REDWOOD CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Redwood City, California

PSYCHOLOGIST

Under the general direction of the Director of Special Education and the administration leadership of the site administrator while performing services at the school site, provides psychological services to schools including testing, counseling, and consulting to assist them in meeting the educational needs of pupils.

Example of Duties

Conducts psycho-educational evaluations, when requested by school personnel, parents, or agencies, including individual assessment of intellectual, achievement, personality factors, and perceptual and motor development, analysis of assessment information and completes diagnoses, recommendations, and when appropriate, verifies certification for special education programs.

Prepares a written evaluation including an Individual Educational Plan for parent and teacher conferencing, regarding results and recommendations; conducts psycho-educational evaluations, as described above, with students in private and parochial schools, when requested, evaluates pre-school children with special needs, and finds appropriate programs to meet those needs.

Identifies and legally certifies students for in-district and out-of-district special programs, i.e., learning disabled, severe behavior disordered, mentally handicapped, visually handicapped, hearing impaired or deaf, developmentally disabled, physically handicapped, autistic or severely emotionally disturbed, and for gifted programs.

Arranges out-of-district placement for students unable to be accommodated within the school district, including location of appropriate facilities, making applications, transferring information, and recommending financial arrangements.

Re-evaluates annually all students participating in special education programs, to determine continuing needs, and recommends appropriate placement, in conjunction with an Individual Education Planning Team, including the parent.

Confers with parents regarding evaluation results, learning potential, achievement levels, personality adjustment, and recommends ways of helping students including suggesting appropriate available resources.

Consults with agencies and other professionals including psychologists, physicians, psychiatrists, etc., regarding individual students when such consultation is needed and appropriate.

Participates in school-level Child Study Team meetings to consider students individually who have special problems and needs, including recommendations for exemptions, non-promotion, acceleration, and placement alternatives within the school.

Counsels, when appropriate, with individual students regarding test findings, academic problems, social or emotional problems and general educational/vocational goals; consults with teachers and other school personnel regarding classroom and playground behavior and adjustment of all students; serves as a consultant and liaison for special education programs at the school level, including program development, program evaluation and program adaptation.

Provides staff development inservice and parent education as needed and appropriate; provides direct, therapeutic contact, as needed and appropriate, with students and parents, to clarify problems and arrive at recommendations for remediation.

Acts as liaison between school district staff and other persons or agencies which influence student educational development: teachers, principals, outside therapists, medical doctors, parents, and agencies.

Provides other services and duties as needed and assigned.

Training and Experience: 

Valid credential authorizing service as a psychologist in the public schools of California

Bilingual - English/Spanish preferred

Prior experience as a school psychologist preferred

Knowledge: 

Advanced training and specialized in-depth knowledge in the areas of pupil personnel services concepts and procedures, dynamics of individual behavior, counseling theory and procedures, measurement theory and procedures, education and career planning, research methodology, remedial and special education, laws relating to children and youth, the organization and function of pupil personnel services in the schools; knowledge of community educational resources and related services available to students.

Abilities:

Ability to work harmoniously and effectively with students, parents, regular and special education teachers, administrative personnel, classified staff, and outside agencies and professional staff; skill as a psycho-educational diagnostician; ability to communicate effectively in written reports as well as in oral presentations and conferences.