25-26 Dean of Student Support Services DSS

The Dean of Student Support Services (DSS) is responsible for ensuring that all students receiving special education services receive comprehensive compassionate and equitable services in order to achieve significant academic gains for all of our students with IEPs.

The Dean of Student Support will lead the implementation and management of KNOS Special Education Program policies and procedures and work collaboratively with all Student Support Teammates (Social Workers Psychologists MTSS Coordinators and SLPs) Service Providers  and families to provide a strong educational program for all KIPPsters.

Key DSS Leadership Skills:

• Ability to execute consistent and effective coaching cycle with specialized programs coaching focus)

• Ability to develop continuumaligned  and targeted schedules for self  sped teachers and related service providers &s that drives urgent academic & compliance outcomes

• Ability to manage a multidisciplinary team  to generate IEP aligned  outcomes for students (Sped Teachers Social Worker ESL Teacher SLP & Psychologist in collaboration with Regional Manager)

• Ability to navigate Sped Specific & KNOS Data Platforms (SER to manage & maintain student records & Tableau & Powerschool)

• Establish & maintain organization systems for IEP Meetings & IEP Student Records maintenance (SER/Binders)

• Establish & execute system audits for IEP Meetings & Student Records (SER/Binders)

• Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with school based leadership team members to problem solve and ensure the fidelity of individualized plans (IEPs 504s BIPs etc) 

• Ability to communicate and collaborate with families to ensure deep partnership & transparency in supporting student with IEP

• Maintain a pulse on the health of all diverse learner programming including instruction behavior social/emotional progress and adaptive skill development

Dean of Student Support Instructional Duties:

• Engage in observation realtime coaching & feedback cycle for specialized settings on Instructional Coaching caseload

• Plan Prepare and execute weekly coaching checkins with teachers of specialized settings 

• Develop maintain and audit Sped Teacher schedules to ensure continuumaligned instructional minutes mirror IEP program services  

• Develop maintain and audit Related Service Provider schedules to ensure instructional minutes align with IEP program services

Dean of Student Support Compliance Duties:

• Train Special Education teachers on how to effectively write an IEP and monitor progress to goal

• Facilitate IEP meetings within timeline

• Provide feedback to casemanagers on 100% of IEPs before entering and finalizing in SER 

• Develop maintain and share IEP calendar with all key stakeholders to ensure case managers are able to complete  100% of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in timeline  

• Develop and execute a cycle of weekly/biweekly student service log audits including reviews of recent IEP meeting paperwork to ensure ongoing compliance. Ensure that all teachers and leaders are aware of scholars ELL IEP and 504 accommodations and have visible structures to implement with fidelity 

• Collaborate w/ MTSS  Team to develop & monitor 504 plans & organize & communicate accommodations to all teachers families & administrators 

• Manage service providers through regular checkins to ensure all compliance outcomes within timeline

• Collaborate with Psychologists to meet all evaluation deadlines and remove barriers through regular  checkins

• Lead teams to meet schoolwide compliance outcomes.

• Collaborate with SOL to coordinate & problem solve ongoing Special Transportation challenges (Special Transportation is owned by School based DSO) 

Dean of Student Support Discipline Duties:

• Collaborate with Leadership Team to consult on and monitor suspensions of all students with IEPs & execute MDR Meeting when any students exceed 10 suspensions

• Collaborate with MTSS Team and write behavior Intervention plans and attend all FBA/BIP Meetings

• Advocating for ability to engage and model restorative approaches to discipline with students families and teachers serving students diverse learners with IEPs

Key Sped Compliance Leadership Responsibilities:

• 10/1: 100% Sped students within jurisdiction & meet compliance requirements

• 2/1: 100% Sped students within jurisdiction & meet compliance requirements

• LEAP Connect Assessment Qualifications & Administration:  100% sped st. who meet requirements qualify & complete LEAP Connect assessment 

• KNOS & State Testing Accommodations Groupings & Administration: 100% sped st. receive IEP aligned  accommodations & complete all assessments

• Modification of KNOS Curriculum/Student Work:  100% sped st. receive IEP aligned modifications and accommodations in core content classes

• IEP Meetings:  100% of IEP meetings are held within timelines & all documentation is completed and organized in Students Records (SER & Binder)

• Student Records: Digitize organize & maintain compliance student records for 100% of sped students

Qualifications :

The following are required of all KIPP New Orleans Dean of Student Support: 

• Bachelors degree

• 3 years teaching experience in urban open enrollment schools and demonstrated student results at an exemplary level

• Successful completion of State and Federal Criminal Background Check

• Personal affinity to our mission and vision as well as demonstrated commitment to our 5 core beliefs Relentlessness Equity Achievement Community and Hope

The following are strongly preferred for all KIPP New Orleans Deans of Student Support:

• Masters in Education or aligned content

• 3 years teaching experience with at least 2 years of leadership experience in urban open enrollment schools and demonstrated student results at an exemplary level in both roles

• State issued teaching credential and/or certification in special education

The physical demands and environmental conditions described below are representative but not exhaustive  of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the role.  All of these physical requirements should be able to be performed with clarity coherence and connectedness of the KNOS vision and reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

• Must be able to sit and work at a desk/computer for extended periods of time

• Must be able to spend the majority of the day standing or mobile throughout the classroom as well as talk hear grasp reach and lift up to 30lbs with or without accommodations

• Ability to concentrate in active and noisy environments such as cafeterias and playgrounds to more moderate situations such as classrooms or large group professional settings

• Must be able to have repetitive wrist/hand/finger movement to work on computer and/or related office equipment

• Ability to handle potential high stress conditions 

Please contact our regional Talent Team at with any questions.