What is the role of the school psychologist on the IEP team?

• A. To provide counseling and social work support.
• B. To interpret data and support eligibility decisions.
• C. To conduct psychoeducational evaluations, interpret data, provide assessment expertise, and support eligibility and intervention planning.
• D. To manage finances.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that the school psychologist specializes in assessment and data-based decision making for the IEP. On the IEP team, their role centers on conducting psychoeducational evaluations, interpreting the results, providing assessment expertise, and using that information to support eligibility decisions and the planning of appropriate interventions. This means selecting and administering the right tests, analyzing how a student’s abilities relate to their learning outcomes, and translating findings into concrete recommendations for supports, goals, and progress monitoring. Counseling and social work support fall more to other professionals like counselors or social workers, and finances are not within the school psychologist’s responsibilities.