Research Scholar - Tennessee TSC

The Research Scholar is part of the Tennessee Tiered Supports Center (Tennessee TSC), a technical assistance center within the Special Education Department of Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. The Research Scholar is responsible for (a) developing and disseminating high-quality technical assistance materials in collaboration with a Content Development Team and (b) leading research and evaluation that informs the implementation of Tennessee’s Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI2) frameworks. Areas of focus include, but are not limited to, implementation science, systems change, behavioral support, reading instruction, and intensive intervention. Applicants with behavioral support experience and graduate-level behavior analysis certification (i.e., BCBA or BCBA-D) are being prioritized.  The Research Scholar will also lead analyses of multiple project outcomes and generate reports and recommendations with Project Directors to achieve grant objectives. This is a full-time, exempt position (40 hours per week).

This position involves ongoing collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Education, contracted affiliates of the Tennessee Technical Assistance Network, and team members subcontracted through partnering universities.

 

About the Work Unit

This project is housed within Vanderbilt’s Department of Special Education. The Department has a history of significant and continuous impact on the field of special education. Faculty and staff are committed to equipping students with diverse backgrounds and experiences to provide exceptional services and support to people with disabilities and their families. The Department has been ranked first among all special education departments in the country in terms of leadership and productivity for much of the last 20 years by U.S. News and World Report. More information can be found at http://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/departments/sped/

 

Duties and Responsibilities

In collaboration with Project Directors and other team members, the Research Scholar will carry out the following activities:

• Content Development
  • Lead development of select core and supplemental trainings, including those related to assessment and intervention for students with challenging behavior
  • Lead collaboration with Tennessee Department of Education leaders and other technical assistance centers to ensure alignment of research-based recommendations and guidance, especially related to assessment and intervention for students with challenging behavior
  • Lead revisions and updates to assigned trainings and materials; solicit and provide feedback as content is developed
  • Lead collaborations with external consultants subcontracted to train or develop resources on specialized topics
• Research and Project Evaluation
• Analyze and interpret data to write reports, develop presentations, and generate data-driven recommendations with Project Directors to achieve grant objectives
• Lead project staff in analyzing and interpreting data to continuously improve project outputs and service delivery; develop tools to support data collection and analyses regionally and center-wide
• Maintain expert-level and up-to-date knowledge of best practices, professional development opportunities, and state or national guidance related to the implementation of tiered support systems and intensive intervention for academics and behavior.
• Support collaboration with the TN Technical Assistance Network’s Evaluation Team to evaluate desired project and network outcomes
• Conduct literature reviews on prioritized topics for project staff
• Professional Development
  • Lead internal professional development events that equip educational consultants across the state with knowledge to deliver trainings
  • Provide coaching on prioritized topics to project staff across the state
  • Organize and lead external training events to enhance state, district, and school leaders’ understanding of prioritized topics
  • Provide constructive feedback on training delivery to region-based teams of educational consultants who provide technical assistance across the state
• Accountability
  • Meet with colleagues responsible for content development at least weekly to discuss progress on assigned trainings
  • Meet established deadlines for the submission and review of content under development

 

Supervisory Relationships

This position does not have supervisory responsibility; this position reports administratively and functionally to the Principal and Co-Principal Investigators of the Tennessee Tiered Support Center

 

Qualifications