Federal Projects in School Psychology

Many of the special activities sponsored by these projects are open to all students in the School Psychology Program. All students are encouraged to participate in related colloquia. Contact the appropriate project director if you are interested in specialized courses or in developing an emphasis in the area. Each of these federal training projects includes a defined emphasis in courses and field experiences.

Applications for support by these projects are accepted once a year, usually between May and August. The application times vary as a function of the federal review process for renewal. Watch the Bulletin Board and check your e-mail for related announcements.

Transdisciplinary Education for Achievement in Multilingual Schools (Project TEAMS) (2006-10) brings school psychology and speech-language students together for collaborative seminars, institutes, and field experiences in a multilingual elementary school in San Diego City Schools. Trainees develop the knowledge and skills to provide classroom-based services for English-learners with, or at risk of, disabilities via transdisciplinary collaboration with general education teachers. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education ($800,000): V. Cook-Morales & V. Gutierrez-Clellen.

Transdisciplinary Autism Specialty Project (TASP) (2005-09) provides support for speech-language pathologists and school psychologists developing shared evidence-based expertise in serving diverse children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The TASP experience includes both “expert” seminars (featuring researchers from UCSD and leading practitioners from San Diego City Schools) and collaboration seminars using a responsibility model for learning. The two year field experience is graded in scope and intensity; beginning with site visit observations in schools and agencies serving students with ASD, to shadowing ASD specialists in City Schools, to a year-long collaborative field experience providing direct services to students with ASD. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs ($800,000): V. Gutierrez-Clellen & V. Cook-Morales.

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Project: Preparing School Psychologists as English-Language Acquisition (ELA) Consultants (2003-07) supports students developing a specialization in ELA and services for an identified ethnolinguistic group (Vietnamese, Hmong, Sudanese, and Latino-rural/migrant). ELA content knowledge is built through mentored study, conference participation, and additional coursework in bilingual education and linguistics. Cross-cultural knowledge, skills, and culture-entry begin with library research then augmented with a variety of experiential learning activities (e.g., cultural plunges, service learning) and culminate in an intensive ethnographic experience. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition ($1,500,000): V. Cook-Morales, T. O'Shaughnessy, & T. Green.

The SDSU – MTE Collaborative for Native American Student Success (NSS) (2006-09): The SDSU-MTE Collaborative brings together commitments and resources from San Diego State University (SDSU), Mountain Empire (MTE) Unified School District and surrounding tribal communities on behalf of Native American youth. We work from and assess a culturally consistent Collaborative Model for Related Services Training for Native Student Success, a model designed to prepare pre-service school counselors and psychologists to work with community and school leaders to improve outcomes for Native youth. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs ($600,000): C. Robinson-Zañartu.

Native American Scholars & Collaborators Project (NASCP) (2003-07). School psychology and school counseling trainees collaborate toward the development of culturally consistent models of services for Native American youngsters and communities. Trainees engage in scholarly research and writing, a weekly seminar, and specialized field experience at All-Tribes School in North County. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs ($800,000): C. Robinson-Zañartu.

Bilingual High-Incidence Disabilities (BHID) Project: Collaboration of Bilingual School Psychologists and Bilingual Speech-Language Therapists (2002-06). School psychology and speech-language pathology students worked together toward development of identified shared and unique competencies needed to meet the needs of bilingual (Spanish) youngsters with or at-risk of high-incidence disabilities (e.g., learning disabilities, language disabilities, behavior disorders). Collaboration Field Experiences were developed in Chula Vista Elementary School District. Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs ($800,000): V. Gutierrez-Clellen & V. Cook-Morales.

The San Diego Bilingual School Psychology Partnership (City BSP) (2000-06) joined the forces of SDSU and San Diego City Schools in a collaborative endeavor to prepare qualified bilingual (Spanish) school psychologists and to improve the quality of bilingual school psychological services in City Schools. This school-based professional development program linked preservice students, interns, first year and experienced schools psychologists in peer coaching and mentoring, a Summer Institute, and involvement in professional bilingual education associations. Participants designed Individualized Language-Culture Learning Plans that typically included Spanish immersion programs in Mexico or Latin America. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs ($1,182,290): V. Cook-Morales.

Native American Collaboration Project (NACP) (2000-04) emphasized the development of competencies from a traditional knowledge base, and related that knowledge directly to the practices and knowledge of Western traditions. Larry Emerson, Diné mentor with expertise and experience taught this integral seminar. The seminar contributed to the development of culturally appropriate scholarship. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs ($738,891): C. Robinson-Zañartu.

