Job Goal:

To assist students who have learning problems, adjustment problems, or other special needs by providing services to students, parents, teachers, and other school personnel. Serves as a member of the Pupil Appraisal Multi-Disciplinary Team to assist with the identification of students who have academic, behavioral, communication challenges, or other special needs which are adversely impacting educational performance and to make recommendations for supports and services needed to assist teachers and parents of the students in providing appropriate special education services.

Qualifications (minimum education, licensure, skills, and/or experience):

• Master’s degree from an accredited university in Psychology.
• State Certification requirements set forth in Bulletin 746 of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
• Valid certificate from the Louisiana State Department of Education to practice as a school psychologist.
• Expertise in administering and interpreting diagnostic techniques to be used with all types of exceptional children.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Administer standardized and/or supplemental non-discriminatory, individual assessments for the purpose of measuring the intellectual, adaptive, academic, social, and emotional development of children and/or determining eligibility for services in compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Interpret assessment findings and make recommendations to parent(s) or guardian(s), school personnel, and other agencies involved. Complete a multidisciplinary evaluation report, schedule and conduct a determination of eligibility meeting with necessary personnel and parents. Disseminate the report to the parent(s) and the school.
• Assist in writing Individualized Education Plans for all initial plans and others whenever appropriate. Participate in IEP conferences.
• Assist with placement decisions for all initial placements of students in special education and others whenever appropriate.
• Provide on-site assistance and consultation as part of the School Building Level Committee (SBLC) Process.
• Visit classrooms to monitor and support teacher implementation of specialized instructional and/or behavioral strategies, accommodations, and modifications designed to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
• Conduct assessments of cognitive, emotional, and social functioning, including self-concept, for students suspected of the exceptionality of Emotional Disturbance
• Use all available resources (staff, administrators, parents, medical records, outside evaluations, etc.) to devise and/or assist with intervention plans for referred child/student.
• Assist in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies (PBIS) for all regular education and special education students. Serve as a member of the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support Team/Response to Intervention (RTI) Behavior Support Team
• Conduct screening for all students suspected of having Autism. Conduct comprehensive psychological assessments for students with Autism.
• Conduct direct, systematic observations of student behaviors across multiple settings (recess, PE, lunch, academic classes, etc.) to assist with identifying areas of strength and/or weakness, identifying functions of behavior, developing interventions, making eligibility determinations, and other considerations of the multidisciplinary evaluation team
• Conduct Functional Behavioral Assessments and develop Behavior Intervention Plans for students with disabilities and assist with this process for all students referred to the School Building Level Committee who are exhibiting behaviors that are negatively affecting academic performance.
• Document the implementation of evaluation procedures in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and policies.
• Provide consultation regarding federal, state, and local regulations and policies (e.g., Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, etc.)
• Review and interpret out-of-state evaluations for Bulletin 1508 compliance.
• Conduct special education Manifestation Determination Reviews and develop plans of action for students with behavior concerns.
• Provide crisis intervention, counseling services, and the coordination of provided services from various support agencies.
• Keep all personally identifiable information for the student and the family confidential, as well as contents of the case.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

 Physical Demands:

• Sedentary: Exerts up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently; involves sitting most of the time.

 Terms of Employment: 10 month (1.11 index)

Evaluation: Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with provisions of the Board's policy on Evaluation of Professional Personnel (Bulletin 130).