The Orchard Farm School District is seeking a School Psychologist or Psych Examiner to join our team for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year. 

The School Psychologist will complete psychoeducational special education, gifted, and early childhood evaluations of students; assists with the facilitation of special education process including referrals, review of existing data and eligibility determination meetings; provide expertise for Response to Intervention, and write evaluation reports, meeting both the criteria and timelines established by DESE. Plans, organizes, coordinates, and implements the assessment of students to determine eligibility for special education services.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

An individual who holds this position is required to:

• Assists with the implementation of section 200 of Standards and Indicators- The Special Education Process in regard to referral, eligibility, and identification of students.
• Ensure all evaluation timelines associated with initial referrals, evaluation, and eligibility determinations are in accordance with IDEA guidelines.
• Facilitate the implementation of RTI, along with teachers, counselors, administrators, reading teachers, and the district process coordinator.
• Participates as a team member in the multidisciplinary evaluation process.
• Acts as a consultant in district staff, building level teams, and parents regarding academic/behavioral interventions for at-risk students, using data-driven decision-making.
• Completes functional behavior assessments and other structured clinical tasks as assigned by supervisor.
• Administers diagnostic tests and procedures to determine students’ cognitive ability, processing strengths and weaknesses, adaptive behavior development, academic achievement levels and emotional/behavioral functioning.
• Schedules/attends meetings (RED) with staff and parents to review existing data and to obtain pertinent background information, review school concerns, explain procedural safeguards and secure permission to evaluate.
• Reviews student files and data-gathering packets, and collects pertinent data from physicians, mental health professional and outside agencies.
• Chairs eligibility conferences and reports assessment results and recommendations to parents, students, teacher, counselors, and other interested and/or entitled parties.
• Ensures that eligibility decisions are made in compliance with DESE criteria and best professional practice.
• Maintains case records by preparing, editing, and proofing the final assessment report in a timely manner in accordance with state and federal guidelines.
• Coordinates with staff, as requested, to provide input on appropriate goals and objectives for individual students and to help make determinations about reevaluation issues.
• Consults with colleagues, supervisors, and other professionals regarding the special education and general education needs of individual students.
• Attends local/regional/national conferences and workshops, in-service trainings, staff developments, and maintains certification and licensure.
• Assists with in-service trainings of colleagues and orientation of new staff. Acts as a mentor or practicum/intern supervisor as directed by supervisor.
• Maintains current assessment instruments by ordering updated test kits when those are released, ordering protocols and other test supplies, ordering scoring software, and destroying outdated materials.
• Performs other tasks as assigned by direct supervisor to support the mission and vision of the Orchard Farm School District.

Compliance Responsibilities

• Federal, state, and local policies, laws, regulations, standards, and procedures pertaining to the position’s performance responsibilities
• Specific handicapping conditions, appropriate educational interventions, and regular education programs
• Planning, problem-solving, organizing, communicating and collaborating in order to satisfy job responsibilities and establish and maintain positive interpersonal relationships
• Extensive experience in student assessment and interpretation
• Excellent oral and written communication
• Computer/word processing skills

Qualifications

Education

Prior diagnostic experience required (special education preferred).  Education Specialist in School Psychology or other applicable qualifications.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

Missouri School Psychologist certification, School Psych Examiner or eligibility for certification

Complete CPI certification (training provided by district)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

An individual who holds this position must have the ability to:

Language

• Read and comprehend complex written material such as standards and indicators, test manuals, instructions, and statistical analyses
• Write statistically and grammatically correct evaluation reports and other correspondence
• Communicate one-on-one and in small groups 

Computation

• Add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, decimals, and percentages
• Compute, understand, and interpret quantitative statistical analyses

Reasoning

• Apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Gather and interpret facts
• Use data to solve problems

Technology

• Proficient in Microsoft Office
• Proficient in the district’s Student Information System
• Proficient in the use of scoring software associated with standardized assessments

Other Skills and Abilities

• Must communicate appropriately with students, staff, and parents
• Must work closely with other school personnel to ensure appropriate services for students