School Psychologist

Department: Special Education

Reports To: Special Education Supervisor

Summary:

The School Psychologists are involved in the ongoing refinement and evolution of the MTSS and RTI models. They serve a number of important roles in using MTSS and RTI to provide leadership/support at district and team levels, as well as address individual student needs. To meet the needs of all students, school psychologists work with school districts to intervene early and provide appropriate interventions and supports to prevent learning and behavior problems from becoming larger issues.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The School Psychologist shall have duties and responsibilities at the ESD and local district level which include, but are not limited to the following:

Identify and analyze existing literature on problem solving and MTSS and RTI in order to determine relevant and effective approaches for the ESD and local school districts.
Work with ESD and local administration to identify important stakeholders and key leaders to facilitate system change..
Collaborate with ESD and local districts to determine evidence-based procedures that best fit needs and resources.
Plan, conduct, and support staff training as identified & directed by administration.
Implement and evaluate pilot projects.
Engage in ongoing communication and consultation with administration, school board, teachers, and parents regarding school wide systems of support, continuous school improvement, student intervention and the special education process.
Identify systemic patterns of the student needs (e.g. persistent difficulty at a building, grade level or within a content area) and work with districts to identify appropriate, evidence-based intervention strategies.
Complete Medicaid billing and documentation as required.
Presence on the job is an employee’s fundamental obligation. Regular, reliable and punctual attendance is required.
Remain free of any alcohol or non prescribed controlled substance abuse in the workplace through their employment in the district.
Perform other duties as assigned.

School Team Services:

Engage in ongoing consultation regarding MTSS and RTI implementation issues.
Collaborate in the development of team procedures (e.g., develop procedures for referral, monitor and evaluate each tier; develop specific procedures for measuring multi-tiered systems of support and response to intervention; etc)Participate as members of Grade Level, Child Study, School Improvement and other meetings related to student and systems outcomes.
Encourage schools to ensure that parent input is integrated into each tier of intervention and the subsequent evaluation.
Serve as liaisons to community providers and agencies.
Collaborate with team members involved in data collection and analysis as well the synthesis of progress monitoring data with other evaluation information should be considered as part of the process.

Individual Student Services:

Consult with teachers and parents regarding early intervention activities in the classroom and at home. School Psychologists may spend more time and effort at this stage since MTSS and RTI emphasize early intervention.
Demonstrate progress-monitoring strategies as part of individual student intervention plans and assist staff in interpreting data as part of ongoing decision-making.
Observe students in the instructional environment in order to help identify appropriate instructional strategies and progress monitoring procedures.
Conduct individual evaluations in order to inform the best possible instructional practice for a student. Assessments should determine the relative impact of pertinent cognitive, academic and behavioral factors. The assessment should be comprehensive enough for the team to address relevant characteristics of specific disabilities and to address if environmental, language, or other exclusionary factors can be ruled out as a primary factor for the student’s lack of academic progress.
Facilitate REED meetings, participate in MET, IEP, MDR meetings to assist with planning for student intervention and educational programming.

Essential Functions:

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 School Psychologist must be able to do the following:

May be required to grasp, push, reach, or stoop/kneel/crouch.
Acute vision required or correction including close vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
May occasionally be required to lift up to 20 pounds, rarely up to 50 pounds.
Ability to drive vehicle to and from local district.
Must be able to have repetitive wrist/hand/finger movements to work on computer and/or related office.

Qualifications:

Must possess a Master’s degree in School Psychology or its equivalent and a Michigan School Psychologist Certificate
Experience with Autism Spectrum Disorder preferred
Completion of a minimum of 45-graduate semester hours in school psychology or related areas, in addition to an internship.
Completion of 1200 hour internship as part of MDE school psychologist certificate requirements.
Must possess and maintain a valid Michigan Driver’s License.
Must have the ability to communicate effectively.
Must have own transportation to and from assignments.
Must have the ability to pass a criminal history check.

Salary Range: The salary will be commensurate with education and demonstrated experience of the successful candidate to fulfill the requirements of the position as determined by administration.

Application Process: Qualified applicants should apply online at www.amaesd.org.

Posted: June 17, 2024

Posting Expires: When position is filled

Notice of Non-discrimination: It is the policy of the Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Educational Service District that no discriminating practices based on race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation or sexual identity), disability, age, religion, height, weight, marital or family status, military status, ancestry, genetic information or any other legally protected category be allowed during any program activity, service or in employment.

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