Director of Special Education Compliance and Alternative Services, Office of Special Education

POSITION:
Director of Special Education Compliance and Alternative Services, Office of Special Education Services

REPORTS TO:

Executive Director of Special Education Services

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director of Special Education Compliance and Alternative Services provides strategic leadership for district wide special education accountability, regulatory compliance, and alternative educational services. The Director develops and maintains systems that ensure students with disabilities receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), while also ensuring that students assigned to alternative, interim, homebound, hospital-based, or other nontraditional educational settings receive timely, equitable, and legally compliant services.

The Director leads compliance monitoring, program evaluation, data reporting, dispute resolution, Medicaid oversight, professional learning, and continuous improvement efforts in collaboration with schools, families, district departments, legal counsel, and external agencies.

• Provide district wide leadership for special education accountability, compliance, and alternative educational services.
• Develop, implement, and monitor systems, protocols, dashboards, and internal controls that promote legal compliance, program quality, timely service delivery, and improved student outcomes.
• Support the Assistant Superintendent in implementing the department’s strategic priorities, comprehensive improvement plan, corrective action plans, and annual work plan.
• Serve as the Assistant Superintendent’s designee, as assigned, for matters related to special education compliance, accountability, alternative services, and cross-departmental coordination.
• Use quantitative and qualitative data to identify trends, evaluate program effectiveness, determine areas of risk, and recommend corrective or preventive action.

• Ensure district compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Connecticut special education requirements, Board policy, and other applicable federal, state, and local mandates.
• Monitor the timely and appropriate completion of evaluations, reevaluations, eligibility determinations, IEPs, progress reporting, service implementation, annual reviews, and required state submissions.
• Establish and oversee a district wide process for reviewing IEP quality, procedural compliance, service delivery, placement decisions, transportation needs, and implementation of accommodations and modifications.
• Monitor FAPE and LRE requirements, including specialized program placements, out-of-district placements, interim alternative educational settings, and transitions between schools or programs.
• Oversee the interpretation and resolution of CT-SEDS error reports, compliance reports, state monitoring findings, and other accountability indicators.
• Coordinate self-review, state monitoring, corrective action, records review, and audit activities related to special education.
• Ensure compliant end-of-year closeout, student transfer, records transfer, and continuity-of-service procedures.

• Provide leadership and oversight for district alternative education programs and services, including expelled student services, interim placements, reentry supports, homebound instruction, hospital-based instruction, and other assigned nontraditional programs.
• Develop clear referral, intake, placement, progress-monitoring, transition, and reentry procedures for students receiving alternative services.
• Ensure students placed in alternative settings receive appropriate instruction, related services, behavioral supports, accommodations, credits, records, and opportunities to remain on track for graduation.
• Collaborate with school leaders, Student Support Services, Special Education, Multilingual Learner Services, Attendance, Safety and Security, Transportation, and other departments to coordinate student services.
• Monitor the quality, compliance, utilization, and effectiveness of district-operated and contracted…