Green Hills Area Education Agency Certified Job Description. Regional Administrator, Director of Special Education

Transcription

1 Green Hills Area Education Agency Certified Job Description Position Title: Assignment Level: Direct Supervisor: Qualifications: General Responsibilities: Certified Professional Regional Administrator, Director of Special Education 1. Must have a minimum of a Master s Degree (60-hour program) with emphasis in education/school psychology. 2. A valid Iowa Certificate from the Department of Education with endorsement to serve as a school psychologist in Iowa is required. 3. Possess the ability to communicate effectively with teachers, administrators, support personnel, parents, and professionals from other community agencies. Essential Functions: School psychologists empower educators and parents through collaborative decision-making. Psychologists work with colleagues to focus resources and interventions on the educational concerns in order to improve educational outcomes for all students. Psychologists help schools and communities merge their diverse backgrounds and perspectives to create learning environments that increase student success. Psychologists, based on the behaviors of concerns, draw from a variety of assessment techniques to adequately evaluate a student and the conditions affecting that student, then work collaboratively to develop effective interventions and assist in the development of valid means to monitor progress. School psychologists emphasize a problem-solving orientation toward the provision of direct and indirect services to resolve identified concerns. The problem-solving perspective benefits children through an array of services provided by school psychologists. Direct services may include individual and group skills training, and crisis intervention. Indirect services may include consultation with parents and educators, functional assessment, evaluation of programs and learner outcomes, and staff development. The expected outcome of these services is the enhanced functioning of children and the increased application of psychological principles to education by parents, teachers, and other professionals. Specific Responsibilities: School psychologists carry out service functions that benefit learners, parents and educators, and professional functions that support the school psychology discipline. For each function there are statements of specific activities performed by school psychologists and outcome statements that describe effects of professional actions. It is anticipated that within any given school psychological service unit, the skills necessary to carry out all listed activities would be available.

2 Page 2 Psychologists try to use a unified approach to service provision by combining consultation, assessment, intervention, and progress monitoring to problem-solving efforts. Service Functions: I. Essential Functions A. INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION,COLLABORATION, AND CONSULTATION School psychologists utilize collaborative consultation procedures with educators and parents to (a) define problems and link assessments to intervention activities; (b) improve educator and parent understanding and implementation of interventions, (c) modify the educational system, and (d) share knowledge through conducting in-service/staff development activities. Assessment activities are guided by needs identified through the consultation resulting in tailored assessments unique to the student, family or system needs. Increased skills and understanding result for the consultee as educational approaches are modified. System-wide adaptations positively impact on students, teachers, families and others related to the educational community. Recipients of training by school psychologists display greater skills leading to the improvement of student performance and system functioning. Improved cooperation and collaboration between professionals and parents occur. B. DATA-BASED DECISION-MAKING AND ACCOUNTABILITY Assessment for Intervention: school psychologists provide assessments that are (a) relevant to the presenting concern, (b) meaningful within an educational context or at home, and (c) intervention oriented. Assessment for Intervention Assessment activities are designed to answer specified questions about the factors influencing the behaviors or concern. Performance Monitoring: School psychologists provide support and ongoing monitoring of student progress toward measurable goals.

3 Page 3 Performance Monitoring When goals are attained, student needs are reviewed and services are adjusted or concluded as appropriate. Better understanding of students need produce focused intervention efforts which result in successful change in student performance. C. INTERVENTIONS School psychologists assist clients through developing tailored interventions to improve or resolve the client s problem. Intervention may focus on the student, family or educational system. Students show measurable improvement in the problem area when interventions are well designed and carried out as planned. Interventions should include: (a) definition of the problem, (b) direct measure of the behavior, (c) systematic intervention plans, (d) measurable goals, and (e) means of monitoring the client s improvement across time and settings. D. SOCIALIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF LIFE COMPETENCIES School psychologists provide direct services when appropriate to the client s needs and the professional s training. Counseling may be provided to individuals or groups. Improvement of students functioning is the primary measure of success. Some examples are improved understanding of oneself and others, development and use of relaxation techniques to decrease stress, assertiveness skills to increase the effectiveness of personal responses, development of new knowledge such as study skill strategies, or other behaviors. E. HOME/SCHOOL/COMMUNITY COLLABORATION School psychologists collaborate with professionals in other disciplines (e.g. teachers, mental health specialists, DHS personnel, AEA support staff) to improve client services. School psychologists work cooperatively and collaboratively with other professionals.

4 Page 4 Improved consistency in services across agencies, development of cohesive plans and improvement in communication is achieved. Duplications in services are reduced. Client services are improved and conflict between groups is reduced. F. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT School psychologists provide for their continuing professional development through independent reading, training opportunities and active participation in statewide networks to improve and enhance professional knowledge and skills. School psychologists will have increased knowledge of recent issues (e.g. school improvement, family system interventions, organizational change) and awareness of new developments with established concepts (e.g. counseling techniques, working with parents, intervention strategies). School psychologists will be better able to develop interventions with special populations. School psychologists will continue to supply relevant services to the consumer. G. LEGAL, ETHICAL PRACTICE School psychologists are knowledgeable about, and act in concern with legal requirements and ethical codes of their profession. The rights of individuals are preserved and interventions are matched with needs. H. General attendance is required II. Non-Essential Functions: I. RESEARCH AND PROGRAM EVALUATION School psychologists use research in their school practice by (a) reading research literature, (b) distributing and synthesizing research findings, and (c) conducting research related to applied problems, including program evaluation. Page 5

5 Research data is used for guiding interventions with individuals, groups, or systems, for programming decisions, and for establishing policy and decision-making frameworks for educational agencies. J. PUBLIC AWARENESS School psychologists engage in public awareness activities to assist consumers in understanding the services and outcomes of the profession. Increased use and recognition of psychological services will occur within the educational and general community K. OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED School psychologists cooperatively work with other professionals and supervisors in completing other duties assigned. Promote the attainment of AEA goals and increase skills to work more effectively as a school psychologist in the AEA. Physical Requirements: 1. Ability to travel to serve itinerant case load 2. Ability to administer standardized testing Provisions of Employment: Conditions of Employment: The period of employment shall be for the number of days as specified by the adopted calendar with an understanding that additional days may be negotiated as determined by need. The shall be under contract with the Green Hills Area Education Agency Board of Directors and shall abide within and benefit from all directives, procedures, and policies developed by the Chief Administrator, the Director of Special Education, and the Regional Administrator. jobcert\psych 3/10