Instructional Support Student Support Manager – Lower School 2024-2025
Job Description
Is supporting students to develop skills and strategies to shore up learning gaps your idea of the best job in the world? Do you thrive in supporting teachers to develop best practices within their classrooms for all students? Are you known for building supportive, collaborative, trusting relationships with students, parents and teachers? If so, we want to meet you!
About Aspen Academy:
Located in the southern metro area of beautiful Denver, Colorado, at Aspen Academy, we’re not just a school; we’re a community committed to shaping the leaders of tomorrow. Our dedication to Next Generation education sets us apart, as we equip students with the enduring life skills they need for future success. We look at learning as a way to ignite the personal passions and interests of each and every student. Our unique leadership, finance, and entrepreneurial development (LiFE) program prepares students for life. Students thrive as they build lasting relationships with peers and teachers through small class sizes and a community focus.
Diversity and inclusion are foundational at Aspen Academy. We are passionate about cultivating a diverse and inclusive working and learning environment, celebrating and supporting differences.
We embody and promote the community’s values in our thoughts, words, and actions, serving as committed and supportive co-leaders in realizing Aspen Academy’s vision and mission:
- Our values: Be Kind. Do Good. Work Hard. Make the World Better.
- Our mission: We edify and inspire students and educators to grow, learn and lead.
- Our vision: We are a national leader in innovative and transformative education.
Does this inspire you? Then please read on.
- You possess strong instructional pedagogy with a wide range of learners.
- You cultivate and effectively apply your knowledge of current approaches to instruction and learning to facilitate faculty growth and support student growth and performance in academic, intellectual, social and emotional domains.
- You cultivate positive, collaborative relationships with students, colleagues and families with the result of student engagement, growth and performance in academic, intellectual, social and emotional domains.
- You are a competent, compassionate, creative, dedicated and enthusiastic professional. You are committed to growth and improvement.
- You are an excellent communicator, both written and verbal.
- Your strengths include time, organization and project management; and you demonstrate strong social and emotional intelligence, and cultural competency.
If this describes you, please apply to join our team.
Responsibilities:
- Screening: In partnership with the Academic Division Directors, provide universal screening for all students early in each school year.
- Prevention & Support: Utilize the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework for instruction, intervention, and supports for academic and behavioral needs. At all levels, place attention on selection of evidence-based practices and fidelity of implementation, with consideration for cultural and linguistic responsiveness and recognition of student strengths. Work as a team with teachers, school counselors/psychologist and the division director to assess students and plan interventions.
- Work in concert with core teachers to ensure that Tier 1 includes high-quality, schoolwide academic, social, emotional, and behavioral programming and supports designed to meet the needs of all students. At Tier 1, educators use instructional strategies and practices shown to be effective for the student population and educational context.
- At Tier 2, provide standardized academic interventions or targeted behavioral or mental health supports using validated intervention programs to support students identified as at-risk.
- At Tier 3, create written accommodation plans for students with documented diagnosed learning disabilities; share the plan and conferences regarding the plan with teachers and parents; ensure that the plan is being adhered to by the teachers in partnership with the Division Director. Provide support, coaching and accountability to the parent of a student on a Tier 3 plan to secure external intervention as needed.
- Progress Monitoring: Monitor student progress over the course of the year to assess the student growth and performance, to quantify a student’s rate of improvement or responsiveness to instruction or intervention, and to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction using valid and reliable measures.
- Data Analysis and Decision Making: Support and manage the student growth and performance database. Conduct data analysis at all levels of MTSS implementation to make decisions about instruction, movement within the multi-level prevention system, intensification of instruction and supports, and identification of students with disabilities (in accordance with state law). Use implementation data to evaluate the extent to which assessments are working in and out of the classroom.
- Instruction and Coaching of Teachers and Parents: Conduct professional development and workshops for faculty and parents to understand and deliver interventions and support in the classroom and at home, respectively.
- Records: Maintain confidential student records and keep accurate documentation of sessions, meetings, and assessments
- External Agencies and Support: Working with the Division Counselor/School Psychologist, provide external referrals for students identified at risk for further assessment and/or therapies and support.
Education, Experience, and Qualifications:
- Required: Bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree preferred.
- Special Education degree or credential.
- Preferred: Experience in Orton Gillingham, Linda Mood Bell, Slingerland, Singapore Mathematics.
- Minimum of 2 years of experience with academic intervention, differentiated instruction; learning disabilities; Psycho-educational test report analysis; IEP/Accommodation Plan development.
- Experience with lower school students, preferably within independent schools.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills particularly as it relates to the delivery of complex student information in a compassionate and empathetic manner.
- Strong organizational skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
- Professional personal practice of cultural competency development.
- Proficient use of computer, Microsoft Office, Google, and Canvas.
- Grant permission for a criminal background check upon hire.
- Meet physical demands to perform essential functions of the role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions: Ability to work full-time, including occasional evenings and weekends; work in person/in the school building; speak for long periods of time. Regularly required to stand; walk; use hands; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, or crouch. Frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds; occasionally life up to 25 pounds.
Aspen Academy is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace committed to providing an environment of mutual respect, where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and military and veteran status.
Compensation Package:
Health, dental, vision, employer-paid telehealth, a holistic EAP, 403(b) with matching and more. Aspen Academy offers an excellent compensation package including wide-ranging opportunities for professional development with a generous annual stipend, and a talented and dedicated staff of teaching professionals and supportive administrators.
Salary Range: Starting annual salary $54,137-$81,932 (based on education & experience step and ladder, max 9 years teaching experience credit)
