Schools

• When a psychologist is needed, a Service Request Form (SRF), created through the Google platform, is the first step.
  • The form provides our team important details about the request and notifies our team so the task can be assigned.
• The district will need to designate a staff member to submit requests using the SRF.
  • This person may be at the district level or different for each school.
  • Examples of staff who have served this role: district SPED staff, school-based LEAs and/or SPED teachers, school or district level secretary, RTI staff, district psychologist, etc.

• Once an evaluation is assigned, school/district staff will be contacted about scheduling. The psychologist will also notify the school team when an evaluation is complete.
• Upon request, individuals can be provided viewing/commenting rights to the evaluation sheet populated by the SRF submission.
  • LJ staff will update the sheet as evaluations are completed.
  • Those with access to the sheet can enable notifications, which will send the user an email each time the sheet is updated.
  • NOTE: Access to the Bilingual request sheet cannot be provided. Updates will be provided via direct communication with the evaluator and SC EdPlan.
• If the LJ team has been provided a login for SC EdPlan (or Enrich, if applicable), evaluation reports will be submitted via that program. Signed PDF reports can also be submitted.

• Prior to scheduling a meeting, district staff should first send in the SRF.
• Designate a district staff member who will set up meetings, draft notices in SC EdPlan, and send calendar invitations for any meetings requiring the virtual participation of an LJ psych.
• Rights will be given for the scheduler(s) to view the Google Calendars for LJ staff assigned to participate in virtual meetings. Any time on a Lean Psychologist’s meeting days not shown as “Busy” is available for scheduling.
  • It is important to check the appropriate calendar and schedule via e-invitation to fit the assigned psychologist’s availability. Please do not email potential meeting days/times to the psychologist.
    • Multiple districts use our scheduling system, so a day/time that was available when an email inquiry was sent may be booked by another district by the time all team members respond to an email.
    • Many PRN psychologists work part time with our team. Therefore, emails may not be received in a timely manner when scheduling directly with a PRN psychologist.
  • Psychologists’ hours are generally from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM (meeting end time) on weekdays.
    • If a meeting is needed outside of those hours, please contact your assigned psychologist or the appropriate member of the LJ leadership team.
    • Be sure that enough time is allotted for each meeting; most take 45-60 minutes.
  • Meeting invitations sent to @littlejohnny.org email addresses via any email/calendar platform should link to the psychologist’s Google Calendar.
  • Calendars are set to block off the requested time on the invitee’s calendar as soon as the invitation is sent; the time will be marked as “Busy” prior to the psychologist responding to the meeting invitation to prevent double booking.

• Meetings: Submit SRF and calendar invitation at least 7 days before a psychologist is needed. This allows time to prepare any required documents and assign a psychologist (PRN).
  • Please contact your assigned psychologist or the evaluation coordinator directly in a specific circumstance requires faster action and for any MDR.
  • 7 days notice is not required for MDRs.
• Evaluations: Submit SRF as soon as the planning meeting is held and/or consent is obtained; unless other arrangements have been made, at least 30 days are needed to complete PRN evaluations.
• NOTE: The Little Johnny staff is typically able to accommodate PRN requests within the requested time frame; however, 60 day initial evaluations and 3rd birthdays (for BabyNet) do receive first priority. If there are extenuating circumstances surrounding a particular case, please contact the Evaluation Coordinator directly so appropriate arrangements can be made.
• Identify a special education contact for questions about district procedures.
• Set up an SC EdPlan account for the assigned psychologist (Lean) or Little Johnny Team (PRN). This is necessary for meeting participation and is the best option for submitting evaluation reports.
  • Since PRN services may be provided by several different psychologists, one account is typically created for the Little Johnny team. If a staff member name or email address is required, please contact the Evaluation Coordinator.
  • When the account is set up, please be sure to share your district’s SC EdPlan website, username, and password.
  • PowerSchool access is requested for LEAN psychologists.
• Establish a primary point of contact in each school.
  • This person is typically contacted prior to finalizing plans for an evaluation day in order to ensure there are no school events that would interfere with testing.
  • An email/call/text may be requested to confirm that the student is present the day of testing.
  • Examples of staff who have served this role: front-office/SPED/school counseling secretary, principal, assistant principal, SPED teacher, interventionist, SLP, school-based psychologists.
• Identify a private, quiet testing space in each school served.
  • An alternate location is helpful in cases where the space is a shared office or conference room that could be occupied when the psychologist arrives.
• For PRN evaluations, consider whether a school staff member can help with calling/pulling students from class for evaluations.
  • We ask that older students be called via intercom when possible.
  • For younger students, it is best that a familiar adult (rather than a stranger) knocks on the door as it prevents several sources of disruption/difficulty.
    • Instruction is not disrupted for the unfamiliar psychologist to explain confidential evaluation.
    • Peers are less intrigued by school staff stopping by.
    • Students are more comfortable leaving class with someone they recognize.

