Director, Special Education Compliance and Monitoring

Position Overview

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) is responsible for providing expert advice of counsel and legal representation to DCPS' Chancellor, Central Office, principals, and other school-based staff to help ensure that all DCPS students, regardless of background or circumstance, receive a world-class education that prepares them for success in college, career, and life. Major practice areas in OGC include: General Practice, which includes FOIA, FERPA, policy and ethics, Labor and Employment, and Special Education due process litigation under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA). Additionally, the office includes the Labor Management and Employee Relations (LMER) team and the Compliance division. 

• The Labor Management & Employee Relations (LMER) work group is responsible for supporting DCPS on a wide range of employee relations matters, including but not limited to: ensuring compliance with EEO laws; facilitating the proper implementation of progressive discipline; assisting employees with workplace problems; collaborating with unions to resolve issues and address concerns; working with managers to ensure compliance with all laws, regulations, and policies; scheduling meditations and hearings to address grievances; investigating allegations of misconduct by employees, contractors, and volunteers; and conducting background investigations to determine suitability for DCPS employment and service providers. 

 

• The Compliance division is made up of the Internal Audit, Special Education Compliance, Risk Management, and Comprehensive Alternative Resolution and Equity (CARE) teams. The Compliance division works closely with various federal and District agencies, including but not limited to the Department of Education, Office of the Inspector General, Office of the District of Columbia Auditor, Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Office of Human Rights, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, and Metropolitan Police Department on an as needed basis. The division receives concerns and complaints from students, parents, and third parties and provides effective and equitable resolution to issues raised, conducts internal audits of DCPS programs, and oversees the management of all audits of DCPS conducted by external entities. The division is also responsible for identifying and mitigating risks and working and collaborating to ensure safety. The Compliance team’s mission is to work with all Schools and Central Services departments to ensure that operations and programming are compliant with applicable DCPS, District, and federal laws, regulations, and policies. 

The Compliance division is made up of the Internal Audit, Special Education Compliance, Risk Management, and Comprehensive Alternative Resolution and Equity (CARE) teams. The Compliance division works closely with various federal and District agencies, including but not limited to the Department of Education, Office of the Inspector General, Office of the District of Columbia Auditor, Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Office of Human Rights, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, and Metropolitan Police Department on an as needed basis. The division receives concerns and complaints from students, parents, and third parties and provides effective and equitable resolution to issues raised, conducts internal audits of DCPS programs, and oversees the management of all audits of DCPS conducted by external entities. The division is also responsible for identifying and mitigating risks and working and collaborating to ensure safety. The Compliance team’s mission is to work with all Schools and Central Services departments to ensure that operations and programming are compliant with applicable DCPS, District, and federal laws, regulations, and policies.

The Director, Special Education Compliance and Monitoring is responsible for collaborating with school Principals, Instructional Superintendents, Division of Specialized Instruction (DSI) and School Mental Health (SMH) staff, school-based staff and General Counsel staff to ensure that DCPS’ Special Education program practices, procedures and guidance complies with regulations prescribed within IDEA for students with identified or suspected disabilities. The Director supports the mission of the Compliance division by establishing and overseeing a comprehensive data monitoring framework designed to identify areas of possible risk within special education data. The Director is responsible for ensuring DCPS’ compliance with District and federal regulations for Special Education, reporting vital compliance data to internal and external partners, and advising school-based and central services staff on the best practices that will prevent future non-compliance and improve program effectiveness. The Director is also responsible for monitoring DCPS’ practices to ensure that they align with procedures and monitoring standards established by the OSSE. The Director leads a small team designed to support Special Education compliance across DCPS, non-public and private and religious schools providing educational services to District students with disabilities.

This position has been designated as Safety Sensitive. Pursuant to section 410 of Chapter 4 of the D.C. Personnel Regulations; in addition to the general suitability screening, individuals applying for or occupying safety sensitive positions are subject to the following checks and tests: Criminal background check; Sex Offender Registry check; Pre-employment drug and alcohol test; Traffic record check (as applicable); Reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol test; and Post-accident or incident drug and alcohol test.

