Lipscomb Academy - Director of Academic Support

Director Of Academic Support

The director of academic support provides leadership and day-to-day management of a comprehensive academic support program serving students in the lower, middle, and high school divisions. This individual leads a team that includes student success coordinators, reading and math interventionists, testing center coordinators, and tutors. The role demands a collaborative and student-centered leader who can cultivate strong partnerships among faculty, students, and families to ensure that students are supported and positioned for success.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the Academic Support program across Lower, Middle, and High School divisions
• Lead program and initiate new programs and improvement efforts for each school year
• Facilitate bi-weekly team meetings with student success coordinators, interventionists, and tutoring staff to review student concerns, share updates, align on priorities, and ensure coordinated delivery of services across all divisions
• Lead weekly At-Risk meetings for middle and high school
• Develop and implement professional development opportunities for staff, including training for teachers on high-stakes testing protocols and accommodation procedures
• Represent the Academic Support program in academic and strategic planning meetings

Section 504 Coordination & Compliance

• Serve as the school's designated representative overseeing 504 eligibility determinations, annual reviews, and reevaluations in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act across all divisions.
• Supervise Student Success Coordinators in the facilitation of initial eligibility meetings, annual reviews, and reevaluations, ensuring procedural integrity and consistency across all divisions
• Ensure documentation expiration timelines are being monitored and that families are receiving proactive communication at least three months in advance of expiring evaluations
• Oversee the accurate and timely maintenance of finalized 504 plans
• Ensure teacher accommodation references and documentation quick guides are kept current and accessible to staff following each 504 meeting
• Provide guidance and support to Student Success Coordinators attending Solly School ILP/504 meetings, ensuring compliance standards are met

Psychoeducational Evaluation & Eligibility Review

• Read and interpret recommendations from psychoeducational evaluations, psychological assessments, and medical reports to determine 504 eligibility and minor adjustments
• Maintain working knowledge of current assessment instruments and their relevance to eligibility determinations
• Guide Student Success Coordinators in understanding and applying evaluation data when facilitating eligibility meetings and drafting 504 plans

Confidentiality, Ethics & Legal Compliance

• Maintain strict confidentiality of all student records and educational information in full compliance with FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and applicable state privacy regulations
• Ensure all Academic Support team members are trained on and adhere to FERPA requirements, confidentiality protocols, and appropriate information-sharing boundaries with faculty, staff, and outside providers
• Apply ethical decision-making frameworks when navigating sensitive student situations and and competing stakeholder interests
• Model and uphold professional ethical standards consistent with the school's mission and applicable professional codes of conduct
• Ensure secure storage, access controls, and proper retention and disposal of confidential student documentation across the program

Student Success Coordinator Oversight

• Supervise Student Success Coordinators across all divisions, ensuring consistent, high-quality support is being delivered to students on their caseloads
• Monitor the effectiveness of student check-ins, intervention, and progress documentation
• Review student progress data regularly to identify needs and make programmatic adjustments
• Ensure cross-functional collaboration between Student success coordinators among counselors, teachers, and outside providers is occurring systematically and effectively
• Oversee transition support processes for students moving between divisions, including incoming admissions reviews and senior college accommodation planning

Testing Center Oversight

• Support the Testing Center Coordinator, providing guidance on operations, staffing, and administration of standardized and classroom-based testing
• Assist in the administration of key assessments, including iReady, MAP, Milestones, ERBs, ACT, PSAT, and AP exams
• Review and approve testing accommodation schedules for mid-term and final exams, ensuring alignment with athletics and other school calendars
• Support AP exam proctoring and assist with coordinating exam schedules and student folders

Tutoring Program Oversight

• Provide leadership and direction over the school's tutoring program, ensuring it operates in alignment with the broader Academic Support program goals and student needs.
• Supervise tutors setting expectations for scheduling, family communication, accountability, and program quality
• Review program data and tutor caseloads to ensure students are receiving appropriate and consistent support
• Ensure tutoring services are integrated with 504 plans, intervention strategies, and recommendations from Student Success Coordinators
• Evaluate the overall effectiveness of the tutoring program and make recommendations for staffing, structure, or process improvements as needed

Reading & Math Interventionist Oversight

• Supervise reading and math interventionists across divisions, setting clear expectations for caseload management, progress monitoring, and documentation of student outcomes
• Review interventionist data and student progress to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention delivery and make adjustments to student groupings, frequency, or approach as needed
• Ensure interventionists are collaborating with Student Success Coordinators, classroom teachers, and outside providers to align intervention strategies with 504 plans and broader academic support goals

Admissions & Transition Support

• Review lower, middle, and high school admissions files to ensure incoming students with identified needs are appropriately supported and connected with academic support services
• Attend grade-level promotion meetings and rising-grade transition meetings for middle and high school students.
• Support the coordination of transition orientations and preview day experiences for students entering new divisions, ensuring 504 plans and support needs are communicated to receiving teams
• Evaluate course scheduling recommendations for students with 504 plans, ensuring alignment between student needs and academic programming
• Make recommendations for students for summer programs; oversee the summer communication process, including recommendations for summer programs and outreach to families with expiring documentation

Data, Reporting & Communication

• Oversee the collection and analysis of student progress data across the Academic Support program, including grades, teacher feedback, intervention outcomes, and testing center usage
• Ensure student meetings, progress notes, action plans, and barriers are being documented consistently and accurately by all members of the academic support team.
• Serve as the primary point of escalation for complex or sensitive parent and teacher concerns related to accommodations and academic support services

Other Duties As Assigned

Qualifications

Required

• Master's degree in Education, Special Education, School Psychology, Psychology, or a related field; Doctoral degree preferred
• Minimum 5 years of experience in academic support, special education, or a related student services role
• Thorough ability to read and interpret psychoeducational, psychological and medical evaluations
• Strong working knowledge of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, including eligibility determination, plan development, and compliance obligations
• Demonstrated experience managing or supervising a team of education professionals
• Exceptional organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to collaborate effectively across academic, counseling, athletic, and administrative departments

Preferred

• Experience in a PreK-12 independent or private school setting.
• Familiarity with standardized testing coordination (AP, ACT, PSAT, ERB, iReady, MAP) and accommodation request processes.
• Experience with diagnostic assessment and academic intervention frameworks (e.g., Wilson Reading System, IXL).
• Proficiency with school information systems (e.g., FACTS, Schoology).