Multidisciplinary Native Collaboration Project (MNACP) (2000-03): The MNACP Seminar, taught by Marilyn Robinson, Cayuga mentor with expertise or experience in both western and traditional perspectives on issues in Indian education, families, and service, utilized a western knowledge base to lead Scholars’ and Collaborators’ study of the issues essential in competency development. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs ($599,845): C. Robinson-Zañartu.

The Urban Poverty Project (Project UP) (1999-2002) will improve preservice preparation of school psychologists to serve children with or at risk of high-incidence disabilities in California's multicultural urban school districts. The project provides financial support packages for our school psychology students while the faculty and governing bodies work toward revision of the Program to create a greater emphasis on prevention and intervention training for broad-based services in urban schools. Dr. Valerie Cook-Morales is director of this project which is funded ($589,603) by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Under OSEP regulations, Project UP scholars accept a service obligation for training support (see below).

The Transdisciplinary Collaboration for Preparation of Specialists in Serious Emotional Disturbance (1997-2000) was designed to prepare special education teachers, school psychologists and counselors to provide appropriate services for children/adolescents with serious emotional disturbance (SED). The project focused specifically on SED in the context of the urban culture of poverty and attended to ethnic and gender disproportionality in identified SED populations in the schools. Dr. Patricia Cegelka (Department of Special Education) was Director of the Project, and Dr. Valerie Cook-Morales (Counseling and School Psychology) was Coordinator of Related Services Component. Funding was from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education ($894,000).

The Multicultural/Cross-Cultural School Psychology Project (1996-2000) supported the preservice preparation of fully qualified school psychologists with the competencies to serve ethnolinguistically diverse children and youth, their families and teachers. The project was funded by the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education, and was directed by Dr. Valerie J. Cook-Morales ($865,503).

The Native American Specialty in Related Service Personnel Project (1994-1999) supported the development of specializations in either school psychology or rehabilitation counseling. The project emphasized in-depth understanding of educational/cultural links vital to improving service to Native American children, youth and their families. Dr. Carol Robinson-Zañartu was director for this project funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education ($643,645).

The African-Centered Project in School Psychology (1995-98) provided an African-centered educational experience for school psychology graduate students who are specializing in meeting the educational and psychological needs of African-American children and youth. The experience included an African-centered seminar, supervised field experiences in model schools, and mentors. The project was funded ($310,161) by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education, and was directed by Valerie J. Cook-Morales.

The Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Training Project: Bilingual School Psychologists and Speech-Language Pathologists (1993-1998) supported a collaborative approach to the training of bilingual school psychologists and speech-language pathologists. Students pursuing this specialization developed shared expertise in serving bilingual Hispanic children and youth, their families and teachers. Valerie J. Cook-Morales and Vera Gutierrez-Clellen co-directed this project funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education ($671,200).

The Bilingual-Bicultural (Hispanic) School Psychology Project: The Bilingual-Bicultural School Psychology Project (1983-97) supported the development of a specialization in the nondiscriminatory assessment of Hispanic children. The project was guided by an ecosystems philosophy and provided 19 competencies for a systems approach to nondiscriminatory assessment. Eighteen of these competencies are now integrated in the School Psychology Program. With each new grant, the Program progressed in its definition of Bilingual School Psychology as a specialization. The Project was directed by Valerie J. Cook-Morales and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education (1986-89 at $225,000; 1989-94 at $424,369, 1994-97 at $240,000).

The Cultural-Linguistic Diversity (CLD) Project in School Psychology (1994-96) supported the development of competencies necessary for appropriate school psychological services for bilingual and English-learning children from the high needs (top 20) language backgrounds in California. Each project trainee, with guidance from a mentor, developed an Individualized Language-Culture Learning Plan (ILCLP) addressing (1) language structure and development, (2) bilingual education methodology, (3) culture and cultural diversity, (4) the culture of emphasis, and (5) the language of emphasis - listening, reading, speaking, and writing. A language-culture immersion experience was expected and supported. The Project was funded ($431,233) by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs (OBEMLA) and was directed by Valerie J. Cook-Morales. It was terminated a year early because Congress eliminated funding for all bilingual training in the U.S.

