24/25 Behavior Specialist - DC Prep

Behavior Specialist

Start Date: July 2024

Role Type: Full-Time, 12 month

Location: Washington, DC

FLSA Status: Exempt

WHO WE ARE

DC Prep is a high performing network of public charter schools serving over 2,100 preschool through 8th-grade students across six campuses in Wards 5, 7, and 8. We're proud of  the high bar we set for ourselves to achieve results–our students deserve our best! We recognize that how we support our students to be successful is just as important as the results we achieve, which pushes us to reflect on questions such as: 

• How can we facilitate our students' academic, social, and emotional development?  
• How can we support our team members' professional growth and personal ability to do this work long-term? 
• How can we engage our students' families as our own? 

While this work is hard, it's worth it – we believe in the transformative power of education, the can-do-itness of our students and staff, and the joy that comes from engaging in meaningful work with people we care about and trust!  

Here's how we drive results: 

• Rigorous academic focus.  Our Preppies receive the highest level of academic preparation through standards-based instruction, daily targeted interventions, and meaningful assessments.
• Social-emotional learning. We have always had a dual mission of academic and social-emotional skill development.  Our research-based SEL curriculum is integrated into daily instruction, helping students leverage their personal values to strengthen their self-awareness, social awareness, and responsible decision-making skills and create a school-wide culture of empathy and reflection.
• Commitment to reflection and refinement.  Our results tell us that we are moving in the right direction, but there's further to go to ensure that every student receives a transformative education. As a team, we regularly reflect on our programmatic model to see what's working and where we can get better.  

Are you interested in learning more about the DC Prep Way? If so, check out our website to find out more about what we're working towards and how we're doing it.

OVERVIEW

Students need much more than high quality instruction to be successful, which is why DC Prep offers a range of in-house student support services that support our Preppies' behavioral, social, and emotional growth.  As the campus Behavior Specialist, you will work alongside our special education and student services teams to support students by:

• Identifying students in need of behavioral and or social-emotional support and providing substantive service in-house (or make referrals to effective community agencies)
• Providing individual and group counseling services to Special Education students
• Conducting psycho-educational evaluations, Functional Behavioral Assessments, and Social History reports, as requested by the multidisciplinary team
• Developing, monitoring, reviewing, and modifying behavior intervention plans
• Developing and monitoring behavioral and social-emotional goals for students receiving counseling
• Conducting classroom observations of students
• Coordinating on-site child psychiatric services and training through partnership with Children's National Medical Center
• Provide ABA Therapy to students with IEPs
• Supporting students in crisis

WHO YOU ARE

You are a fierce advocate for ALL students, particularly those who need targeted behavior interventions and accommodations to be successful in the classroom.  You are unwavering in your belief that if a child is not seeing academic success in the classroom, it's because you and your team–in partnership with the child's family–are still in the process of finding out what will work to ensure that child is meeting rigorous academic and social emotional goals. You are solutions oriented, data driven, collaborative and above all, you're passionate about the need for students from underserved communities to have access to behavioral and social-emotional support services, the importance of addressing the intersection of race and public education in the U.S., and the transformational power of talented, mission-aligned people working together to advance a goal.  You're open to feedback, love working with a team, and bring your best to everything you do. You look for joy in your day-to-day and want to work with others who do, too!  

Additionally, you are a reflective, results-driven professional with:

• Outstanding interpersonal skills and emotional constancy to build and maintain strong relationships with students, families and colleagues
• Superior analytical skills to support ongoing curriculum planning, development, and refinement
• Effective written communication skills 
• Meticulous organizational abilities (enabling you to set priorities, then organize what needs to happen when to meet deadlines)
• Optimism, maturity, and personal resiliency
• A demonstrated belief in DC Prep's vision, mission, and values, including our commitment to diversity and inclusion
• A desire to work as a team player with families, teachers,  and school staff

QUALIFICATIONS

Educational background and work experience

• Master's Degree in Behavior Analysis, Applied Behavior Analysis, Education/Special Education, Psychology or a related field
• or Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor (LGPC) 
• or Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) or Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW) 
• or BCBA certification
• Previous experience in schools and with school aged students 

