Exceptional Children Program Specialist

Exceptional Children (Ec) Program Specialist

Serves as a designee of the Ec Program Administrator in providing direct contact with schools and other service providers in the county to facilitate, monitor and support Child Find, initial referral, eligibility and the implementation of all services and supports required for students with disabilities.

Essential Functions:

• Base professional actions, recommendations and decisions on the most current edition of the NC Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities, in addition to local district protocols and Boe policies
• Understand, advocate for and promote/protect the rights of students with disabilities
• Guide practices and decisions on objective data in combination with the specific needs of the SWD
• Effectively collaborates and uses a problem solving approach with other school professionals, parents, and community agencies to assess needs and develop supports, services and programs for students with disabilities
• Processes and manages all initial referrals, initial eligibility and out of state transfer processes for students being referred to special education within the established timelines
• Provides direct support and training to school based staff on special education paperwork and use of the software management system
• Participates in internal audit and monitoring processes to ensure procedural compliance is being implemented at assigned schools
• Participates in educational planning conferences and department staffings
• Engages in a variety of forms of communication that is timely, positive, professional, and confident with a variety of stakeholders including: other staff members, administrators, parents, community/agency members, Exceptional Children's program staff, and state or federal agencies
• Assists with the planning and implementation of inservice activities for special education program compliance, eligibility, case management and leads groups of teachers through training sessions, as needed
• Acts as liaison between parents and school personnel for interpretation of district, state, and federal guidelines
• Communicates with building principals and staff through routine visits to schools to facilitate their leadership in providing programs serving students with disabilities
• Communicates with other central office staff to facilitate cooperative planning between regular and special education
• Conducts needs assessments and helps design growth plans for teachers
• Assists in compiling data analyses for decision making and prioritizing program goals
• Facilitates application of school law and local, state, and federal statutes pertaining to the education of special needs students
• Assists Ec department in gathering all required data, documentation and information required for district, state and federal special education reporting requirements within the established timelines
• Assists with disciplinary procedures for students in the Exceptional Children's program including collaboration in the manifestation determination review process, and disciplinary removals
• Attends, participates and assists with documentation of prior written notice during potentially contentious IEP team meetings
• Serves as LEA/Psu representative in IEP team meetings upon request of the district Ec Administrator
• Participates in required staff meetings including Ec Program Specialist Team meetings, Service Review, and Joint Staffing meetings
• Effectively organizes and prioritizes various job responsibilities and tasks in order to manage a busy workload
• Takes initiative to seek out research pertaining to the most effective programs and practice in the field of special education, including legal trends and policy
• Seeks out feedback on how to improve practice and grow professionally
• Wears correct attire for assigned duties
• Communicates w/appropriate staff regarding anticipated absences
• Consistently arrives at work on time
• Consistently works a minimum of 7.5 hours per day or until the required work tasks are complete
• Is consistently present at work on student days and required workdays
• Respects and protects confidentiality with respect to student information
• Consistently follows through with any plans outlined by the Ec support team, or directives given by the immediate supervisor and/or district leadership

Other Responsibilities:

Performs other work related duties as assigned

Minimum Training and Experience:

• Certification in Special Education, preferably with additional hours in special education law and or school administration
• Five or more years experience teaching exceptional children
• Certification in Mentor and Nces Training
• Strong interpersonal and conferencing skills

Minimum Standards Required to Perform Essential Job Functions:

Physical Requirements: Must be able to use a variety of equipment such as computers, copiers, and a variety of audiovisual equipment etc. Must be able to exert up to 20 pounds of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Light Work usually requires walking, standing and bending to a significant degree.

Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or composite characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.

Interpersonal Communication: Requires the ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes receiving instructions, assignments and/or directions from superiors.

Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, handbooks, forms, newsletters, journals, procedures, lists, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, simple reports, forms, instructional materials, etc., using prescribed format.

Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form; and to deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently standard English.

Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; multiply and divide; utilize decimals and percentages; and to apply the principles of descriptive statistics, statistical inference and statistical theory.

Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.

Motor Coordination: Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using office and audiovisual equipment.

Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items such as office and audiovisual equipment. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.

Interpersonal Temperament: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with emergency situations.

Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and hear: (Talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words. Hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear). Must be able to communicate via telephone.

Disclaimer:

This job description is designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within the classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees in this job. It is not a contract or guarantee of employment, salary or benefits.