POSITION: Exceptional Education Teacher (Adaptive or General Curriculum)

SALARY GRADE: State Salary Schedule commensurate with degree and experience.

NATURE OF WORK: Under general supervision of the Building Principal and Special Education Director, the licensed special education teacher provides special education services to students identified as disabled in accordance with state and federal regulations. Work involves developing and implementing the Individual Education Program in classroom settings that are compatible with the student’s age and developmental level; Developing lesson plans, adapting materials and designing activities to assist EC students develop appropriate academic, behavioral, and social skills and to meet their IEP goals; responsible for monitoring student’s progress and for maintaining EC records in compliance with state and federal guidelines.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Additional duties may be assigned.

• Develops and implements an instructional plan which is compatible with the school and system-wide curricular goals and the students’ Individual Education Program.
• Employs various teaching techniques, methods and principles of learning to enable students to meet their IEP goals.  
• Develops and implements annual Individualized Educational Program (IEP) plans for students to include: present levels of educational performance, special education needs, instructional goals and objectives, and the special education and related services required to meet those goals.  
• Provides research-based specialized instruction to address the instructional goals and objectives contained within each student’s IEP.  
• Assesses student progress and determines the need for additional reinforcement or adjustments to instructional techniques.
• Schedules team meetings and works cooperatively with child study team members and others in developing instructional goals and strategies.  
• Coordinates the delivery of special education services in each student's IEP. 
• Employs a variety of teaching methods to meet student needs. Implementation of these methods may require the adaptation or development of materials.
• Monitors student behavior; maintains discipline in the classroom; deescalates inappropriate behaviors; teaches students appropriate behavioral strategies; restrains students when necessary; records and reports restrains.
• Assists disabled students with their personal and self-help needs, such as eating, toileting, and other essential tasks that the students are not able to perform by themselves.
• Communicates with parents regarding their children’s educational progress via periodic written progress reports.
• Acts as a case coordinator for assigned students; consults with community care-givers, school support professionals, and parents to better understand and meet student needs. 
• Conducts special education evaluations and reevaluations.  
• Provides direction, supervision and evaluation of educational assistants as directed.
• Completes all district and state reporting requirements. 
• Maintains student records in accordance with North Carolina’s Procedures Governing Programs and Services for Children with Disabilities; and complies with board policies and state and federal education statutes.
•  Other duties as assigned

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to walk and use fingers, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand and reach with hands and arms. Specific visual abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Occasionally the employee will lift up to 50 lbs. (and/or up to adult body size weight with two-to-three person lift),  as well as to lift files, paper, school supplies, books, etc. Position can require some degree of physical interaction with students who have difficulty controlling physical behavior.

DATA CONCEPTION: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural or composite characteristics (whether similar or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Requires the ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes receiving instructions, assignments or directions from superiors.

REASONING ABILITY: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form; and to deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

LANGUAGE ABILITY: Requires the ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, forms, articles, proposals, manuals, legislation, graphs, charts, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, reports, forms, charts, graphs, statistical analysis, etc., using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction and style. Requires the ability to speak to people with poise, voice control and confidence. Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently through a variety of technical and professional languages including psychometric, statistical and educational research terminology.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee may encounter, and include a noise level that is usually moderate to loud. The employee continuously interacts with the public and staff.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This specification has been designated to represent the general nature and level of work found in positions in this class. As such, it is not intended to contain all of the duties and qualifications required of an employee in a single position (job). Consequently, it is not to be perceived as a position (job) description or as identification of essential functions as required by ADA.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Four year degree from a college or university
• Major, or 24 semester hours, in subject area to be taught 
• Passing score on Praxis II Test in subject area to be taught (Must have already passed Praxis II before being considered for employment in Elementary Education or Exceptional Education)  Valid N.C. teaching license/certificate, or be able to obtain such 

This specification has been designated to represent the general nature and level of work found in positions in this class. As such, it is not intended to contain all of the duties and qualifications required of an employee in a single position (job). Consequently, it is not to be perceived as a position (job) description or as identification of essential functions as required by ADA. 

EVALUATION: Performance in this position will be evaluated regularly by the supervisor in accordance with Board Policy.