ORANGE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT       CLASSIFICATION SPECIFICATION

Orange, California                             

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST

DEFINITION

Primary responsibility is to comply with federal, state and local regulations including civil rights legislation relating to special education including assessment and program eligibility.   Evaluates the needs of average, gifted, disabled and maladjusted children in an educational setting; performs psychoeducational assessments to determine appropriate programs and instructional processes to enable students to achieve maximum achievement and adjustment; assists students in understanding and seeking solutions to social, emotional or academic problems and issues; serves as a resource pertaining to student behavior management and learning strategies, and welfare and attendance problems and concerns;  and does other related functions as directed.   This position is directly responsible to the Coordinator, Psychological Services.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This position classification requires subject matter expertise in psychological assessment and guidance processes.   Assessment and psychological counseling is required to perform problem analysis and arriving at alternative solutions to student academic, psychological and emotional problems.  The position classification makes judgments and decisions of considerable consequence.  The functional role of this position classification requires the application of a variety of assessment protocols and interpretation of data, facts, procedures and policies pertaining to student educational programming and psychological adjustments.  The incumbents meet frequently with school administrators, teachers, other educational staff and parents to communicate information, data and alternative problem solutions.  This is a position classification and performs light work that involves sitting a portion of the time, may require lifting, up to fifty (50) pounds, and walking and standing for extended periods.   This position requires accurate perceiving of sound, near and far vision, depth perception, handling and working with educational and psychological materials and providing highly technical oral and written information.

Reasonable accommodation maybe made to enable a person with a disability to perform the essential functions of the job.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Consultation:

• Explores means by which parents and the school may work together to more effectively assist the child.

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST (Continued) Page 2

• Serves as a member of student study teams and collaborates with other team members in developing informal modification and/or suggesting possible resources for students with special needs; develops assessment plans as needed.
• Consults and confers with instructional and administrative personnel in the development and implementation of instructional methods and procedures designed to facilitate learning and to overcome learning and behavioral disorders.
• Consults with parents to further their understanding of the learning and emotional adjustment processes pertaining to their child.
• Serves as an active member of the Individualized Educational Planning (IEP) team; explains assessment results; writes eligibility statement; assists in developing goals and objectives for the IEP; and monitors student progress in meeting objectives.
• Consults with regular education teachers and administrators regarding writing and implementing modification plans for Section 504 eligible students.

Assessment

• Performs a variety of individual psychoeducational assessments and diagnoses of learning, emotional and behavioral disabilities as required for initial placement in Special Education programs.
• Completes psychoeducational reevaluations of Special Education students as required by law.
• Evaluates limited English proficient (LEP) and Non-English proficient (NEP) students for learning, emotional and behavioral disabilities, giving consideration to diverse cultural backgrounds, using fluent, trained interpreters in the student’s primary language.
• Gathers data through observation, parent/teacher interviews and behavior rating scales to evaluate Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders and other disabilities and assess the impact on learning to determine eligibility pursuant to Section 504.
• Completes Functional Analysis Assessment and prepares Behavior Intervention Plans for individual students who have severe behavior problems which significantly interfere with implementation of the goals and objectives of the IEP.
• Compiles evaluation results from assessment team members and writes psycho educational reports.
• Prepares recommendations pertaining to student remediation, special education placement eligibility and social/emotional and behavioral interventions.

Counseling

• Acts as a member of the crisis team which responds to personal, school and community crises with intervention and debriefing techniques for students, parents and staff.
• Intervenes with students who contemplate or threaten suicide or homicide to assess the degree of risk and respond accordingly.

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST (Continued) Page 3

• Counsels students individually using a variety of data gathering and therapy techniques.

Community Services

• Makes referrals and serves as a liaison to the Orange County Department of Behavioral Health.

Program Planning

• Assists in identifying school psychological service needs and appropriately utilizes outside agencies based upon identified student needs.
• Plans and presents, as requested, a variety of management related reports pertaining to school psychological service functions and activities.

Professional Development

• Participates in staff and/or District meetings as required.

OTHER DUTIES

• Counsels students in small groups using a variety of data gathering and therapy techniques.
• Provides parenting classes and parent education programs concerned with child rearing and development and other school related topics.
• Serves as a resource to school site and district personnel, members of the community and parents concerning youth services and juvenile agencies.
• Expedites referrals to other specialists or to appropriate community counseling agencies based upon identified student needs.
• Pursues evaluation and research activities to determine effectiveness of the school psychological services program.
• Participates in the development and evaluation of school and district programs.
• Actively participates with planning, implementation, presenting and evaluation of professional development and inservice programs for regular and special education teachers.
• Maintains personal professional competence through inservice education activities provided by the district and/or professional growth activities and university courses.

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST (Continued) Page 4

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

Principles, methods, techniques, strategies and trends in cognitive educational, sensory, social/emotional adjustment assessment functions:

• Federal, state and local regulations including Civil Rights legislation relating to regular education, special education testing, confidentiality, school records, attendance, program eligibility and suspension/expulsion;
• Applicable and appropriate psychological and achievement appraisal instruments, techniques and procedures;
• Social service and youth service agencies in the local and greater metropolitan area;
• Developmental, social/emotional and behavioral characteristics of pre-school and school age students;
• Cultural diversity of the students in the district;
• Evaluation and research techniques, strategies and procedures;
• Curriculum and instruction programs proven to be beneficial to students with special learning needs;
• Computer programs applicable to assessment;
• Code of Ethics of CASP and NASP.

Ability to:

• Effectively and efficiently assess students and aid them in analyzing and developing alternative solutions to behavioral, educational, social and emotional needs;
• Interact with site and district personnel, parents, social service and youth service agencies to resolve student problems and concerns;
• Effectively deal with site and District personnel, parents, social service and youth service agencies in resolving student problems and concerns;
• Effectively participate in the planning and implementation of individual educational plans;
• Communicate effectively in oral and written form, ensuring understandable and thorough communication;
• Understand and carry out oral and written directions with Minimal accountability controls;
• Establish and maintain effective organizational, public and community relationships;
• Work positively and effectively with other staff;
• Operate computer and computer programs.

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST (Continued) Page 5

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and skill is qualifying.   A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and skill would be:

Experience:   Completion of school psychology and counseling field work; classroom teaching or counseling at the elementary or secondary school level is desirable.

Education :      Master of Arts plus 30 units or a higher degree in psychology, counseling and guidance, or a closely related field.

Bilingual skills desirable.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Certification: Possession of a valid California credential authorizing service as a School Psychologist.

License: Licensed Educational Psychologist, Marriage Family Child Counseling license and/or Clinical Psychologist license preferred.

Possession of a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator’s License.

Condition of Employment:  Insurability by the District’s liability insurance carrier; good work history and attendance.

Salary:  Appropriate placement on Psychologist Salary Schedule.

Work Year:   200 days of service annually.

12/95