Doctoral Internship Experience
The internship (EDSP 5093) involves a minimum of three semester hours and includes experiences in one or a combination of the following areas: research, teacher education, and program evaluation. The major professor, in consultation with the doctoral advisory committee and the student, will arrange an internship experience in a field-based setting that will provide the student with sustained opportunities to engage in professional practices that match the student's career goal. Internship assignments are typically one semester in length during a long term or summer term, although individual tailoring of the length is determined by the student's doctoral advisory committee. Possible sites for internships may include, but are not limited to:
- college or university special education programs,
- educational research agencies or organizations,
- education service centers or other public school agencies,
- social service organizations related to special education.
Of paramount importance in selecting an internship site is the presence of a highly qualified on-site supervisor who models professional practices that are congruent with the curriculum in the special education doctoral program. Securing the cooperation of an on-site supervisor is the responsibility of the major professor. This supervisor will work closely with the student during the internship experience, providing guidance and mentoring in the specified professional roles.
Prior to beginning the internship, the student, major professor, and on-site supervisor will delineate the roles and responsibilities of the intern. This written document will serve as an internship contract. The student will be evaluated on his or her success in carrying out the specified responsibilities. The on-site supervisor will use the performance evaluation form typically used at that agency to evaluate the student's performance during the internship. For example, in a university setting, the student may be expected to use course evaluations and an abbreviated annual faculty report as the basis for the performance evaluation.
Daily, ongoing guidance will be provided by the student's on-site supervisor. The role of Texas Tech in supervision of the doctoral intern is as follows:
- interns will be supervised by a university professional with appropriate preparation in the area of emphasis, usually the major professor;
- supervision will occur at the practicum site to which the doctoral intern is assigned;
- the university supervisor will make two to three on-site visits;
- when the doctoral intern is placed at a distance from campus that makes frequent site visits difficult, there will be bi-monthly phone contacts between the university supervisor, intern, and on-site supervisor;
- written and verbal feedback on the doctoral intern's performance will be provided by the on-site and university supervisors.
Final evaluation of the doctoral intern's performance will be conducted jointly by the student, university supervisor, and on-site supervisor. While the specific evaluation criteria will be established by the standards in place at the internship site, the doctoral intern will be judged according to the following general criteria:
- carries out specified internship responsibilities with a high level of competence;
- demonstrates creativity, problem solving, and critical thinking in carrying out specified responsibilities;
- demonstrates the ability to be a reflective, culturally sensitive practitioner and leader in the profession of education and to practice within the CEC Code of Ethics;
- contributes meaningfully to the mission of the agency at which the intern is placed.