School Psychology
What this domain tests
School psychology items test the Nebraska school-based process: certification through the Nebraska Department of Education, special education procedure under IDEA and Rule 51, FERPA, consent, and the boundary between school certification and the DHHS psychologist license.
Core rules and concepts
- School psychologists hold an NDE special services certificate with the school psychologist endorsement. That certification is separate from DHHS licensure; private practice or non-school clinical work requires the psychologist license.
- IDEA requires child find, written parental consent before initial evaluation, a 60-day initial evaluation timeline in Nebraska, an IEP when eligible, and reevaluation at least every three years.
- Rule 51 (92 NAC 51) implements special education standards in Nebraska.
- Specific learning disability eligibility may rest on RtI/MTSS data, a discrepancy model, or patterns of strengths and weaknesses; the team, not one test score, determines eligibility.
- FERPA (34 CFR Part 99) governs education records: parents may inspect records within 45 days and may request amendment. HIPAA generally does not cover school records.
Worked example
A parent submits a private neuropsychological report and demands the district adopt its conclusions. Reasoning: the team must consider and document the report, but it is not bound by it. Eligibility is an IEP team decision based on multiple sources. The team should review the report, compare it with its own data, and record the reasoning in the eligibility documentation.
Traps that cost marks
- Confusing consent for evaluation with consent for services.
- Treating the three-year reevaluation cycle as a reason to refuse a needed evaluation.
- Applying HIPAA to school records instead of FERPA.
- Releasing information to an outside therapist without a FERPA-compliant release.