Senior Director of Academic Programs

ESC Region 11•Grand Prairie, TX

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director of Academic Programs provides district leadership for academic programs and student support services that expand student opportunities, address learning needs, and support successful pathways from early learning through graduation. The position oversees the planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of assigned programs, including Career and Technical Education, P-TECH, Fine Arts, Physical Education, bilingual program development, Special Education, Counseling Services, and the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). Reporting to the Chief Academic Officer, the Senior Director ensures that assigned programs have clear goals, consistent implementation expectations, appropriate resources, and measurable outcomes. This leader works closely with Teaching and Learning, School Leadership, program directors, and Accountability, Assessment, and Academic Systems to align academic instruction and student services with district priorities.

Requirements

Master’s degree in educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, educational administration, Special Education, or a related field.
At least five years of progressively responsible experience in education, including leadership of academic programs, student support services, district initiatives, or campus improvement efforts.
Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, and evaluating programs across multiple teams or campuses.
Experience supervising staff and managing projects, budgets, or external partnerships.
Working knowledge of bilingual education, Special Education, Counseling Services, and MTSS.
Demonstrated ability to use data to evaluate program implementation, service quality, and student outcomes.
Strong communication, organizational, and collaborative leadership skills.
Knowledge of academic program design, implementation, and evaluation.
Understanding of differentiated instruction, tiered intervention, and coordinated student support services.
Ability to connect district strategy to practical campus implementation.
Ability to manage a diverse program portfolio and establish clear priorities.
Skill in developing partnerships that expand student learning opportunities and access to services.
Ability to assess staffing, scheduling, facility, and resource needs.
Ability to interpret program data and communicate findings clearly.
Ability to lead through both direct supervision and cross-department collaboration.
Ability to handle confidential student information appropriately.
Commitment to equitable access to high-quality instruction, programs, and services.