The Director, Special Education Compliance and Monitoring will report to the Deputy Chief, Compliance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The below statements are intended to describe the general nature and scope of work being performed by this position. This is not a complete listing of all responsibilities, duties, and/or skills required. Other duties may be assigned.

• Directs, manages and conducts evaluations and reviews of activities related to the detection of deficiencies within special education data, including the development of recommendations designed to improve efficiency and effectiveness. 
• Builds strong relationships with principals, Instructional Superintendents, central services and school-based staff designed to ensure smooth cross-collaboration between internal departments and sister agencies for compliance initiatives related to IDEA.  
• Develops overall program strategy and clear, specific, and ambitious performance measures for multiple special education compliance projects and operational priorities; and translates targets into individual work goals and deliverables for other team members. Develops, directs, and assists in the design of evaluation programs that meet changing industry standards due to changes in laws, policies, and/or procedures. 
• Directs, leads and coordinates all compliance-driven initiatives related to IDEA, or OSSE initiatives. 
• Analyzes and assesses work related technical programs, operations, and administrative functions of a broad nature, including determining the impact of delaying the implementation of various administrative systems or DCPS improvements and special education compliance initiatives. 

• Liaises with District and federal agencies to coordinate reviews of DCPS school special education programs and other reviews.

• Directs and/or conducts a variety of investigations and corrective action plans of complaints filtered through DCPS from internal or external regulatory agencies.

• Collaborates with internal DCPS departments to ensure compliance with IDEA for students with disabilities serviced by non-public and private and religious organizations.
• Directs and oversees qualitative and quantitative reviews of student level IEPs for compliance with IDEA and service delivery prescriptions.
• Maintains a keen awareness of legislative changes associated with annual IDEA determinations and pro-actively adjusts program approach. Has the ability to train others on how to implement applicable legislative changes where applicable.
• Has the ability to interpret guidelines and make appropriate business recommendations to manage risk to DCPS.
• Directs and conducts audits of special education program components and/or advises or assists colleagues in the performance of audits of DCPS special education programs.
• Builds systems and maintains information in those systems to streamline data information sharing with key school-based stakeholders and leads agency compliance initiatives related to IDEA monitoring via the DCCATS system. 
• Provides advice to management and officials when discrepancies are detected by identifying inconsistencies and developing checks and balance methods to keep processes on track with appropriate methods to ensure IDEA monitoring and compliance. 
• Manages multiple deadlines and requests from stakeholders, including requests for various data-driven reports of special education compliance data and metrics; directs, assigns, and evaluates the work of the compliance and monitoring team. Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and five to seven years of related work experience.
• Master's degree preferred.
• Previous exposure to or experience in the education sector a plus.
• Previous experience in compliance activities, including internal or external auditing.
• Excellent fact-finding, analysis, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with investigative and resolution approaches.
• Strong oral and written communication skills required.
• Prior team supervision, management experience, and prior experience managing projects.
• Experience with Excel, other Microsoft software tools, and Power School.

DCPS Values

• STUDENTS FIRST: We recognize students as whole children and put their needs first in everything we do.
• COURAGE: We have the audacity to learn from our successes and failures, to try new things, and to lead the nation as a proof point of PK-12 success.
• EQUITY: We work proactively to eliminate opportunity gaps by interrupting institutional bias and investing in effective strategies to ensure every student succeeds.
• EXCELLENCE: We work with integrity and hold ourselves accountable for exemplary outcomes, service, and interactions.
• TEAMWORK: We recognize that our greatest asset is our collective vision and ability to work collaboratively and authentically.
• JOY: We enjoy our collective work and will enthusiastically celebrate our success and each other.

We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to creating an inclusive, accessible workplace. We welcome and encourage applications from individuals with disabilities. Accommodation and/or application assistance is available upon request at all stages of the application and employment process. To request accommodation, please contact [email protected].