BEAUMONT INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

Job Description

PRIMARY PURPOSE:

A Special Education Specialist will maintain the district's special education programs and services; develop related goals, objectives, and recommendation of policies; plan, implement, and collaborate with staff on program and services evaluations; act as a liaison with other district staff; serve as a resource of information regarding special education programs and services; and ensure that procedures are appropriate in relation to policies required by state and federal regulatory requirements. Significant devotion of time is required for analyzing data, planning activities, monitoring programs/services, responding to others and consulting with program personnel.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Education/Certification:

• Master’s degree required
• Special education certification required
• Diagnostician certification required

Required Experience: 

• Minimum of two years as special education teacher 
• Two or more years of experience as a lead diagnostician or mentor diagnostican
• Recent experience mentoring new diagnosticians 
• Minimum of seven as a practicing diagnostician in the last 10 years
• Experience in evaluation and assessment of children across all developmental levels

Special Knowledge/Skills:

• Extensive knowledge of best practices regarding evaluation, assessment, and eligibility for special education services 
• Knowledge of the Dyslexia Handbook or a willingness to learn

• Knowledge of Procedural Safeguards for students who receive special education services 
• Knowledge of the ARD and IEP development process.
• Knowledge of special education rules and regulations 
• Knowledge of Multiple Tiers Systems of Support (MTSS) or a willingness to learn
• Familiar with bilingual assessment and evaluation 

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

All special education specialists are responsible for the following:

• Spends the majority of his/her time in collaborative work with special education teachers, school leaders, and other experts to improve learning outcomes for students with disabilities. This collaboration includes but is not limited to direct instructional coaching, professional development, analysis of progress data, seeking out academic and behavioral instructional strategies, and assisting with implementation;  

• Understands and engages in collaborative work with general education personnel, including building-based and curriculum and instruction coaches, to improve achievement and growth for all students, while carrying out their primary responsibilities of improving learning for students with disabilities;  

• Develops and empowers teachers to write effective IEPs and behavior plans as a  strategy to accelerate learning of students with disabilities;  

• Monitors school suspensions, expulsions, seclusion and restraints, and academic data for students with special disabilities in assigned buildings and develop action plans as needed; 

• Consistently revisits special education program and service procedures and program standards to ensure continuity of services and foresight of potential issues;  

• Communicates effectively, and in a timely manner, with parents and guardians of children with disabilities to address complaints, issues and concerns;  

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Special Education Director.

• Spends the majority of his/her time in collaborative work with special education teachers, school leaders, and other experts to improve learning outcomes for students with disabilities. This collaboration includes but is not limited to direct instructional coaching, professional development, analysis of progress data, seeking out academic and behavioral instructional strategies, and assisting with implementation;  

• Understands and engages in collaborative work with general education personnel, including building-based and curriculum and instruction coaches, to improve achievement and growth for all students, while carrying out their primary responsibilities of improving learning for students with disabilities;  

• Develops and empowers teachers to write effective IEPs and behavior plans to as strategy to accelerate learning of students with disabilities;  

• Monitors school suspensions, expulsions, seclusion and restraints, and academic data for students with special disabilities in assigned buildings and develop action plans as needed; 

• Consistently revisits special education program and service procedures and program standards to ensure continuity of services and foresight of potential issues;  

• Communicates effectively, and in a timely manner, with parents and guardians of children with disabilities to address complaints, issues and concerns;  

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Special Education Director.

The Special Education Specialist: Assessment & Evaluation is expected to:

Coaching/Support

• Serve as the feeder pattern lead for child find and evaluation
• Support sustainability and expansion of inclusive practices throughout the district.
• Aid campuses in programming for students receiving special education services 
• Mentor Assessment Staff
• Train on the district’s special education software system 
•  Assist campus staff with curriculum recommendations
• Serve as a substitute diagnostican 
• Collaborate with the Bilingual/ESL department for students who are classified an english learners and receive special education services
• Serve on Dyslexia Evaluation Team alongside the special programs coordinator 
• Collaborate with school administration on the organization of regularly scheduling Child Find Screenings
• Assist the special education director with monitoring and evaluating staff workloads 
• Support coordination of evaluations by the Early Childhood Assessment Team (ECAT) and facilitation of eligibility meetings
• Assist the director with completing performance evaluations for the assessment staff
• Provide consultation regarding campus staff regarding the evaluation and assessment needs of  students with disabilities across all instructional settings.

Communication/Parent Engagement

• Inform students and parents about school and district policies
• Serve as a liaison between student, home, school, and community resources. 
• Access and work closely with community agencies to identify resources for students and their families.
• Provide crisis intervention and preventive support as needed by students and their families.
• Make home visits to gather information relating to students.
• Consult with parents, teachers, and other school/district personnel to determine cause of student problems and effect solutions.
• Arrange for medical, psychiatric, and other tests and examinations that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicate remedial measures.
• Perform casework service with parents to increase the parents’ understanding, their constructive participation in resolving their child’s problems, and their knowledge and use of available and appropriate resources, for the purpose of keeping students in school.
• Assist in the planning and implementation of parent involvement activities.

Compliance

• Track data and monitor progress of student and school interventions (Tier I and Tier II)
• Coordinate and monitor necessary data collection
• Monitor data collection for State Performance Plan Indicators 
• Audit special education evaluations for compliance and quality 

Training

• Training campus and district staff on IEP development 
•  Provide consultation to campus staff working with students with disabilities
•  Provide in-service training for campus  and district  staff
• Train on the child find process 

Personal Growth and Development.

• Work to continuously improve effectiveness in all instructional and intervention practices
• Use feedback to make productive changes in performance
• Engage in on-going professional development to increase knowledge and skills of positive student behavior support for all students, targeted students and students who represent sub-group populations.
• Organize and schedule time commitments to meet demands of the job

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Mental Demands

• Ability to communicate effectively, interpret policy, procedures, and data
• Maintain emotional control under

Environmental Demands

• Normal office environment
• Readily adapt to a variety of circumstances
• May work prolonged or irregular hours
  Frequent district-wide and occasional out-of-district transfer

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

The Beaumont Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, or sex in the educational programs or activities that it operates and is an equal opportunity employer.