Nice To Haves

District-level leadership experience overseeing multiple academic programs or student support services.
Experience leading improvement efforts involving Special Education, MTSS, bilingual education, or Counseling Services.
Experience with CTE, P-TECH, postsecondary partnerships, or college and career pathways.
Experience managing grants and multiyear implementation plans.
Texas principal or other relevant administrative certification.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement a coordinated strategy for assigned academic programs and student support services.
Establish multiyear implementation plans identifying goals, milestones, staffing needs, resources, and measures of success.
Define program expectations and provide campuses with clear implementation guidance.
Review program quality, participation, access, service delivery, and outcomes to identify improvement needs.
Recommend program expansion, redesign, or discontinuation based on evidence, student needs, feasibility, and district priorities.
Coordinate program calendars and deliverables across campuses and departments.
Provide the Chief Academic Officer with regular updates, recommendations, and early identification of implementation concerns.
Provide strategic oversight of Career and Technical Education and P-TECH in collaboration with the Director of CTE, Electives, and P-TECH and other assigned staff.
Support coherent pathways connecting middle school exploration, high school coursework, postsecondary education, and career opportunities.
Guide planning for programs of study, industry-based credentials, work-based learning, and dual-credit opportunities.
Partner with campus leaders to ensure course offerings, staffing, facilities, equipment, and schedules support program goals.
Strengthen partnerships with institutions of higher education, employers, and community organizations.
Monitor student recruitment, enrollment, persistence, completion, and access to pathway opportunities.
Coordinate with Accountability, Assessment, and Academic Systems to monitor college, career, and military readiness outcomes and validate supporting program evidence.
Oversee planning for new pathways and ensure implementation readiness before launch.
Establish district expectations for coherent, high-quality Fine Arts and Physical Education programs.
Collaborate with program and campus leaders to support curriculum implementation, appropriate instructional time, staffing, and access to required materials.
Promote sequential learning opportunities that develop student skills across grade levels.
Coordinate professional learning and collaboration among Fine Arts and Physical Education educators.
Support student performances, exhibitions, wellness activities, and other experiences aligned with instructional goals.
Review program participation and access across campuses and recommend improvements.
Coordinate planning for specialized spaces, equipment, and materials with appropriate district departments.
Lead strategic planning for bilingual program development, expansion, and quality in partnership with the Director of Multilingual Programs and designated program staff.
Develop and monitor a multiyear plan addressing program models, campus readiness, grade-level expansion, staffing, instructional resources, and family engagement.
Collaborate with Multilingual Programs and Teaching and Learning to establish expectations for language development, biliteracy, and access to grade-level academic content.
Support recruitment and development of educators with the language proficiency and instructional expertise needed for effective bilingual instruction.
Coordinate with campus leaders to ensure schedules, staffing, and resources support district bilingual program models, including Dual Language where offered.
Monitor enrollment, student retention, language development, academic progress, and consistency of implementation.
Partner with Multilingual Programs on family communication, program access, and implementation of applicable program requirements.
Provide strategic leadership for Special Education program improvement in collaboration with the Director of Special Education and designated staff.
Develop and monitor improvement plans addressing instructional quality, service delivery, staffing, professional learning, and student outcomes.
Partner with Teaching and Learning and School Leadership to strengthen access to grade-level curriculum, specially designed instruction, and appropriate instructional supports.
Monitor program-level evidence of service delivery, student progress, and implementation concerns, and coordinate timely corrective action with responsible leaders.
Support effective collaboration among general education teachers, special education staff, related service providers, and campus administrators.
Coordinate planning for staffing, specialized resources, and service delivery models responsive to student needs.
Partner with the Special Education Director to monitor compliance indicators and resolve systemic concerns while maintaining clear ownership of individual student processes.
Strengthen family communication and coordination across departments to support consistent, responsive services.
Provide strategic oversight of district Counseling Services in collaboration with the Director of MTSS and Counseling and designated staff.
Support a comprehensive counseling program addressing students’ academic, social-emotional, and college and career development.
Establish consistent expectations for counseling program implementation, campus support, referral processes, and service monitoring.
Coordinate with campus leaders to align counseling services with student needs, including attendance, engagement, transitions, and barriers to learning.
Support clear procedures for escalating urgent student concerns and coordinating with designated district personnel and external service providers.
Monitor access to counseling services, implementation of program priorities, and evidence of effectiveness while protecting student confidentiality.
Support professional learning, collaboration, and appropriate resource allocation for counseling staff.
Lead district alignment of MTSS in partnership with the Director of MTSS and Counseling, Teaching and Learning, School Leadership, and other program leaders.
Establish consistent expectations for universal screening, identification of student needs, tiered intervention, progress monitoring, and team decision-making.
Ensure academic, behavioral, and social-emotional supports are coordinated within a coherent district framework.
Partner with content leaders to align interventions with core instruction, identified skill gaps, and district-approved resources.
Monitor intervention implementation, student response, and the quality of campus problem-solving processes.
Establish clear documentation and review routines that help teams determine when to continue, adjust, intensify, or reduce support.
Coordinate across MTSS, Special Education, Multilingual Programs, and Counseling Services to address overlapping student needs and support timely referrals when appropriate.
Identify staffing, scheduling, training, and resource barriers that affect campus intervention delivery and coordinate solutions.
Establish program scorecards with clear implementation milestones, service measures, and student outcome indicators.
Partner with Accountability, Assessment, and Academic Systems to obtain accurate data and evaluate program effectiveness.
Conduct regular program reviews using campus evidence, participation and service data, student outcomes, and stakeholder feedback.
Distinguish implementation concerns from program-design concerns and recommend appropriate responses.
Identify gaps in student access and work with district and campus leaders to address barriers.
Prepare concise reports and presentations for executive leadership and the Board of Directors.
Use evaluation findings to inform program planning, resource allocation, and recommendations.
Supervise, coach, and evaluate assigned program leaders and staff.
Establish clear responsibilities, deliverables, communication routines, and performance expectations.
Coordinate across departments to resolve implementation issues and reduce duplicated work.
Develop and monitor assigned budgets in collaboration with Finance and program leaders.
Coordinate applicable grants, agreements, and reporting responsibilities with designated district owners.
Monitor vendor and partner performance against established deliverables.
Collaborate with Human Resources on program staffing needs and recruitment priorities.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Chief Academic Officer.