School Psychologist/Educational Diagnostician

Posting Date: August 12, 2022

Position Title: School Psychologist/Educational Diagnostician

Reports to: Coordinator of the Whole Child Support Team

Service Area: Santa Fe, NM

Employment Term: Full-time; Non-exempt position

Salary/Wage Range: Depends on qualifications and experience

Deadline for Application: Open until filled

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Summary

School Psychologists and/or Educational Diagnosticians at NMSD (1) have integral roles in education and are essential members of the school instructional and support services team, (2) assess and diagnose the learning problems of students and help students meet the performance standards of NMSD and the state by recommending appropriate modifications and accommodations, and (3) work in partnership with others to meet students' needs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (Other duties may be assigned)

• Conducts individual psycho-educational assessment in the areas of intellectual ability, achievement, and adaptive behavior.
• Collaborates with parents, teachers, and ancillary service providers to complete all Review of Existing Evaluation Data (REED) documents and facilitates REED meetings.
• Facilitates all Eligibility Determination Team (EDT) meetings.
• Facilitates IEP Amendments to add or remove ancillary services.
• Observes and works with students.
• Obtains written parental consent for all evaluations conducted at NMSD, including those conducted by all ancillary service providers.
• Coordinates and collaborates with student’s instructional and support services team for evaluation, assessment, implementation of recommendations, and adherence to special education laws, rules, and regulations.
• Provides evaluation oversight by tracking and ensuring that deadlines are met and that all types of evaluations (Academic Achievement, Adaptive Behavior, ASL, Audiology, Cognitive Ability, Functional Behavior Assessment, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Social/Emotional Skills, Speech-Language Therapy) are completed in a timely manner.
• Provides diagnosis of relevant disabilities and impacting conditions, adhering to the New Mexico Technical Evaluation and Assessment Manual (NM TEAM).
• Maintains Medicaid documentation, as appropriate.
• Works collaboratively with other assessment personnel, such as speech-language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, and school psychologists, counselors, and social workers to determine eligibility for special education services.
• Performs comprehensive evaluations for deaf and hard of hearing students for various NMSD departments including Early Intervention and Involvement Department (EIID) and NMSD’s Outreach Department, as well as for the NMSD Preschool in Albuquerque, as needed.
• Writes team-based, comprehensive, multi-disciplinary evaluation and re-evaluation reports, including individualized instructional recommendations that support the development of appropriate student Individual Education Programs (IEPs).
• Provides input to the IEP committee regarding student’s academic strengths and weaknesses based on psycho-educational testing.
• Monitors students’ educational progress in relation to their IEP goals and objectives, recommending appropriate modifications and accommodations to curricular content and instruction, as needed.
• Adheres to NMSD’s Vision, Mission and Belief statements.

Competencies

• Organization- Must be organized and detail-oriented.
• Analytical - Collects and researches data; designs work flows and procedures.
• Continuous Learning - Seeks feedback to improve performance; pursues training and development opportunities; strives to continuously build knowledge and skills.
• Job Knowledge - Competent in required job skills and knowledge; exhibits ability to learn and apply new skills; keeps abreast of current developments; requires minimal supervision; displays understanding of how job relates to others; uses resources effectively.
• Use of Technology - Adapts to new technologies; troubleshoots technological problems; uses technology to increase productivity.
• Problem Solving - Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; develops alternative solutions; works well in group problem solving situations.
• Cooperation - Establishes and maintains effective relations; exhibits tact and consideration; offers assistance and support to co-workers; works cooperatively in group situations; works actively to resolve conflicts.
• Teamwork - Balances team and individual responsibilities; exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; gives and welcomes feedback; contributes to building a positive team spirit; supports everyone's efforts to succeed.
• Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; varies writing style to meet needs.
• Diversity - Shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; educates others on the value of diversity; builds a diverse workforce.
• Ethics - Treats people with respect; keeps commitments; inspires the trust of others; works with integrity and principles; upholds organizational values.
• Organizational Support - Follows policies and procedures; completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; supports organization's goals and values.
• Adaptability - Manages competing demands.
• Personal Appearance - Dresses appropriately for position; keeps self well groomed.
• Attendance/Punctuality - Is consistently at work and on time; ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent.
• Dependability - Follows instructions, responds to management direction; takes responsibility for own actions.
• Initiative - Seeks increased responsibilities; asks for and offers help when needed.
• Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; looks for ways to improve and promote quality.
• Safety and Security - Observes safety and security procedures; determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; reports potentially unsafe conditions.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

M.A. or M.S. in an education-related field; licensure as school psychologist or educational diagnostician in the State of New Mexico (Level II licensure and 3 years of experience as a school psychologist or educational diagnostician preferred), or the ability to earn such licensure prior to the beginning of the contract period; specific experience in the area of the development of Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs). Knowledge of special factors impacting education of deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

Language Skills

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, and the general public.

Sign Language

Some level of proficiency in ASL is required. The applicant must have sign language skills and will be required to demonstrate progressive sign language acquisition and if needed participate in sign language classes offered at NMSD to enhance ASL skills.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute standard scores, percentile ranks, and age equivalents for evaluations based on standardization charts.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have working knowledge of Microsoft Windows, Excel, as well as various software packages including Microsoft Office.

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 employee is occasionally required to stand; walk and sit. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and peripheral vision.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.