Assistant Principal

MISSION

The Chicago Lighthouse (CLH) serves people who are blind, visually impaired, disabled, and Veterans, in order for each to reach their full personal potential. Our programs build enduring success for our target populations and employees with lifelong knowledge, skills, and employment opportunities, support the discovery of new approaches for the empowerment of our communities, and sustain a social business enterprise that ensures success for our strategic ambitions.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

As a part of the Children’s Development Center (CDC) administrative team, the Assistant Principal will report to the Senior Vice President, Educational Services. In this role, the Assistant Principal will support the leadership and coordination of our specialized therapeutic day school program designed to meet the unique needs of students with moderate to severe/profound intellectual disabilities, visual impairments, and multiple disabilities. The Assistant Principal will support the improvement of instructional quality, increasing the quality and consistency of data and data documentation, manage and ensure compliance with special education mandates for students’ individualized education plans (IEPs), evaluations, and other case management needs, coordinate the administration of state assessments, and lead in the creation and administration of an effective transition planning and support structure for all students in the CDC.

The essential duties are as follows:

Instructional Support & Supervision (55%)

• Manage a team of (1) Middle School and (1) High School Teachers and 8-10 Paraprofessionals who report to the classroom teachers
• Conduct weekly classroom observations to monitor instructional fidelity, behavioral strategies, and student engagement.
• Review and provide feedback on teacher and paraprofessional lesson plans for alignment with IEP goals, standards, and therapeutic interventions.
• Monitor and evaluate classroom practices to ensure the implementation of data-driven instruction and individualized supports.
• Conduct quarterly “classroom takeovers” in which 1- 2 lessons are taken over and taught to support the Teacher and Classroom Team with implementation of strategies, changes, etc. discussed during feedback sessions.

Case Management, Transition Planning and Support, and State Assessment Coordination (30%)

• Support IEP implementation and write IEPs as needed,
• Facilitate IEP, evaluation, consent/domain, etc. meetings within the IEP and evaluation processes.
• Monitor IEP and evaluation compliance, ensuring all timelines, required components, and documentation are met according to IDEA and ISBE standards.
• Coordinate the IEP and evaluation calendar, working with sending districts to align evaluations and meetings with designated schedules.
• Support and document all steps of the New Student Referral process:
  • Respond to new referrals and disseminate referral information to the internal review team.
  • Conduct referral observations following the team's initial review.
  • Update and maintain the school's referral tracking documents.
• Guide families through information and steps for transition at age 22
• Provide families with information and hands-on support through the legal, funding, and program finding processes
• Maintain post-secondary transition binders for all students beginning at age 14 years
• Coordinate yearly, state testing; ensuring that all necessary staff are trained and all necessary technology and materials are updated and readily available

Data & Documentation (15%)

• Review and ensure the accuracy and timeliness of student data uploads, including progress monitoring charts and data points in data documentation platforms or student files.
• Perform quality checks to guarantee accuracy and identify errors or inconsistencies in data.
• Collaborate with classroom teams to ensure data collection is current and reflect students' IEP goals and behavioral targets.
• Support the training of staff and teachers in the use of data to improve student results, providing support for utilizing software products and technology for data capture.
• Use gathered data to create and share reports required by school administration, the district, or state agencies. This includes reports such as quarterly progress reports and yearly transcript completion.
• Analyze data for student achievement and school improvement
• Collaborate with the SVP/Director of Special Education, teachers, and clinical team to interpret assessment data and support planning for action steps.
• Identify opportunities to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of data collection methods.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Master’s Degree in Special Education, Educational Leadership, or related field
• Professional Educator License (PEL)
• Special Education Endorsement- LBS-1
• Minimum 3 years of experience working, leading, and/or teaching in a special education setting, preferably with students with significant disabilities
• Experience supervising teachers and/or related educational/clinical staff
• Deep understanding of IDEA, FERPA, HIPPA, and State Regulations
• Deep understanding of IEP development and compliance requirements
• Willingness to perform other duties as assigned
• Experience supervising staff and coordinating multidisciplinary teams preferred
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills
• Strong communication skills
• Proficiency in Google Workspace and data collection platforms