Instructional Specialist

Title\: Instructional Specialist, Special Education

Reports To\: Early Childhood Field Coordinator/Administrator

Job Summary\:

Assists schools and teachers with special education students in creating a consistent implementation of the schools’ core curriculum for Pre-Kindergarten and the Pennsylvania’s Early Learning Standards. Supports and facilitates the continuity of differentiated and rigorous instruction of students by working with school administration, Teachers, and staff. Plans, delivers, and assists teachers and school teams in effective teaching and student engagement to increase student achievement. Ensures that the proper educational tools are used to meet the specialized needs of the student population served. Provides professional development support based on teacher or school site needs and uses ongoing instructional best practices to meet the needs of individual teachers and students.

This is a full-time, 10-month role represented by PFT. The salary grade for this role is 0205/0301.

Essential Functions\:

• Serves as a member of the Early Childhood Team and participates in regular walkthroughs of pre-kindergarten classes in schools, off-sites, and community-based child care partner sites.

• Analyzes teaching practices, support schools, early childhood centers, and teachers to attain high-quality instructional practices, and provide professional development support based on teacher, school, or early childhood site needs.

• Provides on-going, daily informal and formal classroom assessments and instructional best practices to meet the needs of individual student in attaining educational excellence

• Assist parents and staff through the Early Intervention referral process.

• Debriefs with teachers, school leadership teams, partner directors, and Early Childhood staff to analyze and support the instructional practices in schools and/or early childhood sites. 

• Plans and administers (in collaboration with the central and academic offices) the implementation of instructional strategies to support academic achievement.

• Develops, designs, and delivers professional development for central and academic offices, principals, leadership teams, teachers, classroom assistants, and partner staff based on the needs of schools, early childhood sites, and teachers.

• Visits schools, partner sites, and classrooms and provides support to improve instructional and assessment strategies for special education students, outside of the walkthroughs.

• Ensures that therapeutic techniques are integrated into the classroom activities as advised by speech, occupational and physical therapists.

• Ensures that students in need of early intervention services are identified; provides training and information on early intervention strategies and techniques for teachers; maintains and disseminates resource information to teachers, staff and families.

• Encourages a continuous exchange of ideas and maintains a relationship with the assigned academic division. 

• Develops strategies that connect curriculum, instruction, assessment and professional development for effective data driven interventions to improve teaching and learning.

• Supports teachers in delivering on-the-spot, in-classroom data-driven instruction.

• Supports teachers in creating interventions (strategy groups, conferencing, small groups, etc) based on formal and informal assessment results.

• Supports teachers and schools in obtaining on-going periodic assessment results on their students and how to best use the results to deliver differentiated instruction.

Minimum Requirements\:

• Master’s degree program from an accredited college or university.

• Five years of full-time, paid, professional appointed prekindergarten classroom or site based teaching experience which has included supporting teachers in improving instructional practices.

Certificates/Licenses\:

• Possess a valid Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Instructional II Special Education teaching certificate.

• Possess a valid Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Early Childhood Instructional II teaching certificate.

Title\: Instructional Specialist, Special Education

Reports To\: Early Childhood Field Coordinator/Administrator

Job Summary\:

Assists schools and teachers with special education students in creating a consistent implementation of the schools’ core curriculum for Pre-Kindergarten and the Pennsylvania’s Early Learning Standards. Supports and facilitates the continuity of differentiated and rigorous instruction of students by working with school administration, Teachers, and staff. Plans, delivers, and assists teachers and school teams in effective teaching and student engagement to increase student achievement. Ensures that the proper educational tools are used to meet the specialized needs of the student population served. Provides professional development support based on teacher or school site needs and uses ongoing instructional best practices to meet the needs of individual teachers and students.

This is a full-time, 10-month role represented by PFT. The salary grade for this role is 0205/0301.

Essential Functions\:

• Serves as a member of the Early Childhood Team and participates in regular walkthroughs of pre-kindergarten classes in schools, off-sites, and community-based child care partner sites.

• Analyzes teaching practices, support schools, early childhood centers, and teachers to attain high-quality instructional practices, and provide professional development support based on teacher, school, or early childhood site needs.

