San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is the seventh largest school district in California, educating over 52,000 students every year. In a city and world that is constantly changing, SFUSD’s Vision 2025 articulates the shifts our system will take to ensure that we prepare our graduates to live, thrive and succeed in San Francisco and beyond. The Graduate Profile serves as the anchor for our vision and identifies the knowledge, skills, dispositions and behaviors required for our students to succeed in our 21st century world.
WHAT IT MEANS TO WORK HERE
The mission of the Special Education Department of SFUSD is to provide innovative and effective services that result in positive outcomes for the life-long success of students. We invest in our school psychologists with advanced training, professional consultation groups, and continuous skill building to uphold the latest evidence-based best practice guidelines. Our innovative team approach takes pride in our collaborative efforts to accomplish our goals and those of the children we serve. We look forward to discovering how you can contribute to our vision and future growth.
WHO WE WANT
Under the general direction of the Chief of Special Education, and under the direction and supervision of the Supervisor of Psychological Services, the school psychologist serves as a consultant to the school community with regard to understanding and treating learning and behavior problems and recommends appropriate remediation for exceptional children. The psychologist studies and assists pupils using various techniques including but not limited to conferencing, observation, psycho-educational assessments, and direct counseling services.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
School psychologists work under the supervision of the Supervisor for Psychological Services and are responsible for the fulfillment of the essential duties set forth below:
PRE-REFERRAL INTERVENTION
School psychologists are considered a valuable resource at school sites for the purposes of pre-referral strategies/interventions and are looked to for consultation on how to support students’ educational progress. Early intervention is proven to have a positive impact on a student’s education outcomes and school psychologists are considered a vital team member of school site early intervention teams.
- Consult with school staff on how to develop optimal learning environments
- Consult with school-site student support service teams concerning appropriate learning strategies, interventions and accommodations to meet the unique learning styles of students
- Assist in development of behavior management and classroom management interventions and plans
- Consult with parents/teachers regarding the development of learning and behavior interventions for students including alignment of home support with school-based goals
- Provide professional development for staff and parents at school sites on educational disabilities, appropriate referrals, behavioral interventions and instructional accommodations and modifications
- Collaborate with other student support professionals to support student progress
ASSESSMENT
School psychologists are uniquely trained and credentialed to conduct comprehensive psycho-educational assessments in accordance with District, State, and Federal requirements and expectations.
- Communicate/provide follow-up to staff and families regarding referrals within the mandated IDEA timelines
- Use a variety of assessment tools based on the reason(s) for referral and individual student needs (e.g., standardized, culturally sensitive, curriculum-based, portfolio, and authentic assessments) in accordance with child find laws
- Gather and analyze comprehensive assessment data in order to provide guidance on determination of special education eligibility.
- Conduct behavior based assessments, including Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA), and lead the development of a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP), as appropriate
- Complete all assessments comprehensively within the mandated IDEA timelines
- Attend and present the results of a comprehensive evaluation report at the subsequent Individualized Educational Program (IEP) team meeting
- Make recommendations to the IEP team based on the findings of each assessment and specific to the identified disability(ies) as it relates to classroom performance and access to core curriculum.
- Ensure that assessment results/reports are presented in a manner that is accessible to parents and other professionals and clearly articulates the strengths and needs of the student
- While conducting assessment, consider all suspected areas of disability and gather enough data to rule-in and/or rule-out the eligibilities with consideration of linguistic, cultural and other factors that impact students and assessments
SERVICE DELIVERY
School psychologists are trained and credentialed to provide social-emotional and behavior-based direct services to students with special education eligibility, as identified via an evaluation.
- Based upon data gathered via an evaluation, write social-emotional and/or behavior-based IEP goals that address a student’s area of identified need
- Provide direct individual and/or group DIS counseling to students per the IEP
- Monitor implementation of interventions and evaluate student success/progress and provide formal updates on DIS-related IEP goals
- Attend and participate at IEP meetings whereby social-emotional and behavior-based needs are known to impact a child’s education progress
- Attend and participate in Manifestation Determination meetings and review the student’s IEP file in order to provide meaningful input to the team
ADDITIONAL EXPECTATIONS
The following expectations are noted to ensure best practices are consistently employed:
- Employ best practices by keeping current in the profession through attending professional developments and engaging in dialog with others
- Be knowledgeable of all federal regulations and state laws as it relates to this field (e.g. timelines, assessment requirements, IEP meeting documentation, etc.)
- Assist with referrals to community agencies as appropriate to support families
- Attend all monthly school psychologist staff meetings and other central office meetings as required
- Maintain the confidentiality of students and their families: records; reports; notes; conversations; meetings; and testing situations
- Other duties as assigned
The length of the work year for all school psychologists is 191 days of service. You may access and read individual school profiles and academic plans at the following link: www.sfusd.edu/schools.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
SFUSD requires all school psychologists to hold or be pursuing a valid California Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential in School Psychology. We welcome applications from school psychologists who are actively pursuing a PPS credential, which is anticipated to be cleared by the time of employment.
WHAT WE OFFER
SFUSD is committed to attracting and retaining the best educators in the nation. Benefits of teaching in San Francisco include:
- Competitive salaries determined by experience, education level, and credentials
- Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance for teachers and their eligible dependents
- City and state programs for housing assistance:
- Teacher Next Door Program: http://sf-moh.org/index.aspx?page=287
- Extra Credit Home Purchase Program: http://www.treasurer.ca.gov/cdlac/applications/applications.asp?app=ecthpp
- Additional salary stipend of $5000 for National Board Certified teachers
- Additional salary stipend of $2000 for credentialed teachers teaching in high need schools and a $1000 stipend for teachers teaching high need subject areas
HOW TO APPLY
- Go to: https://careers.sfusd.edu/
- Create an account and complete an application.
- Go to the “Current Openings” tab to view and apply for specific openings.
Please check back often to connect your application to specific openings as they are posted. Applicants will be contacted based on the needs of the district. For more information about careers at SFUSD, please visit https://careers.sfusd.edu/. For more information about SFUSD’s mission and Strategic Plan please visit www.sfusd.edu. For other questions, contact us at teach@sfusd.edu
San Francisco Unified School District programs, activities, and practices shall be free from unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, national origin, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression; or on the basis of a person’s association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. This policy extends to San Francisco County Office of Education, including community school programs and activities. For more information about the District’s non-discrimination policy, please review Board Policy 4030.