Behavioral Support Specialist ($3,000 stipend) 2024-2025 SY

Collaborates with teachers, staff, principals, and parents to find solutions and strategies to best facilitate student’s goals & needs. Serves as a positive and nurturing guide to support students’ academic and emotional needs. Assists teachers with student’s behavioral needs within the classroom in effort to foster an optimal educational environment. Provide direct services to students in all classroom settings and to train staff on student behaviors.

MAJOR TASKS:

• Provides direct services to students regarding behavior and consults with teachers regarding student behavior.
• Consults with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems and effective solutions and inform parents of progress.
• Plans a program of study that meets the individual needs, interests, and abilities of the students.
• Observes and monitors control of students’ behavior in the classroom, playground and other areas.
• Facilitate team meetings with the identified student’s teachers and parents for the purpose of completing a Functional Behavioral Assessment.
• Facilitate team meetings that: design Behavior Intervention Plans; address classroom organization, effective instruction, social skills instruction and ethical issues.
• Consults with regular education teachers to utilize and implement classroom management techniques to maintain organization, orderliness and student safety, and a productive learning environment. Utilizes positive reinforcement to maximize desired behavior and educational outcomes.
• Consults with regular education teachers to plan instruction to achieve specific objectives based upon student need and established curriculum and implement instructional techniques to encourage and motivate students.
• Creates a positive and nurturing class environment that is developmentally appropriate and conducive to learning.
• Assesses student accomplishments on a regular basis and provides progress reports as required.
• Attends staff meetings and serves on staff committees as required.
• Performs other duties as assigned or required.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must hold current teaching certificate for special education and issued by the Arizona State Department of Education.
• Knowledge of function based intervention planning for developing behavior change strategies that focuses on reducing problem behavior and increasing more appropriate behavior.
• Knowledge of techniques needed to successfully complete effective Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA), function-based interventions and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP).
• Knowledge in the use of assessment and assessment data to inform instruction and prescribe work plans for individual students.
• Expert knowledge in research based instructional strategies and ability to implement them effectively.
• Exceptional knowledge in the use of technology to support instruction.
• Certified BCBA Preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms.
• The employee is occasionally required to sit and use hands to finger, handle or feel objects. The employee is frequently required to stoop, bend, or crouch.
• The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individual with disability to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee frequently works in outside weather conditions.
• The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions and extreme heat.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate and frequently low.

Supervison Received from: Director of Exceptional Student Services
Given to: Students, Teacher Aides, Student Teachers and volunteers as assigned.

Evaluation - At least annually by the Principal in accordance with the policy of the Governing Board.