Education Program Senior Specialist

The Ohio State University • Columbus, OH

1d

About The Position

Placement and Licensure Education Program Specialist (EPS)will act as the primary outreach contact between P-12 districts/agencies and Ohio State to develop and nurture external school partnerships to ensure sufficient and high-quality field placement sites are secured for educator preparation students. The EPS must secure partnership agreements and oversee compliance for the Exchanges of Services (EOS) contract components, including managing and resolving issues with fee authorization earnings and usage for EOS contracts. The position works collaboratively with APL personnel to ensure accurate recording and calculation of relevant EOS data, including verifying queries on internal and external data sources, and will disseminate semi-annual reports to EOS districts providing data on earnings and use of fee waivers. Additionally, this role co-leads and coordinates semi-annual meetings with district partners and OSU program leads/managers to share placement/licensure data, pertinent changes in Ohio Revised or Administrative Code, and discuss continuous improvement efforts and initiatives. The EPS works collaboratively with APL personnel to manage P-12 placement across all campuses and applicable colleges while consulting with faculty and district coordinators to identify and facilitate placements. The role is responsible for communication with Program Leads and Faculty regarding P-12 placements as well as understanding, relaying, collaborating, taking actionable steps, reporting, and analyzing accreditation requirements in the areas of P-12 partnerships, placements, and licenses. The EPS will document essential functions and contribute to segments of accreditation reports related to P-12 partnerships, field placements, and licensing processes. The role is also responsible for the development and overseeing regular updates of student teaching and field placement handbooks and licensure application materials. The EPS will lead in the identification of policies and practices related to educator licensure, both in the state of Ohio, as well as outside of the state while serving as the primary liaison to faculty, staff, students, school districts, as well as state and national organizations that determine policies and procedures guiding teacher licensure. This includes being responsible to research changes in teacher licensure requirements and support the Office of Accreditation, Placement, and Licensure team in communicating these changes to the appropriate programs at OSU, including regional campuses. The EPS receives, sorts, and analyzes data to support teacher licensure clearance and obtains data from a variety of sources including OSU's Student Information System (SIS) and APL sources. This includes verifying eligibility of applicants for teacher licensure in Ohio and out of state, which includes completion of licensure exams, specific coursework, and other relevant information. Additionally, the role maintains records and data with accuracy and communicates with applicants regarding status and next steps. The EPS will provide staff support to Associate Director of APL for UTEC Appeals subcommittee (e.g. checks appeals submission against list of required appeals, maintains organization of data files and documentation repository) as well as participates as a team member of the APL, communicates with OIT regarding APL database needs, and assists in other projects as requested.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 4 years of relevant experience required.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree in relevant field may be desirable.
• 4-8 years of relevant experience preferred.
• Experienced professional with a strong background in office operations, data management, and handling confidential information.
• Demonstrates excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently or collaboratively, and maintain a high level of attention to detail.
• Skilled in developing communications for external audiences and providing exceptional customer service.
• Possesses in-depth knowledge of university policies, educator licensure, and accreditation standards, particularly within higher education and P-12 settings.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, complex Excel functions, databases, Qualtrics, Canvas, and Ohio State systems including SIS.
• Holds a Master’s degree in a related field and brings extensive experience working with diverse stakeholders across university and K–12 environments.
• Adaptable, proactive, and committed to continuous learning, especially in areas related to education accreditation.

