School Psychologist

KIPP DC•Washington, DC

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The school psychologist role is an integral part of the Student Support team and plays a key role in evaluating students' cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning to support their academic success and well-being. School psychologists assess students using a variety of tools, including standardized tests, observations, and interviews, to understand their strengths and challenges in areas such as learning, behavior, and mental health. After conducting assessments, the school psychologist makes recommendations for the school team to best support their learning profile, tailored to each student's needs. Additionally, they support the school team in determining if students meet DC eligibility criteria for special education under the designated disability classifications.

Requirements

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 and five hundred (500) clock hours of satisfactory field experience in a PreK 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).
Commitment to working with students with limited access to quality educational opportunities
Ability to lift 10 pounds
Ability to stand frequently
Ability to travel across KIPP DC schools
Commitment to Students and Schools: Demonstrates commitment to education reform, believing in every child's potential for success and prioritizing students, schools, and the essential role of families.
Strategic Thinking and Problem Solving: Finds creative solutions to challenges that achieve broader goals of team and organization.
Project Management: Sets a high bar for own work and supports others to achieve desired team outcomes.
Communications and Influence: Demonstrates adept communication skills and influence to advance work by adjusting content and style.
Teamwork: Contributes to a supportive team culture, fostering diverse work styles and maintaining a high performance standard.
Trust and Collaboration: Establishes and nurtures effective relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders to support the best outcomes for our work.
Cultural Humility: Advances KIPP DC’s commitment to anti-racism by creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for all stakeholders.
Continuous Learning: Commits to continuous learning through feedback, self reflection, humility, and action.

Nice To Haves

At least two years of experience as a school psychologist
Experience working in an urban public school

Responsibilities

Provides core services including: prevention, consultation, intervention, and assessment.
Services include, but are not limited to, conducting observations, collecting data, reviewing student records, conferring with teachers and parents, interviewing students, planning behavior interventions, and conducting in-services and professional development. These core services are adapted to the particular needs of each student, situation, and setting.
Routinely gathers evidence of positive outcomes resulting from psychological services delivered to students, school personnel, and parents.
Fulfills mandates of federal and state law and the expectations of the DCPS Board of Education and school system leadership.
Receives and reviews available developmental information from school and outside resources about student behavior(s) and selects evidence-supported or evidence-based psychological interventions.
Accurately administers, scores, and interprets psychological measures of intelligence, personality, behavior, achievement, adaptive functioning, and developmental maturity.
Delivers crisis response and intervention services to students, families and staff, when needed.
Demonstrates positive, collaborative problem-solving orientation with students, parents and guardians, educators, administrators, community members, and colleagues.
Helps all stakeholders understand child development and how it affects student performance academically and social/emotionally.
Serves in a consultative role with designated personnel to offer prevention and intervention strategies related to learning and behavioral problems of students; and provides consultation on an on-going basis to teachers, parents, and other school personnel to resolve students’ learning and behavioral problems.
Provides oversight to social workers and supports them in writing functional behavior assessments, developing behavior intervention plans, and tracking student responses to the behavior interventions.
Assists in identifying needed community resources for students and makes appropriate referrals to resources to facilitate educational and behavioral interventions recommended for student success.
Participates in hearings and due process proceedings, as needed.
Participates in disciplinary proceedings: expulsions, manifestations, and causation meetings.
Participates in IEP meetings to communicate the results of psychological assessments to members of the team in parent friendly language.
Demonstrates strong pedagogical content knowledge
Implements the school-wide student management policies within classrooms and everywhere on campus
Exhibits positive rapport with students
Creates and fosters a positive learning environment
Establishes and maintains strong communication lines with all parents
Available for Open Houses, Parent-Teacher Conferences and other events involving parents outside of normal operating hours

Benefits

medical, dental, and vision insurances
various voluntary benefits
employer paid benefits such as short term disability, long term disability, life insurance, and a membership to One Medical.
403(b) retirement account with a 3% employer contribution and a 3% match with vesting after three years.
10 paid sick days
12 paid holidays
paid Thanksgiving week break
winter break
spring break
summer break