| Benefits of working at VCU |
All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCU’s benefits here. |
| Duties & Responsibilities |
Summary: The Partnership for People with Disabilities at Virginia Commonwealth University celebrates over 39 years as Virginia’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Research, Training and Dissemination (www.vcu.edu/partnership). The Virginia Department of Education’s Training and Technical Assistance Center (T/TAC) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a large state-funded project at the Partnership. We are seeking an experienced and dynamic professional to serve as a program specialist for personnel serving children and youth with disabilities. The professional will join a team of Program Specialists who provide training and technical assistance to schools, school divisions, and state-operated programs in the central and southside Virginia regions. This position is grant-funded. We anticipate long-term funding for this role; however, similar to other grant funded organizations, we could be impacted by funding changes at the federal level. This position will be open rank with an anticipated slotting of Community Engagement & Outreach, Education Specialist CE 1 14231N.
Typical Duties - Respond to the needs of school personnel in divisions/schools classified identified by the VDOE, by providing training and technical assistance in effective instructional strategies for students with disabilities in all content areas.
Use a variety of training and technical assistance methods, including in-person or virtual small and large group workshops, systems change processes, consultations, communities of practice, book clubs, web resources, distance training methods (i.e., webinars), literature searches, library information, consultation, electronic mail, and video conferencing to provide training and technical assistance to personnel working with students with a variety of disabilities. - Use a variety of training and technical assistance methods to promote the theory of Universal Design for Learning with specially designed instruction (SDI) to support inclusive practices. This may include responding to needs in assistive and instructional technology and assisting students in gaining access to the general education curriculum and state assessments.
- Provide training related to the Standards of Learning (SOL) and the Virginia Essentialized Standards of Learning (VESOL). Areas of need may include assistive technology (AT)-related accommodations and modifications in all content areas, augmentative and alternative communication, computer and environmental access, literacy, numeracy, and other AT for students with disabilities.
- Assist with the acquisition and organization of resource materials of various assistive technologies (including augmentative communication devices and materials), program development, curriculum, and federal laws that govern services for students with disabilities for the T/TAC library and assistive and instructional technology labs. This includes understanding how to use various assistive technology devices, including augmentative and alternative communication devices and apps and extensions, maintenance of AT devices, and the annual inventory of the assistive technology lab.
- Consult with schools and programs to provide resources for students with mild, moderate, and complex disabilities, including intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities.
- Participate in professional development to stay abreast of emerging and current assistive technologies. Assist other program specialists with professional development related to learning new assistive technologies (products and processes) and learning about evidence-based practices in working with students with disabilities.
- Assist with coordinating local and regional assistive technology groups/teams to include membership from schools, State state-operated programs, and early intervention programs. Activities include assisting with needs assessments and supporting in-person, virtual, and hybrid workshops and/or conferences.
- Promote and lead school divisions through a systems change process for developing and implementing assistive technology/inclusive practices teams to promote AT practices within inclusive environments (division/system-wide and/or school-wide).
- Assist teams in identifying resources, creating procedures, and learning to provide assistive technology consideration and assessment.
- Assist professionals and families in understanding evidence-based practices related to using assistive technology to serve children and youth with mild, moderate, and complex disabilities.
- Assist school divisions with needs assessments and provide support for systems change efforts related to serving children and youth with disabilities.
- Collaborate with the Virginia Department of Education, Statewide T/TACs, VCU Partnership for People with Disabilities, VCU–RRTC Autism Center for Education, VCU School of Education, VCU-RRTC Center for Transition Innovations, local school divisions, and other professional and public agencies.
- Write digital newsletter articles for publication to our listserv of consumers, and contribute to social media platform postings.
- Actively participate as a member of the T/TAC Program Specialist Team, sharing all team responsibilities, including facilitating team meetings, providing leadership on organizational teams, and collecting evaluation information.
Work independently and with teams on a variety of tasks to develop products to assist professionals, students, and families. - Additional duties assigned by the Virginia Department of Education and the T/TAC Co-Directors and Program Specialists’ teams.
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| Qualifications |
Minimum Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Assistive Technology, or a related services field
- Experience instructing students with mild, moderate, or complex disabilities.
- Experience in assistive technology and/or augmentative and alternative communication.
- Experience delivering professional development or coaching adult learners.
- Demonstrated knowledge of federal and state regulations, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004), ESSA, Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia, Virginia School Accreditation Standards, Virginia Standards of Learning, and the Virginia Essentialized Standards of Learning.
- Knowledge and use of assessments for students with intellectual disabilities.
- Demonstrate the ability to use distance technology to provide training and technical assistance to professionals and families.
- Demonstrate the ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team to promote successful outcomes for youth with disabilities.
- Demonstrate an understanding of adult learning principles used in training and technical assistance.
Skills and experience in working as a member of an interdisciplinary team. - Comprehensive knowledge of the effects of disabilities on students and their families.
- Skills and experience in developing and providing professional development and consulting with other professionals.
- Knowledge of and participation in the leadership and facilitation of implementation science/ systems change initiatives.
- Working knowledge of Windows and Microsoft Office operating systems and familiarity with the utilization of mainstream computer applications (e.g., email and Internet). Knowledge and use of virtual platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet, as well as engagement tools such as Peardecks and Miro boards.
- Ability to facilitate teams in a variety of situations, including meetings or system change initiatives.
- Efficient management of professional time, independently and as a team member.
- Ability to travel, using one's own personal vehicle, to school and program sites with occasional overnight stays
- Ability to work flexible hours including early mornings, late afternoons, and occasional evenings and weekends
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an fostering an environment of respect, professionalism, and civility with a population of faculty, staff and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU
Preferred Qualifications
- A minimum of five years of recent experience (within the last five years) supporting students with intellectual disabilities in the areas of instruction and assistive technology, including augmentative and alternative communication.
- Demonstrated experience in the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) or Assistive Technology (AT) to support students with disabilities. Working knowledge of adaptive standards. Working with students with Mild/Moderate/Complex needs in inclusive settings.
Typical Licensure - Must provide a valid VA teaching license or endorsement in Special Education, Adapted Curriculum K-12, or a related field or licensure in OT or SLP with instructional experience.
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