Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) serves all of Davidson County, Tennessee, and includes over 160 schools. The schools include 70 Elementary Schools, 30 Middle Schools, and 18 High Schools, in addition to Early Learning Centers, Adult, Alternative Learning Centers, Special Education Schools, Specialty Schools, and Charter Schools.
There are approximately 86,000 students enrolled. The communities of Nashville, Tennessee, are diverse, and MNPS is lucky to have students from all over the world in the student body. Within Metro Nashville Public Schools, students speak more than 100 languages, and nearly a third (30%) speak a language other than English at home. MNPS also offers many unique academic programs, including STEAM schools, International Baccalaureate programs, and magnet programs.
The Psychology Division staff is a diverse, 75-plus member group with various training levels (Ph.D. and Ed.S.) who have worked in schools nationwide that support a comprehensive understanding of the practice of school psychology. The division is a National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Approved Provider of professional development. The division was recognized in 2021 by the Excellence in School Psychological Services (ESPS) Recognition Program at the Promising Level. The division includes several Professional Learning Committees, including those dedicated to Autism, Multi-Tiered Service and Support, Trauma-informed practices, English learners, Crisis response, Traumatic brain injury/neuropsychology, etc.
All supervisory relationships promote mutual respect and trust. Primary Supervisors provide a minimum of two hours of weekly one-on-one supervision and act as liaisons to the administrative and rotation supervisors. Interns receive on-site supervision from a Rotation Supervisor for each rotation. Interns also receive group supervision through weekly two-hour didactics in a group setting, which provides feedback, additional peer interaction, and deeper discussions of professional and clinical topics.
The Primary Supervisor works with their respective interns to develop a year's schedule that meets the expectations of the intern's university, APPIC, NASP, and our unique program expectations. Primary Supervisors provide a minimum of two hours of weekly one-on-one supervision and act as liaisons to the administrative and rotation clinical supervisors. Primary Supervisors work collaboratively with interns to foster the development and refinement of clinical skills, APA / NASP ethics, MNPS School Psychology Competencies, and NASP Practice Model Domains.
Required rotations have the most significant precedence and are to be completed during the internship. These placements will last six to nine weeks with supervision by a Clinical Supervisor who works closely with the Primary Supervisor and intern to focus on setting goals and expectations. Interns participate fully, including completing consultations, assessments, team meetings, behavior/academic interventions, group/individual counseling, and applying law/ethics. Interns begin their initial rotations at the schools belonging to the Primary Supervisor so they can become comfortable with each other. These include Pre-School/Pre-Kindergarten, Elementary School, Middle School, High School, English Learner, Reading Acquisition, ADOS Team, and Crisis Response Team.
Supplementary rotations are more flexible and shorter in duration. Interns are expected to complete at least two supplementary rotations each semester. These are diverse and expose the intern to essential areas of practice that are less common or infrequent. These include Special School Populations, Private Schools, Alternative Schools, Special Magnet Schools, and Specialty High Schools.
The internship occurs in a series of phases of increasing independence. Interns progress from a dependent relationship with their primary supervisor(s) to a collaborative relationship, ending the year able to function with supervised independence as a first-year school psychologist. A goal is for each intern to manage a school and caseload with minimal supervision. The speed that interns progress through these phases occurs on demonstrated competence of each intern.
Over the year, the intern is expected to become more independent so they can manage a school as independently as possible. Initially, they will shadow to learn how to maneuver in the school setting, transitioning to interdependence with the goal of each being as independent as the intern is competent. Based on the intern's competence, a school is offered to manage, with supervision, in late February or early March. The overarching objective is to equip each intern with the skills, experience, and overall competence to move from student to professional.
