Job Description:

The Special Education Compliance Specialist will oversee the IEP process to ensure that all IEPs are correctly written and implemented in accordance with state and federal guidelines, ensure that special education budgets are balanced, specific inventories of materials, supplies, and services, relative to vendors, are noted and monitored, and each school and the system are consistently ready for state visits and monitorings, and other duties assigned by the Special Education Officer and Superintendent. The Special Education   Compliance Specialist will also ensure that the district operates in accordance with the Arkansas Department of Education requirements as well as federal and state regulations.

Qualifications:

1. Valid Arkansas teacher license in special education.
2. Must have three (3) to five (5) years of successful school administrative or supervisory experience as a school-based administrator (preferred)
3. Must have supervision of special education at the school level (district level preferred), and/or appropriate supervision of special education at the state level, and/or compliance at the district or state level
4. Must have three (3) to five (5) years, at minimum, of experience as a special education teacher
5. Must possess strong leadership skills and the ability to be an initiator of tasks
6. Must demonstrate a strong sense of finance and curriculum background
7. Must possess excellent computer skills and be technologically literate, and be able to fluently demonstrate these skills to teachers and administrators, especially relevant to special education
8. Must be aggressive in the pursuit to transform a systemic department, the mindset of school leaders and teachers relative to how they view and respond to special education matters, instruction, parents, and community, and be able to quickly bring about significant change to bring cohesiveness within a department and across a system
9. Must be able to have courageous conversations with school leaders, staff, and parents, and maintain dignity and respect
10. Must understand how to disaggregate and have experience using data to drive instruction in a school;
11. Must be willing to engage in and attend extra-curricular activities appropriately
12. Must possess the attitude and ability to desire learning and be open to new experiences
13. Must have current knowledge of effective instructional practices, especially relative to special education
14. Must have experience with school curriculum standards and assessment, relative to special education
15. Must have the ability to work with and contribute to building a high-energy team
16. Must have experience with effective classroom management strategies
17. Must commit to the individual worth, dignity, potential, and success of each
18. child
19. Must have and demonstrate knowledge of the school improvement process
20. Must be knowledgeable of the Student Code of Conduct
21. Must have excellent management skills and the ability to plan, organize, implement, and evaluate programs, and create next steps
22. Must demonstrate successful ability to work with staff, parents, and students as an effective communicator
23. Must have excellent oral and written communication skills
24. Must have the ability to work with and contribute to building a high-energy team

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Ensures that there is successful implementation of district initiatives (i.e., School Improvement Process,  Classroom Dojo (or its equivalent at the secondary level), District’s Literacy Plan, District’s Blueprint for Excellence (Strategic Plan), P.B.I.S., Collaborative Planning, Student Intervention Team (S.I.T.) meetings using R.T.I. (Response to Intervention), etc.) based on district directives
2. Monitors the school’s IP plan every week through Indistar
3. Monitors attendance, discipline, culture data, student progress, and other data sources using APSCN every week for accreditation and cycle reporting
4. Ensures that you are engaged in PD that supports district initiatives and focuses on moving the school in an onward and forward direction to achieve excellence for all scholars relative to the school improvement process
5. Assists in the evaluation of the district’s special education program every quarter
6. Attends monthly mandated area special education meetings
7. Assists the LEA Supervisor with preparing, submitting, and monitoring the Special Education Budget, Budget Amendments, and other reporting as required by ADE to the Special Education Officer for review
8. Maintains students’ records and ensures accountability, as required by federal, state, and local regulations, are in compliance with issues based on ADE procedural requirements and program standards
9. Monitors all Special Education billing, payment distribution (JDC Co-op and JJC), state, local, and federal Special Education funding received for the Special Education Officer’s review
10. Monitors and manages the Special Education department and employees in the Pine Bluff School District
11. Provides assistance, support, and training to principals, teachers, and parents in policies governing Special Education and Section 504 as related to students’ problems, referrals, evaluations, and placement in the district
12. Assists in the development and initiation of policies governing the discipline (behavior support plans), classification (requesting additional evaluation), promotion (programming), progress of students (IEP completion), and alternative placement
13. Assists in the monitoring of in-district compliance, IEP effectiveness, school-age surveys, such as the implementation of the standards-based IEP, and contractual programs (OT, PT, Speech, and Psychological Examiner)
14. Provides new personnel in Special Education with the program standards and procedural manual, information on technology procedures, classroom management, IEP, Inclusion/Co-teaching strategies, Spedfast Computerized Program or its equivalent used for implementing due process procedures, and scheduled training in Special Education.
15. Participates in due process activities as needed
16. Researches, plans, and coordinates in-service training programs for administrators, parents, regular teachers, and Special Education teachers in understanding Special Education students
17. Other duties as assigned by the Superintendent
18. Demonstrates ability to communicate well and to apply leadership skills within a shared decision-making model
19. Ability and willingness to follow directions given and to perform assigned duties in accordance with applicable guidelines, policies, and procedures
20. Demonstrates sound leadership qualities and excellent interpersonal skills
21. Knowledge and prior application of current information, theory, and research in education
22. Knowledge and prior application or experience in improving academic achievement
23. Ability to evaluate the instructional process relative to special education
24. Ability to supervise, coach, manage, and lead those who directly report to you with integrity, dignity, respect, and directness
25. Sound educational philosophy and instructional competence, especially relevant to special education
26. Ability to be a change agent

Supervisory Responsibilities:

None

Physical Demands:    

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, talk, hear, walk, sit, and use fingers, tools, or controls.  The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision such as to read handwritten or typed material, the ability to adjust focus, and depth perception.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally push or lift to 50 lbs. or more.

Working Environment:

The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job.      

The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required.