Job Specific Information : The office is located at English Manor-4511 Bestor Drive, Rockville. The Instructional Specialist is the team leader for an OT, Psychologist, SLP, & secretary. Must have ability to assess young children with a wide range of abilities and work collaboratively to evaluate and write reports. Preference given to someone that has knowledge of the Antiracist Audit & practices and policies as well as experience leading a team.

MCPS Official Job Description

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:
Under direction of the supervisor of the Child Find/Early Childhood Disabilities Unit, supports implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regarding evaluation and child find duties. Major responsibilities include evaluating preschool children, ages three through five years old, to determine eligibility for special education services; serving as chairperson of initial Individualized Education Program (IEP) team eligibility and development meetings; assisting IEP teams in recommending special education services in the least restrictive environment; leading a multidisciplinary team of an occupational therapist, speech/language pathologist, and school psychologist; and monitoring data to ensure compliance with legal mandates associated with special education identification.

CERTIFICATE LICENSE:
Maryland Advanced Professional Certificate (APC) for early childhood special education teacher. Additional Maryland APC for early childhood general educator preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES:
Thorough knowledge of educational programming, federal/state legislation, and due process procedures related to the provision of services to preschoolers with developmental delays, ages three through five years old; typical and atypical child development; current research and trends in curriculum and instructional strategies related to early childhood special education; demonstrated leadership skills; ability to conduct comprehensive educational evaluations of children; ability to prepare written documents and reports; ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with parents and staff; ability to use word processing and database software; excellent human relations, organization, writing, and interpersonal skills.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE:
Certification in early childhood special education from an accredited college or university; additional certification in early childhood general education preferred. Demonstrated successful experience in preparing IEP documents and chairing IEP team meetings. Other combinations of applicable education, training, and experience which provide the knowledge, abilities and skills necessary to perform effectively in the position may be considered.