• Little Johnny psychologists are available to participate in meetings and provide consultation.
  • Meetings are typically via Google Meet, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams; phone participation is also an option.
  • Psychologists can be contacted via email, text, or phone for consultation.
• Our certified school psychologists complete individual evaluations in-person.
  • The assigned psychologist will choose appropriate measures to fulfill the evaluation requested; in most cases, the standard battery of each measure will be administered.
  • If a specific test/subtest is required, please note that on the SRF.
  • If your district uses eligibility criteria beyond what is in the SEED document, please share those with the LJ leadership team for consideration in making eligibility recommendations based on testing.
• Since PRN and Lean models are designed to maximize our ability to provide legally required school psychological services at a lower cost, certain roles sometimes filled by a district-employed psychologist may need to be approached in a slightly different way or reassigned.
  • Contracted psychologists are not directly employed by the school district and do not meet the criteria to serve as the Local Education Agency (LEA). Below are the LEA requirements as defined by the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) 2004 (34 CFR 300.321(a)(4)).
    • (i) is qualified to provide, or supervise the provision of, specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities;
    • (ii) is knowledgeable about the general education curriculum; and
    • (iii) is knowledgeable about the availability of resources of the public agency
  • Since the psychologist is not onsite daily, an on-site staff member will need to be responsible for paper documents in meetings.
  • Digital copies of educational records maintained on paper will need to be provided.
    • RTI/MTSS documentation should be scanned and shared.
    • Psychologists can access digital documents via SC EdPlan upload or shared Google folders.
  • Parent contact information is requested on the SRF in the event their input is needed before or after the meeting.
    • Please make every effort to include a valid email address. Since our psychologists are off-site, rating scales are completed online whenever possible.
    • Please notify your assigned psychologist if email or a smart phone is not available for a specific parent. Arrangements will be made to allow school staff to send paper forms home with the student. They will be collected by the teacher/school and scanned/emailed to the psychologist for scoring.
  • Our staff routinely complete the following SC EdPlan documents: Initial Referral/Evaluation Planning, Reevaluation Review, Evaluation Report, Eligibility Determination (and worksheet), MDR form, and all related PWNs.
    • If your district has specific procedures for what should be in, or excluded from, documents please share those guidelines with the LJ leadership team (i.e., standard statements for PWNs, eligibility statements in the Evaluation Report summary, statements about suspected disabilities in evaluation planning documents, etc.).
    • A district staff member will need to assume responsibility for any forms that need to be printed/physically signed. District staff may document the psychologist’s participation via digital signature or by printing their name and writing “Participated Virtually” in the signature line.
    • A district staff member should be assigned to complete/process district forms (i.e., internal tracking sheets, change of placement forms, student record updates, etc.).

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• Please ensure that the student’s hearing and vision have been screened and cleared for assessment prior to sending an SRF or scheduling a meeting.
  • Preschool clinics are exempted from this condition; however, screenings will need to be completed prior to beginning any proposed assessments.
  • If the student wears glasses/contacts or hearing aids, please note that on the SRF (Other Relevant Information).
  • If a meeting is scheduled and H/V has not been cleared, unnecessary delays often occur. H/V problems impact learning and need to be ruled out as a factor in learning difficulties. The psychologist also needs documentation that the child’s H/V are sufficient for testing in order to produce valid, reliable results.
• If requesting “Evaluation Only” as the service type, please submit the request after consent is received.
  • Notify your assigned psychologist in cases where the parent will need to bring the student in to be evaluated and should sign consent on that day.
• For students who do not routinely attend school (i.e., un-enrolled preschool, virtual, modified schedule based on IEP, chronic truancy, private school, etc.), please consult with your assigned psychologist or the LJ leadership team.
  • We will provide a date(s) that a school psychologist can be on campus.
  • The school/district will make arrangements with the family to bring the child for testing.