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Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 320,000 students in 600+ schools and employing approximately 40,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life.  In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity.  Six core values are embedded within these commitments – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) works to support networks, schools, and families with all issues related to special education including instruction, interventions, and legal and compliance support. OSD provides the tools and resources to ensure that all students with disabilities receive a high-quality public education that prepares students for success. OSD supports networks, schools, and families with all issues related to special education, including instruction, interventions, and legal and compliance support.

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Manager of Instructional Support (Behavior Support Team), the Behavioral Support Specialist is responsible for working to build the capacity of CPS staff to ensure high-fidelity delivery of research-based behavioral strategies, including principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), for students with significant social, emotional, and/or behavioral needs. The Behavioral Support Specialist will train and support school staff to implement behavioral strategies to ensure students are provided with the support they need, in order to access their curriculum and Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).

The Behavioral Support Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Conduct initial screenings of student behavior, generate reports summarizing outcomes, and assist supervising Behavior Analyst with behavioral assessment procedures
• Assist classroom teachers to support students in accessing the school setting in their Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
• Implement academic, social language, and behavioral programming, using principles of ABA
• Implement Tier 1 Behavioral Strategies based on results from a universal screener
• Create materials to provide behavioral supports that align with academic, social language, and behavioral programming
• Provide modeling and coaching around the implementation of behavior interventions and ABA Principles
• Assist school staff in conducting functional behavioral assessments, collecting behavioral data, and delivering behavior programming using the principles of ABA
• Independently utilize feedback from supervisor level Behavior Analyst to refine, change, and further modify academic and behavior programs to best meet student needs
• Maintain a weekly program book, summarizing and visually representing academic and behavioral programming
• Assist in the creation, development, and/or delivery of professional development initiatives 
• Collaborate with other district departments to support district-wide initiatives
• Support staff and students in the school setting (i.e. during transitions between classes, beginning and end of the day, at recess, lunch, and specials) with optimizing social interactions and social pragmatic instruction in real-life situations, using principles of ABA
• Respond to behavioral crisis situations, model interventions, provide staff training, and guidance in the development of crisis plans
• Support staff in addressing student’s adaptive living skills such as toileting, feeding, dressing, etc. as it relates to behavior, on an as-needed basis
• Maintain certification as a Safety Care™ Trainer and conduct network-based de-escalation training to certify school and network-based staff 
•  Other duties as assigned 

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Behavioral Support Specialist must possess the following qualifications: 

Education Required: 

• Completion of an associate degree from an accredited college or university in related field such as psychology is required
• Certification as a Registered Behavior Technician or commitment to obtain Registered Behavior Technician Certification within the first 6 months of employment is required
• Candidates completing practicum hours in Applied Behavior Analysis (BCBA or BCaBA) will be considered

Experience Required: 

• Minimum of one (1) year of experience working with individuals with disabilities in an educational setting, required
• Two (2) or more years of the above experience, preferred
• Minimum of one (1) year of experience and training using tenets in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), preferred

Other Requirements: 

• Access to reliable transportation to travel to multiple citywide school sites on a daily basis is required
• Bilingual in two or more languages is preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Familiarity with classroom-based strategies related to managing and addressing behavioral concerns
• Strong communication skills (verbal and written)
• Strong interpersonal skills to support various staff and partners
• Basic familiarity with Excel, Google Suite, PowerPoint
• Ability to respond professionally to all parental and/or staff questions and concerns in a timely manner
• Ability to manage deadlines, multiple-projects, and prioritize requests as appropriate
• Ability to quickly adapt to changes and shifts in work assignments/tasks
• Ability to establish and maintain effective consultative working relationships with various audiences

Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:

• Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency- Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part-time positions, however, all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.
• Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19- Unless approved for a medical or religious exemption, all employees are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and to submit proof of vaccination to the district within 30 days of hire. “Up-to-date” on vaccination is defined as being at least two weeks past all primary vaccine doses and any applicable boosters.