Job Description

Alternative High School Equivalency Preparation (AHSEP) Instructor

Position Purpose

Herkimer BOCES is seeking a dynamic, highly structured, and student-centered secondary educator to serve as the HSE Instructor & Program Coordinator for our regional Alternative High School Equivalency Preparation (AHSEP) program.

Operating a standalone AHSEP track requires navigating a highly fluid, hybrid, and individualized instructional model. Because this program serves a diverse cohort of students (ages 16�20) with unique academic and career-readiness needs, the coordinator orchestrates highly customized student schedules, which may include:

1. Half-day academic blocks
2. Alternate-day attendance patterns
3. Individualized career planning (in collaboration with our Work-Based Learning Coordinator)
4. Concurrent Career & Technical Education (CTE) enrollment (with students split-scheduled between the AHSEP academic program and a vocational service / trade program in either the AM or PM block).

This position requires a versatile educator who can deliver differentiated instruction, manage complex schedules, collaborate with vocational and special education staff, maintain rigorous data standards, and foster a supportive learning environment.

Essential Functions

1. Differentiated Instruction, Student Onboarding, & Schedule Management
   1. Orientation & Diagnostic Assessment: Conduct new student intake, orientation, and academic screening. Attend NYS-mandated trainings and administer TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education) diagnostics to establish baseline performance and self-paced learning plans.
   2. Targeted Remediation & Instruction: Deliver direct, basic, and remedial academic instruction in 1:1 or small-group settings while monitoring independent, computer-based learning platforms. Analyze TABE diagnostic data continuously to revise instructional units and address learning gaps.
   3. Fluid Attendance & Hour Compliance: Coordinate, schedule, and track students utilizing diverse attendance models. Ensure that whether a student attends half-days, alternate days, or splits their day with CTE, their schedule satisfies New York State's 15-hour weekly instruction floor.
   4. Classroom Culture & Trauma-Informed Management: Establish clear behavioral expectations, positive classroom routines, and supportive structure for students who may have experienced academic or personal disruptions.
2. Special Education & Section 504 Compliance Collaboration
   1. Special Education Teacher Partnership: Work in daily, close coordination with the designated Special Education Teacher to guarantee that all Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and Section 504 Plans are fully implemented per regulation.
   2. Accommodations & Modifications: Ensure that all required instructional accommodations, testing modifications, and specialized support materials are actively deployed during daily lessons, diagnostic assessments, and practice testing.
   3. Official GED Testing Accommodations: Collaborate with the Special Education Teacher and districts' Committees on Special Education (CSE) to officially secure, document, and schedule legally mandated testing accommodations for operational GED exams.
3. CTE Integration & Work-Based Learning (WBL) Collaboration
   1. WBL Coordinator Partnership: Align with the BOCES Work-Based Learning Coordinator to facilitate the weekly 2.5-hour life-skills, counseling, career-readiness, and work-based learning block, ensuring scheduling compliance while promoting career exploration and internships.
   2. CTE Instructor Liaison: Partner directly with CTE Program Instructors (Industry Experts). Coordinate academic support that complements students' hands-on trade training so they stay on track in both their vocational programs and GED preparation.
   3. Employability & Portfolio Mapping: Assist students in developing career portfolios, building resumes, and identifying post-secondary employment or technical training pathways.
4. Intake, Registration, & "Form B" Compliance (with Direct Supervisor)
   1. NYS Variance Audit & Gatekeeping: Serve alongside the direct supervisor as regional gatekeepers for incoming students. Audit incoming NYSED Form B packets (Application for Variance of Admission Requirements) for 16�17 year-old applicants.
   2. Credit-Deficit Verification: Verify district-calculated credit deficiencies and ensure sending districts have secured required Superintendent variance override signatures when applicable.
   3. Multi-District Roster Communication: Maintain an ongoing communication system with guidance counselors, administrators, and special education departments across component school districts regarding attendance, academic progress, and schedule adjustments.
   4. Audited Attendance Records: Maintain precise daily seat-time ledgers required for state aid compliance and funding audits.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

1. Extreme Flexibility & Adaptability: Comfortable running an individualized classroom with moving student schedules.
2. Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Thrives as the hub of a multi-disciplinary team connecting Special Education Teachers, WBL Coordinators, CTE Instructors, and district personnel.
3. Therapeutic Advocacy: Dedicated to building trauma-informed relationships, setting firm accountability, and rebuilding students' academic confidence.

Qualifications & Requirements

1. Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution (Master's preferred).
2. Licensure: Valid New York State Classroom Teacher Certification in any Secondary Content Area (Grades 7�12).
3. Experience: Experience working with at-risk youth, alternative education models, special education inclusion, or literacy instruction preferred.
4. NYSED fingerprint clearance.