Training and Technical Assistance Specialist

ETSU•Johnson City, TN

4h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Training and Technical Assistance Specialist is responsible for leading statewide professional learning, technical assistance, coaching, and capacity-building activities related to secondary transition, IDEA Part B Indicators 13 and 14, correction of noncompliance, post-school outcomes data quality, and continuous improvement. The purpose of this position is to strengthen LEA capacity to improve the quality of transition planning, support compliance with IDEA requirements, and ultimately increase positive post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. This position develops and delivers high-quality training and technical assistance to local education agencies (LEAs), regional partners, reviewers, practitioners, and other stakeholders to improve the quality of transition-focused IEP development, strengthen Indicator 13 compliance, improve Indicator 14 data collection and use, and support improved postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities. The Training and Technical Assistance Specialist ensures that professional learning and technical assistance are evidence-based, accessible, aligned with federal and state requirements, responsive to LEA needs, and grounded in data from Indicator 13 reviews, Indicator 14 outcomes, technical assistance requests, correction verification, and statewide performance trends. The specialist will work in partnership with the Media and Communication Specialist to ensure training and technical assistance materials are accessible, clearly formatted, professionally produced, and usable by LEAs and stakeholders statewide. The specialist will build and sustain trusted relationships with LEAs, regional partners, practitioners, and TDOE to ensure technical assistance is collaborative, responsive, and viewed as a meaningful support for local improvement rather than solely a compliance activity. The specialist works closely with the Project Director, Project Manager, TDOE, Indicator 13 Review Coordinator, Indicator 14 Coordinator, ASRL Data & Evaluation staff, Regional LEA Leads, LEA Transition Reviewers, and Practitioner Champions.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in special education or related field (e.g., human services, social work, rehabilitative health sciences, elementary or secondary education, psychology).
Demonstrated expertise in special education, secondary transition planning, and transition-focused IEP development.
Experience developing and delivering professional learning, technical assistance, coaching, or consultation to educators, administrators, LEAs, or regional/state partners.
Experience supporting LEAs or school teams in improving IEP quality, compliance practices, data collection, correction of noncompliance, or program improvement.
Experience using data to identify professional learning needs, monitor implementation, and support continuous improvement.
Experience developing accessible materials for adult learners, including virtual training, recorded modules, job aids, guidance documents, and implementation tools.
Experience handling confidential student-level, LEA-level, or project data and maintaining secure documentation.
Knowledge of IDEA Part B secondary transition requirements, Indicator 13 compliance criteria, Indicator 14 post-school outcomes requirements, and related accountability expectations.
Knowledge of Tennessee special education systems, TN PULSE, APR reporting, local determinations, corrective action, and secondary transition implementation.
Ability to coordinate multiple training and technical assistance activities, manage timelines, document services, and follow through on commitments.
Ability to work collaboratively with state agencies, LEAs, university staff, data teams, regional partners, and practitioners.
Strong facilitation, coaching, writing, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
Strong knowledge of measurable postsecondary goals, age-appropriate transition assessment, transition services, courses of study, annual IEP goals, student invitation, agency invitation, self-determination, interagency collaboration, and post-school outcomes.
Demonstrated ability to translate compliance requirements, data findings, and technical guidance into practical tools, training content, and actionable recommendations.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with state education agencies, local education agencies, regional education agencies, or statewide special education technical assistance systems.
Experience with Indicator 13 monitoring, Indicator 14 post-school outcomes data collection, or IDEA compliance improvement initiatives.
Experience supporting Prong 1 and Prong 2 correction verification through coaching, technical assistance, or LEA improvement planning.
Experience developing statewide training systems, professional learning modules, coaching protocols, technical assistance tools, or compliance guidance materials.
Experience facilitating communities of practice, office hours, peer learning networks, regional coaching sessions, or train-the-trainer models.
Experience using spreadsheets, dashboards, survey data, review findings, or technical assistance tracking systems to monitor implementation and improvement.
Experience supporting rural, suburban, and urban LEAs with varied levels of capacity and implementation need.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain TNDOE approved statewide training materials related to secondary transition, Indicator 13 compliance, Indicator 14 post-school outcomes, correction of noncompliance, and use of data for improvement.
Create professional learning resources, including TDOE approved slide decks, facilitator guides, recorded modules, job aids, examples and nonexamples, coaching tools, implementation checklists, office-hour materials, and LEA-facing guidance documents.
Ensure training content is aligned with IDEA Part B secondary transition requirements, TDOE guidance, APR Indicators 13 and 14, Tennessee’s local determinations process, and approved project protocols.
Develop differentiated training materials for multiple audiences, including special education teachers, transition coordinators, special education supervisors, administrators, school counselors, CTE partners, related service providers, reviewers, regional partners, and LEA leadership teams.
Incorporate practical examples, field-based scenarios, and implementation tools that support LEAs in applying transition requirements within IEP development, compliance monitoring, data collection, and improvement planning.
Update training materials annually based on Indicator 13 review findings, Indicator 14 response and outcomes data, correction verification trends, participant feedback, technical assistance request patterns, and changes in state or federal guidance.
Design training content with accessibility, usability, and adult learning principles in mind, and coordinate with the Media and Communication Specialist for formatting, captioning, remediation, publication, and accessibility review of final materials.
Deliver statewide professional learning through multiple formats, including live virtual sessions, recorded webinars, asynchronous modules, office hours, regional sessions, peer learning opportunities, and written guidance.
Facilitate professional learning activities aligned with the annual project calendar, including LEA readiness training, reviewer support sessions, correction support, Indicator 14 survey preparation, data-use sessions, and annual refresher training.
Support onboarding and continuing development for LEA staff, Regional LEA Leads, LEA Transition Reviewers, Practitioner Champions, and other project partners.
Coordinate with Practitioner Champions and field-based trainers to support webinar facilitation, peer learning, regional coaching, sharing of field-tested examples, and dissemination of effective practices.
Ensure training delivery is engaging, accessible, role-specific, and responsive to participant knowledge levels and implementation needs.
Collect and analyze participant feedback, attendance data, knowledge checks, and training-use data to inform ongoing refinement of professional learning supports.
Provide individualized and system-level technical assistance to LEAs to improve capacity and compliance in secondary transition and related areas.
Implement a tiered technical assistance model that matches the intensity of support to LEA need, including universal, targeted, and intensive supports.
Provide targeted support to LEAs with repeat Indicator 13 findings, low Indicator 13 compliance, delayed correction, low Indicator 14 response rates, low post-school outcomes, declining trends, or other identified implementation barriers.
Assist LEAs in interpreting Indicator 13 findings, identifying root causes of noncompliance, correcting individual and systemic issues, and strengthening local procedures to prevent recurrence.
Support LEAs in improving Indicator 14 contact verification, outreach procedures, response-rate improvement, data quality, and use of post-school outcomes data for program planning.
Provide coaching to LEA teams on measurable postsecondary goals, age-appropriate transition assessment, transition services, courses of study, annual IEP goals related to transition needs, student invitation, agency invitation, and documentation expectations.
Support LEAs in developing action plans, identifying evidence of correction, monitoring implementation, and sustaining improvement over time.
Provide technical assistance to LEAs identified with noncompliance, repeat findings, delayed correction, or systemic implementation concerns.
Support LEAs in understanding correction requirements, evidence expectations, timelines, and strategies for preventing recurrence of noncompliance.
Coordinate with the Indicator 13 Review Coordinator regarding common compliance findings, Prong 1 correction issues, Prong 2 systemic verification trends, scoring patterns, and training needs.
Coordinate with the Indicator 14 Coordinator regarding contact verification barriers, low response rates, outreach challenges, survey completion issues, and outcomes trends requiring LEA support.
Assist in developing corrective action coaching tools, LEA guidance materials, root cause analysis tools, and improvement planning templates.
Monitor assigned technical assistance follow-up activities and document progress toward implementation and improvement goals.
Collaborate with Project team to interpret statewide, regional, and LEA-level data trends relevant to training and technical assistance.
Use data to recommend universal, targeted, and intensive professional learning supports.
Identify recurring areas of need across LEAs, including common transition IEP errors, reviewer questions, correction delays, data collection barriers, low response rates, and outcome gaps.
Translate compliance findings and outcomes data into practical training content, job aids, coaching protocols, and improvement tools.
Contribute to annual continuous improvement recommendations for training systems, technical assistance procedures, and LEA support strategies.
Maintain documentation of all technical assistance contacts, LEA needs, action steps, follow-up commitments, timelines, closure status, and evidence of support provided.
Use standardized tracking systems to document technical assistance activities and monitor completion of follow-up actions.
Prepare summaries of training and technical assistance activities for internal project review, TDOE updates, annual reporting, and continuous improvement planning.
Participate in fidelity reviews of technical assistance delivery, including timeliness of response, alignment of support to identified need, completion of planned follow-up, and evidence of improvement.
Maintain organized training records, attendance logs, evaluation summaries, coaching notes, resource inventories, and version-controlled materials.
Ensure confidentiality of LEA, student, family, and project data when providing technical assistance or preparing training examples.
Collaborate with the Project Director to ensure training and technical assistance are aligned with federal requirements, TDOE priorities, and project goals.
Collaborate with the Project Manager to align training schedules, technical assistance activities, deliverables, communication systems, and documentation timelines with the overall project work plan.
Collaborate with the Indicator 13 Review Coordinator to ensure training content reflects current compliance criteria, reviewer guidance, common scoring issues, correction requirements, and statewide review findings.
Collaborate with the Indicator 14 Coordinator to ensure training and TA address survey preparation, contact verification, outreach, response-rate improvement, data quality, and use of post-school outcomes data.
Collaborate with ASRL Data & Evaluation staff to use data trends, dashboards, reports, and feedback to inform training and technical assistance priorities.
Collaborate with Regional LEA Leads, LEA Transition Reviewers, and Practitioner Champions to support statewide implementation and ensure training reflects field-based needs and practical implementation realities.
Collaborate with the Centers Media and Communication Specialist to ensure all professional learning materials, digital resources, recorded modules, slide decks, handouts, and public-facing tools comply with applicable accessibility standards, including ADA, Section 504, and Section 508 requirements.
Collaborate with the Centers Media and Communication Specialist to ensure recorded professional learning includes captions and that documents, slide decks, and electronic materials are designed for accessibility and usability by diverse audiences.