Specialist Special Education Transition

Job Summary

Under the supervision of the assistant director of Transition and Vocational Services, the special education transition specialist is responsible for fidelity in implementing the Self-Determination Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI) or SDLMI-Transition with Mentoring for students who opted into the grant-funded project for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years.

SDLMI is an evidence-based program that supports students in building self-determination, a predictor of post-school success for students with disabilities.

The SDLMI Transition supports students in learning to self-regulate the process of setting transition-focused goals, creating plans to attain goals, and evaluating progress on their goals.

The SDLMI Transition with Mentoring adds a mentoring component to support students in developing post-school goals, conducting community resource mapping, building essential transition skills that are known predictors of post-school success, and completing critical transition activities aligned with their identified post-school goals.

The position has a retirement association with the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS).

Job Requirements

The following are required :

• An associate's degree or higher in special education, social services, counseling, or a related field.
• Three or more years of experience in special education or a related field.
• A minimum of three years of experience working within a school or agency supporting students with disabilities.
• Experience in mentoring students with disabilities.
• Experience in working with bicultural and bilingual families.
• Ability to establish and maintain communication with relevant school, family, and community organizations.
• Ability to coordinate meetings and activities.
• Knowledge of record keeping and ability to collect data.
• Ability to establish and maintain productive working relationships with others.
• Computer and organizational skills.
• Crisis prevention and intervention skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• A driver’s license and personal transportation is required for home visits, community outreach, traveling between programs, and meeting attendance.

The following are preferred :

• A bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in special education, social services, counseling, or a related field.
• Knowledge of challenges facing youth and families with disabilities and low socioeconomic status.
• Knowledge of community resources available to support youth and families.
• Ability to relate to parents, students, teachers, and administrators in a supportive and professional manner.
• Knowledge and experience about transition processes and services provided to students with disabilities.
• Experience working with youth (e.g., school, youth center, youth-serving agency).
• Experience in delivering evidence-based interventions and working on research projects.

Essential Job Functions

• Attends in-person and virtual training in the fall of 2024.
• Coordinates with external study partners to schedule and complete implementation activities.
• Effectively prepares and delivers small group instruction and 1 : 1 mentoring program materials during the spring and summer of 2025, fall of 2025, and spring of 2026 semesters.
• Communicates with students’ families to support student-family transition planning activities during the spring and summer of 2025, fall of 2025, and spring of 2026 semesters.
• Consults and collaborates with Individualized Education Programs (IEP) team members to maximize educational opportunities for students related to transition planning.
• Works directly with students on the SDLMI curriculum.
• Collects, analyzes, and interprets data to guide instruction.
• Provides the student’s case manager with updated information essential for educational support and outcomes.

Physical / Mental Demands

The physical demands of this job require frequent standing, walking, sitting, speaking and hearing. Specific visual abilities are also required.

The employee is regularly required to reach with his / her hands and arms and occasionally lift items weighing less than 40 lbs.

Additionally, the employee must be able to understand vague and implicit instructions, be able to readily recall facts and details, handle conflict and make effective decisions under pressure.

The employee must have the ability to effectively manage the stress of working with students, parents, and other employees representing diverse cultures, personalities, and work styles in a dynamic work environment.

The Anchorage School District is committed to providing reasonable accommodations, according to applicable state and federal laws, to all individuals with a qualified physical or mental disability.

Work Environment

Work is performed in a professional environment with a wide variety of individuals having differing functions, personalities and abilities, including working with diverse groups of people in a variety of different settings.

While performing the duties of this job the employee may be regularly exposed to a video display. The employee may be exposed to outdoor weather conditions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.