Program Specialist V (Early Learning Navigator) - Student Support Section

Program Specialist V, SR-24 Salary Range: $6,043.00 - $7,351.00 per month. All new external applicants will be placed on the initial step of the salary range. Placement above the initial step will be based on special characteristics, critical needs of the position, applicant's exceptional qualifications, availability of funds, and other relevant factors. (Hawaii State Department of Education employees will be placed on the salary range in accordance with Department regulations.) Responsibilities Participate on community teams focused on working with early learning. Work with existing early childhood providers to develop and implement strategies, policies, and practices to recruit and enroll more identified children in quality programming. Identify barriers to enrollment, attendance, and successful child outcomes in quality programming and develop strategies to overcome those barriers, in partnership with other stakeholders. Provide timely and relevant guidance to families or caregivers in the pursuit of all available early childhood program options. Assist in the identification of unaccompanied homeless and parenting youth and assist with enrollment into child care as needed. Develop relationships with families with young children, for the purposes of ongoing support with enrollment into early childhood programs and successful transition to Kindergarten, including enrollment, attendance and full participation in all activities. Document and track critical information on families/children supported by this program. Contribute to the development of processes for tracking data, both before placement and after, to monitor impact. Participate in the ongoing analysis of the system's capacity to support the early learning needs of kids and families in unstable housing. Develop and implement an annual needs assessment process to identify areas of program improvement and unmet student and family needs, including data collection and analysis, research, as well as direct input from parents and providers. Assist in locating resources/learning pathways available from state, federal, county, and private agencies to meet the needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness. Manage the Head Start referral application project. Minimum Qualifications Prerequisite Knowledge and Abilities : Knowledge of effective work organization and staff utilization; ability to plan, assign, review and evaluate the work of others; and organize and coordinate operational activities. Basic Education : Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four‑year college or university. Experience Requirements : Must have progressively responsible experience of the kind and quality described below. For Program Specialist V, requires 3½ years of supervisory experience and 3½ years of total specialized experience, including: Progressively responsible professional experience which demonstrated the ability to conduct studies and analyses of programs or projects, active participation in planning, coordination, development and/or evaluation of programs and program activities. Experience involved performing professional work concerning program interrelationships, effectiveness or intra-program integration. High analytical skill: ability to identify information needs, collect and analyze data, identify problems and alternative solutions, and develop logical recommendations. Ability to read, comprehend and interpret complex material such as state statutes and federal regulations and draft comprehensive reports of findings and conclusions. Experience independently performing the full range of program planning, development and evaluation activities for an agency’s program or program activities. Substitutions Allowed : Possession of a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in business administration, public administration or a field pertinent to the agency’s programs and activities may be substituted for one year of the Specialized Experience. Benefits Holidays (13 paid holidays each year; 14 during an election year) Vacation (21 days per year for eligible units) Sick leave (21 days per year; unused credits may be used toward retirement benefits) Health insurance (partial coverage by the state for eligible employees) Group life insurance (free policy for employees and retirees) Premium conversion plan (deduct health care premiums before tax withholding) Flexible spending accounts (tax savings for medical and dependent care expenses) Retirement plan (state contributions; eligibility criteria listed) Tax shelter annuity (pre‑tax contribution options) Deferred compensation (voluntary payroll deductions for retirement) Temporary disability insurance (for non‑work related injuries or illnesses) Social security program contribution by employer Workers’ compensation (medical expenses and partial wage support in case of injury) Union and collective bargaining options (employees may join; service fees may apply) Equal Opportunity The Hawaii State Department of Education does not discriminate in its educational policies, programs, and activities on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, and disability in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991. The Department does not discriminate in its employment policies, programs, and activities on the basis of sexual orientation, arrest and court record, National Guard participation, as well as on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, and disability in accordance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991, Equal Pay Act of 1963, and Chapter 378, Part I, Hawaii Revised Statutes. #J-18808-Ljbffr Hawaiʻi State Department of Education