Transitional Academic Program/Skills (TAPS) Teacher

Nimble; Greenwood (IN); On-site; USD 48,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Center Grove Community School Corporation seeks an educator to support TAPs students with individualized instruction aligned to IEPs. You will plan, implement, and monitor specialized instruction while coordinating with teachers, administrators, and families to ensure meaningful access to standards.

You will participate in crisis management and adapt materials and routines to meet each student’s needs, including assistive tech and data-driven adjustments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree and valid Indiana Teaching License.
• Mild or Intense Interventions License or eligible for I-SEAl or ASSET.
• Exemplary verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficient technology skills.
• Ability to work independently and with colleagues.
• Professionalism with colleagues, students, and parents/guardians.
• Knowledge of curriculum design, teaching and assessment.

Responsibilities

• Plan, organize and prepare IEPs, behavior plans and transition plans as appropriate.
• Collaborate with administrators, teachers, classified personnel, parents and students.
• Participate in specialty training for current, research-based supports.
• Assist in crisis communication and de-escalation techniques; participate in restraints as part of a team.
• Adjust equipment and workspace to support individual students.
• Confer with the IEP Team to align strengths and needs.
• Assist in toileting, feeding, dressing, and bus loading/unloading as needed.
• Stay abreast of assistive technology for moderate-to-severe populations.
• Monitor medical needs with school nurse and families as required.
• Utilize resources from other units to perform job functions.

Skills

Coordinate services

Assessments

Write IEPs

Implement IEPs

Specialized instruction

Federal/state laws

Communication with staff/parents

Confidentiality

Initiative

Judgment

Education

Bachelor’s Degree; Indiana Teaching License

Interventions License (Mild/Intense) or eligibility for I-SEAl/ASSET

Job description

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.

Minimum Qualifications and Credentials Required:

• 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.

Essential Functions:

• 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

Other Duties & Responsibilities:

• 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, PowerSchool, 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 purpose of providing education benefit to the students
• Monitors students’ progress utilizing data that reflects student performance and adjusts instruction as needed based on analysis of the data for the purpose of coordinating services to individual students
• Provides students with specialized instruction for the purpose of meeting their unique needs
• Provides timely feedback to families based on data for the purpose of coordinating services to individual students
• Schedules IEP meeting with parents, general education teachers, administrators, and any members of the IEP team required by law for the purpose of maintaining compliance with federal and state laws
• Uses instructional strategies for the purpose of facilitating student learning in core academic subjects
• Utilizes assessment results for the purpose of providing educational benefit to the students
• Trains and provides work direction and guidance to assigned Instructional Aides for the purpose of meeting unique needs of students. Training must include Crisis Prevention Intervention or a comparable model and appropriate lifting and toileting training
• Performs other duties as needed for the purpose of facilitating student learning
• Uses technology in classroom instruction, in keeping appropriate records and preparing progress reports, report cards, benchmark assessments, etc.
• Uses classroom and/or behavior management techniques to achieve a safe and functional learning atmosphere for all students. This includes creating appropriate room displays, bulletin boards, and/or interest/learning centers and providing a more structured system when necessary
• Oversees students appropriately integrated into settings for maximum interaction with peers

Required Skill Set:

• Coordinate services with school staff and collaborate making suggestions for modifications/accommodations of core curriculum that targets students’ needs
• Administer a variety of assessments
• Write IEPs aligned to state content standards
• Implement each student's IEP as it is written
• Provide students with specialized instruction based on their unique needs
• Adhere to federal and state laws pertaining to students with special needs
• Communicate effectively with general education teachers, therapists, administrators. and parents
• Maintain student confidentiality
• Exercise initiative
• Possess good judgment

We are looking for a caring, collaborative educator to join our amazing team.

Center Grove strives to attract and retain the best and brightest employees to work with our students. We understand that supporting employees is critical, and we are proud of our commitment to providing a caring and collaborative climate, professional development opportunities, and competitive benefits. We invite you to Learn more about our vision to provide exceptional educational and occupational experiences at www.centergrove.k12.in.us.