The Multicultural School Support Personnel (MSSP) Project: The MSSP Project (1989-94) supported the preservice training of multicultural school psychologists and school counselors. The philosophical model reflected a "preventive/systems approach" and incorporated Ingraham's (1989) Inverted Pyramid Model for coordinated school service delivery and Cook's (1987) Least Restrictive Evaluation Model for school psychological services. School counseling and school psychology students developed 12 common competencies to contribute to a multidisciplinary support services approach. It was funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education ($423,000). Valerie J. Cook-Morales and Colette L. Ingraham collaborated on this project.

The African American Specialty in School Psychology Project supported the development of specialized knowledge and skills in providing culturally appropriate assessment and other special education related services for African American children and youth. The project sponsored a specialty seminar, a colloquium series, and an annual Summer Institute in African American School Psychology, featuring national leaders in African American psychology and education. It was funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education ($336,187) and was directed by Valerie J. Cook-Morales and coordinated by Michaelanthony Brown-Cheatham.

The Spanish-English Language Proficiency (SELP) Project (1990-1993): The large majority of our bilingual-bicultural (Hispanic) students are native Spanish-speakers, many attended Mexican elementary and secondary schools, and all have fluent bilingual conversational skills. The need for the development of "professional Spanish" proficiency, however, became a recurrent theme in our evaluations. The SELP Project was designed to address these needs and to augment the Bilingual-Bicultural Project. The project provided "Intensive Spanish Language Experiences" in our winter and summer sessions and a colloquium series in Spanish throughout the academic year. It was funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs ($553,437) and was directed by Valerie J. Cook-Morales.

The American Indian Specialty in School Psychology Project (1990-1993): The American Indian School Psychology Project supported the development of specialized knowledge and skills in providing appropriate special education related services for American Indian children and youth. Students pursuing this specialization developed the knowledge and skills to provide culturally informed consultation at referral, culturally appropriate evaluation for special education, and culturally affirmative interface with parents. Dynamic assessment, mediated learning, and ecosystems perspectives were integral to the specialization. The project sponsored an American Indian colloquium series, coursework focused on the culture-cognition connection, and an annual pow-wow. It was directed by Carol Robinson-Zañartu and was funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education ($226,657).

SERVICE OBLIGATION FOR SUPPORT BY PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) under authorization by section 673(h) of IDEA, which requires that individuals who receive a scholarship through personnel preparation projects must subsequently provide special education or related services to children with disabilities for a period of two years for every year for which assistance was received. Scholarship recipients who do not satisfy their service obligation must repay all or part of the cost of their assistance in accordance with these federal regulations.

Scholarship refers to all types of financial assistance received from the project (e.g., allowances, stipends). The service requirement is based on the period for which the scholar receives assistance, not on the amount of assistance received.

The service obligation provisions of the federal regulations specify that the scholar must serve in a position in which the individual spends a majority of his or her time providing special education, related, or early intervention services. Part-time employment is accumulated toward meeting the equivalent of the full-time service obligation.

Federal regulations provide for an additional three years beyond the number of years required by the Act, to complete the service obligation. Thus, a scholar with a two-year service obligation, for example, has five years to fulfill that requirement.

The full-time year-long School Psychology Internship (or its part-time equivalent) may be applied as the first year of full-time service obligation if the intern does not receive a scholarship from the project during that internship.

The regulations apply to training program dropouts in the same manner as other scholarship recipients. Dropouts who had received scholarship assistance and are not able to meet their service obligation (due to lack of qualifications) must payback their scholarships.

Forward: At our June 1995 retreat, the participants of the Bilingual Interdisciplinary Collaboration Project began the development of a manual to guide trainee activities in order to maximize learning from all aspects of their experience on the project. Their ideas and recommendations were so good that I have prepared a "generic" description for use by participants and staff on all projects. Valerie J. Cook-Morales

You are participating on a pre-service personnel preparation project in order to develop a specialization within your profession - a specialization which we proposed and designed, for which the U.S. Department of Education has endorsed and funded. This specialization is defined in part by the project design and in part by the project competencies articulated for trainee development. Please read the original proposal carefully so you know fully the demands of the project. Use the project competencies, which frequently parallel the School Psychology Program competency areas, to inform and guide your experiences throughout the Program, for example:

Weave, weave, weave: Weaving is the process of integrating your growing specialized knowledge base in program (or other project) assignments and activities - or using those assignments to develop your specialized competencies. This does NOT mean doing the same paper for two courses; seldom will one paper meet the goals and expectations of two courses. Rather, weaving is putting a specialty spin on assignments, for example:

