I. TITLE
Preschool Intervention and Referral Specialist
II. PRIMARY FUNCTION
Consult with teachers, teams of specialists and program administration to lead the development, tracking and monitoring of student interventions and supports in order to remove barriers to preschool inclusive programming, so all children can succeed within the general education classroom.
III. REPORTS TO
Early Childhood Coordinator
IV. QUALIFICATIONS
• A bachelor's degree and a NJDOE Standard Certificate in one or more of the following:
a. School Psychology;
b. School Social Worker;
c. Speech/Language Specialist;
d. Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant; and/or
e. School Counselor
• Experience with providing supports to students in both the general education and special education settings.
• Working knowledge of, and experience implementing, behavior and learning intervention support plans.
• Strong background and knowledge in early childhood education, child development, the High Scope curriculum, and the Pyramid Model (i.e., Positive Behavior Supports).
• In-depth understanding of the philosophy of and best practices in inclusive education.
V. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Consult with Preschool Instructional Coach (PIC) and classroom teachers to adapt and modify teaching practices to help preschool children succeed in the general education setting and meet the Preschool Learning Standards.
• Conduct regular classroom visits to observe, model, provide feedback, and make recommendations about appropriate strategies, classroom modifications, and the selection of adaptive materials to address the needs of children with challenging behaviors and/or potential learning difficulties.
• Develop and provide high quality and on-going professional development in areas identified by student performance and program quality assessments that are needed to support inclusive preschool programming and practices.
• Demonstrate fluency and continued professional development in Early Childhood Curriculum.
• Serve as the lead member of the Preschool Intervention Referral Services Team.
• Assist with the creation and coordination of the Preschool Intervention and Referral Team, Request For Assistance form.
• Establish and manage a case file for each child referred to the Preschool Intervention and Referral Team.
• Schedule and coordinate Preschool Intervention and Referral Team meetings with preschool specialists, teachers and parents/guardians.
• Support classroom teachers via the provision of written strategies and interventions
• Assist in the development of Behavior Support Plans as necessary.
• Develop and maintain a system for tracking Preschool Intervention and Referral Team referral and outcome data.
• Provide guidance, when needed, to the Preschool Intervention and Referral Team and/or parents for requesting referrals for Child Study Team Evaluations as per NJAC 6A:14.
• Coordinate with school district special services department and child study team members, when appropriate, to ensure seamless preschool programming.
• Facilitate transition of all case files to other programs as necessary (e.g., Kindergarten support staff, guidance counselors, etc.).
• Assist Early Childhood Coordinator and Building Administration with coordinating and conducting universal all early childhood screenings.
• Assist with the creation, implementation and monitoring of program, and classroom-wide, components of the Pyramid Model, to include Social Emotional Learning (SEL) opportunities for students.
• Provide ongoing professional development in components of the Pyramid Model and SEL for district staff (i.e., administrators, teacher assistants, master teachers, teachers) and/or parents.
• Participate in NJDOE and/or GrowNJKids Technical Assistance Trainings and turnkey information.
• Develop familiarity with student outcome rating scales (e.g., COR Advantage, Early Childhood Screener, etc.), and assist teachers with interpretation of results.
• Serve as the Community Parent Involvement Specialist (CPIS).
• Create, provide and lead professional development opportunities for parents.
• must attend all required PIRS Prerequisite Courses and Seminar, Pyramid Model Training, and complete all requirements offered by the Division of Early Childhood Education, and mandated under the Preschool Expansion Aid application.
• Assist with identifying areas in need of instructional and program improvement based on inventories and share with Early Childhood Coordinator.
• Perform additional duties as assigned that are directly related to early childhood classroom improvement.
VI. TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT
In accordance with provisions of ETEA/BOE contract and Board Policy.
VII. EVALUATION
Performance of this job will be evaluated annually in accordance with Board Policy by the
Early Childhood Coordinator.