Disabilities Coach- Secondary

Position: Significant Disabilities Coach- Secondary
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Special Education Significant Disabilities Instructional Coach will facilitate implementation of high quality programs and services for students with significant disabilities at all grade levels. This includes professional development in daily practice for continuous improvement of instruction and intervention in the areas of academics, communication, adaptive/functional skills, and social/behavioral skills. Overall, the job of the coach is to build the capacity of the school and its teachers to meet the learning and behavioral needs of all students.

The coach's goal is to ensure that school staff acquires the understanding and skills to enhance behavioral and instructional practices at the classroom level and raise the level of student achievement.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

* Adheres to Board policies, district procedures, and contractual obligations.

* Demonstrates professional and instructional leadership, models professional and ethical behavior, and maintains professional confidentiality.

* Provides leadership for principals, teachers, special education coaches, and related staff by planning, collaborating, mentoring, and facilitating change to implement consistent, quality services for students with significant disabilities across the district.

* Assists principals in understanding, recognizing, and implementing effective programs for students with significant disabilities.

* Assists special education teachers and para-educators through job-embedded professional development by demonstrating strategies and lessons, introducing materials, programs, and ideas, modeling effective teaching and intervention strategies, coaching, and assisting with individual and/or team planning and problem-solving.

* Collaborates with teachers to understand the Core Curriculum and Essential Elements in relationship to intensive instruction/interventions for students with IEPs who are alternately assessed and to modify courses, units, lessons, and assessments to meet individual student needs and to provide high quality, rigorous academic instruction for student with significant disabilities.

* Develops and sustains trusting, productive relationships with teachers, administrators, para-educators, AEA staff, and other colleagues individually and in teams.

* Assists in identifying, acquiring, and organizing resources to support student achievement.

* Assists in training and implementation of alternate assessments, including state and district assessments.

* Assists teachers in the collection, analysis, and use of varied data to identify student adaptive, behavioral, communication, and learning needs, to plan instruction and interventions to address these needs, to assess student progress toward expected outcomes, and to make instructional decisions based on this data.

* Conducts peer observations and feedback in a non-evaluative role.

* Collaborates with other special education and instructional coaches to maximize resources.

* Conveys enthusiasm about learning, models and supports the belief that all students can succeed, and fosters excellence in teaching and learning.

* Completes other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, education and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

COMPETENCIES

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies as defined and approved by the Iowa Department of Education.

* Demonstrates ability to enhance academic performance and support for implementation of the Sioux City School District's student achievement goals.

* Demonstrates competence in content knowledge appropriate to the teaching position.

* Demonstrates competence in planning and preparing for instruction.

* Uses strategies to deliver instruction that meets the multiple learning needs of students.

* Uses a variety of methods to monitor student learning.

* Demonstrates competence in classroom and resource management.

* Engages in professional growth.

* Fulfills professional responsibilities established by the school district.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

Minimum qualifications include a valid Iowa teaching certificate with an endorsement in special education from an accredited college or university with a major in education or an appropriate content area, and a minimum of three years teaching experience. Must possess proper state certification and licensure for position. Employee is expected to demonstrate continued professional growth.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT

The Special Education Significant Disabilities Instructional Coach retains the regular teaching contract issued in accordance with Iowa Code Chapter 279.

EVALUATION

Job performance will be evaluated according to the terms defined in the negotiated…