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We are looking for highly motivated and skilled talent to join our team at District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). We seek individuals who are passionate about transforming the DC school system and making a significant difference in the lives of public school students, parents, principals, teachers, and central office employees.

DCPS serves over 51,000 students in the nation's capital through the efforts of approximately 4,000 educators in 117 schools. As part of a comprehensive reform effort to become the preeminent urban school system in America, DCPS intends to have the highest-performing, best paid, most satisfied, and most honored educator force in the nation and a distinctive central office staff whose work supports and drives instructional excellence and significant achievement gains for DCPS students.

Position Overview
The Psychologist position is located in the District of Columbia Public Schools, Office of Specialized Instruction (OSI). OSI is responsible for diagnosing and/or evaluating mental and emotional disorders of Special Education Students, and for administering programs of treatment by performing the following duties. The Psychologist provides a full range of school psychological services to children in grades pre‐K through 12, including screening and assessment, designing remedial educational programs, individual and group counseling with school staff, parents, and outside agencies as appropriate. The Psychologist functions as a member of the school’s multi‐disciplinary team to interpret evaluation results and determine the student’s eligibility for special services, appropriate programming, and on‐going progress. This position is a safety‐sensitive position. As a result, throughout employment this position will be subject to the Employee Mandatory Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy.

The Psychologist will report to the Principal.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The below statements are intended to describe the general nature and scope of work being performed by this position. This is not a complete listing of all responsibilities, duties, and/or skills required. Other duties may be assigned.
  • Selects, administers, scores, and interprets approved individual psychological, intelligence, and behavioral measures, using instruments and procedures approved by DCPS to referred students.
  • Prepares evaluation reports utilizing the format approved by DCPS; and writes reports that are meaningful to parents, teachers, and students.
  • Analyzes evaluation data, student records, and information pertinent to student learning, and formulates hypotheses and conclusions relating to learning and behavioral issues.
  • Participates in MDT/IEP committee meetings to interpret evaluation results to parents and school personnel.
  • Serves in a consultative role with designated personnel to offer prevention and intervention strategies related to learning and behavioral problems of students; provides consultation on an on‐going basis to teachers, parents, and other school personnel to resolve students' learning and behavioral problems.
  • Develops appropriate interventions and strategies to assist individual students in academic growth and school adjustment.
  • Screens individual student cases for proactive academic and behavioral interventions.
  • Serves on the Crisis Team at assigned schools; and helps families and schools manage crises such as death, illness, or community trauma.
  • Identifies, evaluates, and re‐evaluates referred students with special programming needs; individual student evaluation services will require the school psychologist to include the following activities:
  • Gathers background information via record review, staff, and/or parent. Interviews and observes.
  • Selects test instruments valid for student and purpose of evaluation.
  • Administers assessments.
  • Analyzes and integrates evaluation results and provides instructional and programming recommendations.
  • Presents interpretation of evaluation to parent and team.
  • Submits typed reports.
  • Completes written psychological reports and parent conferences for each evaluation; and interprets psychological reports with parent/guardian.
  • Consults and collaborates with parents, school personnel, and others regarding mental health, behavioral, and educational concerns:
  • Reviews needs.
  • Observes children.
  • Interviews children.
  • Assists with developing interventions.
  • Reviews progress.
  • Provides support system to parent.
  • Helps others understand child development and how it affects learning and behavior.
  • Strengthens working relationships between teachers, parents, and service providers in the community.
  • Designs and develops student and classroom interventions for preventing disorders, promoting mental health and learning, and improving education programs:
  • Consults with teachers, parents, students, and/or family, depending upon problem.
  • Identifies problems.
  • Develops strategies that involve all parties.
  • Provides pre‐referral interventions and strategies to SST.
  • Monitors progress, adjusting interventions as needed.
  • Maintains flexibility to respond to emergency referrals.
  • Provides meaningful, helpful suggestions to school personnel regarding behavior management, social skill development, conflict resolution, functional behavioral assessments/behavioral intervention planning, and instructional strategies.
  • Consults with parents regarding their individual student(s).
  • Assists school staff in the development of appropriate academic and vocational education plans for the student.
  • Acts as a psychological consultant for other staff members and community agencies.
  • Attends due process hearings as requested.
  • Submits required documentation in a timely fashion, including EasyIEP report.

Qualifications                                                                                                                          
  • Master's Degree in School Psychology, Educational or Clinical psychology from an accredited institution, to include forty‐two (42) semester hours of graduate level coursework.
  • Five hundred (500) clock hours of satisfactory field experience in a pre‐K through 12 school setting under the supervision of a certified school psychologist. See DCMR 1659.1 for additional details regarding required graduate level coursework.
  • Certification as a School Psychologist by the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).