School Psychologist

School Psychologist Position Description

Gallatin Madison Special Education Cooperative
 

JOB TITLE: School Psychologist

REPORTS TO: Special Education Director

SUMMARY: The itinerant School Psychologist is responsible for providing services to assigned member Districts of the Gallatin-Madison Special Education Cooperative in alignment with the mission and values of the Cooperative and their scope of practice. Primary function is related to the identification of students with disabilities under the IDEA and Montana rules and regulations. Those services include working collaboratively and effectively with the Cooperative staff, general education and resource teachers, principals, and other administrators, community agency representatives, and parents. 
 

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: 

Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability: Demonstrates knowledge of varied models and methods of assessment and data collection for identifying strengths and needs, developing effective services and programs, and measuring progress and outcomes. 

Consultation and Collaboration: Demonstrates knowledge of varied models and strategies of consultation, collaboration, and communication applicable to individuals, families, schools and systems, and methods to promote effective implementation of services.

Interventions and Instructional Support to Develop Academic Skills: Demonstrates knowledge of biological, cultural, and social influences on academic skills; human learning, cognitive, and developmental processes. Demonstrates knowledge of evidence-based curricula and instructional strategies. 

Interventions and Mental Health Services to Develop Social and Life Skills: Demonstrates knowledge of biological, cultural, developmental, and social influences on behavior and mental health, behavioral and emotional impacts on learning and life skills, and evidence-based strategies to promote social–emotional functioning, and mental and behavioral health.

School-Wide Practices to Promote Learning: Demonstrates knowledge of school and systems structure, organization, and theory; general and special education; technology resources; and evidence-based school practices that promote learning and mental and behavioral health. 

Preventive and Responsive Services: Demonstrates knowledge of principles and research related to resilience and risk factors in learning and mental health, services in schools and communities to support multi-tiered prevention, and evidence-based strategies for effective crisis response. 

Family–School Collaboration Services: Demonstrates knowledge of principles and research related to family systems, strengths, needs, and culture; evidence-based strategies to support family influences on children’s learning and mental and behavioral health; and strategies to develop collaboration between families and schools. 

Diversity in Development and Learning: Demonstrates knowledge of individual differences, abilities, disabilities, and other diverse student characteristics; principles and research related to diversity factors for children, families, and schools, including factors related to culture, context, and individual and role difference; and evidence-based strategies to enhance services and address potential influences related to diversity.

Research and Program Evaluation: Demonstrates knowledge of research design, statistics, measurement, varied data collection and analysis techniques, and program evaluation sufficient for understanding research and interpreting data in applied settings.

Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice: Demonstrates skills to provide services consistent with ethical, legal, and professional standards; engage in responsive ethical and professional decision-making; collaborate with other professionals; and apply professional work characteristics needed for effective practice as school psychologists, including respect for human diversity and social justice, communication skills, effective interpersonal skills, responsibility, adaptability, initiative, dependability, and technology skills.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each performance standard, or 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.  

Educational Preparation and Licensure:

Master’s degree in School Psychology and completed supervised internship 

Class VI School Psychologist Specialist Certification for Montana

Individuals eligible for Montana Class V endorsement will be considered and provided with on-site supervision for required clinical experience
 

Communication Skills: Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both in oral and written form. Communicate effectively orally. Interpersonal skills, which will foster positive relationships with students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Ability to read, analyze and interpret periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.  Ability to generate comprehensive professional reports that meet State and Federal compliance and Cooperative best practice expectations. Be able to explain the results and implications of a variety of assessments to parents, teachers, and administrators.

Mathematical Skills: Demonstrates knowledge of research design, statistics, measurement, varied data collection and analysis techniques, and program evaluation sufficient for understanding research and interpreting data in applied settings. Demonstrates ability to calculate and interpret percentiles; apply rules of statistical analysis; explain confidence intervals and standard deviations. Demonstrates understanding and is able to explain normative and summative information for the purpose of interpreting data, curriculum analysis  and evaluation results.

Reasoning Ability: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.  Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions.  Ability to apply knowledge of current research and theory in specific field. Attention to detail to meet compliance deadlines, and attention to prompt completion of assigned responsibilities. Plan work schedule to allow sufficient time for planning, report writing and record completion and travel. 

Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and occasionally walk or stand. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and the ability to adjust focus.  The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet but varies when visiting member district buildings or participating in meetings and professional development. The position requires meeting deadlines with severe time constraints, interacting with the public and staff, irregular or extended work hours and extensive travel.