0250/7289 Psychologist

***POSTION PENDING BOARD APPROVAL JUNE 12TH, 2025***

Murray Independent School District Certified Job Description

Title: Psychologist (0250/7289) Primary Supervisor:  Director of Special Education 

Qualifications:

1.  Shall demonstrate the ability to communicate and work effectively with students, peer, parents and faculty.
2. Must be chosen with reference to personal, educational, physical, moral and emotional fitness.
3. Four-year college graduation in the field of psychology and two years psychological experience including experience with children.
4. **Would consider School Psychometrist qualifications in lieu of School Psychologist certification - 

Job Goal: To help parents, teachers and schools work together for the benefit of the student.

General Duties and Performance Responsibilities:

• Determine appropriate action within clearly defined guidelines.
• Present a positive image of the school to parents, and convey to them the school’s genuine concern with the education, growth and development of each student.
• Seek to establish friendly and cooperative partnerships between home and school.
• Work to develop a positive public relationship between the school district and the community.
• Carry out assignments in a timely manner without undue checking.
• React positively to directives.
• Have a willingness to cooperate with the superintendent, district administrators, principals, and staff.
• Maintain the confidentiality, both verbally and in written form, of each student’s educational record.
• Strive to maintain and improve professional competence.
• Take necessary precautions to protect students, equipment, materials and facilities.
• Follow the procurement guidelines and purchase order process. 
• Adhere with federal, state and district program guidelines, policies, procedures and laws.  

Specific Duties and Performance Responsibilities:

• Prevent educational and behavioral problems through early identification and consultation.
• Identify special needs of children through consultation, observation and other psychological and educational assessment.
• Analyze, integrate and report psychological and educational information about child behavior and conditions related to learning.  
• Consult with teachers and other staff members in planning, implementing, and evaluating needs of individuals and groups of children.  
• Plan and manage a program of psychological services including:  1) pre-referral and assessment services; 2) early identification services; 3) intervention and counseling for children; and 4) program evaluation and applied educational research.
• Consult with general and exceptional teachers about the effects of various teaching techniques and methods of classroom instruction.
• Confer with teachers and parents about the child’s learning abilities, achievement levels, social/emotional development, and learning needs.
• Help teachers and parents understand more about how children grow, learn and develop.
• Assist teachers and parents in the development of appropriate goals and objectives necessary to meet the needs of each child.
• Provide crisis intervention services to students and school personnel upon requests.
• Aid in the construction and selection of evaluation procedures and instruments and assist in the development evaluation of programs, materials, and educational strategies for the district.
• Participate in screening meetings, serving to interpret and consult on the available data.
• Develop with teachers, parents and administrators intervention strategies designed to help in solving students’ school related problems in the regular classroom setting.
• Monitor the effectiveness of intervention strategies and, when necessary, ensure the initiation of a formal referral for complete psycho-educational assessment.
• Complete individual psycho-educational assessments and evaluation reports within federal due process timelines.
• Attend ARC meetings, as needed.
• Conduct needs assessments in order that service delivery goals may be set.
• Serve on district committees to apply psychological expertise for the development, implementation and evaluation of educational programs.  Such areas may include grant application writing, the development of performance assessment procedures, curriculum design, competency testing and remedial programming. 
• Providing professional development opportunities for teachers, administrators, and other school personnel: and develop systematic research programs to answer questions of concern to school personnel, such as the relationships between educational programs and pupil achievement.  This service would be provided as the need arises.
• Assist with testing for the gifted program.
• Assist with early childhood assessment and intervention.
• Interpret the psychologist’s role to the community.
• Assist in beginning programs for the children who are found to be “at risk” and provide for parent training as needed.
• Meet with counselors monthly to discuss identified student issues that may require behavior plans, more specific intervention and/or counseling, referral, etc.
• Working with administrators, counselors and teacher on problematic behaviors and intensive learning problems and following through to ensure the development and articulation of a written decision/solution/plan
• Take the lead in determining team membership and scheduling monthly Tier II problem solving meetings at the schools in conjunction with the school administrators and counselor
• Lead with the principal, counselor or designee the school problem solving meetings related to behavioral and academic interventions
• Lead in gathering and assimilating data for review at the meetings for possible intervention, adjustment to intervention, contact of parents/guardians, etc. as needed.
• Request information from other sources (teachers, counselors, principals, etc). to be provided for the monthly meetings
• Identify with counselors, principals and/or others students exhibiting intensive behaviors/challenges that may need additional one-on-one or small group counseling
• Provide counseling or assist school counselor in providing counseling to students with intensive behaviors/challenges
• Assist counselors in setting up and/or leading/modeling social skills sessions for students with any teachers/classrooms or individuals/small groups 
• Assist teachers/counselors/principals in choosing appropriate scientifically research based interventions to meet identified student needs
• Lead as the contact person when student exhibits extreme behavior during school day/activities/functions (i.e. threats, suicide, extreme bullying, etc)
• Assist teachers/counselors/principals/administrators in understanding various data being used to ensure appropriate decisions are made for intervention/instruction (AIMSweb, SuccessMaker, EXPLORE, PLAN, ACT, MAP, etc.)
• Lead the review process of the referral/initial eligibility and reevaluation documentation to ensure all necessary pieces are fully and appropriately completed and in compliance

• Perform such other tasks and assume such other responsibilities as may be assigned by the superintendent.

The statements outlined above in the description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills that may be assigned by the immediate supervisor.  

Terms of Service:    Salary and workdays to be established by the Board.

Evaluation: Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with provision of the Board's policy on Evaluation of Certified (or Classified) Personnel.