Definition
Provides regional leadership and engagement to improve educational results and functional outcomes for children with disabilities and their families, and ensures that the relevant Area Education Agencies (AEA), local educational agencies (LEAs), and early intervention service (EIS) programs and providers meet the requirements under all relevant federal and state law, regulations, and guidance; performs related work as required.
Work Examples
Supervises and evaluates the work of subordinates; recommends personnel actions related to selection, disciplinary procedures, performance, leaves, grievances, work schedules, and assignments; administers personnel policies and procedures.
Provides direct oversight consistent with OSEP guidance, including the Iowa Department of Education’s relevant duties under federal IDEA law to inform on special education requirements and evidence-based best practices; directs the accuracy and fidelity of implementation across the AEA and all system providers.
Directs the prevention of noncompliant practices or those that are inconsistent with evidence-based best practices, inspects and detects such practices through ongoing data and on-site observation monitoring of AEA and all system providers, and ensures the correction of noncompliant practices or those that are inconsistent with evidence-based best practice for all system providers.
Reviews and approves long-term goals set by the AEA, LEAs, and EIS providers; reviews, approves, and submits all AEA and LEA IDEA applications; ensures continuous evaluation of progress towards goals.
Oversees and approves the policies, procedures, and practices of AEA, LEAs and EIS providers to ensure each child with a disability in the region receives a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment prioritizing academic, physical, and social inclusion.
Ensures integrated systems of special education evaluation and appropriate identification (Child Find), IEP team formation and function, IEP development and implementation with fidelity, special education services and supports, high-quality specially designed instruction, and postsecondary transitions, including through the approval, provision, and quality assurance of evidence-based professional learning addressing needs identified through data analysis.
Ensures the appropriate use of special education finances and compliant and timely reporting; assigns appropriate weights for each child requiring special education programs or services in coordination with the AEA; provides each school district within the region with a certified special education weighted enrollment count in coordination with the AEA and the Department of Management.
Competencies Required
- Education and Training – Principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Administration and Management – Business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Personnel and Human Resources – Principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
- Customer Service – Principles and processes for providing customer services, including customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluating customer satisfaction.
- Law and Government – Laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
- English Language – The structure and content of the English language, including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Written Comprehension – Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression – Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Speech Clarity – Speak clearly so others can understand.
Speech Recognition – Identify and understand the speech of another person.
Deductive Reasoning – Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning – Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions.
Oral Expression – Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Oral Comprehension – Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Problem Sensitivity – Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Judgment and Decision Making – Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Active Listening – Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking – Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Speaking – Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Coordination – Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Management of Personnel Resources – Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Social Perceptiveness – Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Negotiation – Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Monitoring – Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Complex Problem Solving – Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university, and experience equal to six years of full-time, professional-level work in special education, program administration, development, management, or operations.
A combination of a total of ten years of education and full-time experience (as described in number one), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university course work may substitute for one year of full-time experience.
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master’s degree in special education, therapy (physical, occupational, speech/language, or other education-related area), social work, law, education, or public or business administration, and experience equal to four years of full-time, professional-level work in special education, program administration, development, management, or operations.