Quad Preparatory School

Upper School Speech-Language Pathologist (2020-2021 School Year)

Updated: March 10, 2020

Classification: Exempt

Reports to: Upper School Clinical Director

The Quad Preparatory School is an alternative, non-profit, K-12 college preparatory school dedicated to the education of twice-exceptional students, bright and creative children who learn differently. Quad Prep is a young, fast-growing school founded in 2013 that is a vibrant professional and collegial learning community for employees.

The Quad Preparatory School transforms the lives of twice-exceptional people – those who are gifted and learn differently – by redefining the experience of school. Our personalized model fully integrates social and emotional learning with challenging academics, empowering our students to rise to the level of their extraordinary talents. Through our innovative programs we are leading a larger movement in service of both twice-exceptional people and society at large.

Our teachers, clinicians, and staff joined together to craft our statement of values, which we are proud to share:

• Quad Prep is a kind and joyful learning community where everyone is celebrated for who they are.

• We ignite students’ strengths and passions and allow for safe academic pursuit at the highest levels by learning from mistakes.

• We are trustworthy and steadfast, and our high academic expectations challenge students to grow uniquely as people and in the way they learn.

• We widen our students’ perspectives, giving them the tools to know themselves and find success in the future of their choosing. 

• We never give up on each other and are driven by the ethos of “not if, but how.”

The Quad Preparatory School is looking for a speech-language pathologist or strong clinical fellow to join our team of clinicians in our Upper School division. The SLP/CF works with a caseload of middle school (i.e., 6-7th grade) students, many of whom will have recently transitioned from the Quad Prep’s lower School division. Clinical services in our Upper School are provided in a highly collaborative and integrated manner so as to generalize skills for success in natural and nuanced environments. Our speech-language staff play an integral role in maintaining the social-cognitive supports integrated throughout our program, which is a foundational aspect of The Quad Preparatory School. In addition to addressing students’ social-cognitive needs, our speech and language team provides language-based intervention. The SLP/CF will have the opportunity to receive mentorship from senior clinicians, as well as through our consultative services provided by members of the Social Thinking Training and Speakers’ Collaborative.

Expectations:

• Provide individual and group speech and language therapy to students based on individualized treatment plans

• Use a social-cognitive framework and the school’s specific psychosocial curriculum for pragmatic language therapy, based on the foundations of the Social Thinking™ curriculum and treatment tools

• Provide language-based literacy intervention and support academic staff in implementation of literacy strategies

• Screen students for possible speech and/or language delays/disabilities when concern is reported by parent(s) or teacher(s) or at clinician’s discretion

• Advise and coach teachers and staff in regards to each child's individual therapeutic needs, the psychosocial curriculum and psychosocial clinical best practices, particularly as pertains to the Social Thinking paradigm

• Collaborate with other clinical staff and academic staff to integrate explicit instruction in executive functioning and social cognitive skills throughout the school day

• Participate in calls with outside providers and parents as much as is needed and at a minimum of once per month

• Meet with parents/guardians to provide feedback on pupils’ progress as needed and minimum at scheduled parent-teacher conferences

• Participate in weekly Psychosocial Team meetings with all faculty and staff

• Actively participate in supervision sessions with direct supervisor

• Provide supervision to graduate students in the same field, members of the Certificate in Twice Exceptional Education Program, or other staff members, as applicable (licensed SLP only)

• Competently utilize Google Suite, in particular Google Drive and Docs

• Complete session notes and other data tracking of student goals

• Perform other duties as assigned

Competencies:

1. Passion for working with children

2. Desire and ability to work with students with special needs

3. Ability to connect with middle and high school- age children

4. Knowledge of various clinical interventions and use of a collaborative approach to meet the unique needs of each child

5. Effective oral and written communication skills

6. A solid understanding of adolescent children’s academic, social, and emotional development

7. Attention to detail

8. Maintaining confidentiality and privacy

9. Ethical conduct

10. Time management and the ability to multitask

11. Teamwork and collaboration

12. Patience and flexibility

Work Environment: 

This job operates in a school setting. The school is located on the fifth and sixth floors of a building with one elevator. This role requires working in various locations around the school and the potential for accompanying students to a local park or outings in the community.

Physical Demands: 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and listen. This position is very active and requires standing, walking, bending, kneeling, and stooping all day. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move items under 20 pounds. During fire drills, the employee, unless physically unable, will need to use the stairs to go to ground level from the sixth floor. Typing is required for composing emails and writing reports. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work: 

This is a full-time position in an educational facility which is open eight hours a day. The 2020-2021 school year contract begins July 6, 2020. Clinicians work 12 months out of the year according to the August-June academic calendar and with vacation time in the summer after a full year of employment. Occasional evening or weekend hours may be required. In general, though, hours are Monday-Friday 8:15 A.M.-4:15 P.M.

Required Education and Experience:

• Master’s degree in speech-language pathology/communication sciences and disorders

• New York State licensure (or eligible) in speech-language pathology, or qualifications to be working toward licensure

• ASHA certification, or qualifications to be working toward certification

• Experience working with middle school and/or high school-age students

• Experience working with children with varying learning needs

• Experience with social-cognitive interventions

Preferred Education and Experience: 

• Experience working with twice-exceptional youth