Duties
PURPOSE: School psychologists help students succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. They collaborate with educators, administrators, families, and other mental health professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments for all students and strengthen connections between home and school.
Qualifications
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES I. FOUNDATIONS OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY School Psychologist: Professional Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice • Practice in ways that meet all appropriate ethical, professional, and legal standards. • Understand and apply federal, state, and local policies and regulations in the delivery of school psychological services. • Maintain confidentiality of student records and information. • Use technology in ways that are consistent with ethical and responsible professional practice. Student Diversity in Development and Learning • Recognize issues of diversity that affect routine interactions with other people and organizations. • Modify or adapt routine practice to effectively meet these diverse needs. • Demonstrate sensitivity and skills needed to work with families, students, and staff from diverse cultures and backgrounds. 7 Information Technology • Establish and maintain expertise in using technology such as data management, report writing, web pages, literature reviews, and data analysis. • Use spreadsheets or other software programs to organize and graphically display data and monitor progress when appropriate for use at the system, building, and individual student level. Research and Program Evaluation • Evaluate and synthesize a cumulative body of research findings as a foundation for effective service delivery. • Collect, analyze, and interpret program evaluation data in applied settings. • Evaluate the effectiveness of school-based intervention plans. School Systems Organizational Change, Policy Development, and School Climate • Understand the organization of schools and systems change to provide leadership in developing and implementing early intervention and prevention programs. • Demonstrate knowledge and leadership when assisting in the development of school policy that impacts student learning and safety. • Demonstrate knowledge of school and classroom climates and use such knowledge to assist in developing school improvement plans and classroom interventions. II. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE COMPETENCIES School Psychologist: Home/School/Community Collaboration • Use empirically supported strategies to design, implement, and evaluate effective policies. • Employ practices that promote home, school, and community partnerships and enhance learning and mental health goals for students. • Identify diverse cultural issues, situations, and other factors that influence family, school, and community interactions and address such issues when developing and providing services. Enhancement of Student Wellness, Social Skills, and Life Competencies • Demonstrate knowledge regarding the social, affective, and adaptive domains of child development. • Identify and apply sound principles of behavior change within these domains to assist in designing and implementing prevention and intervention programs. 8 Enhancement of Student Cognitive and Academic Skills • Help schools develop challenging, but achievable, cognitive and academic goals for all students. • Collaborate with others to develop appropriate cognitive and academic goals for students with different abilities, disabilities, strengths, needs, and develop interventions to achieve these goals. • Implement appropriate and alternative ways to monitor and assess the effectiveness of interventions and individual student progress toward goals. • Assess students’ cognitive abilities using a variety of instruments and techniques that are appropriate for the individual student. Systems-Based Service Delivery • Provide leadership in developing a safe, caring, and inviting school with a sense of community where contributions of all persons are valued, where there are high expectations of excellence for all students, and where home-school-agency partnerships are valued. Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability • Demonstrate expertise in collecting, managing, and interpreting various types of individual and group data. • Apply sound principles of data-based decision making to all aspects of practice (e.g., designing interventions, monitoring student progress, consulting with school administrators, and disseminating intervention research findings within the school setting). Consultation and Collaboration • Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work, communicate, and collaborate effectively with teachers, other school staff, and families as part of a team within the school setting. • Ensure that students and families know about community services and programs and assist them in accessing these, as appropriate. Prevention, Early Intervention, and Crisis Management • Participate in planning and implementing prevention programs to address the social and affective needs of students (e.g., programs to address bullying, school violence, and school safety). • Have knowledge of universal screening, as well as early reading and math literacy. • Participate in designing prevention and intervention methods to address programs that influence student learning. 9 10 Group and Individual Counseling Techniques • Provide direct services to individuals or groups of students (e.g., counseling, crisis interventions, mentoring, and individual safety plans, when appropriate). • Consult and confer with teachers, staff, and families about strategies to facilitate the social and affective adjustment of students. Promoting Safe and Effective Learning Environments • Participate in planning and/or implementation of school or system-level crisis response. • Identify resources and coordinate services with other professionals and/or agencies to address students’ behavioral, affective, or social needs.
Additional Notes
School Psychologist REPORTS TO: Superintendent; Associate or Assistant Superintendent; Director; Exceptional Children’s Director; Building Level Administrator; Level II or Level III School Psychologists.