Educational Specialist II - Low Incidence Supports

The Educational Specialist for Low Incidence Supports provides instructional leadership, coaching, and technical assistance to school-based staff serving students with disabilities in specialized Citywide Programs, including Program for Autistic Learners (PAL), Life Skills, PRIDE (Emotional Disability), Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH), and Vision programs. The Educational Specialist supports the implementation of evidence-based instructional practices, ensures compliance with special education requirements, and collaborates with school leaders, teachers, related service providers, and families to improve student outcomes and increase access to the least restrictive environment.

• Plans, coordinates, and implements instructional, behavioral, communication, adaptive, and social-emotional supports to assist teachers, para educators, related service providers, and school-based staff in effectively serving students with disabilities in Citywide Programs.
• Provides regular site-based support, coaching, consultation, technical assistance, and direct in-class modeling through classroom visits, observations, feedback, collaborative problem-solving, and follow-up coaching to improve instructional and behavioral outcomes for students with disabilities.
• Develops individualized support plans and provides ongoing coaching to ensure the implementation of evidence-based instructional practices, structured teaching methodologies, behavior supports, communication systems, classroom management strategies, and specially designed instruction aligned to student needs.
• Designs, facilitates, and evaluates professional learning opportunities for teachers, para educators, administrators, and related service providers related to special education programming, instructional practices, behavior intervention, communication supports, structured teaching, inclusion, compliance requirements, and specialized instructional methodologies.
• Develops, disseminates, and maintains guidance documents, resources, implementation tools, and technical assistance materials to ensure consistent application of federal and state regulations, district policies, special education procedures, and program requirements across schools.
• Collaborates with the Coordinator of Citywide Programs, central office staff, school teams, and IEP teams to support the development, implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of high-quality, standards-based IEPs and specially designed instruction that address academic, functional, behavioral, communication, and transition needs.
• Conducts classroom observations, instructional walkthroughs, program reviews, and site-based coaching visits to monitor implementation fidelity of specialized instructional models, provide actionable feedback, and support continuous improvement efforts.
• Reviews and analyzes student progress data, assessment results, IEP documentation, classroom performance measures, and program implementation data to support instructional decision‑making, monitor student outcomes, and improve program effectiveness.
• Consults with administrators, teachers, IEP teams, para educators, and related service providers regarding curriculum access, accommodations, modifications, behavior intervention planning, inclusive practices, transition planning, assistive technology, and appropriate supports for students with disabilities.
• Provides expertise in curriculum, assessment, alternate achievement standards, communication systems, assistive technology, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), visual supports, and instructional strategies to increase student access, participation, independence, and achievement for students pursuing certificate or diploma pathways.
• Supports schools in implementing evidence-based practices and specialized programming for students with autism, intellectual disabilities, emotional disabilities, deaf/hard of hearing needs, vision impairments, and other low-incidence disabilities while promoting meaningful participation in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).
• Serves as a liaison among schools, families, community agencies, the Nonpublic Schools Office,…