School Psychologist

Geary County USD 475

Job Description

Classification:                        Certified

Division/Department:             Elementary/Secondary

Job Category:                        Special Education

FLSA:                                     Exempt

Title:                                       School Psychologist

Qualifications:                        Must possess a Specialist degree and be eligible for a Kansas License as a school psychologist.

Reports To:                             Executive Director of Special Education

BASIC PURPOSE

School Psychologists support students’ learning, social development, and mental/behavioral health using problem solving, assessment, data-based decision-making, and the delivery of evidenced-based interventions. School Psychologists collaborate and consult with educators, families, and other professionals to help create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments for all students.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

            The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.        

            The employee performing the duties of this position is frequently required to walk, sit, talk, hear, bend, stoop, and reach.  The employee may be occasionally required to manually lift, move, or carry up to 50 pounds.  The employee is required to interact with staff and meet the demands of several different people.  The employee is responsible for the work output of others.  The employee occasionally works extended hours.  Vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

CRITICAL SKILLS

1. Ability to maintain regular and good work attendance and come to work on time.
2. Ability to work constructively and cooperatively with others.
3. Ability to respond to information requests in a courteous, timely and helpful manner.
4. Ability to manage job responsibilities while meeting established deadlines.
5. Ability to access, input, and retrieves information from a computer.
6. Ability to maintain confidentiality of student and staff information.

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS:

School psychologists provide a comprehensive range of services as described in the current standards from the National Association of School Psychologists. The school psychologist functions as part of the district’s Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) team(s). The services provided should reflect the specific needs of the students, families, and schools served and address the following non-exhaustive list of duties, responsibilities, and expectations:

1.     Utilizes varied models and methods of assessment and data collection for identifying strengths and needs of individual students and the broader school community, developing effective services and programs, and measuring progress and outcomes.

2.     Serves as a member of the interdisciplinary assessment team assigned to each school and works as a team member in making placement decisions, developing intervention plans, and planning programs to meet the special needs of students.

3.     The school psychologist, within the interdisciplinary team, completes comprehensive evaluations for initial evaluations to determine eligibility for special education services and re-evaluations to determine continued eligibility. Evaluations include gathering background information on the student’s psychological and educational history, conducting behavioral observations, conducting interviews, administering age-appropriate assessment methods and materials, interpreting assessment results, compiling comprehensive psychological evaluation reports, and maintaining monthly service logs.

4.     Communicates evaluation data and recommendations to teachers, parents, and other school personnel as needed, participates in eligibility meetings, and contributes to the development of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

5.     Consults and collaborates with colleagues, students, families, and other stakeholders to promote effective implementation of services.

6.     Serves as a liaison between the student, home, school, mental health facilities, and community resources to enhance academic and social-behavioral outcomes for children.

7.     Provides information on intervention and instructional supports to develop academic skills, socialization, learning, and mental and behavioral health.

8.     Develops and implements practices and strategies to create and maintain effective and supportive learning environments for children and others.

9.     Participates in preventive and responsive services to promote safety and well-being through implementing effective crisis preparation, response, and recovery practices.

10.  Implements services that respond to culture and context and facilitate family and school partnerships and interactions with community agencies for enhancement of academic and social-behavioral outcomes for children.

11.  Provides effective professional services that promote effective functioning for individuals, families, and schools with diverse characteristics, cultures, and backgrounds.

12.  Evaluates and applies research as a foundation for service delivery, maintains knowledge of current assessment methods and keeps abreast of developments and research in the field of school psychology.

13.  Provides services consistent with ethical, legal, and professional standards and engages in responsive ethical and professional decision-making.

14.  Maintains billing and service logs in a timely consistent manner.

15.  Additional duties as assigned by the Executive Director of Special Education.

Term of Employment:                 Teacher contract days + 5 days per diem

Salary Range:                              Commensurate with qualifications and experience

Evaluation Frequency:               Job performance will be evaluated in accordance with

                                                      State regulations and terms established in the negotiated Agreement.

Notice of Nondiscrimination

Geary County USD #475 does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and/or activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. For questions or complaints based on race, color, national origin, sex or age, please contact the USD 475 Director of Personnel Services, 123 N. Eisenhower, Junction City, KS 66441. Telephone: 785.717.4000. For questions or complaints based on disability, please contact the USD 475 Director of Special Education, 123 N. Eisenhower, Junction City, KS 66441. Telephone: 785.717.4000.

Geary County USD 475

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