Behavior Specialist

Job Title: Behavior Intervention Specialist


Reports to: Director of Early Childhood and Building Principal


Pay Grade: AP-4 Day: 210


Dept./ School: Early Childhood Department

Description: Highly qualified Behavior Specialist with the knowledge and skills to assist individuals, groups, and systems by applying positive behavior supports. The Behavior Specialist helps coordinate Functional Assessments of Behavior and Behavior Intervention Plan that address students' inappropriate behaviors and provide a means to help the students become more academically successful. Behavior Specialist also provides classroom and school-wide behavior management strategies resulting in improved academic achievement.

Qualifications:

Education/Certification:

• Texas teaching certification in Special Education preferred
• Master's degree from an accredited college or university preferred
• Candidate must have a satisfactory outcome of fingerprinting background check. Non-refundable fee (approximately $50.00) paid by the employee

Special Knowledge/Skills

• Minimum of three years of successful elementary classroom teaching experience in which the teaching of "at risk" and/or "behaviorally challenged" students was an important responsibility for the position.
• Expert knowledge of function-based intervention planning for developing behavior change strategies that focus on reducing problem behavior and increasing more appropriate behavior.
• Expert knowledge of techniques needed to complete effective Functional Behavior successfully Assessments (FBA), function-based interventions, and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP).
• Knowledge of the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee process and Individual Education Plan (IEP) goal-setting process and implementation
• Exceptional knowledge in the use of assessment and assessment data to inform instruction and prescribe work plans for individual students.
• Expert knowledge in research-based instructional strategies and ability to implement them effectively
• Conscious Discipline/CHAMPS/PBIS training preferred
• Exceptional knowledge in the use of technology to support instruction
• Demonstrate ability to plan and evaluate strategies for improving instruction
• Ascribes to the philosophy that all children can succeed and demonstrates the commitment to do what is necessary to make this a reality
• Demonstrates exceptional skill in the roles of a teacher leader: collaborator, action researcher, reflective practitioner, and learner advocate
• Ability to collect and interpret data
• Ability to implement policies and procedures
• Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) preferred

Experience:

• In providing in-service to educational teams
• Experience in creating Functional Behavioral Assessments and Behavior Improvement Plans
• Minimum 3 years of teaching experience

Major Responsibilities and Duties:


The Elementary Behavior Intervention Specialist will:

• Assist staff in: defining and measuring behavior; understanding principles of reinforcement; teaching new behavior; implementing strategies for weakening behavior; and identifying antecedents.
• Facilitate team meetings with the identified student's teachers and parents for the purpose of completing a Functional Behavioral Assessment.
• Facilitate team meetings that: design Behavior intervention Plans; address classroom organization, effective instruction, social skills instruction, and ethical issues; School-wide Positive Behavioral Support; and factors that affect effectiveness including social validity and treatment integrity.
• Work with individual teachers, groups of teachers, and/or the entire staff on issues such as crisis intervention, learning and collaboration issues, and factors that can affect the development and implementation of interventions.
• Promote highly specialized positive behavior interventions in which "at risk" students thrive: behavior instruction that is explicit, intensive, accelerated, and provides ample practice.
• Use ongoing assessments to maintain a record of student progress.
• Develop a repertoire of assessment strategies consistent with instructional goals, teaching methods, and individual student needs to more accurately assess student behavior skills and understandings.
• Regard assessment as a joint venture through which both student and teacher understanding is enhanced.
• Create fair and equitable assessments to assess higher-order thinking and problem-solving as well as individual skills, knowledge, and understanding.
• Model good assessment processes that assist students in assessing their own work and behavior.
• Provide recognition of a variety of student accomplishments and positive behaviors.
• Work cooperatively with building administrators to promote positive student behavior by providing professional development that targets research, strategies and modeling of instructional practices to support teachers in their implementation of positive behavior support in their classrooms.
• Continually supervise students to ensure a safe, non-threatening, nurturing environment where students can thrive.
• Engage in ongoing professional development to increase knowledge and skills of positive student behavior support for all students, targeted students and students who represent sub-group populations.
• Engage parents in the "student behavior intervention plan" process and empower parents by providing them with skills and techniques to support the positive behavior development of their child.
• Conduct conflict resolution and peer mediation sessions
• Review behavior referrals and/ or discipline data reports
• Participate in building PBIS teams and/or grade-level meetings, as appropriate
• Consult with school/district social workers and teachers
• Attend professional development opportunities to maintain a high level of skill and knowledge of current research and practices
• Serve as a consultant to administrators, teachers, and parents
• Organize and schedule time commitments to meet the demands of the job
• Comply with all safety policies, practices and procedures; report all unsafe activities to the supervisor and/or Human Resources.
• Participate in proactive team efforts to achieve District, building, departmental, and/or grade-level goals
• Provide leadership to others through example and sharing of knowledge/skill

Working Conditions: Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environmental Factors:

• Tools/Equipment Used: Personal computer and peripherals, and other instructional tools/equipment. Ability to communicate effectively (verbal and written). Ability to convey/receive information and/or instruction from internal/external customers through spoken expression.
• Posture: Prolonged standing; frequent kneeling/squatting, bending/stooping, pushing/pulling, and twisting.
• Motion: Frequent walking, standing, stooping, bending, kneeling, crouching, carrying, pushing, and pulling. Sensory ability needs - significant; hearing, near vision, peripheral vision color discrimination, and depth perception. Ability to see detailed information, naturally or with correction.
• Lifting: Move small stacks of textbooks, media equipment, desks, and other classroom equipment. Ability to lift and carry weight (under 15-30 pounds), sit, stand, perform repetitive hand motions, work with frequent interruptions, and prolonged use of the computer.
• Environment: Frequent district-wide and state-wide, travel, frequent prolonged and irregular hours. Ability to perform work while standing and/or walking for extended periods, up to eight (8) hours a day.
• Mental Demands: Maintain emotional control under stress.

I have reviewed the Job Description for my assigned position Behavior Specialist. I agree that I have the proper certification and licensure required by the Texas Education Agency to perform the job assigned. I understand the duties and responsibilities associated with the position and agree that I am capable of performing these duties.

The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required.