Assignment	Specialty Spin & Weaving
1) observe teacher-student interactions in your field placement	1) observe teacher-student interactions with LEP students to see if they differ from those with other students
2) paper comparing/contrasting two personality theories	2) compare/contrast a mainstream theory with an African-centered theory
3) client-centered consultation case study	3) instructional consultation regarding a bilingual student
4) developmental assessment	4) assessment of a recent immigrant student's development
5) test critique	5) critique of a test available in Spanish
6) present an ethical/legal dilemma & potential resolutions	6) IQ testing of African American students
7) paper comparing/contrasting two models of special education	7) compare/contrast two models of bilingual special education
8) design a research study	8) design research to examine cognitive styles across ethnic groups
9) conduct a program evaluation	9) evaluate effectiveness of SSTs in reducing referrals (of CLD groups) for special education evaluation/testing
10) critique five research journal articles	10) focus those articles on your population, special education, or bilingual education

If you have an assignment where it is not immediately apparent how you can weave - confer with other trainees (especially advanced trainees who have gone before you), the project specialists/mentors, or me (I believe I have mastered the art of weaving).

A word on workload: Most of the projects have been designed to carry the workload of approximately one graduate course per semester - although some require much more. Thus, you need to anticipate an average of at least 12-15 hours/week 12 months/year in project activities. Similar to courses, the hours you spend in project activities will ebb and flow. Historically, peak times have been January to April (when we are working on conference presentations). Projects often have high demands in the Summer with coursework, institutes, etc.

A word on working: While working impacts your workload overall, there are additional elements to consider in the context of project activities. If you are working part-time, you will need to make arrangements to attend professional conferences and participate in project activities. This is especially crucial for intensive workshops, courses, or externships scheduled in winter and/or summer sessions.

Keep Fridays flexible: There will be times when it is necessary for all participants of a project to come together in addition to regularly scheduled seminars or mentoring sessions (e.g., retreats, presentation practice). Because Fridays are typically "bad days" to be in a school-based field placement, and because we have no classes scheduled on Fridays, we tend to use Fridays for such ad hoc activities and meetings.

Know the Project's Requirements. Each of the projects has requirements above and beyond those of the School Psychology Program. It is your responsibility to know the nature of and to fulfill those requirements. All of the projects require specialized coursework; most require specialized field experiences, conference participation/presentation, workshops for teachers or parents, project portfolios, retreats and/or meetings, or various specific activities. All of the projects require a report of your activities and a variety of evaluation forms. Project requirements are described in the original proposals (usually in the Plan of Operation section) and are listed in the affidavit you sign. Read the original proposal (a copy may be provided for you; if not, a copy is available in the Program Office), know and understand the requirements, and - please - seek clarification from the projectâs director.

Note: It is extremely important to meet all project deadlines (e.g., for completed evaluations) - sometimes continued funding depends on your meeting the posted deadlines.

Participation in professional association conferences is a primary means of continuing education - so starting now sets a habit to last the remainder of your professional life. In order to serve the purpose of continuing or expanding education, it is important to participate fully in the conference (e.g., for the length of the scheduled conference). There are two primary means by which to maximize your learning through conference participation:

1. Review the conference program in advance, select presentations to attend in a thematic way to inform the development of your project competencies (i.e., focus on one or two areas of interest related to the project); and

There are more opportunities to participate in conferences than you can possibly manage (see conference and workshop binder in the Program Office). It is advisable to think in terms of a maximum of one major conference (i.e., a professional association conference of multiple days which requires travel) each semester. Participation in NASP or CASP (unfortunately both are in the Spring) is expected and school psychology specific classes (you may, however, be enrolled in other CSP or SpEd courses) are often canceled because the school psychology faculty tend to participate in both of these conferences. You must consider carefully the coordination of conference schedules with class schedules! If you would like to attend a conference which overlaps with one or more class schedules, it is extremely important to speak with the instructor far in advance to make appropriate arrangements, if possible. Some suggested arrangements include, for example, audio-taping the class session and writing a reaction paper addressing the session missed or presenting on a (related) topic learned at the conference to the class on your return. Whatever arrangements are made, it is your responsibility to propose, manage, and fulfill those arrangements. While there is often high energy around upcoming conferences, it is important to keep your priorities straight: Graduate school (i.e., classes and assignments) take priority over conferences or preparing for conference presentations.

Note: Participation in our SDSU colleagues' presentations is genuinely appreciated.

Types of Conference Presentations: Professional association conferences typically offer three types of presentations

1. symposia or panels - three to six (occasionally more) presentations organized around a theme or central topic, usually at least 1-1/2 hours or more;

2. papers - one paper, single- or co-authored, single- or co-presented, usually 1 hour or less; and

3. workshops - skill-building sessions presented by one or more persons, participants except to leave with something tangible, half- or whole-day.

