Behavior Specialist

FRAMINGHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Framingham High School - Phoenix Program

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TITLE : Behavior Specialist

2025-2026 School Year

POSITION SUMMARY :

The Behavior Specialist supports students enrolled in Framingham Public Schools' specialized programs for students with emotional disabilities. This position plays a key role in helping students build the skills necessary to manage their emotions and behaviors, develop positive coping and problem-solving strategies, and successfully engage in academic and social settings.

The Behavior Specialist collaborates closely with program leadership, staff, related service providers, and classroom teachers to design and implement behavior intervention plans, model evidence-based strategies, and promote the generalization of skills across settings. The specialist also provides ongoing coaching and consultation to staff to strengthen program-wide implementation of trauma-informed and behaviorally supportive practices.

OUR MISSION :

Framingham Public Schools is committed to excellence for all students. Our mission statement guides our work : Through a comprehensive education, we aim to create and empower free-thinking, responsible citizens who can participate equally in our rich and diverse community. FPS and the community stand united in our core values : Providing a safe, inclusive, culturally responsive teaching and learning environment; Engaging antiracist and responsible civic advocates; Respecting diversity of thoughts, learners, culture, and community; Fostering learning and healthy growth of all students and staff; Ensuring every school will be an active, participatory, equitable community.

Diversity among teachers undoubtedly advances the academic achievement of students. Compliance obligations establish the baseline; as a district, Framingham Public Schools are committed to achieving, developing, and maintaining a workforce reflective of the rich racial, linguistic, and cultural diversity of our students. Framingham Public Schools aims to teach our children, and ourselves, to be culturally proficient and inclusive in order to live, learn, and work together in a vibrant and diverse world.

Indeed, Framingham Public Schools is committed to inspiring our school community to be accepting and willing to learn from individuals with differing backgrounds. Our goal is to reflect the diverse community we serve and create a great place to work for everyone by embracing the individual skills, perspectives, and experiences our people bring to the workplace and harnessing these for high performance and improved service delivery. We want our employees to feel included, valued, and respected and have access to equal opportunity, which supports full participation at work. Framingham Public Schools seeks to retain the diverse talent in our workforce and support our people to maintain a long and productive working career.

Framingham Public Schools is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment and strongly encourages applications from persons with disabilities and who identify as BIPOC.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS :

A valid Massachusetts Teaching license in School Social Worker / School Adjustment Counselor, School Counselor, School Psychologist, or Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)

SKILLS AND ABILITY :

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and / or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Ability to apply knowledge of current research and theory in the educational field; to communicate clearly and concisely both in oral and written form; to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups including staff, parents and the general public; to read, analyze and interpret professional periodicals and journals, technical procedures and governmental regulations; to write reports and correspondence, as needed; to use reasoning ability to evaluate information and determine / recommend an appropriate course of action; to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions; to use professional literature, evidence-based research, and continuing education content to make practice decisions; to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, parents, staff and the community; to work independently, prioritize tasks and manage several projects simultaneously; to perform duties with awareness of all district requirements, state and federal laws, and Framingham Public Schools policies (as long as the policies do not conflict with the Framingham Teachers Association (Unit A) Contract); to work with students and families of diverse backgrounds with diverse needs in an equitable and inclusive manner that bears witness to cultural proficiency and competency; to maintain appropriate confidential records; to react professionally and objectively to unpredictable situations (e.g. environmental changes, behavior / aggression, seizure activity, etc.); to operate and / or acquire skills to operate a computer and related software including but not limited to Google and Canvas; and ability / willingness to plan, coordinate, conduct and participate in ongoing professional and staff development. Regular and reliable attendance is required.

Experience evaluating student skills and writing reports to interpret / summarize findings. Strong collaborative, teaching, coaching, and leadership skills to support student programming and work in a team setting. Strong problem-solving skills to support student success. Strong data-collection skills to help to inform decisions for students. Strong verbal and written communication skills. Strong organizational skills to balance the demands of a multi-tasking position. A proactive and solution-focused approach to meeting student needs. Knowledge of specialized content areas as well as any related laws and procedures.

Ability to plan and implement lessons based on district and school objectives and the needs and abilities of students to whom assigned; and to use instructional technology appropriately and work with students to facilitate their use of instructional technology.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES :

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as an illustration of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.

• Provide direct support and coaching to students in specialized programs to build self-regulation, coping, and social-emotional skills.
• Implement and monitor individualized behavior intervention plans (BIPs), skill development plans, and safety plans in collaboration with the school social worker, BCBA, and educational team.
• Collect and analyze behavioral data to inform decision-making and measure student progress.
• Support students in behavioral crises through de-escalation strategies, problem-solving conversations, and collaboration with other staff.
• Push into general education or program classrooms to assist students in generalizing learned skills and to support consistent implementation of strategies.
• Participate in team meetings (e.g., IEP meetings, clinical team meetings, data meetings) to share progress updates and behavioral insights.
• Provide modeling, consultation, and feedback to staff to ensure fidelity of positive behavior support strategies and trauma-informed approaches.
• Utilize various interventions such as reinforcement procedures, prompting, shaping, and chaining.
• Maintain accurate documentation of behavioral data, interventions, and student progress notes.
• Create data-collection sheets and track progress toward goals and objectives outlined in the IEP (Individualized Education Program) or BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan).
• Ensure that all behavioral support programs and interventions are being taught or implemented consistently.
• Attend TEAM meetings, and update students IEP goals and progress as assigned.
• Support classroom teachers with classroom management strategies, including but not limited to modeling of classroom management practices, coaching on classroom structure and setup to support behavior management, coaching on de-escalation and re-engagement strategies in the classroom.
• Provide IEP services centered around behavioral goals, as appropriate and assigned.
• Support the implementation of classroom and program systems and routines to support attendance, participation, and student engagement.
• May be required to utilize Safety Care strategies and engage in physical management of students in emergency situations.
• Provide feedback to assistants and aides regarding behavior plan implementation, and related matters.
• Develop agendas for, schedule, organize, and run debriefs of student behavioral crisis and conduct incidents.

PHYSICAL WORKING CONDITIONS :

The work environment characteristics described here 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.

REPORTS TO :

Building Principal. The performance of this job will be evaluated as per the Framingham Teachers Association (Unit A) Contract.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES :

Not applicable.

FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT (FLSA) CLASSIFICATION :

This position is classified as Exempt (Professional).

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT :

Covered under the Framingham Teachers Association (Unit A) Contract. Please note that the District reserves the right to transfer all personnel among buildings on an as-needed basis to serve the best interests of all students as long as this does not conflict with the Framingham Teachers Association (Unit A) Contract.

HELPFUL LINKS :

Framingham Policies & Procedures Handbook

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Framingham Public Schools provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Framingham Public Schools complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the District has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Framingham Public Schools expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.