Skills and characteristics

• Desire and willingness to do "whatever it takes" to support student achievement in traditionally under-served communities 
• Passion for connecting with students and families in support of student success 
• Extraordinary oral skills to effectively communicate with varied audiences  
• Comfort with and ability to write efficiently and effectively as part of a culture where curriculum writing, email communication, and documentation are critical 
• Superior analytical skills and sound judgment to make critical decisions autonomously 
• Capable of thriving in circumstances involving ambiguity and nuance 
• Meticulous organizational ability in order to set priorities, organize workload, handle multiple responsibilities and meet deadlines 
• Emotional constancy and extraordinary interpersonal skills to ensure purposeful and professional colleague relationships 
• Positive attitude, maturity, and personal stability sufficient for a demanding position 
• Deep belief in DC Prep's mission, values and commitment to diversity 

WORKING AT DC PREP

DC Prep's faculty and staff are passionate, talented, and uncompromising with a mission to make sure all students succeed at a high level. Every aspect of our organization and program is designed – and continually refined – to ensure that goal. DC Prep students spend approximately 25% more time in school than other DC public school students. DC Prep's supportive, stimulating, and professionally rewarding learning environment continuously develops and motivates high-performing educators. DC Prep's staff and school leadership promote meaningful relationships between faculty and students, enable excellent teaching, and foster professional collaboration. The end result: great outcomes for students.

CAMPUS LEADERSHIP TEAM

DC Prep's organizational structure provides support and expertise that enables the best possible teaching and learning at each DC Prep campus. A central Home Office oversees all non-instructional aspects of education, freeing up school leaders to focus on instruction and culture. With supervision from the Senior Directors, Chief Academic Officer and other members of the Home Office Academic Team, Principals and their leadership teams build unique and close-knit communities at each school site focused on the twin elements of rigorous academics and character education. Members of this team typically include a Principal, Assistant Principals, Student Support Coach and a Special Education Coordinator. Leadership Team members are on duty during regular school hours and on call nights and weekends to handle parent communication, staff after school activities, and/or to complete administrative work.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• Highly competitive salary 
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability insurance; maternity, paternity, and adoption leave; and a 403b retirement plan

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• DC Prep teachers are on duty at their assigned campus Mondays through Fridays from 7:15 am to 4:15 pm and must be prepared to receive students in the classroom at 7:30 am.  On Wednesdays, DC Prep staff report until 5:00 for Professional Development. 
• Occasionally, staff may be required to report to a different campus for professional development or all network event.
• All DC Prep staff perform clerical duties related to instructional supplies, student reports and records, attendance reports, assessments, etc.
• DC Prep staff regularly perform morning, lunch, and afternoon duties as assigned by their principal
• Additional responsibilities may arise during the school year.  This could include: attending staff and student field trips, after school events, family-teacher conferences, home visits, and other events involving parents and students, as needed. This list is not exhaustive. DC Prep will communicate mandatory events outside of school hours with ample notice.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands and environmental conditions described below are representative, but not exhaustive, of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the role.  All of these physical requirements should be able to be performed with clarity, coherence and connectedness to DC Prep's vision.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

• Must be able to sit and work at a desk/computer for extended periods of time
• Must be able to spend the majority of the day standing or mobile throughout the classroom, as well as talk, hear, grasp, reach and lift up to 30lbs with or without accommodations
• Ability to concentrate in active and noisy environments such as cafeterias and playgrounds, to more moderate situations such as classrooms or large group professional settings
• Must be able to have repetitive wrist/hand/finger movement to work on computer and/or related office equipment
• Ability to handle potential high stress conditions

JOIN US

Do you believe that Learning Has No Limits? Are you eager to join a supportive, innovative, and collaborative community of educators? Are you committed to growing your strengths as an educator through individualized professional development and coaching? Apply today!

We're an equal opportunity employer and hire without consideration of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability. We strongly encourage diverse candidates to apply.