Job Description: Diagnostic Special Education Program Support Teacher

Here is the job description for our new Diagnostic Special Education Program Support Teacher position.  This was created to help support us at the middle and high school level due to reduction of a school psychologist position.

Qualifications:

1. 801 Cross-Categorical Licensure or other special education licensure
2. A minimum of three years of successful teaching experience as a fully certified special education teacher in the areas of cross-categorical, emotional disturbance, cognitive disabilities, learning disabilities, and/or autism spectrum disorder.
3. Specialized certifications and/or licensures
4. Evidence of competencies in classroom, individual, and group management; educational diagnosis and evaluation; leadership; curriculum development; instructional techniques; strengths in writing legally compliant IEPs; and knowledge of IEP procedural process.  

Reports to:

Director of Student Services/Special Education and Building Principal(s)

Position Goal:

The Program Support Teacher will work in close collaboration with the Director of Student Services/Special Education and School Psychologist to maintain legal compliance with IEP paperwork and the procedural process.

Responsibilities will also focus upon services to children with disabilities and to special and regular education teachers in the areas of diagnoses and intervention procedures, classroom management, curriculum development, instructional methods, educational diagnoses, and to help in the coordination of the IEP team process.

Performance Responsibilities:

Program Support for the IEP Team Process

1. To confer with the classroom teacher and parents to obtain pertinent information about the child and to discuss the IEP Team process with the teacher and parents.
2. To observe and evaluate a child who has been referred to determine such factors as the child’s academic level, skill in social interactions, and approaches to learning tasks.
3. To complete educational and behavioral evaluations and reevaluations as part of the IEP Team process and to participate with other disciplines in the IEP Team meeting.
4. To coordinate specific IEP Team process activities, e.g. scheduling IEP Team meetings, compiling reports, developing final IEP Team reports, and completing IEP paperwork.
5. Review IEP paperwork to maintain compliance with legal requirements.
6. Learn how to complete IEP paperwork as part of the IEP Team process including the EW-1, ER-2, I-3, and Eligibility Criteria.  

Program Support for Special Education:

1. Assist special education and regular education teachers in providing quality and comprehensive programming for children with special education needs
2. Provide consultation and support to staff with inclusive practices including model teaching, strategy development, materials modification, and appropriate accommodations/modifications. 
3. Provide ongoing support and mentorship to new and provisionally certified special education staff.
4. Assist new and provisionally certified teachers in gaining knowledge and skills in the areas of the IEP team process and procedures through consultation, inservicing, and dissemination of information on the referral process, assessment process/instrument, report and IEP writing, and reviewing/critiquing teacher reports.
5. Assist teacher in developing behavior management including, but not limited to positive behavioral intervention supports, behavioral intervention plans, functional behavioral assessments, and classroom rules/expectations.
6. Attend professional development conferences to acquire new knowledge and skills to share with other staff especially in the areas of autism spectrum disorder, emotional behavioral disabilities, cognitive disabilities, and learning disabilities.
7. Provide on-going coaching and supports to staff teaching evidence based curriculums such as Wilson Reading, Read 180, Corrective Reading, and/or Voyager Math, etc. 
8. Assist teachers in the writing of meaningful IEP goals and objectives.
9. Participate and help lead the SOS/pre-referral team process including attendance at POD/curriculum meetings, pre-referral paperwork procedures, academic testing, classroom observations, review and make recommendations through data-based decision making.
10. Serve on the Ad Hoc Committee for our Self-Assessment of Procedural Compliance
11. Help analyze and interpret NWEA, WKCE, and AIMS Web benchmark/progress monitoring data to make data-based decision making for entrance/exit criteria and eligibility for identification of learning disabilities.
12. Attend Student Services Team meetings
13. Help develop and implement the RTI systems and the new identification for Specific Learning Disabilities regulations in our school buildings.

Special Education Teacher:

1. Teach pullout classes for special education and/or at-risk students as assigned
2. Provide inclusion support for special education and/or at-risk students as assigned
3. Serve as case manager of special education students as assigned
4. Develop new IEPs on an annual basis
5. Update IEPs on a quarterly basis
6. Conduct formal/informal evaluations of individual students
7. Conduct classroom observations and use that data/feedback of individual students to help in evaluations and program recommendations
8. Write IEP report based on evaluation and observation data.
9. Assume responsibilities for the assigned portions of the IEP as indicated.
10. Fulfill other assigned duties/expectations outlined in the district Special Education Teacher Job Description.