Director of Specialized Programs

Position Summary
As a leader on the Academic Programs team, the Director of Specialized Programs plays a crucial role in ensuring KIPP Texas realizes its mission through supporting schools and regions by providing high quality specialized programs. The Director of Specialized
Programs & Behavioral Health is responsible for planning, developing, implementing, and monitoring KIPP Texas (KTX) special education programs for identified low incidence populations for K through 12. This role includes overseeing behavioral health programs, ensuring comprehensive support for students with significant needs. The Director supports eligibility/IEP meetings and manifestation determination meetings, interprets state and federal regulations, develops specialized curriculum, provides staff development, supervises teams that support special education staff in assigned programs in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. This position plays a crucial role in promoting the academic, social, and emotional success of all students within the special education department across KIPP Texas.

Role Description
● Strategy: Lead with a strategic vision and courage to ensure that all students achieve. Support school and regional teams to implement the Special Education Strategic Plan and provide comprehensive improvement of school performance using a collaborative approach to clear and specific performance targets aligned to the Special Education Strategic Plan and execute, monitor, edit strategic plans, annual goals and quarterly benchmarking for school improvement.
● Instructional Leadership: Work with regional teams to build instructional leadership capacity of School Leaders and school leadership teams with particular focus on pedagogy, data analysis, intervention, and professional development of school
teams.
● Team Leadership: Supervise and coach a core team of KTX state-level Managers, and Program Coordinators. He/She will be responsible for monitoring their performance, conducting evaluations and improvement plans to ensure full compliance
with all requirements and deadlines. Responsible for the coaching and professional learning and overall development of regional Special Education leaders.
● Communication: Ensures KTX state-level teams and regional teams provide excellent communication, customer service and well-coordinated support.
● Legal Framework & Compliance: Experience and knowledge of IDEA and Texas State Education Law & Regulations, Section 504 Law & Regulations, and understanding of the essential elements of high performing MTSS systems and structures..
● Budget Management: Knowledge of special education funding and accountability structures.

Duties and Responsibilities
1. Leadership and Collaboration:
● Provide leadership in fostering a collaborative culture within the Special Population Department including direct reports and regional leaders..
● Supervises and administers KTX-wide special education programs for Low Incidence Populations (Autism, Intellectually Disabled, Moderate Intellectual Disability) students.
● Coordinate with the KTX state curriculum team to ensure that curriculum supports and special education considerations are appropriately integrated into all KIPP Texas curriculum.
● Supervise the implementation of MTSS for Behavior as well as implementation of redirection and self contained Behavioral programs.

2. Program Management and Development:
● Interprets state and federal regulations governing special education and ensures compliance in assigned special education functional areas.
● Coordinate and maintain quality Special Education programs, ensuring research-based instructional teaching and learning strategies for students with disabilities are evident and supported.
● Supervises and evaluates the work of special education departmental personnel in assigned areas of responsibility.
● Supervises the ordering, inventory, and distribution of materials and equipment for assigned special education programs.

3. Instructional Leadership and Support:
● Provide leadership in planning and implementing curriculum and Alternate instructional improvements for students with disabilities, resulting in improved student performance.
● Allocate campus staff to maintain appropriate staffing levels and ensure the provision of needed support and services for students with disabilities.
● Provide instructional resources and materials to support departmental staff in meeting district and departmental goals.
● Evaluates the effectiveness of instructional methods and programs and recommends revisions and improvements as needed.
● Analyzes and interprets achievement data; and works with lead teachers/administrative staff to design activities to raise student achievement.

4. Financial Management and Reporting:
● Develop an annual budget including local and federal funds for assigned areas of responsibility.
● Collaboration with Team Finance regarding grant designations and allocations.
● Develop budget recommendations and maintain expenditure control on established budgets.

5. Professional Development and Compliance:
● Provide professional development opportunities to support special education staff in the instruction of students with disabilities.
● Work with the Managing Director of Special Populations to plan professional development of all administrators, ensuring an understanding of special education, student support systems, and intervention strategies that benefit all students.
● Ensure compliance with, and prepare reports for, all state, federal, and local agencies.
● Develops and conducts division-wide staff development for special education instructional staff in assigned areas of responsibility.
● Conducts in-service training for instructional staff regarding instructional strategies, best practices, and specific instructional topics.

6. Community Engagement and Communication:
● Promote positive community relations through effective communication and involvement of parents and community.
● Work to support school and regional teams by spending approximately 50%+ of his/her time in schools working directly with teams to improve student performance and close opportunity and achievement gaps.
● Provide high-quality annual reports and quarterly status reports that clearly communicate performance toward all annual targets and dynamic intervention strategies to ensure that annual goals and targets are met.
● Develop and/or strengthen partnerships with outside agencies to support 18+ Program development and transition services.
 

7. Other Duties:
Perform all other tasks and duties as assigned by the Managing Director of Special Populations.

Education/experience
● Master’s Degree Required, Mid Management/Principal Certification Required
● EC-12 Special Education Certification Required and EC-4 or 4-8 Generalist or Content Certification required
● Special Education teacher experience required (Specialized Programs experience preferred)
● Minimum 2-3 years of leadership experience as a school administrator (Principal or Assistant Principal) with demonstrated results

Compensation and Benefits

Salary is based on years of experience, degree of education, and level of expertise.

As a full-time KIPP Texas employee you are eligible to participate in all KIPP Texas’ benefit plans. KIPP Texas offers a robust variety of benefits choices with competitive rates, including medical, dental, and vision options, life insurance,  fertility, and disability plans starting as low as $25/month.

KIPP provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability.