(a) If a district employs a school psychologist as an optional service pursuant to RSA 189:49, IV, the standards in (b) - (e) below shall apply. Nothing in this section shall prevent a school district from contracting services with a qualified school psychologist.(b) Employing school districts shall require that school psychological services are provided by certified school psychologists in a coordinated, organized fashion, and are deployed in a manner that results in the provision of a comprehensive continuum of services. Comprehensive school psychological services shall be based on this section and The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services, published by NASP in 2010 as referenced in Appendix II.(c) The school psychologist shall provide comprehensive psychological services throughout various learning environments to help children and youth develop academic, social, behavioral, and emotional competence through: (1) Data-based decision making and accountability methods that use psycho-educational assessment results, data collection strategies, and technology resources to design and implement services and programs and to evaluate outcomes;(2) Consultation, collaboration, and communication with educators, families, health care professionals including mental health, social services and other systems to promote effective and coordinated implementation of services;(3) Interventions and instructional supports to develop academic skills, incorporating available research and assessment data to develop and implement evidence based instructional strategies designed to support students' cognitive and academic skills;(4) Interventions and mental health services to develop social and life skills in collaboration with others, using assessment and data collection methods to implement and evaluate developmentally appropriate services that support socialization, learning, and mental health;(5) School-wide practices to promote learning, developing and implementing evidence-based practices and strategies to create and maintain effective and supportive learning environments for children and others, including multi-tiered systems, to support students' academic, social, emotional, and behavioral goals;(6) Preventative and responsive services employing theories and research related to resilience, risk factors, and multi-tiered prevention, to support evidence based strategies for effective counseling, crisis response, and behavioral intervention;(7) Family-school collaboration services to facilitate and provide effective collaborative partnerships between families and schools that support children's learning and mental health utilizing a strength-based, culturally sensitive approach;(8) Diversity in development and learning to provide professional services that promote effective functioning for individuals, families and schools with diverse characteristics, cultures and backgrounds, across multiple contexts;(9) Research and program evaluation to support educational decision-making and evaluate programs; and(10) Legal, ethical, and professional practice consistent with legal requirements and ethical and professional standards including the NASP Principles of Professional Ethics (2010) as referenced in Appendix II.(d) School psychologists shall utilize assessment findings to diagnose educational and behavioral disorders and to facilitate educational treatment planning.(e) Employing school districts shall insure that an effective program of supervision and evaluation of school psychological services exists. School psychologists in cooperation with their employing districts or agencies, shall be responsible for the overall development, implementation and professional supervision of school psychological service programs.(f) Professional supervision shall be available to all school psychologists to an extent sufficient to ensure the provision of effective and accountable services. Beginning school psychologists in their first year of employment as a school psychologist shall receive a minimum of one hour of face-to-face supervision contact per week. Supervisors shall meet Ed 500 requirements for certification as a school psychologist and have at least 3 years of professional experience as a school psychologist in a school system.(g) Employing school districts shall insure that parental consent and student information are protected as required under applicable state and federal law.N.H. Admin. Code § Ed 306.25
Amended by Volume XXXIV Number 16, Filed April 17, 2014, Proposed by #10556, Effective 3/27/2014, Expires3/27/2024.The amended version of this section by New Hampshire Register Volume 35, Number 27, eff.6/29/2015 is not yet available.
The amended version of this section by New Hampshire Register Volume 36, Number 06, eff.1/8/2016 is not yet available.