Special Education Specialist

The Special Populations Specialist serves as a critical support to special populations faculty and school leaders, providing guidance in the areas of compliance, curriculum, and instruction. This role collaborates closely with instructional staff, regional curriculum teams, and school-based personnel to ensure the delivery of high-quality, individualized educational programs for students with diverse learning needs. By supporting effective teaching practices, ensuring adherence to legal and instructional standards, and ensuring compliance with IDEA and Texas State Education Law & Regulations, Section 504 Law & Regulations,  the Special Populations Specialist helps advance the mission of KIPP Texas Public Schools—ensuring that every student has the tools and supportive environment necessary to thrive.

The Special Populations Specialist is responsible for delivering ongoing, campus-based instructional modeling and compliance training for teachers and instructional assistants who implement Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students receiving special education services and 504. This role supports the development of high-quality, inclusive instruction and ensures fidelity to both instructional best practices and legal requirements. In partnership with Senior Directors of Special Populations, the Specialist provides direct support to campuses and collaborates with regional teams to promote consistency and quality across the network. Serving as a mentor and key point of contact, the Specialist builds teacher capacity and fosters a strong culture of collaboration, equity, and accountability in service of students with diverse learning needs.

General Role Description

• Strategy: Support the strategic vision to ensure that KTX school and regional teams implement the Special Education Strategic Plan and provide comprehensive improvement of school performance using a collaborative approach to clear and specific performance targets aligned to the Special Education Strategic Plan and execute, monitor, edit  strategic plans, annual goals and quarterly benchmarking for departmental improvement.

• Communication: Assists the Senior Director of special populations in ensuring KTX special populations teams are provided excellent communication, customer service and well-coordinated support. 

• Legal Framework & Compliance: Possess experience and knowledge of IDEA and Texas State Education Law & Regulations, Section 504 Law & Regulations  and understanding of the essential elements of high performing MTSS  systems and structures.. 

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Coaching and Support:

• Provide coaching to school-based special education managers and other staff that support special populations students across all grade bands, including self-contained classrooms on MTSS, 504, and Special Education.

• Provide support for special population compliance across the organization. 

• Identify schools and teachers in need of more hands-on support and offer planning time and office hours for targeted assistance.

• Distill KTX instructional priorities into actionable steps for school-based staff and teachers to drive the work forward.

• Deliver and record model lessons to demonstrate effective instructional strategies and provide feedback.

2. Data Analysis and Improvement:

• Analyze school data including MTSS, 504, and ARD compliance to inform school based support and assistance.

• Analyze student data, including iready, IA, STAAR, and STEP assessments etc, to inform instructional decisions and interventions.

• Recognize patterns in student performance data and make recommendations for professional development and instructional improvements.

• Use data to identify and support the academic needs of special populations students.

• Monitor ARD paperwork completed by campus personnel, including supplements with accompanying data collected by campus staff (i.e., all IEPs, BIPs, Transition, Transportation etc.)

3. Stakeholder Engagement:

• Cultivate the trust of all key stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and administrators, to support student success.

• Maintain productive working relationships with other internal departments and lead troubleshooting efforts when issues arise with special populations.

• Serve as the Special Populations team Liaison, ensuring effective communication and collaboration between teams.

4. Professional Development:

• Co-facilitate professional development sessions focused on instructional strategies, compliance and best practices for special populations.

• Support/provide monthly PD, newsletter input, communication, to provide ongoing coaching and guidance to the school-based staff.

• Develop and deliver training on organization structures, processes, and procedures necessary to support effective MTSS systems.

• Collaborate with the Senior Director and school staff to resolve TEA complaints.

5. Compliance and Documentation:

• Ensure that IEPs, other special education documentation, and 504 plans are compliant with federal, state, and district regulations.

• Participate in IEP meetings, parent-teacher conferences, and other relevant meetings to discuss student progress.

6. Other Duties:

   Perform all other tasks and duties as assigned by the Senior Director of Special Populations