• Provides on-going, daily informal and formal classroom assessments and instructional best practices to meet the needs of individual student in attaining educational excellence

• Assist parents and staff through the Early Intervention referral process.

• Debriefs with teachers, school leadership teams, partner directors, and Early Childhood staff to analyze and support the instructional practices in schools and/or early childhood sites. 

• Plans and administers (in collaboration with the central and academic offices) the implementation of instructional strategies to support academic achievement.

• Develops, designs, and delivers professional development for central and academic offices, principals, leadership teams, teachers, classroom assistants, and partner staff based on the needs of schools, early childhood sites, and teachers.

• Visits schools, partner sites, and classrooms and provides support to improve instructional and assessment strategies for special education students, outside of the walkthroughs.

• Ensures that therapeutic techniques are integrated into the classroom activities as advised by speech, occupational and physical therapists.

• Ensures that students in need of early intervention services are identified; provides training and information on early intervention strategies and techniques for teachers; maintains and disseminates resource information to teachers, staff and families.

• Encourages a continuous exchange of ideas and maintains a relationship with the assigned academic division. 

• Develops strategies that connect curriculum, instruction, assessment and professional development for effective data driven interventions to improve teaching and learning.

• Supports teachers in delivering on-the-spot, in-classroom data-driven instruction.

• Supports teachers in creating interventions (strategy groups, conferencing, small groups, etc) based on formal and informal assessment results.

• Supports teachers and schools in obtaining on-going periodic assessment results on their students and how to best use the results to deliver differentiated instruction.

Minimum Requirements\:

• Master’s degree program from an accredited college or university.

• Five years of full-time, paid, professional appointed prekindergarten classroom or site based teaching experience which has included supporting teachers in improving instructional practices.

Certificates/Licenses\:

• Possess a valid Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Instructional II Special Education teaching certificate.

• Possess a valid Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Early Childhood Instructional II teaching certificate.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities\:

Demonstrated knowledge of\:

• the modern methods, principles and practices of special education.

• all aspects of the content and implementation of the curriculum, strategies guide.

• best instructional practices and federal and state guidelines.

• periodic assessments and on-going informal assessments and strategies to support students based on the results.

• site visit protocol for walks for learning.

• current research regarding communities of learners, instructional practices, linked to student achievement, differentiated instruction, mentoring, coaching and emergent technologies.

•  increasing achievements for all students.

• collecting, analyzing and using data.

• the use of technology to access students’ assessment results.

• all aspects of the content and implementation of the PA Early Learning Standards.

Demonstrated ability to\:

• ensure that the instructional needs of students with mental and physical challenges are met.

• provide interventions (strategy groups, conferencing, small groups, etc) based on formal and informal assessment results and support differentiation.

• design and facilitate school and/or early childhood site led workshops for staff development incorporating assessments and interventions into current curriculum as well as regulatory topics.

• build relationships and help teachers feel comfortable with and understand instruction.

• communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

• establish and maintain effective working relationships. 

Disclaimer\:

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so Classified.  

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities\:

Demonstrated knowledge of\:

• the modern methods, principles and practices of special education.

• all aspects of the content and implementation of the curriculum, strategies guide.

• best instructional practices and federal and state guidelines.

• periodic assessments and on-going informal assessments and strategies to support students based on the results.

• site visit protocol for walks for learning.

• current research regarding communities of learners, instructional practices, linked to student achievement, differentiated instruction, mentoring, coaching and emergent technologies.

•  increasing achievements for all students.

• collecting, analyzing and using data.

• the use of technology to access students’ assessment results.

• all aspects of the content and implementation of the PA Early Learning Standards.

Demonstrated ability to\:

• ensure that the instructional needs of students with mental and physical challenges are met.

• provide interventions (strategy groups, conferencing, small groups, etc) based on formal and informal assessment results and support differentiation.

• design and facilitate school and/or early childhood site led workshops for staff development incorporating assessments and interventions into current curriculum as well as regulatory topics.

• build relationships and help teachers feel comfortable with and understand instruction.

• communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

• establish and maintain effective working relationships. 

Disclaimer\:

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so Classified.