Case Advisers
Our Case Advisers are doctoral candidates in the Department of Psychology at UNR who are individually mentored throughout their doctoral training by Dr. Berens. They have extensive experience working with children and applying their knowledge of learning science and instructional design in creative and effective ways. Our Case Advisers have over 1,000 hours of experience providing Precision Teaching and Direct Instruction services to students enrolled in our center. They are experts in the delivery of evidence-based instructional practices in math, reading, and expressive writing areas, and they are promoted to Case Adviser positions based on formal performance evaluations conducted by Dr. Berens. In addition to our clinical program, Case Advisers are also active participants in our separate research program. As such, they collaborate with Dr. Berens to disseminate findings on our instructional practices through peer-reviewed publications in academic journals. Our Case Advisers also regularly present data regarding our methods at international conventions on evidence-based instruction and learning science. Finally, Case Advisers are members of professional societies devoted to the on-going study of learning science and evidence-based instruction.
Case Managers
Our Case Managers are master's students in the Psychology Department at UNR, graduates of education or psychology programs, or exemplary undergraduate psychology or education students at UNR. All Case Managers are mentored by Dr. Berens, and have been promoted from Instructor to Case Management based on outstanding instructional performance as determined by monthly performance evaluations conducted by Dr. Berens. Our Case Managers have over 300 hours of experience using evidence-based instructional strategies with our learners in reading, math, and expressive writing areas. Case Managers receive on-going training and supervision through weekly and monthly performance evaluations conducted by our Case Advisers and Dr. Berens. Most of our Case Managers assist Case Advisers in their research, as well as accompany Dr. Berens and the Case Advisers to international conferences on evidence-based instruction and learning science.
Instructors
Our Instructors are senior undergraduate psychology or education students or graduates of psychology or education programs. Instructors are highly supervised by Dr. Berens, and they are responsible for implementing instructional programming in a manner that strictly adheres to to her recommendations. Although Instructors are given flexibility with respect to the rapport they develop with students during sessions, all specific instructional parameters are followed according to Dr. Berens' specifications. Due to the fact that many of our methods and curriculum have been developed by Dr. Berens and others affiliated with our center, our Instructors must complete a 60 hour training course and pass two formal performance evaluations at exemplary levels of proficiency prior to serving as Instructors. The training course involves an extensive classroom-based training course led by Dr. Berens, along with a lengthy clinical training period where Trainees observe, and are eventually shadowed by, Case Advisers working with students. Trainees must achieve proficiency on two formal performance evaluations conducted by Dr. Berens prior to serving as Instructors. In other words, the Trainee must meet a published standard for Precision Teachers with respect to their instructional fluency. Only when Dr. Berens approves their performance as exemplary are Trainees eligible for promotion to Instructor status.