Transitional Academic Program​/Skills; TAPS) Teacher

Program

Description:

The TAPs program provides students with individualized, supplemental instruction designed to address academic and functional needs that may significantly impact their ability to access the general education curriculum. Students participating in TAPs require instructional materials and curriculum that are typically two to three grade levels below their chronological grade level in order to build foundational skills and make meaningful progress.

Instruction within TAPs focuses on identifying each student's current level of performance and providing appropriately scaffolded instruction in areas such as reading, written communication, mathematics, problem-solving, executive functioning, and functional life skills.

A primary goal of the TAPs program is to bridge the gap between a student's present levels of academic and functional performance and the expectations of their educational environment. Rather than simply reducing grade-level expectations, instruction is adapted to provide students with meaningful access to standards while addressing the prerequisite skills they need for continued growth.

TAPs programming is individualized based on each student's IEP, present levels of performance, goals, accommodations, and identified areas of need.

• Bachelor’s Degree; valid Indiana Teaching License
• Mild or Intense Interventions License (or be eligible for I-SEAl or ASSET Program)
• Exemplary verbal and written communication skills
• Proficient technology skills
• Ability to work independently and with colleagues
• Professionalism in interacting with colleagues, students, and parents or guardians
• Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

• Work under direct supervision using standardized procedures; providing information and/or advising others
• Work with administrators, teachers, classified personnel, parents and students
• Plan, organize and prepare IEPs, behavior plans and transition plans as appropriate
• Participates in specialty training to provide current, research-based support for the students, including training in specialized curriculum, specialized behavioral approaches, and reporting processes
• Participates in crisis communication and de-escalation techniques to assist in maintaining student behavior. Assists in physical restraints as part of a team or, when appropriate, as team leader
• Adjusts equipment, braces, furniture as needed to appropriately serve individual students
• Confers with the rest of the IEP Team to ensure all disciplines are aware of a student’s strengths and/or needs
• Assists in toileting, feeding, dressing, loading in/out of the bus as necessary
• Stays abreast of current assistive technology and its potential with the moderate-to-severe population
• Works closely with parents and school nurse to monitor any medical needs the students may develop
• Utilization of significant resources from other work units is routinely required to perform the job's functions

• Demonstrates knowledge of core curriculum for the purpose of designating and presenting instruction with clean and logical structure and modifying/accommodating to help students meet goals and objectives of IEP
• Demonstrates knowledge of special education laws as well as IDOE, IEP, Power School, and CGCSC policies and procedures for the purpose of maintaining compliance with federal and state laws
• Develops reasonably calculated, including individual goals aligned to state content standards for the purpose of providing educational benefit to the students
• Implements student IEPs as written in accordance to the law for the…