Job DescriptionSpecial Education CoordinatorReports to: Assistant Superintendent of Student Services and Building PrincipalEvaluated by: Assistant Superintendent of Student Services and Building PrincipalQualifications: Massachusetts licensure and 5 years experience as a Special Education Teacher or Psychologist; Director/Administrator license requiredKnowledge/ experience in behavior management, Differentiation of Instruction, Reading Disabilities and various specialized programs related to Reading and Dyslexia, and working knowledge of IDEA and state special education regulations, evaluation and IEP meeting/process/development.Excellent oral and written communication and organization skills.Experience with various models of special education service delivery. Strong skills in collaborative problem solving and conflict resolution.Familiarity with Microsoft Office Programs (Word, Excel, Power Point)/and or Google Drive.Knowledge of the Massachusetts Common Core State Standards.General Areas of Responsibility: Serves as the Chairperson/ Evaluation Team Leader (ETL) for Initial, Re-evaluation and select Annual Review Team meetings, with the authority to commit the resources of the district. Provides supervision of and contributes directly to the evaluation of special education staff, including but not limited to the planning and implementation of curriculum/ instruction and behavior programs, Liaison responsibilities, Student evaluation/testing process/reports, and various paperwork requirements.Serves as a resource to the principals, curriculum specialists, teachers, and other staff members, as well as with parents, regarding special education processes and services. Collaborates with district leadership team(s) to review and monitor students performance, analyze student performance data and work collaboratively to examine various facets of school programs to determine trends and appropriate directions and/or interventions.Coordinates the program planning process; collects pertinent data from teachers regarding student progress/program needs and ensures Principals and the Administrator of Special Education have accurate and timely information to plan appropriate staffing models, in particular for those students moving between buildings and/or may require program elements different than those currently in place.
Specific Areas of Responsibility: Works with respective principals to plan, implement and monitor various special education programs/models, as well as plan/review protocols regarding the interface between regular and special education support models/ frameworks (i.e.: RtI, CST, Tiered Instructional Models, regular education intervention programs, etc.) Works with respective principals to determine allocation of resources, both monetary and staff, in order to meet projected and evolving needs of students, including creation of and review of both master and individual staff schedules in order to creatively and efficiently deploy staff to meet student needs. Assists in the collection and preparation of data/ documentation related to district and/or Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) reporting requirements. Reviews students assessment data, including but not limited to: MCAS, district-wide assessment programs, various interim assessment data results, and analyzes/ interprets result trends for students with disabilities (SWD) in order to assist in both student-specific and district wide planning. Facilitates, coordinates and supervises Initial, Re-evaluation, IEE reviews and select Annual Review special education TEAM meetings, in accordance with the most current state and federal regulations, makes decisions regarding areas of dissent amongst TEAM members, follows up to ensure that all team members complete information on the students IEP, and that individuals responsibilities are completed in a timely fashion.
Facilitates meetings between various stakeholders to ensure the successful transition of students with IEPs between programs/schools; i.e.: Early Intervention to Preschool, PS to K, Primary to Intermediate grades.Supervises and contributes to the evaluation of Special Education Staff including, but not necessarily limited to: the development of curriculum and instruction programs, assessment (ongoing progress monitoring) of student learning, conducting, interpreting, and writing clear reports based on evaluation data, writing quality IEPs within designated time linescompletion of other professional responsibilities Supervises the evaluation of Special Education Instructional Assistants (ESPs) according to district rubric and procedures. Facilitates interpretation of special education mandates, procedures, and state forms for staff members, IEP teams, including parents, as may be necessary.Plans for and provides training for special education aides, general and/or special education teachers, either in groups or as individuals, on various topics related to the special education process, disability types, instructional and/or behavioral/ motivational strategies, and other pertinent topics. Participates in Leadership Team meetings to promote collaboration between general and special education and communicate the interests/needs of special education students and staff to ensure their needs are duly considered in district-level planning. Assists the Administrator of Special Education in monitoring student performance, including serving as the Liaison/Contact person, for select students placed in out of district programs/placements.
Assists the Administrator of Special Education, and Principal in special education matters as may be requested.Work Year: July 1st - June 30th 205 days (Work days do not include snow days and holidays).Generally, 183 work days will follow the school year calendar, plus days during the 2 weeks before the teachers report, 2-3 days of summer Leadership Team meetings, remaining days during the summer months to be scheduled in conjunction with the Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services, and 5 days immediately following the last day of school for students.Salary: Individual contract; commensurate with formal education and experience. Physical/ Mental Requirements: Able to drive between buildings and to out-of-district programs Cognitive capacity to quickly change tasks and problem solve in the momentAbility to read and interpret for others various complex documents, student evaluation reports and other reportsAbility to communicate, both verbally and in writing, matters of high importance and based upon highly technical data and informationAbility to sustain mental energy and effort for extended periods of time, as well as tolerate periods of high stressIt is the policy of the Boxford, Middleton, and Topsfield Public Schools not to discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin, color, homelessness, age, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity in its education programs, services, activities or employment practices. Every available opportunity will be taken in order to assure that each applicant is selected on the basis of qualifications, merit and ability.Applicants are informed that school systems are required to obtain all available criminal offender record information (CORI and SAFIS Background Check per 603 CMR51.00) from the criminal history systems board (CHSB) of any current or prospective employee of the school department.