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Special Education Coach & Coordinator (Early Childhood)

DC Bilingual Public Charter School
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Description

                                                                                             

Early Childhood Special Education Coach and Coordinator

 

Under the direction of the Principal, the Special Education Coach and Coordinator supports the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of DC Bilingual’s early childhood special education program (PK–K). This role chairs multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings, coaches teachers, and partners with instructional leaders to ensure that students with disabilities receive high-quality, developmentally appropriate instruction aligned to their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 Plans.

The Special Education Coach and Coordinator brings deep expertise in early childhood special education practices, IDEA and local regulations, inclusive instruction, and play-based and language-rich learning environments. This role is committed to building adult capacity, strengthening systems, and supporting equitable outcomes for young learners and their families.

Primary Responsibilities:

Essential functions may include, but are not limited to the following:

Manages Special Education Compliance

  • Monitors teachers' and paraprofessionals' service delivery in inclusion classes and resource settings. Ensures special education staff abide by IDEA and local regulations
  • Create and facilitate professional development related to special education
  • With Principals, ensures compliance for: student information related to IEPs, services, service hours,  evaluations, and testing accommodations
  • Maintains compliance with special education files and calendar 
  • Designs and facilitates professional development related to early childhood special education, inclusion, and compliance

Special Education Systems and Federal and Local Reporting and Accountability

  • Stays up to date with the latest changes to any of the special education systems
  • Has knowledge of systems such as DC CATS, SLED, OSSE Department of Transportation, SEDS, QLIK, OST, and Child Count Application. Supports with Child Count Audit and any special education-related audits and reporting
  • Supports the department to ensure ongoing special education compliance with OSSE and other authorizing agencies
  • Special Education Transportation: identifies students who require special education transportation services; utilizes the  special education transportation system to request and troubleshoot transportation
  • Oversees the collection, documentation, and submission of Child Outcomes Summary (COS) data for eligible early childhood students
  • Ensures COS ratings are completed accurately and on time in accordance with OSSE and federal reporting requirements

Supervises the MDT meeting process (IEPs and 504s) 

  • Facilitates MDT meetings (in English and Spanish) to discuss and address the needs of students who receive special education/504 services, such as annual IEP/504 plan meetings, tri-annual eligibility, and initial eligibility; takes comprehensive meeting notes
  • Supports teachers in the development and creation of IEPs/504s
  • Support the SPED Specialist in ensuring caregivers receive all notifications and evaluation reports in advance of the MDT meetings. 
  • Ensures adherence to IDEA /ADA and local timelines for receipt of reports and evaluations
  • With SPED Manager,  maintains communication with the OSSE representative regarding transferring students and full-time placements needed
  • Represents the school as the LEA representative at MDT meetings

Student Intake, IFSP Transitions & Enrollment Support (Early Childhood)

  • Leads and supports the intake process for new students entering DC Bilingual who may have disabilities, with a focus on PK–K enrollment
  • Reviews incoming records, including IFSPs, evaluations, prior IEPs, and related service documentation, to ensure timely and appropriate service planning
  • Coordinates and facilitates the transition from IFSPs to IEPs for students turning three, ensuring compliance with IDEA timelines and collaboration with families, Early Stages, and service providers
  • Supports the development and writing of initial IEPs for newly identified students, ensuring goals, services, and placements are developmentally appropriate and aligned to classroom instruction
  • Partners with admissions, operations, and instructional leadership teams to ensure a smooth and family-centered onboarding process for students receiving special education services

Monitors IEP Alignment to Curriculum and Common Core

  • Supports instructional leadership team with oversight  of the delivery of specialized instruction, accommodations, and/or modifications as stipulated on IEPs or 504s
  • Monitors specialized instruction data is collected for IEP goals
  • Contributes to content curriculum and assessment development as needed
  • Manages the ordering of materials for the special education program.

Coaching

  • Plans and leads weekly/biweekly coaching meetings with a select number of teachers. Observes teacher practice and provides feedback according to the DCB Six-Step Coaching model.
  • Manages SPED teacher leaders in coaching, professional development, monitoring data collection, etc.
  • Provide data-supported targeted feedback and curriculum support to special education teachers in order to improve teacher practice and increase student achievement.
  • Supports special education teachers and the instructional leadership team to ensure IEPs and 504s meet the individual needs of each student, including feedback on AED, PLOP, goals, accommodations, etc., through in-person meetings, emails, or document review

Non-Public Monitoring

  • Supports LEA and OSSE with non-public placement of special education students 
  • Supports families of students placed at non-public schools with special education transportation 
  • Attends MDT meetings for students enrolled in LEA who attend non-public schools
  • Collaborates with non-public special education coordinator to ensure compliance of students’ IEP and eligibilities, coordination of evaluations, and provides troubleshooting with SPED systems
  • Informs non-public of any new pertinent information provided by OSSE

Behavior

  • Collaborates with behavior support team members and counselors as a member of SST
  • Chairs manifestation determination meetings as needed for students with IEPs
  • Supports the facilitation of BIP meetings for students with IEPs

Personal Leadership

  • Meets with Coaching team members regularly to provide input on teacher coaching, academic priorities, and addressing individual teacher needs 

 

As a school leader, who is also a member of the coaching team, the Special Education Coach/Coordinator has a role where managing up and down is very important.  Collaboration is an essential skill for the Special Education  Coach and Coordinator as they must be skilled at leading by example, coaching and building capacity in others.

 

All Staff

  • Adhere to the No Nonsense Nurture expectations for managing student relations and behaviors
  • Meet all expectations as outlined by the DC Bilingual Leading and Learning Framework
  • Abide by the DC Bilingual 7 Agreements
  • Demonstrate dedication to the Professional Learning Community (PLC) by supporting school-wide initiatives and programs
  • Other duties as assigned
  • Collaborate with the coaching team to promote the school’s mission and vision.
  • Promote respect for culturally and linguistically diverse families and children.
  • Participate in all school-wide initiatives to promote family engagement in all school activities. Work collaboratively and professionally with parents and other staff to promote the general health and well-being of all students.  
  • Collaborate with grade level team(s) as needed by attending meetings and supporting the work
  • Collaborate with the Language Department to support the implementation of Spanish language strategies in the school. 

Other

  • Ensures cooperative relationships with general education staff; advocates for special education with school leaders
  • Other duties not otherwise assigned

 

 

QUALIFICATIONS

 

Requirements 

  • Bachelor’s or Master's degree in Special Education or equivalent
  • DC Praxis Passing Score
  • Special Education Certification
  • Bilingual preferred but not required (Spanish/English)
  • Demonstrated ability to work with students and families from diverse backgrounds
  • Preferred two or more years of experience (preferably in an urban or culturally diverse setting)

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here 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 regularly required to stand, sit, walk, and use his/her hands. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. The specific vision abilities required by this job may include close vision.

DC Bilingual is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is a drug-free workplace. Salary is competitive and is commensurate with experience. DCB provides a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, 401k, short-term disability, and staff preference when enrolling their child(ren) into DC Bilingual.

If you would like to apply for this position, please visit dcbilingual.org/careers