Responsibilities

• Community and External Agency Outreach Primary liaison with K-12 school/district stakeholders including district central office leadership. Act as the primary outreach contact between P-12 districts/agencies and Ohio State to cultivate and sustain collaborative relationships. Secure effective field placement sites and mentors for observation/participation, practicums, internships, and student teaching required for Columbus campus educator preparation students across colleges. Communicate program requests and requirements that align with licensure requirements. Navigate placement coordination and troubleshoot sensitive student issues and irregularities as they arise with ongoing, clear communication and proposed solutions. This coordination requires collaboration with program/department designees as well as placement site representatives. Relay key details and documentation to partners and university leadership, if needed. Ensure established precedence is upheld for equitable practices. Lead and coordinate semi-annual meetings with district/school partners and Ohio State program designees to strengthen community relationships and provide information related to applicable state laws and requirements. Serve as the university’s liaison to school districts, faculty, students and state/national organizations on matters related to educator licensure and field placements including the Ohio Field Directors Forum with the Ohio Confederation of Teacher Education Organizations. Coordinate and communicate exchange of services (EOS) agreement parameters with partners including highlighting any changes in terms or related processes. Primary liaison to the State Board of Education concerning licensure processes and approval requirements Initiate communication with the state agencies concerning educator licensure questions, reviews, and/or processes to ensure timely and accurate submission of university recommendations for licensure. Maintains authority to e-sign pre-service permit applications in the Ohio State Board of Education CORE system.
• Compliance Accreditation and State Reporting Write and prepare evidence for accreditation reports regarding field placements and processes used to ensure licensure and accreditation standards/requirements are met. Analyze and interpret accreditation requirements (e.g. Ohio Revised Code, Ohio Administrative Code related to Ohio Department of Higher Education educator preparation program requirements, Ohio State Board of Education and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce requirements) to ensure alignment with placement and licensure practices. Consult with APL leadership on significant changes, if needed. Identify and monitor state and national licensure policies, ensuring timely communication of changes to relevant stakeholders. Point of contact for Ohio State’s NC-SARA annual reports. Field Placement Oversee unit-wide P-12 educator placement processes across programs/campuses, including ensuring compliance with state, university, and contractual compliance, communication with program leads regarding state law, best practices, logistics, and maintaining unit-wide and Columbus handbooks. Ensure mentor qualifications and field hour guidelines/practices are communicated and met for established programs. Rectify and resolve identified discrepancies. Manages and ensures compliance for affiliate exchange of services (EOS) contracts to ensure contracts are accurately executed. Oversee the recording, calculation, and reporting of affiliate EOS data and redemption in coordination with the University Bursar and Associate Director of APL. Educator Licensure and Preservice Permits Reviews and audits Ohio State Board of Education educator preservice permits and licenses applications by: Communicating, coordinating, and training program representatives in departments throughout the university to appropriately approve and document program requirements met/not met by completers. This process involves understanding historical progression of program changes and how they align to current laws. Utilizing and maintaining APL Application in coordination with APL team, sourcing data points from program designees, verifying Ohio mandated content completion and/or background checks, and processing licensure recommendations for all educator preparation programs at the university. Maintain access and document completion of state-mandated content and verify state assessment completion with accuracy and efficiency. Compile information for out-of-state licensure applications and attain APL Director signature via DocuSign. Maintain accurate licensure records and provide clear communication to programs and applicants regarding status and next steps.
• Supervision and Leadership · Supervise APL student workers o Coordinate and supervise a team of undergraduate Federal Work Study (FWS) student workers to support the APL office workload. This includes screening, hiring and onboarding them to the roles/responsibilities, managing their workload across cross-functional projects, tracking and approving hours in accordance with the Federal Work Study terms, and providing periodic feedback to students on their performance. There will be approximately 4 student workers per year. o Coordinate with the university’s FWS program representatives regarding professional development opportunities and management best practices by attending FWS sessions and being the APL point of contact. · Unit-Wide Committees o Serves as the Co-Chair to the University Teacher Education Council (UTEC) Mentor Educator Recruitment and Retention Subcommittee, which establishes volunteer mentor educator best practices, creates sustainable and actionable strategic plans for securing field placements. This work dovetails with compliance efforts to be in alignment with state, accreditation and contractual requirements for placements. This role advises the committee on accreditation alignment, such as mentor requirements, and assists in actuating educator preparation goals and initiatives, such as mentor educator appreciation and qualifications. o Serves as the APL liaison and administrator to the UTEC Student Teaching Appeals Subcommittee, which upholds accreditation and programmatic gates for educator preparation programs for the student teaching gate. This role directs the subcommittee and program representatives through the appeals process by documenting policies, goals, and advising the committee on accreditation alignment. It also ensures proper documentation is maintained for student clearance of this gate when deficiencies in requirements are identified to serve as actionable plans for student support on how to successfully complete their program and licensure requirements. Advises and supports the co-chairs on precedence to ensure fair and consistent implementation.
• Supports Associate Director and Director with other duties as assigned, as well as the APL team as requested.

Benefits

• Eligible Ohio State employees receive comprehensive benefits packages, including medical, dental and vision insurance, tuition assistance for employees and their dependents, and state or alternative retirement options with competitive employer contributions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees