Bryant School District
School Psychology Specialist

Department: Special Education

Job Status: Full Time
FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports To: Special Education Director or Assistant Special Education Director
Grade/Level: Certified

Amount of Travel Required: Varies
Job Type: Regular

Positions Supervised: None
Work Schedule: 190-day contract. Teachers are on-duty for 7 hrs., 40 minutes per day but may periodically be required to attend after-school or evening events as a normal expectation of their position.

POSITION SUMMARY
Investigate processes of learning and teaching and develop psychological principles and techniques applicable to educational problems.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Reasonable Accommodations Statement
To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Functions Statement(s)
• Compile and interpret students' test results, along with information from teachers and parents, to diagnose conditions, and to help assess eligibility for special services.
• Interpret test results and prepare psychological reports for teachers, administrators, and parents.
• Counsel children and families to help solve conflicts and problems in learning and adjustment.
• Provide consultation to parents, teachers, administrators, and others on topics such as learning styles and behavior modification techniques.
• Report any pertinent information to the proper authorities in cases of child endangerment, neglect, or abuse.
• Assess an individual child's needs, limitations, and potential, using observation, review of school records, and consultation with parents and school personnel.
• Collect and analyze data to evaluate the effectiveness of academic programs and other services, such as behavioral management systems.
• Develop individualized educational plans in collaboration with teachers and other staff members.

• Attend workshops, seminars, or professional meetings to remain informed of new developments in school psychology.
• Serve as a resource to help families and schools deal with crises, such as separation and loss.
• Collaborate with other educational professionals to develop teaching strategies and school programs.
• Refer students and their families to appropriate community agencies for medical, vocational, or social services.
• Initiate and direct efforts to foster tolerance, understanding, and appreciation of diversity in school communities.
• Design classes and programs to meet the needs of special students.
• Provide educational programs on topics such as classroom management, teaching strategies, or parenting skills.
• Conduct research to generate new knowledge that can be used to address learning and behavior issues.
• Demonstrate knowledge and skill in using psychological instruments to evaluate students.
• Demonstrate knowledge of child and adolescent development and psychopathology.
• Establish goals for the psychology program appropriate to the setting and the students served.
• Demonstrate knowledge of state and federal regulations and of resources both within and beyond the school and district.
• Plan the psychology program, integrated with the regular school program, to meet the needs of individual students and including prevention.
• Develop a plan to evaluate the psychology program.
• Establish a rapport with students.
• Establish a culture for positive mental health throughout the school.
• Establish and maintain clear procedures for referrals.
• Establish standards of conduct in the testing center.
• Respond to referrals, consulting with teachers and administrators.
• Evaluate student needs in compliance with National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) guidelines.
• Serve on evaluation team.
• Plan interventions to maximize students' likelihood of success.
• Maintain contact with physicians and community mental health service providers.
• Demonstrate flexibility and responsiveness.
• Reflect on practice and participate in professional development to enhance professional learning.
• Communicate with families.
• Maintain accurate records.
• Participate in a professional community.
• Maintain professionalism with all staff members.
• Report to the proper authorities any cases of suspected child endangerment, neglect, or abuse.
• Report suspected bullying to building principal or designee as required by Arkansas law and district policies.
• Adhere to all policies of the District.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Special Education Director or Assistant Special Education Director.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS
Competency Statement(s)
• Active Listening - Ability to actively attend to, convey, and understand the comments and questions of others.
• Analytical Skills - Ability to use thinking and reasoning to solve a problem.
• Applied Learning - Ability to participate in needed learning activities in a way that makes the most of the learning experience.
• Client Oriented - Ability to take care of the clients" needs while following district procedures.
• Communication, Oral - Ability to communicate effectively with others using the spoken word.
• Communication, Written - Ability to communicate in writing clearly and concisely.
• Detail Oriented - Ability to pay attention to the minute details of a project or task.
• Diversity Oriented - Ability to work effectively with people regardless of their age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or job type.
• Empathetic - Ability to appreciate and be sensitive to the feelings of others.
• Ethical - Ability to demonstrate conduct conforming to a set of values and accepted standards.
• Friendly - Ability to exhibit a cheerful demeanor toward others.
• Honesty / Integrity - Ability to be truthful and be seen as credible in the workplace.
• Initiative - Ability to make decisions or take actions to solve a problem or reach a goal.
• Interpersonal - Ability to get along well with a variety of personalities and individuals.
• Loyal - The trait of feeling a sense of duty to the employer.
• Judgment - The ability to formulate a sound decision using the available information.
• Organized - Possessing the trait of being organized or following a systematic method of performing a task.
• Patience - Ability to act calmly under stress and strain, and of not being hasty or impetuous.
• Regular attendance - Exhibiting regular attendance in order to perform duties in a satisfactory manner.
• Relationship Building - Ability to effectively build relationships with students, staff, and parents.
• Reliability - The trait of being dependable and trustworthy.
• Research Skills - Ability to design and conduct a systematic, objective, and critical investigation.
• Self-Motivated - Ability to be internally inspired to perform a task to the best of one's ability using his or her own drive or initiative.
• Responsible - Ability to be held accountable or answerable for one’s conduct.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

Education: Master's Degree Required, Field of Study: School Psychology Specialist

Experience: Prior experience as a School Psychology Specialist preferred.

Computer Skills: Shall be able to demonstrate an acceptable level of proficiency with computers and programs associated with the position.

Certifications & Licenses: Must have current Arkansas teaching license with appropriate certification for the position.

Other Requirements:

1. Successful completion of pre-employment background checks.
2. Appropriate personal and professional conduct at all times around students, staff, and the general public.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
Most work is performed in an indoor office environment. The sound level ranges from very quiet to moderate depending on the activities being conducted.

The Human Resources Department has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and basic duties have been included. It is intended to provide guidelines for job expectations and the employee's ability to perform the position described. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This document does not represent a contract of employment, and the Bryant School District reserves the right to change this job description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as the District may deem appropriate.

It is the policy of the Bryant School District not to discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, or disability in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices.