Primary Purpose:

The Coordinator of Special Education Evaluation Services provides leadership and oversight for the student referral and evaluation process. The Coordinator monitors timeline compliance under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), coordinates assessment logistics, and reviews evaluation data for accuracy and compliance. This role serves as a key liaison between evaluation personnel, general and special educators, administration, and families.

Education / Certification:

1. Experience as a school psychologist, diagnostician, speech language pathologist or similarly credentialed evaluation professional
2. Master’s degree from an accredited college or university.
3. Valid Texas certificate or licensure as an Licensed Specialist in School Psychology
4. Valid Texas Mid-management or other appropriate Texas certificate and / or experience as a coordinator preferred.

Special Knowledge / Skills:

1. Knowledge of federal and state special education law
2. Understanding of the individual needs of special needs students
3. Ability to communicate with all levels of special needs students and their parents
4. Ability to implement policy and procedures
5. Ability to interpret data
6. Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills

Experience / Other Requirements:

1. Three years of experience in special education.
2. Licensed Specialist in School Psychology experience.

Major Responsibilities and Duties:

Program Planning Development

1. Manage all initial and triennial evaluation referral workflows. Plans and designs assessment activities to identify the needs of students with disabilities age 0-22.
2. Monitor and enforce state and federal evaluation timelines.
3. Assign and coordinate evaluation cases among school psychologists, speech therapists, and diagnosticians.
4. Review evaluation reports for clinical accuracy and legal compliance before distribution.
5. Assists campus administration, appraisal staff, and case managers in the relationship between disabilities, eligibility, curriculum, instruction, and state assessment.
6. Evaluates total program outcomes and assists in updating special education goals and objectives based on students’ needs.
7. Coordinates assessment services in order to identify students who are eligible and in need of special education services.
8. Serves as coordinator for assessment and provision of related services to all students eligible for one or more of these services.
9. Designates assignments of appraisal staff, including the Licensed Specialists in School Psychology (LSSPs), Educational Diagnosticians, LSSP trainees, interns or practicum students from local universities.
10. Provides/arranges for the appropriate supervision of trainees, interns and practicum students as required by state law.
11. Meets regularly with assessment staff to streamline assessment processes across the district, as well as to evaluate needs for professional development and specific materials (technology, protocols, test kits, etc.).
12. Maintains an assessment caseload of varied age levels.
13. Works with assessment staff to coordinate coverage of assessment caseloads, including assistance with assessments when needed.
14. Coordinates annual home school/private school meeting, evaluations, and Individual Service Plan (ISP) services.
15. Coordinates Independent Educational Evaluations (IEE).

Organization, Implementation and Evaluation of the Instructional Program

1. Serves as consultant in the identification, evaluation, selection, and application of appropriate activities and materials to be used in implementing special education programs.
2. Assists the teacher, the appraisal staff, and the school administration in criterion referenced testing, educational observation, and diagnosis of a student’s instructional needs.
3. Serves on the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee upon request.
4. Promotes the use of technology to improve the assessment and instructional process.
5. Assists the director of special education in the development of the overall staffing plan for special education.
6. Assists in the development of the district’s operating guidelines consistent with policies established by federal law, state law, and local board policy.
7. Provides technical assistance in the areas of selection of appropriate assessment instruments, administration and interpretation of assessments.

Staff Development

1. Assists in the determination of staff development needs with a focus on student success.
2. Plans, supervises and conducts professional development for staff providing services to students with disabilities.
3. Assists in orientation of new staff members by providing information and technical demonstration to ensure success and efficiency.
4. Takes a lead role, in conjunction with other special education personnel, in staff development for administrators, counselors, and regular education teachers regarding laws, changes, effective intervention strategies, and any other important characteristics of the special education program.
5. Attends appropriate professional meetings and workshops to facilitate program improvement in the area of assessment and provision of special education services.
6. Provides staff development in best practices in assessments and training in test standardization, ethical practices, and test interpretation.

School and Community Relations

1. Available to address questions and concerns of community members to facilitate their understanding and support of programs for students with disabilities.
2. Demonstrates an awareness of district/community needs and initiates activities to meet those needs.
3. Performs additional duties as required.
4. Responsible for properly maintaining district records, adhering to all policies set forth by the district for records maintenance and learning the records retention schedule for department records.
5. Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Supervise and evaluate the performance of appraisal staff.

Working Conditions:

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.

1. Maintains emotional control under stress.
2. Mental concentration, ability to multi-task, work with frequent deadlines.
3. Frequent district-wide and state-wide travel.
4. Occasional prolonged and irregular hours.
5. Moderate walking, lifting, and carrying.
6. Prolonged standing.
7. Potential exposure to Blood borne Pathogens.