Director of Special Education & Student Services
Listed on 2026-09-02
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Education / Teaching
Education Administration, Professional Development -
Management
Education Administration, Professional Development
Director of Special Education & Student Services
The Director of Special Education & Student Services provides district wide leadership for the design, implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of services for students with disabilities. The primary responsibility of this position is Special Education, with secondary leadership responsibilities for district wide student services, including Section 504, nursing services, mental health supports, and social-emotional learning (SEL).
The Director is expected to spend significant time alongside school leaders, special education teachers, related service providers, paraprofessionals, and other school-based staff to strengthen instructional practice and improve outcomes for students with disabilities.
While ensuring full compliance with federal and state special education requirements is an essential responsibility of the position, the Director is responsible for ensuring that legally compliant systems translate into high-quality instruction, effective interventions, meaningful access to grade-level learning, and measurable student growth.
The Director will create a culture in which adults regularly examine student work, analyze student progress, identify instructional gaps, adjust practice, and take collective responsibility for accelerating outcomes for students with disabilities.
Leadership responsibilities include:
- Instructional Leadership & Coaching
- Professional Learning Communities & Data-Driven Improvement
- Professional Development
- Student Achievement & Closing Gaps
- Special Education Program Leadership
- Special Education Compliance & Legal Responsibilities
- School Leader Partnership
- Section 504
- Mental Health & Social-Emotional Learning
- Nursing & Student Health Services
- Family Partnership & Advocacy
- Supervision & Talent Development
Leadership expectations include:
- Instructional Leadership
- Coaching Mindset
- High Expectations
- Strategic Thinking
- Data-Driven Decision Making
- Initiative
- Collaboration
- Courageous Leadership
- Service Orientation
- Continuous Improvement
Indicators of success include:
- Students with disabilities demonstrate increased academic achievement and growth.
- Achievement gaps between students with disabilities and their peers decrease.
- Students make measurable progress toward IEP goals.
- Special education teachers demonstrate stronger instructional practice.
- Principals report increased capacity to lead and supervise special education programming.
- PLCs consistently use student work and data to change instructional practice.
- Professional development results in observable changes in classrooms.
- Students have increased access to rigorous Tier 1 instruction and inclusive learning environments.
- Special education staffing and resources are aligned to student needs.
- IEPs and evaluations are timely, accurate, meaningful, and implemented with fidelity.
- Families experience consistent, collaborative, and responsive support.
- Section 504, nursing, mental health, and SEL systems are coherent and effectively integrated with school-based supports.
- District systems identify problems early and intervene before they become compliance concerns or significant student-support issues.
Minimum qualifications include:
- Current Colorado Special Education Director license or eligibility to obtain the license prior to the start of employment.
- Master's degree in Special Education, Educational Leadership, School Administration, or a closely related field.
- Appropriate Colorado licensure or eligibility for licensure for the position.
- Significant successful experience in special education.
- Demonstrated experience coaching teachers and/or school leaders.
- Demonstrated knowledge of effective instruction for students with disabilities.
- Strong knowledge of IDEA, special education evaluation and eligibility, IEP development and implementation, least restrictive environment, procedural safeguards, and related state requirements.
- Experience analyzing student achievement and progress-monitoring data.
- Demonstrated ability to design and facilitate high-quality professional development.
- Demonstrated ability to lead collaborative teams and PLCs.
- Strong written, verbal, facilitation, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Dem…
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