activities include, but are not limited to:

● Conducting on-site observations of assigned practicum students every other week;

● Meeting individually with practicum students each week to review performance;

● Grading practicum assignments;

● Scheduling and facilitating an initial, mid-term, and final meeting with each cooperating teacher and practicum student; and

● Attending weekly LBSI supervisor meetings.

Doctoral students who supervise or lead practicum seminar in the ECSE program must demonstrate each of the competencies below. When requesting to supervise in the ECSE program, doctoral students should submit a statement, on or with their supervision request form, detailing how they have met each competency OR proposed next steps for acquiring competencies not already obtained (which must be completed before supervision begins).   

Note: Resources for acquiring these competencies are available upon request from the ECSE program coordinator. 

ECSE supervision involves approximately 10 hours per week across fall and spring semesters. The doctoral student is assigned 3-4 practicum students to supervise each semester and is provided ongoing training and mentoring from ECSE faculty to develop their supervision skills. During the supervision experience, doctoral students sample the various roles and responsibilities that are involved with practicum supervision. These activities include, but are not limited to: 

• Conducting on-site observations of assigned practicum students every other week;
• Meeting with practicum students after each observation to provide feedback;
• Scheduling and facilitating an initial, mid-term, and final meeting with each cooperating professional and practicum student;
• Teaching the practicum seminar;
• Maintaining regular communication with cooperating professionals to gather evaluative information about supervisees; and
• Attending ECSE supervision meetings every other week.

Doctoral students who do not meet the criteria to supervise in the LBSI or ECSE programs may design an alternative supervision experience with their advisor. The experience should involve about 300 hours of activities. Option 3 is not available to students who meet the criteria for Options 1 or 2. 

In Option 3, the student must work with their advisor to propose a series of activities to help them learn about effective, research-based supervision strategies relative to their population of interest (e.g., birth to 3, preschool, school-age). The proposal must include a list of readings on supervision that will be completed and a process for integrating and summarizing major concepts learned. The student may wish to include one or more supplemental activities in their proposal. Examples of possible supplemental activities include:

• Reading the LBSI or ECSE practicum handbook(s).
• Interviewing the LBSI or ECSE program or practicum coordinator.
• Shadowing a LBSI or ECSE supervisor to observe the supervision process.
• Attending an LBSI or ECSE supervisor meeting.
• Attending an LBSI or ECSE practicum seminar. 

In addition, the proposal should include at least one activity that involves substantive supervision of personnel across the semester. Examples of possible supervision experiences include, but are not limited to: 

• Supervision of university students or volunteers in a non-school setting (e.g., child care, group home, grant project, The Autism Program, Community Choices, Crisis Nursery).
• Supervision of university students completing a fieldwork experience project as part of a course (e.g., SPED 317, SPED 438, SPED 117; requires permission of the course instructor and Department Head).

The student will complete a Supervision Contract with their advisor. The student will then submit the contract, with appropriate signatures, to the Curriculum Committee for approval. The contract must be submitted at least one semester prior to the supervision experience start date, but no later than the end of the student’s second year. The approved contract will be attached to the student’s Doctoral Plan and reviewed during the student’s Annual Progress Review. Significant changes in the plan require new approval by the student’s advisor and Curriculum Committee.