Job Description:

Position Title: Behavior Technician – Transition Academy
Location: Lodoen Center
Department: Special Education
Reports To: Building-level Principal and Director of Special Education
Term: Ongoing 182-day position beginning with the 2024-2025 school year
Schedule: Mon-Fri Full-time. Roughly 6.5 hours/day.

SUMMARY: The Behavior Technician will assist within the district’s specialized programs and will assist learners with daily instructional and non-instructional activities in the school and community, providing skills instruction and behavior reduction protocols to learners with disabilities under the supervision of the classroom teacher and behavior specialist.
 
The West Fargo Transition Academy (WFTA) is an educational option for learners with disabilities, ages 18-21 years, who have completed their high school academic requirements and are ready to transition to a community-based program that emphasizes a seamless transition to post-high school settings. Placement in the Transition Academy is determined by the learner’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). The IEP team utilizes the learner’s transition assessments and transition goals to determine appropriate programming for the individual learner.
 
The WFTA strives to ensure there is collaboration among school, family, and appropriate adult service agencies to best serve the learners. As the transition learner leaves the educational system, the WFTA facilitates a plan for employment, recreation, and post-secondary education to support lifelong success.
 
See Program Goals at the end of the job description for further information.
 
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and requirement satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required for the role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
 
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: (Other duties may be assigned)
Collaboration:
Collaborates with high schools to create a seamless transition between programs.
Develops positive, effective working relationships with learners and staff. 
Assists educators in routine classroom operation, daily activities and assignments.
Maintains classroom by assisting educator with daily organization.
Acts as a liaison between resource and content area classroom.
Assist paraprofessionals in other programs when needed.
Communication:
Prompts safe and socially acceptable replacement behaviors in order to build a repertoire of communication, social interaction, and problem-solving skills.
Establishes & maintains relationship with learners by pairing self as a reinforcer.
Connects and shares ideas through appropriate/applicable formats to express thoughts and ideas with integrity.
Compassion:
Fosters learner independence and works toward reducing and/or eliminating reliance on paraprofessional support.
Demonstrates understanding of learner’s disability, is courteous, respectful, and fair.
Acts as a communication liaison between learner and educator.
Understands the complexities of cultural and global issues and how they relate to employee and learners’ experiences.
Partners with others to resolve potential controversy and conflict through respectful discussion.
Proactively seeks to understand the ideas, opinions, and skills of others.
Creativity:
Demonstrates initiative and creativity with learners and their program(s).
Connects with team members and shares ideas in an effort to improve the overall learner and employee experience.
Critical Thinking:
Fades prompts appropriately to promote both successful and independent responding.
Increases the frequency or duration of safe and appropriate replacement behaviors by providing access to reinforcers (desired items/actions, attention, or removal of demands/aversive situations).
Consistently regulates behavior management of learner at the direction of the special education educator and in accordance with learner’s behavioral plan.
Reasons, interprets, and analyzes information to generate new knowledge and understanding.
Reflection:
Maintains communication with supervisor and director regarding general feedback, career advancement opportunities, and areas of growth opportunities.
Maintains and acquires technical knowledge by attending required trainings and passing competency assessments.
Resilience:
Maintains composure while dealing with stressful situations.
Proactively seeks out resolutions and takes initiative to resolve knowledge gaps.
 Responsibility:
Provides skills instruction and behavior reduction protocols to learners with disabilities under the supervision of the classroom educator and behavior specialist within the district’s specialized programs.
Accurately collects observable behavior data including Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence, count, frequency, duration, latency, inter-response time, event, and interval-based recording.
Implements learners positive behavior support plans with fidelity as specified by educator and support staff.
Provides structure by consistently conducting daily lesson plans set up by educator.
 
Provides playground and noon duty supervision as directed by the building principal.
 
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT: The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the essential duties and responsibilities of this role, the employee is regularly required to reach with hands and arms.
While performing the essential duties and responsibilities of this role, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, bend, talk, and hear.
The specific vision abilities required for this role include close and peripheral vision.
The employee may frequently lift up to ~25 pounds without assistance.
The employee may occasionally lift up to ~50 pounds without assistance.
The employee may have to push/pull up to ~120 pounds while performing the duties of the role.
The employee may frequently have to sit on, and rise from, the floor.
The employee may perform a two-person transport, restraint, or lift (with training provided).
The employee may come in contact with bloodborne pathogens or other bodily fluids on rare occasions.
The employee must work with the public and various WFPS staff while simultaneously managing several competing demands.
The employee will work in an environment that has a quiet to loud noise level.
 
Education and/or Experience:
High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED).
Driver's License and ability to be covered by district's insurance carrier.
Associate’s Degree is preferred.
Experience working in special education is preferred.
Experience working with complex learner behaviors is preferred.
 
Language Skills:
Ability to read, write, and comprehend simple instructions and short correspondences in the English language.
Ability to communicate effectively verbally, expressively, and reactively.
 
Other Skills and Abilities:
Exercise confidentiality, discretion, and good judgement.
Adhere to the assigned work schedule by maintaining regular and punctual attendance.
 
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
None.
 
PROGRAM GOALS:
Focus on learner needs.
Provide real life situations.
Encourage self-awareness and independence.
Promote self-advocacy and responsibility.
Explore opportunities for new experiences.
Participate in community activities.
Develop recreation/social leisure skills.
Build lifelong support systems.
Maximize self-determination skills.
Continue community/supported employment.
Establish natural supports in adult environments.
Collaborate with high schools to create a seamless transition between programs

Salary: Position follows the 2024-2025 Classified Salary Schedule at B213. Starting salary begins at $18.70-$20.50/hour, based on experience - https://www.west-fargo.k12.nd.us/departments/human-resources/salary