Special Education, State Teacher I - Spring Creek Youth Services Center.

About the Division of Youth Services

The Division of Youth Services (DYS) provides a continuum of residential and non-residential services that encompass juvenile detention, commitment, and parole. DYS is the agency statutorily mandated to provide for the care and supervision of youth committed by the District Court to the custody of the Colorado Department of Human Services. The Division operates fifteen secure facilities that serve youth between the ages of 10 and 21, who are pre-adjudicated, sentenced, or committed. The Division also contracts with numerous private residential and non-residential service providers throughout the State. For pre-adjudicated youth, the Division is also responsible for the management and oversight of Colorado Youth Detention Continuum, a State-funded, locally administered program that provides services to youth at risk of further progressing into the juvenile justice system. In addition to residential programming, the Division administers juvenile parole services throughout the State.

Purpose of This Position

This work unit exists to provide academic, vocational, and other education-related services to youth in institutional facilities, to provide professional consultation to community programs which serve DYS youth, and to establish and maintain collaboration with other state and community agencies that provide or monitor education services. This position exists to provide special education services and supports and classroom instruction to committed youth. The position provides special education services to students with special education needs as identified in an Individualized Education Program (IEP), as well as support to staff. The teacher will develop IEPs in collaboration with parents, students, and other team members and in accordance with all special education laws and guidelines. The teacher will enter all special education records/documents into the online IEP system. Will be competent administering, analyzing and interpreting educational assessments as prescribed by DYS. The teacher takes responsibility for knowledge and implementation of special education laws and DYS special education procedures. This position may be permanently assigned to different content area or CTE teaching as determined by business need or supervisor expectation and/or assigned for other needs.

Primary Job Duties

• Provide direct and indirect instructional support to students in a positive learning environment, including maintaining a schedule of classes each day to support the needs of special education students to ensure a full continuum of services is available.
• Co-plan and co-teach classes.
• Plan and document pull out services with topics and time available.
• Develop a special education teacher schedule based on the needs of the students, including both academic and social/emotional or executive functioning skills.
• Teach content classes, CTE courses, or other courses as required by the principal or other supervisor, including standards-based instruction, daily and monthly unit plans, and ongoing assessments for and of learning.
• Furnish data for youth progress on IEP goals, MTSS, and other identified areas.
• Serve as a substitute when directed.
• Utilize effective classroom management strategies, including Differentiated Instruction, Motivational Interviewing and Positive Behavior and Intervention Support.
• Progress monitor Individual Education Programs (IEP) goals and/or objectives during direct or indirect supports.
• Use data to drive instructional decisions.
• Design and implement a variety of assessment tools to evaluate student progress that correlate to standards-based education based on the needs outlined within the IEPs.
• Prepare daily and unit lesson plans that are aligned with state standards.
• Implement a variety of research-based education strategies (including technology) to accommodate multi-age/multi-level students.
• Implement research-based differentiated teaching strategies.
• Assume responsibility for maintaining appropriate, current teaching licensure at all times as a condition of employment.
• Ensure substitute plans are available when absent, planned or unexpected.
• Implement a classroom management system within the established culture.
• Choose differentiated/multi-instructional teaching strategies.
• Incorporate technological components within lessons.
• Assess student academic skills and weaknesses and design appropriate lessons to meet everyone's learning style, including needs as outlined within student IEPs.
• Ensure lesson plans are available for reference and/or review of the Principal and uploaded monthly by the 10th of each month to the shared drive.
• Provide ongoing data and feedback to the Special Education Coordinator regarding students' needs, information for appropriate Goals and Objectives as related to the IEP and share MTSS strategies in which to utilize instruction and opportunities for the success of students with an IEP or in general education.
• Provide an Annual Curriculum Review for each course taught.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Experience: Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in a field of study related to the work assignment.

License: Current, valid Professional Teacher license issued by the Colorado Department of Education with an endorsement in Special Education.

Preferred Qualifications

• Dual endorsements or documentation or ability to be endorsed in multiple content areas.
• Licensure aligned to position.
• Experience with special needs populations: youth with IEPs, 504s, Multilingual backgrounds.
• Experience working with at-risk or adjudicated youth.
• Proficient use of data to inform instructional practices.
• Leadership roles and experience.
• Secondary school experience.
• Trauma-Informed practices and knowledge as it applies to at risk populations and classroom instruction.
• Experience with differentiated instruction; developing lessons/curriculum and providing differentiated instruction.
• Project-based learning experience.
• Previous State Experience.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of effective research-based instructional strategies.
• Understandings of classroom-based behavioral interventions.
• Able to build rapport with students while maintaining boundaries.
• Experience with urban and at-risk populations.
• Content area knowledge.
• Team work and cross curricular collaboration.
• Interpersonal Skills.
• Oral Communication.
• Oral Comprehension.
• Problem Sensitivity & Solving.
• Safety and Security.
• Technology enhance instruction.

Conditions of Employment

• Must be 21 years old or older.
• Full background check and reference check required.
• This position requires State of Colorado residency at the time of application, and residency within the state throughout the duration of employment in this position.
• Motor Vehicle Check (MVR check) required. Must possess a valid, non-restricted Colorado Driver's License.
• Some travel may be required to attend meetings and/or a professional development or training within the state.
• CDE Professional Teaching License; Special Education License.
• Able to pass Escape and Evade training.
• Continued employment is contingent upon successful completion of the DYS Pre-service Training Academy, Field Training Program (FTO) and mandatory annual training in all subject areas.
• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose that information on the application, explain why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify you from the current position, and provide your employee number from your prior State employment. Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination and failure to provide this information will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with CDHS.

Schedule

M-F, typically 7am start. You are required to work at your assigned work location during your scheduled work times. Work arrangements are subject to change at any time.