Although our major conferences are in the Spring, the "call for papers" occurs in the Summer or early Fall. Project specialists/mentors/director will guide the development of proposals. A committee of the sponsoring professional association reviews and selects the presentations to be included on the conference program. We usually hear of our acceptance or rejection for a Spring conference in December. If you agree to participate when the proposal is written, and if the proposal is accepted, you are obligated to present at the conference.

Attending or Presenting: We generally recommend that in the first year of the Program, that you attend and participate in professional conferences in order to develop familiarity with the cultures of the profession and of conferences. Then plan to present and participate during your advanced years in the Program.

Selecting a Topic: While the project specialists/mentors/director can be helpful here, it is recommended that you consider using your multi-semester plan for competency development when identifying a topic. Weaving your proposed spring presentation into fall courses or project activities makes for (1) a stronger presentation and (2) reduction of the feeling that this presentation is "on top of everything else" - it should be a natural extension of what you are already doing. As you consider the range of possibilities, ask yourself "what would the audience want to know about from me?"

Develop One Presentation, Please. You may be participating on more than one project, or perhaps you are interested in presenting at more than one conference -- please, weave, weave, weave to develop one solid presentation - related to each of the projects and/or with slightly different spins for different conferences. [Even more weaving recommended: many times the topics selected for presentation may also be appropriate for teacher or parent workshops!]

Practice, practice, practice. You will need to allocate time to practice your presentation. The more you devote to independent practice, the less time we need to schedule for group sessions. It is also helpful to practice presenting to an audience - perhaps in your specialty seminar, a class, or as a program colloquium in advance of the conference. It is your responsibility to arrange for such practice presentations.

Share. Share the presentation you develop with other participants. Develop it as a module (e.g., outline, overheads, handouts, etc.) to enable others to provide the same presentation - of course, recognizing you. If everyone shared their modules, we would each have an incredible resource manual.

Some projects may require that you provide a workshop for parents or teachers. Collaborate with project specialists/mentors and your field supervisors to explore the potential of conducting a workshop for parents or teachers in your field placement. You do not need to do this alone; in fact, we encourage you to collaborate with at least one other project participant to develop the workshop - then "take it on the road" if possible (i.e., present the workshop in both schools). All of the recommendations for Maximizing Conference Presentations apply here.

All of the projects require trainee reports of individual activities, trainee evaluations of project components or activities, and trainee involvement in project management meetings. These reports and evaluations are essential for the annual reports required for continued funding. We use the results of evaluation and meetings to change the design of the projects, as needed. Most projects require that these reports and evaluations be completed on time (due dates vary but usually at least once/semester) in order to continue on the project. It is extremely important to meet these report and evaluation deadlines!

Each of the projects offers a Trainee Support Package, the amounts of which vary as a function of (1) the federal competition's budgetary limits and (2) the design of the project and resulting scope of the required activities on the project. At the beginning of each project year, you will receive a personal budget allocation report. The generic description of the support categories which follows may be used to organize your own budget for the year. If you have any questions, it is important to raise them with the appropriate project director. It is extremely important for you to keep detailed records of all of your educational expenses as well as the amounts of your reimbursements (ledgers are provided). You will receive quarterly reports of your budgets which you should review with the projectâs budget manager or project director if you have questions.

With your appointment to a project, you will receive a notice of your budgeted allocations for the year. If there happens to be a copy of the proposed budget in your copy of the original proposal, please know that it was simply proposed, and that the amount awarded (and thus the Trainee Support Package awarded) may differ rather dramatically.

Stipends are monthly allowances provided to enable the trainee to focus on the development of the funded specialty (i.e., to study rather than work). Stipends are cut automatically by project staff and will normally be mailed directly to you at the end of each month. If you move, it is your responsibility to report your change of address to all university offices. We process our requests early in the month to maximize the potential that the U.S. mail will get it to you by the end of the month. To qualify for project support, we require that you sign the initial Affidavit, a Taxation Notice form, and a service obligation form if required. Stipends are taxable, but taxes are not withheld, which is why you must keep scrupulous records of expenses. We encourage you to "set aside" at least 20% of your stipend each month in anticipation of federal and state taxes due in April. The tax experiences of previous trainees have varied greatly: from owing nothing to owing very large sums; so consult with those who have gone before you.

