Job Title:              School Psychologist

Reports To:          Executive Director of Student Services     

FLSA Status:         Exempt

 

SUMMARY

 

To understand young people and provide them with services that will enhance their cognitive, social, and emotional development.  This professional promotes mental health in the school environment and assists in providing quality educational experience for all students.  The role of the school psychologist includes participation on multidisciplinary assessment teams, discipline teams and individualized educational program teams; completion of psycho-educational evaluation; consultations with parents, teachers, and administrators; facilitation of communication between professionals; participation in crisis intervention services; and child advocacy.  The school Psychologist plans and carries out programs to enable children to attain maximum achievement and adjustment by performing the following duties.

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

 

• Conducts diagnostic studies to identify child's needs, limitations, and potentials, observing child in classroom and at play, studying school records, consulting with parents and school personnel, and administering and interpreting diagnostic findings.

 

• Plans special placement or other treatment programs.

 

• Counsels pupils individually and in groups to assist pupils to achieve personal, social, and emotional adjustment.

 

• Carries out research to aid in introduction of programs in schools to meet current psychological, educational, and sociological needs of children.

 

• Advises teachers and other school personnel on methods to enhance school and classroom atmosphere to provide motivating educational environment.

 

• Refers individuals to community agencies to secure medical, vocational, or social services for child or family.

 

• Participates in planning of remedial classes and testing programs designed to meet needs of students.

 

• Serves as consultant to school board, superintendent, administrative committees, and parent teacher groups in matters involving psychological services within educational system or school.

 

• Administers individual psycho-diagnostic techniques for the assessment of intelligence, personality, aptitude, achievement and perception.

 

• Participates in legal appeals and hearings regarding students who have been evaluated psychologically or are in special education programs.

 

• Conducts short-term individual and/or group counseling whenever possible.

 

• Conducts in-service workshops or consultative conferences for school personnel on request or as needed.

 

• Interprets test results to parents and teachers.

 

 

QUALIFICATIONS

 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

 

Master's degree (M. A.) or equivalent; and four to ten years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

 

LANGUAGE SKILLS

 

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents.  Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community.  Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format.  Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.

 

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

 

Ability to apply advanced mathematical concepts such as exponents, logarithms, quadratic equations, and permutations.  Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis of variance, correlation techniques, sampling theory, and factor analysis.

 

REASONING ABILITY

 

Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems.  Ability to deal with nonverbal symbolism (formulas, scientific equations, graphs, musical notes, etc.,) in its most difficult phases.  Ability to deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables.

 

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

 

• Have a master's degree from an accredited college or university.

 

• Hold appropriate Virginia Department of Education certification.

 

 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

 

 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.

 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, sit, and talk or hear.  The employee is occasionally required to walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms.  The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and depth perception.

 

WORK ENVIRONMENT  The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

 

 

EVALUATION  Performance on this job will be evaluated in accordance with school board policy and administrative regulations on evaluation of  personnel.