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 agreement.
KNOWLEDGE and EXPERIENCE in SPECIAL EDUCATION
Evidence of professional learning and implementation of best practice strategies and programs in special education, particularly strategies and programs for students with significant disabilities. Evidence of student success through specially designed instruction. Familiarity with Iowa Core Curriculum, Essential Elements, Iowa Alternate Assessment, and instructional strategies for students with significant disabilities. Graduate work in special education preferred.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Strong written and verbal communication skills are critical to the success of this position. Must possess the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with a variety of individuals, including school staff, administrators, AEA staff, parents, and outside agency staff. Individual must have effective listening skills.
POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP SKILLS
Promotes the District and special education programs through positive support, modeling, and conversations. The Special Education Coach will be a collaborative team member that speaks positively and in a supportive way about education, teaching, learning, and the District.
COACHING, PROBLEM-SOLVING, & FACILITATION SKILLS
Must be an effective coach and facilitator in a variety of situations. Position requires the ability to support educators and teams in enhancing skills and program planning for students with disabilities. Position requires the ability to model, observe, and provide feedback in a non-evaluative way.
ANALYTICAL and REASONING SKILLS
Must have skills in observing, gathering, and analyzing data. Position requires assisting educators in data gathering and analysis to develop educational plans.
PLANNING SKILLS
Must have the ability to plan both long-term and short-term goals and for coordinating efforts for timely accomplishment of those goals.
INITIATIVE and SELF-DIRECTION SKILLS
Must have the ability show initiative, working independently and with groups, and the ability to be self-directed. Position requires determining how to prioritize, allocate, and schedule time daily and weekly to address coaching and student needs across the district.
ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
Position requires strong organizational skills. Must have the ability to organize and assimilate information, diagnostic data, scheduling, and other needs related to special education programming and individual student planning.
ATTENDANCE
Excellent attendance record is required.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
Normal office physical demands. May be required to lift up to 50 pounds infrequently. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Generally employee works inside.
OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED
Will perform other duties as may be assigned by the superintendent or designee, necessary and appropriate to achievement of the program and/or District goals and objectives.
The Sioux City Community School District offers career and technical programs in the following areas: Business & Marketing, Family & Consumer Science, Health Science, and Industrial Arts, Technology, & PLTW.
The Sioux City Community School District is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information (for employment), national origin, religion, age (for employment), disability, socioeconomic status (for programs), marital status (for programs), or veteran status (for employment) in its educational programs and its employment practices. The District is required by Title IX and 34 CFR Part 106 not to discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs, activities, or employment.
Inquiries or grievances under Section 504 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act may be directed to Dr. Dora Jung, Director of Student Services & Equity Education/Title IX Coordinator at 627 4th Street, Sioux City, IA 51101, (712) 279-6075, jungd@live.siouxcityschools.com. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations to the District may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, or both. Please see District Board policies 103 and 504.4 for additional information on available grievance procedures.