Diagnostician (24-25)

NORTHWEST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

Job Title: Diagnostician (0143)

Reports to: Director of Special Education  

Dept. / Campus: Campus Assigned                                               

Wage/Hour Status: Non-Exempt    

Pay Grade: A25                                                                                                                                 

Duty Days: 202                                                                             

Date Revised: 02/2021           

Primary Purpose:  

Utilize leadership, advocacy, and collaborative approaches in working with special education department, school campus, parents and other professionals in the evaluation, identification, programming and implementation of services for students with disabilities, and to assist in the development of a comprehensive program which will enhance the student’s ability to derive full benefit from the educational program.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field
• Valid Texas Teacher Certificate
• Valid Diagnostician’s Certificate or Licensed Specialist in School Psychology
• Three years successful classroom experience
• Previous experience as Diagnostician preferred
• Ability to work with school and community populations
• Ability to utilize a variety of assessment instruments to assess disabilities as defined by IDEA
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and organizational skills
• Ability to collaborate with individuals from a variety of backgrounds including, but not limited to, parents, teachers, school administrators, and advocacy groups,

Major Responsibilities and Duties:

Planning and Oversight:

• Cooperate with local education agency, community and/or state programs to effect comprehensive services
• Work cooperatively with school personnel to accomplish goals and objectives of the local education agency
• Attend meetings, such as campus faculty meetings, special education meetings, ARD meetings, and parent conferences
• Recommend classroom interventions, consultation/collaboration and pull-out as appropriate to meet the student IEP needs in the least restrictive environment
• Collaborate with school personnel, such as teachers, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and related service personnel to determine programming and support to best meet the needs of students
• Meet with related school personnel to coordinate specific objectives for individualized educational programs
• Keeps data for program planning and decision making for students
• Complete Full Individual Evaluation reports, which meet local and state requirements within legal/required timelines
• Maintain current and accurate eligibility files for use by authorized school personnel
• Safeguard confidentiality of student records

Screening, Testing, Diagnosing, and Advising:

• Administers formal and informal assessments
• Observes students in educational environments
• Selects appropriate testing instruments based on individual student needs
• Administer tests according to acceptable testing procedures and standards
• Conduct comprehensive educational assessment consistent with district’s guidelines, policy and procedures
• Obtain pertinent case history from other professionals and parents
• Analyze and interpret information to make recommendations regarding disability identification and eligibility determination
• Integrate data from a variety of assessments, sources, and observations
• Determine the effects of the student’s disability in accessing the general curriculum
• Present and explain data to principals, teachers, parents, and other team members before/during and IEP meeting
• Ability to meet federal timelines and all requirements of federal and state laws, rules and regulations, and local district policies and procedures
• Access and compile formal and informal information from a variety of sources into a written report assisting in the determination of eligibility, educational need, and identification of programming needs.
• Coordinate and request additional consultation-evaluation for adapted physical education, assistive technology, hearing assessment, vision assessment, psychological services, and other instructional-related services as appropriate.
• Coordinate staffing to review assessment results, prior to ARD meetings, relative to student planning
• Develop appropriate Plan for Success based on assessment results, to include appropriate strategies and interventions.

Adhering to Local, State, Federal Regulations and Ethical Practices:

• Completes all procedural documentation appropriately
• Demonstrates knowledge and use of statewide testing procedures
• Abides by professional code of ethics
• Assist in development of appropriate IEPs based on a students strengths and needs
• Communicate to parents/guardians and professionals the evaluation results, including purposes, methods, findings, and implications of the evaluations.
• Maintain accurate ARD meetings, and related activities.
• Use technology to organize information, schedule meetings and staffings, develop and maintain ARD documentation, and produce written materials (ARD’s, FIE’s etc.).
• Maintain accurate ARD meetings, and related activities.
• Provide detailed, accurate record of ARD meetings and other professional activities consistent with the requirements of laws, rules, regulations, and local district policies and procedures.
• Maintain accurate ARD meetings, and related activities
• Demonstrates awareness of professional performance in all environments
• Manages time efficiently by submitting and maintaining an appropriate schedule for delivery of services on campuses served. 
• Follows schedules of campus assignment
• Keeps an updated monthly spreadsheets and reports including, but not limited to, monthly report, assessment, state assessment and detailed records of evaluations. 
• Arranges travel time to maximize contact with students and accomplish other duties efficiently
• Participate in continuing education opportunities.
• Verify accuracy of campus PEIMS reports each 6 week period.
• Maintain special education audit folder and other confidential special education records.
• Use technology to organize information, schedule meetings and staffings, develop and maintain ARD documentation, and produce written materials (ARD’s, FIE’s etc.).
• Collaborate with campus team leader or administrator to provide training and support to campus special education department.
• Coordinate the collection of data for Extended Year Services.
• Assist with data collection to support scheduling of students, teachers and paraprofessionals to meet requirements of IEP’s.
• Collaborate and assist campus assessment coordinator to ensure appropriate test materials are ordered for students with disabilities
• Assist Campus Assessment Coordinator in organizing test administration for special education population. 
• Remain current in state and federal rules and regulations for special education.
• Serve as a resource to the campus in ensuring special education compliance.
• Coordinate with special education team leader, or campus administrators, and special education staff to share/discuss current information relevant to special education issues provided through monthly meetings.
• Develop and maintain knowledge and skills by engaging in professional development activities.
• Attend all department meetings.
• Use appropriate district approved physical safety techniques including restraint.| Dress and shoes appropriate to job responsibilities

Liaison:

• Provides consultation to parents, teacher and other appropriate school personnel
• Consults with other personnel such as the principal, nurse, occupational therapist, physical therapist,
• psychologist, director, assistant director, and supervisor of special education, counselors, other speech pathologists, classroom teachers, and any other staff member who may have student information
• Talks with teachers formally and informally about individual student’s needs and progress
• Requests specific information on individual student’s receiving services from non-school agencies with
• signed release of information
• Determine needs for referrals, collaborates, and consults with ALL team members of the campus

SHARS/ MAC / RMTS:
Northwest ISD participates in the School Health and Related Services (SHARS) and MAC programs which allows our district to request Medicaid reimbursement for certain health-related services. The Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee determines SHARS services.

As a special education staff member, you will be required to train and bill for SHARS reimbursements for students on your caseload.  Trainings will be provided for SHARS, for RMTS (Random Moment in Time Studies), where staff are chosen randomly to answer a few questions, and for MAC (Diagnosticians and non-Personal Care Providers only). Training will be provided at the beginning of each school year as well as on an “as needed” basis for new hires.

Supervisory Responsibilities:
N/A

Equipment Used: 
Personal computer, printer, copier, calculator, scanner and fax machine

Working Conditions:
Maintain emotional control under stress. Frequent standing, stooping, bending, kneeling, pushing, and pulling. Move small stacks of textbooks, media equipment, desks, and other classroom or adaptive equipment. Districtwide travel. Occasional statewide travel. Position requires the ability to lift 25 lbs to waist high.

This document describes the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned, alternative methods of performing your duties, or skills that may be required.

Salary : $68,486 - $89,779