MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

REPORTS TO:  

Middle School Division Director

FLSA JOB CLASSIFICATION:

Exempt, 10 Month Position

JOB PURPOSE:

The Student Support Specialist partners with teachers, families, and administrators to identify and support students with diverse learning needs through direct instruction, intervention, and assessment. Working within a collaborative school community, this role facilitates the Community-Student Growth process and serves as a key liaison across grade-level teams, outside providers, and families to ensure every student's academic, social, and emotional success.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

This position works in collaboration within assigned classrooms/grade(s) with teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, students and their families to provide direct instruction and/or classroom support to students demonstrating a need for additional support. Support may be provided in the regular classroom setting with a collaborative co-teaching model or with more personalized individual/small group instruction in a setting outside the classroom. 

Duke School emphasizes a collaborative working relationship with all members of the school community. Within this framework, teachers, parents, and directors work together to plan, promote, and execute an educational program that meets children's developmental, academic, social, and emotional needs.

Teachers are also assigned or given the opportunity to perform duties that support the health of the middle school, such as car lines, activities, and/or clubs. As a member of the school community, all teachers will support and work well with parents, administrators, and fellow faculty members.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The teacher’s job is broad and varied. It includes, but is not limited to:

• Provides direct instruction via small groups and one-on-one, as defined by student needs and Tier level.

• Coordinates with classroom teachers for identified Tier 1 students

• Adapts materials for instructional purposes and measures student progress.

• Provides direct assessment services to students in the Learning Center to determine instructional levels, rates of acquisition, and retention.

• Assesses the students’ degree of need(s) and provides recommendations for specific instructional interventions to the teachers, division directors, and other members of the Learning Support Team.

• In conjunction with the guidance counselor, may help determine specific occurrences of inappropriate and appropriate behaviors and devise behavior management techniques for teachers to increase appropriate behavior in individual students.

• Facilitates collaborative consultation with regular and Student Support teachers, parents, counselors, and outside agencies.

• Conducts formal and informal student observations and gathers data for multidisciplinary evaluations.

• Completes Community-Student Growth paperwork, in collaboration with teachers for students that qualify for learning support services.

• Acts as a liaison between administration, classroom teachers and itinerant service providers including, but not limited to speech therapists and physical therapists and psychoeducational specialists.

• Participates in the school transition team meetings and schedules and facilitates parent/school team meetings and classroom/program visitations as appropriate.

• Assumes any other responsibilities as assigned by the Head of School or his/her/their designee.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Sharing in the day-to-day life of the school community, which includes attending assemblies and community gatherings, participating in committees (i.e., grade level team, academic committee), and fulfilling assigned duties (such as daily lunch supervision, daily carline, etc.).

• Attending all faculty meetings, professional development sessions, Back to School Night, 8th Grade Graduation, and occasional weekend or evening events as determined by the Middle School Division Director or Head of School 

• Supervising students during lunch and recess and at all times while in his/her/their care.

• Attending and chaperoning overnight field trips.

• Sponsoring extracurricular student activities or clubs.

• Supporting the work of the Admissions Office by hosting and assessing visiting students in the classroom.

• Adhering to the policies written in the Employee Handbook. 

• Displaying professionalism and integrity when interacting with the Duke School community. 

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s Degree is required; Master’s degree and certification in subject area preferred (advanced degrees outside the field of education may not be recognized on the pay scale)

• Three years of relevant student support experience preferred 

• Teaching license in special education preferred

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work at Duke School involves: 

• Supervising students indoors and outdoors

• Participating in regular safety drills

• Learning CPR

• Providing basic first aid

• Administering EPI-Pens when needed

• Some weekend, evening, and early morning work may be required occasionally

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Teachers of middle-grade children must be able to provide adequate supervision indoors and outdoors, and they must be able to ensure the safety of students during drills and emergencies. The position may require prolonged periods of sitting at a desk, standing to teach, and computer work. Teachers must be able to traverse the teaching spaces and adjust one’s tone and height by bending or learning to teach each child. 

KEY INTERFACES: 

• Students and their families

• Grade-level teams

• Middle School Counselor, other Learning Specialists, and other outside specialists/providers

• Specials Teachers  

• Directors

  • Middle School Division Director

  • Director of Curriculum and Professional Development 

  • Director of Technology and Innovation

  • Equity, Justice, and Belonging Director