Director of Special Populations

About the role

Position type: Full time, exempt, 12 Month Reporting & Collaboration Direct Manager: VP of Academics & Instruction Direct Reports: Assistant Manager of Special Education Supports: Manager of Special Education Special Education Coordinators ESOL Teachers Related Service Providers Paraprofessionals Additional Special Populations Team Members Key Collaborators: School Leaders Academic Team Student Services Team School Psychologists Operations Team Families and Community Partners Compliance and State Agencies Autonomy & Decision Making: The Director of Special Populations exercises significant independent judgment in the implementation, oversight, and continuous improvement of special populations programming across the network. This role independently leads compliance systems, staffing recommendations, programmatic improvements, instructional supports, and strategic planning aligned to organizational priorities and legal requirements. The Director is expected to proactively identify challenges, recommend solutions, and influence network-wide practices that improve outcomes for multilingual learners and students with disabilities. Inputs: What will I be doing in my day to day work? Program Leadership & Compliance Oversight: Lead the strategic design, implementation, and continuous improvement of special populations systems to ensure strong academic outcomes, equitable access, and high-quality service delivery for multilingual learners and students with disabilities across KIPP St. Louis. Ensure full compliance with IDEA, Section 504, Title III, Child Find, FAPE, LRE, and all federal, state, and local requirements related to special education and multilingual learner programming. Oversee the identification, evaluation, placement, accommodations, progress monitoring, and delivery of services to ensure students receive rigorous, standards-aligned instruction and appropriate supports in the least restrictive environment. Develop and monitor network-wide systems for MTSS alignment, intervention effectiveness, inclusion practices, and specialized instructional supports to improve student achievement and access to grade-level learning. Lead internal compliance audits, data reviews, and quality assurance processes to ensure timely completion of IEPs, evaluations, manifestation determinations, ACCESS testing, transition planning, and all required documentation. Serve as the LEA representative during IEP meetings, hearings, and compliance-related proceedings while proactively mitigating compliance risks and supporting strong family partnership practices. Monitor and strengthen student information systems, compliance platforms, and service tracking systems to ensure accurate reporting, documentation integrity, and data-driven decision making across schools. Instructional & Programmatic Excellence: Lead the development and execution of rigorous, inclusive instructional models that ensure multilingual learners and students with disabilities consistently access grade-level content, high-quality instruction, and meaningful intervention supports. Partner with school leaders, instructional leaders, and regional academic teams to strengthen Tier I instruction, MTSS implementation, intervention systems, and inclusive practices across all schools. Coach leaders and educators on differentiated instruction, specially designed instruction, accommodations, co-teaching, progress monitoring, and data-driven intervention planning to improve student outcomes. Develop systems to monitor the effectiveness of service delivery, intervention implementation, and instructional supports through walkthroughs, data analysis, student work review, and progress monitoring cycles. Analyze academic, behavioral, language acquisition, and intervention data to identify trends, gaps, and root causes, and lead responsive action planning to accelerate achievement for special populations. Ensure accommodations, modifications, and intervention supports maintain instructional rigor and align to grade-level standards, curriculum expectations, and organizational priorities. Strategic Leadership: Lead the development of network-wide inclusion and intervention models aligned to rigorous Tier I instruction. Ensure accommodations and modifications preserve grade-level rigor and access to core content. Partner with academic leaders to align curriculum, assessments, intervention systems, and progress monitoring practices for special populations. Develop systems for monitoring the effectiveness of specialized instruction through walkthroughs, data analysis, and coaching cycles. Support schools in implementing MTSS systems aligned to academic and behavioral intervention frameworks. Lead calibration around high-quality specially designed instruction and multilingual learner supports. Outcomes: What will I be evaluated on? Accountability & Outcomes for Students: Compliance with all federal, state, and local SPED/ELL requirements Increased

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