MERCED UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

JOB DESCRIPTION

 Psychologist

Primary Function:   

Provide direct psychological and assessment service to students and staff and serve as a consultant to school staff, parents, and community agency representatives.  Provide assistance in supervising all response to intervention programs including but not limited to special education under the direction of the Director of Student Support Services and in compliance with District, State and Federal requirements.

Supervision:    Reports to the Principal and Director of Student Support Services.

Requirements Necessary to Perform Typical Duties:       

Education:     ?  Graduate Degree in Psychology.

License:         ?  Valid Pupil Personnel Services:  School Psychology

Experience:    ?  One year experience as a school psychologist or related experience, including internship OR three years experience as a classroom teacher or school counselor, experience in the implementation and monitoring of a response to intervention system, and knowledge of special education law.

Highly Recommended:  Administrative Credential OR willing to obtain an administrative credential.

Specific Responsibilities:

1. Administer psychological examinations utilizing psychological testing devices to assist in:  diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of learning, behavior and emotional problems.
2. Confer with parents, teachers, school personnel, and other agencies regarding:  interpretations of psychological and other assessments, subsequent conclusions, and related recommendations, developing and monitoring behavior management programs, and providing other consulting service as required.
3. Write reports, referrals, notifications, and prepare other documents that are clear, grammatically correct, and understandable upon subsequent review.
4. Manage all aspects of testing and special education placement as required including but not limited to:  assisting in obtaining consent for testing and placement, follow-up on findings and recommendations of the Individual Education Plan team.
5. Conduct or participate in site committee meetings, student study team meetings, Section 504 Plan, Individual Education Program team meetings, meetings as needed by the special education staff and other meetings within the school and department assigned.
6. Facilitate cooperation among staff members and departments.  Work with teachers to define and improve the Special Education Curriculum, 9-12 based on a commitment to meeting the needs of special education students.
7. Provide individual and group counseling for pupils and parents who are experiencing learning, personal, behavioral, and emotional problems including substance abuse.
8. Keep informed on recent legislation, community services, and other resources relevant to helping individuals in the pupil personnel area.
9. Assist in supervision of faculty and staff members to provide the best possible environment for special education students.
10. Work with District personnel, both in regular and special education, to increase their understanding of referral procedures, special education eligibility criteria, placement criteria, monitoring of intervention plan and other areas as appropriate.
11. Work professionally and effectively with parents of handicapped students, observing their rights at all times.
12. Conduct professional activities in a manner which will encourage cooperation with and from other staff members in the District.
13. Work with site administrators on hiring and evaluating special education staff.
14. Assist in coordinating District policy with that of state and county special education systems.
15. Be responsible for the legal and fiscal considerations involved in special education funding.
16. Assist the Director in operating the department within budget guidelines.
17. Assist with the implementation of district policies and procedures related to the three-tier Response to Intervention and Instruction (RtI²) framework as a method of identifying students for strategic and intensive interventions.
18. Assist with providing resources and training in RtI²
19. Collaborate with site staff to integrate research-based interventions for academically and/or behaviorally at-risk students unresponsive to Tier 1 classroom instruction.
20. Work collaboratively with Educational Services to implement a RtI² assessment system, i.e., progress monitoring.
21. Assist in the use and distribution of progress monitoring data to determine the effectiveness of interventions.
22. Compiles and analyzes data related to student outcomes.
23. Consults with teachers regarding early intervention strategies that can be used in the classroom.
24. Observes students in the instructional environment to identify appropriate intervention strategies, to identify barriers to intervention and to collect RtI² data.

Specific Ability to:

1. Work effectively with students, parents, staff, and community members facing serious psychological problems.
2. Provide non-judgmental support and consultation for special education and regular education students.
3. Maintain appropriate confidentiality about the status of students, staff, school, and district activities.
4. Understand, implement, and give oral and written directions in English.
5. Work cooperatively with administration, other employees, and the public.
6. Contribute to the successful fulfillment of the District Strategic Plan.
7. Ability to evaluate programs and conduct on-going program monitoring
8. Conduct responsibilities of the position based on information and instructions provided in English.
9. Learn and appropriately apply district policies and procedures and other regulations related to the position.

10.  Operate calculator, computer and data entry terminal.

11.  Learn and apply current technology to assigned duties.

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to list a limited number of duties typically performed by a person holding the position cited above as well as certain requirements necessary to perform these duties.  It is not intended to be a complete list of duties nor requirements, but rather examples by which to select and compensate certificated personnel in a fair and reasonable manner.

 July 2011, March 2015