Purpose of Position/Summary:

SITE stands for Skills for Independence, Transition, and Employment and is an IPS transition program provided to students on the IUPUI campus and City of Indianapolis. These IPS students are ages 18-21 and on a Certificate of Completion Course of Study. They audit IUPUI classes and are not working toward a college degree. The SITE team is led by two IPS teachers and includes an employment training specialist, an instructional assistant, and IUPUI work-study students. The purpose of the program is to build self-reliance and provide learning experiences that prepare these young adults for a successful well-rounded adult life. The program strives to create a personally meaningful day for each individual which can be sustained when they complete their education services.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Comfortable and able to maneuver the IndyGo bus system. Meet students downtown at Transit Center at the beginning and ending of each day to triage students safely to and from the program. Start and end the work day at the IndyGo Transit Center.
• Provide assistance to students to plan and structure their time in a meaningful way.
• Take initiative to seize learning opportunities as they come up or create opportunities to move students toward greater self-reliance and independence.
• Attentive to safety issues for each student.
• Provide safeguards based on individual profiles and knowing each student well.
• Accountability to and close communication with the SITE TORs and ETS.
• Assist in data collection and documentation of student progress. Attend professional meetings, maintain records.
• Adhere to the IUPUI SITE program schedule; follow daily schedule as established and assigned by the SITE teachers
• Act independently of teachers, consistent with established student plans. Accompany students on campus and in the city, independent of the SITE teachers’ presence consistent with established student schedules.
• Assist and support students in IUPUI classes as determined by SITE teachers.
• Support students on career internships in community businesses.
• Comply with students’ IEPs and BIPs.
• Assist students as needed with personal care needs, such as hygiene, student transfers from wheelchair, feeding, restroom needs.
• Present as an ambassador of the SITE program on the campus.
• Maintain positive communication and interactions with IUPUI faculty and students.
• Participate in monthly SITE Team meetings.
• Participate & support the Case Conference process as needed
• Coordinate & attend Manifest Determination conferences as needed
• Work collaboratively with teams to develop Classroom Management and Behavior Intervention Plans
• Perform other duties assigned.

Core Competencies

Critical core competencies for successful performance in this role are:

• Highly-developed communications skills (written/verbal) and interpersonal savvy
• Results/action-orientation; project management skills
• Organizational agility; developed negotiation skills
• Flexible and strong planning skills
• Unquestionable personal code of ethics, integrity, diversity and trust
• Able to successfully navigate within varying degrees of ambiguity in a fast-paced environment around the community of Indianapolis.
• Strong strategic analysis skills
• Understand specific disabilities and their potential effect on students (e.g. autism, cognitive disabilities…etc.)
• Aware of larger program goals and specific needs of each student.
• Adaptive to immediate and dramatic changes in schedules and routine.
• Comfortable, calm, and effective in addressing student behaviors.

Qualifications

This role provides privileged access to the inner workings between the IPS Special Education Department, IUPUI, and partner organizations. The successful candidate will be discrete, high-energy, agile-minded, strategic, proactive, a direct communicator, highly-organized and committed to the vision and values of Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) and the IPS Unified Student Supports Department. In addition, the following standards will generally define the successful incumbent:

• Broad knowledge of the theories, principles, practices and methodology of special education;
• Broad knowledge of Indiana and IPS special education policies, procedures and programs;
• Ability to be creative in developing alternatives to meet special education needs on SITE campus and in the community;
• A track record of developing and maintaining strong working relationships with and among a diverse group of students;
• Excellent communication skills and strong analytical and writing capabilities;
• Close attention to detail coupled with the ability to exercise good judgment;
• Strong organizational, oral and written communication, and interpersonal skills;
• Proactive nature; able to anticipate conflicts before they arise;
• Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively;
• Ability to execute meetings, calls and emails with professionalism, courtesy and accuracy;
• Personal qualities of maturity, humility, strong work ethic, sense of humor, and diligence; and
• Ability to effectively allocate and prioritize time to several tasks to ensure completion of all.

Supervisory Responsibilities/Direct Reports:

The IPS Life Skills IA for IUPUI SITE- directly supports the implementation of all special education supports, resources, and relationships with parents, school staff, IUPUI staff, and partner organizations. This role has no direct reports.

Personal Work Relationships:

The individual in this position works with a wide range of IPS staff, partners, administrators and service providers on routine and diverse problems encountered to fulfill its special education duties. The individual must possess and employ a variety of personal and interpersonal skills in the discharge of the position’s responsibilities. This position requires a positive attitude when dealing with staff and IUPUI/IPS constituents. Good judgment, discretion and individual initiative are necessary for the effective discharge of the position’s significant responsibilities.

Physical Effort:

The physical demands 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 duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand and walk. The employee is occasionally required to sit; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. The employee is required to ride the Indy Go Bus.

Working Conditions:

The work environment characteristics described in this document are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to outside weather conditions. The employee will be required to work on rain, snow, etc. if school is in session. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.