Special Education Coordinator Job Description
Hired by, reports to, and evaluated by Director of Special Populations

The role of the Special Education Coordinator is an integral part of the school’s educational program.  In addition to collaborating with the Committee on Special Education and conducting interventions with students, the Special Education Coordinator will support colleagues by co-designing lessons, modeling, and coaching differentiated teaching strategies to effectively meet the needs of all students.  Responsibilities are detailed below.

Special Education Compliance:

• Ensure student records, files, and delivery of services are according to federal and state laws and regulations
• Keep current of special education research, best practices, education policy
• Advocate for and with families to make sure they are aware of their rights and know what to expect of relevant special education processes
• Communicate any proposed changes to a child’s program or service with the family
• Conduct student observations, assessment, and reports (including FBA, BIPs, naturalistic obs)
• Gather documentation for initial referrals, annual reviews, re-evaluations and tri-annuals, with a focus on annual reviews
• Submit documentation to the CSE in advance of IEP meetings
• Inform classroom teachers of due dates for reports and IEP meetings in a timely fashion
• Collaborate with teachers on student reports and IEPs
• Ensure completion of  PLOP and goal portions of IEPs for all annual reviews
• Share and clarify individual student goals, accommodations, and modifications with teachers and service providers
• Develop the capacity of teachers’ abilities to implement accommodations, modifications, and co-teaching models as it relates to individual and class-wide needs
• Provide instructional coaching to teachers on creating access and removing barriers
• Meet with teachers to monitor student progress toward IEP goals on a routine basis
• Support teacher in completing Progress Reports for students with IEPs on SESIS
• Develop and maintain a strong working relationship with relevant parties of the CSE

Related Services:

• Collaborate with providers on goal setting for students
• Monitor student progress in each service
• Facilitate opportunities for collaboration between classroom teachers and service providers
• Inform Director of Special Populations of any changes to related service mandates
• Communicate dates for reports due and IEP meetings to all related service providers in a timely fashion

Section 504 Plans:

• Identify students who qualify for accommodations under Section 504
• Oversee 504 Determination Meetings
• Inform families of their rights under Section 504
• Acquire required documents (ie: doctor’s note, teacher reports, assistive technology evaluation, etc)

At-Risk Instruction (in conjunction with the Director of Special Populations):

• Identify students who are academically at-risk
• Observe and assess at-risk students
• Design a personalized academic intervention plan for each area of need
• Set specific, measurable goals for each student
• Monitor the implementation of interventions both in and out of the classroom (LLI, Fundations, Do the Math, etc)
• Progress monitor and document each student’s response to the intervention
• Serve as a resource for teachers on differentiation and modifications  
• Meet with families to inform them of their child’s progress
• Connect with medical and/ or mental health providers, if warranted
• Consult with related service providers for initial screenings
• Refer for further evaluations, if founded

Other Responsibilities:

• Maintain and enrich expertise in the area of special education services
• Seek grant opportunities to support special education programming
• Attend conferences, workshops, and professional development opportunities
• Network with organizations (local schools, etc)
• Plan with staff developers
• Evaluate students’ progress on an ongoing basis
• Communicate with parents, as needed, to provide information, learn more about students, and share student successes
• Collect, organize, and evaluate key academic data about students
• Respond to parent concerns effectively and in a timely manner
• Encourage students’ positive interactions with other students and adults
• Value and promote peaceful conflict resolution and creative and authentic problem solving; Uphold the school’s System of Logical Consequences; Engage in effective and appropriate classroom management
• Keep an organized workspace
• Support the development of colleagues
• Maintain and communicate high academic and personal expectations for all students with families, support staff, specialty teachers, and leaders
• Stay current with regard to education literature
• Participate in a variety of staff development programs, including a yearly individualized professional development plan, two-week summer PD, and individual PD sessions
• Participate in developing and meeting the goals of an individualized professional development plan
• Uphold and promote the school’s mission and vision
• Perform other duties as needed to support the ongoing development of Haven Academy (e.g. Lunch and/or recess duty, tutoring, etc)

If you are interested in applying, please email your Résumé and Cover Letter to careers@havenacademy.org