Important: If you are receiving a salary from the Foundation (i.e., a graduate assistant position which requires a time card), we will need to submit a memo explaining that you are receiving your stipend free and clear of any work obligation (other than satisfactory progress in project-related activities), and that you are receiving salary for work not related to those same project-related activities. Please notify the projectâs budget manager as soon as possible if you will be receiving salary from the Foundation; failure to do so may delay the Foundation's processing of your stipend.

Academic Year Tuition/Fee Allowances are allocated by semester, and may be paid by the project directly to SDSU or to you as a reimbursement if you have already paid your fees.

Important: If you are receiving financial aid, please meet with the project director immediately. In some instances that financial aid will be reduced by the amount you receive for fees through the projects. We may be able to work around that problem, if we know enough ahead of time. Otherwise, you may be required to repay Financial Aid any "additional" funds you receive (as we have learned the hard way).

Summer Tuition/Fee Allowances are available only for trainees who are enrolled in summer courses. Although a project budget may include a summer fee line item, you are not eligible for that allowance unless you are taking courses required by the Program or by the project (e.g., taking a course at the SDSU Mission Bay Aquatic Center is not reimbursable). The amount available to you varies given the number of trainees who are taking summer courses. This allowance may be accessed as a fee waiver (i.e., direct payment to SDSU) or as a reimbursement if you have already paid the tuition.

Travel Allowances for conference participation may be defined by the project. One project, for example, has a Trainee Conference Allowance totaling $430 but specifying $300 for NASP, $100 for CASP, and $30 for Cross-Cultural Special Ed. If you do not go to the specified conference or if you do not file for your reimbursement by the deadline, you forfeit that allowance which is then distributed equally to those trainees who did participate.

Travel expenses are reimbursable only when filing a travel expense claim form accompanied by receipts. The projects can pay for conference registration and some other specific costs directly, if this is requested enough in advance. It is also possible to cut a "travel advance" so that you will have sufficient funds to pay for out-of-pocket expenses (e.g., food, hotel). This must, however, be arranged far in advance and scrupulous records must be kept and a travel expense report filed, or you will need to pay back the advance to the Foundation. It is important to keep a complete record of all of your conference travel expenses and to include that in your Travel Expense Claim, i.e., "claim" the total even if only a portion of the expenses will be reimbursed. This provides excellent documentation for the IRS.

Book Allowances are usually only sufficient to cover the cost of texts required for the specialty seminar or by the project. Please submit original receipts that are approximately consistent with the budgeted allowance each semester. If your receipt greatly exceeds the allowance, be sure to keep a copy of both the receipt and the reimbursement request so you have a record of your uncovered expenses. If the project has a generous book allowance which exceeds the costs of text books for courses, this allowance may also be used for general educational supplies (e.g., papers, pens, folders).

Test Allowances are offered by some projects and are allocated only to those individuals who are taking the required standardized tests. The best way to access this allowance is to complete the test registration form and attach it to a completed check request form for direct payment by the project. If specific test allowances are not included on your project, you may use the Professional Development Allowance to pay for this necessary expense.

Professional Development Allowances may be used for, in priority, (1) project-specific or (2) program-related professional development expenses. The category is quite flexible and includes any number of possible expenses associated with pursuit of your education. It is important to develop an expenditure plan in consultation with the project director at the beginning of the year! Appropriate professional development expenditures include, but are not limited to: professional association memberships or renewals, professional journal subscriptions, professional liability insurance, credentialing fees (e.g., certificate of clearance, internship credential, fingerprinting), workshop or conference registration fees, standardized test (e.g., CBEST, BCLAD) fees, Internet/E-mail access fees (if annual), Assessment Resource Center rental fees, SDSU parking fees, computer upgrades and software.

Generally speaking, project-specific professional development expenses (at least one) should be covered prior to reimbursement for program-related expenses. That is, use the allowance to join, for example, NABE or ABPsy then use the remainder of the allowance for program expenses (including NASP, CASP, professional liability insurance, CBEST fees, Certificate of Clearance expenses - as long as the expenses were incurred during the project budget year period).

Document, Copy, Keep All of Your Educational Expenses. We cannot say too many times: It is extremely important for you to keep detailed records of all of your educational expenses as well as the amounts of your reimbursements (ledgers are provided - copy and use them). Keep all receipts. Log mileage from SDSU to your field placement - and keep a log of every trip. Keep receipts for supplies, books, computers, stopwatches, tape recorders, videotapes, audio tapes, file cabinets, general supplies, copying handouts, etc. etc. --- these are generally tax deductible.