School Psychologist

Education

A minimum of a Master's Degree in School Psychology; however, Specialist or Doctoral level training is preferred.

Certification or Licensure

In Georgia, there are three levels of certification in School Psychology: Psychometrist (Masters), Associate School Psychologist (Specialist), and School Psychologist (Doctorate).

Skills

• Highly knowledgeable regarding test administration and interpretation
• Child and adolescent development
• Learning, Response to Intervention (RtI), Positive Behavioral Supports
• Consultation

Work Experience

One year or more of experience beyond the Internship is preferred. Must complete a training program that includes a 1200-hour internship and emphasizes preparation in data-based decision-making, consultation and collaboration, effective instruction, child development, student diversity and development, school organization, prevention, intervention, mental health, learning styles, behavior, research, and program evaluation.

Primary Duty

This position is responsible for assisting children and youth to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally by collaborating with educators, parents, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments for all students that strengthen connections between home and school.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Serve as a consultant on SST/RTI committees, providing intervention strategies (school and home), and data collection methods, and assisting with evaluating the effectiveness of the interventions implemented.
• Provide direct support to classroom teachers by assisting in the use of Universal Screeners, benchmarks, baseline data, CBA/CBM results, state-mandated assessments, and other measures to determine individual needs of students as well as assist in monitoring schools’ attainment of AYP objectives.
• Conduct screenings and comprehensive psycho-educational evaluations to determine ability levels, academic achievement, social-emotional/behavioral issues, learning styles, adaptive behavior, visual-motor development, etc. to assist in designing interventions for the classroom/home and/or special education.
• Provide timely crisis intervention support to students, faculty, and administrators.
• Conduct classroom observations to assist in monitoring interventions, and collecting/analyzing data to assist in determining effectiveness and/or need for higher levels of interventions (Pyramid of Interventions).
• Collaborate with Special Education by participating in eligibility/staffing meetings and redetermination meetings to present findings of psycho-educational evaluations, assist in determining needs; assist in developing academic/behavioral/emotional interventions.
• Serve as a liaison/referral source for students to community agencies that assist children and families, with the consent of the child’s family.
• Serve on departmental, school, and system-wide steering committees as needed.
• Participate in organizing, planning, and implementing professional learning activities for teachers and other school personnel/parents that will improve learning, social skills, and personal adjustment in all children and adolescents.
• Update knowledge and skills and continue to grow professionally through reading relevant research, attending local and/or national conferences, participating in in-service/professional learning activities, etc.
• Become familiar with and stay abreast of the laws regarding special education and the Georgia Rules and Regulations, etc.
• Provide individual and/or group counseling in conjunction with guidance counselors, teacher requests and parents.
• Design and consult on individualized instructional interventions using diagnostic teaching to determine the need for more intensive support.
• Provide leadership and assistance to facilitate differentiated instruction and ensure that interventions are delivered with integrity at the appropriate level of intensity, and of adequate duration.
• Orchestrate progress monitoring, data plotting, and evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions; design modifications to ineffective interventions; utilize targeted diagnostic assessment tools to aid in intervention development and improve educational outcomes.
• Must professionally conduct self, be knowledgeable of and follow codes of ethics of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and/or the American Psychological Association (APA).

Special Requirements

• Must be able to work cooperatively with other Psychological Services staff as well as schools, parents, students, and the community.