Special Education Coordinator and Assessment Specialist (State Teacher II) - Spring Creek

State of Colorado•Colorado Springs, CO

13d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is responsible for delivering comprehensive educational services to adjudicated youth within a structured, supportive, and secure learning environment. The unit promotes high academic standards; the development of critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and other 21st-century competencies; vocational and workforce readiness; and individual accountability for learning. Educational services include the provision and oversight of special education, general education, career and technical education, and post-secondary programming to ensure alignment with state standards and individualized student needs. The work unit provides professional consultation, guidance, and technical assistance to community-based programs and Division of Youth Services (DYS) facilities serving DYS youth. It establishes, coordinates, and sustains collaborative partnerships with internal and external stakeholders responsible for delivering, supplementing, evaluating, or monitoring educational services to ensure quality, compliance, and continuous improvement to support youth academic growth. The Special Education Coordinator and Assessment Specialist provides special education coordination and leadership, DYS assessment services, and special education instruction and ensures the provision of a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to youth with disabilities in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Colorado Exceptional Children’s Educational Act (ECEA), and Department of Youth Services (DYS) education policies and practices. This position is responsible for developing and maintaining Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and special education continuum of services; communicating student data to stakeholders; and serving as the liaison between the school and other work units as well as DYS Special Education District Office. The Special Education Building Coordinator and Assessment Specialist provides leadership in planning, implementing, and coordinating special education programming in alignment with district, state, and Federal regulations. This role supports special education teachers and paraprofessionals in implementing the full special education processes and continuum of services, while also executing and supporting progress monitoring, education planning and classroom behavioral support processes, transitional planning, and all required documentation. Collaborates with parents, administrators, social workers, and related service providers to ensure appropriate services for eligible youth and assists with design and implementation of intervention courses and content and provides a holistic review of academic, behavioral, functional, and transition needs of committed youth. The role serves as an assessment specialist and administer achievement, vocational, transitional, adaptive, and behavioral assessments to committed youth, analyzing and interpreting results and preparing the written reports with educational recommendations. Uses required student information systems to document required information and serves as the education representative on the multidisciplinary assessment team (MDT) after a comprehensive and in depth review of IEP needs, student placement records, school related data, and out of district IEPs and 504s. Reviews all the relevant data and student progress in accordance with federal Child Find requirements and CDE identification processes for all committed youth entering the facility and ensures education participation in the broader facility assessment process, student review processes, and progress monitoring. Classroom planning and instruction is created that aligns with DYS educational model and IEP and 504 outcomes.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in a field of study related to the work assignment.
Two (2) years of professional experience in an occupational field related to the work assigned to the position preferably in special education teaching and/or administrative experience.
Current, valid Professional Teacher license issued by the Colorado Department of Education with an endorsement in Special Education.
Must be 21 years old or older
Full Background: CBI name check and fingerprint check, ICON Colorado court database, Medicare fraud database, Reference Checks, Professional License verification (licensure requirements), Drug Screen, PREA (Division of Youth Services), Trails check (direct contact with children)
This position requires State of Colorado residency at the time of application (unless otherwise identified in the posting), and residency within the state throughout the duration of employment in this position.
Must possess a valid, non-restricted Colorado Driver’s License
Must travel to training and events in Denver area and other state facilities.
Able to pass Escape and Evade training.
Continued employment is contingent upon successful completion of the DYS Pre-service Training Academy and mandatory annual training in all subject areas.

Nice To Haves

Dual endorsements or documentation or ability to be endorsed in multiple content areas.
Licensure aligned to position.
Experience with special needs populations: youth with IEPs, 504s, Multilingual backgrounds
Experience working with at-risk or adjudicated youth
Proficient use of data to inform instructional practices
Leadership roles and experience
Secondary school experience
Trauma-Informed practices and knowledge as it applies to at risk populations and classroom instruction
Experience with differentiated instruction; developing lessons/curriculum and providing differentiated instruction
Project-based learning experience
Previous State Experience

Responsibilities

Provide oversight, coordination, and implementation of special education programming, compliance, and Child Find processes in alignment with federal and state law, DYS policy, IDEA and related Federal laws, DYS education QAYS expectations and aligned to instructional and special education district outcomes.
Ensure the integrity, implementation, and monitoring of all special education systems within the school and take responsibility for writing and reviewing IEPs, creating transitional plans, supporting special education and 504 students, and monitoring intervention and support content.
Lead Legal Compliance & Systems Oversight
Provide IEP Leadership
Coordinate Child Find & Assessment Processes
Provide Communication, Instruction, & Collaboration
Assist in the safety and security of the school and facility by supervising residents, tools, and materials effectively and providing immediate assistance as necessary within the facility.
Consistently know and follow policy and procedures of DYS, the education program, and the overall facility as well as safety procedures for classrooms and youth.
Adhere to the trauma-informed culture and expectations within the classroom and as a professional colleague.
Know and use Motivational Interviewing, PBIS, and Sanctuary Model to include small group processes and Restorative Justice language and frameworks.
Follow expectations for behavior responses and Incident Reports.
Adhere to Code of Conduct, the use of appropriate boundaries, and professional norms of behavior for the workplace.
Follow leave policy and procedures.
Serve as substitute teacher as needed using emergency plans and/or created plans to assist with education programming.
Collaborate to create a positive culture and climate with adherence to and enforcement of workplace policies, Code of Conduct expectations, professional boundaries, sanctuary norms, and standards of professional behavior.
Support classrooms during instruction.
Other Duties As Assigned

Benefits

Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including a PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan plus 401(k) and 457 plans
Medical and dental health plans
Employer supplemented Health Savings Account
Paid life insurance
Short- and long-term disability coverage
11 paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave
State of Colorado Employee BenefitHub Resource Center
Employee Wellness program
Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible schedules, training and more
Remote work arrangements for eligible positions
Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program