Associate Director of Student Support (Secondary) at KIPP DC – Washington, District of Columbia
Explore Related Opportunities
About This Position
Job Summary
KIPP DC has eight secondary schools, serving 5th-12th grades across Washington, DC. Our secondary schools program provides a continuum of support and services for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The Associate Director of Student Support is an agent of implementation of student supports working directly with school leadership teams and the Director of SST Middle Schools and/or SST High Schools in creating programming to support students with special needs (IEP, 504, ELL etc.) in driving academic outcomes, care, and a sense of belonging for our students as a key member of the school team. Through goal setting and planning, designing a meaningful continuum of supports, strong instructional leadership, coaching staff, and providing professional development, this person will set the vision for a supportive, rigorous, and inclusive school.
The starting salary range for this role is $94,082-$103,984. This is a full-time, fully on-site role based at schools and HDQ with an anticipated start date of July 2026.
About KIPP DC
For 25 years, KIPP DC has partnered with students, families, and the community to create joyful, academically excellent schools across the nation’s capital. Today, our network of 22 schools educate more than 7,500 students in grades PreK3-12, supported by 1,500 dedicated teachers, leaders, and staff.
Our work is grounded in five pillars–Academic Excellence, Joy & Sense of Belonging, Highly Effective Teachers and Leaders, Safe, Structured, and Nurturing Learning Environments, and Commitment to College Readiness–which ensure every student is equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to pursue success in college, careers, and beyond. Our schools combine high expectations with joyful, affirming environments that nurture academic success and personal growth for students and staff alike.
As part of the national KIPP network, we share best practices and innovations while maintaining deep roots in Washington, D.C. Together, we strive toward a future without limits for our students, alumni, and community.
About the teamThe Student Support Team (SST) plays a pivotal role in achieving KIPP DC's mission by directly addressing the needs of students. Our core function as a team is to create a supportive environment where students can thrive academically by providing early intervention, accommodations, and specially designed instruction. We collaborate with school teams, teachers, and related service providers to develop and implement individualized plans that support a student’s academic, behavioral, and/or social-emotional needs to ensure access to high quality general education curriculum.
About the Role
Reporting directly to the Managing Director of Student Support, the Associate Director of Student Support is an integral member of the Student Support academic team. This instructional leader is a champion for schools, teaching and learning, school leaders, and our students with exceptionalities. They will work within the Student Support academic team on assignment at Secondary Schools and cross functionally to drive outcomes for students with exceptionalities and school team members who support them.
Location and Type of Work
This is an exempt position and will report to the Managing Director of Student Support. As a headquarters team that is focused on being responsive to our schools and meeting the needs of our students and families, we approach our work in a way that reflects these priorities. Schools operate in person and our students and families rely on us for in-person support which requires this position to be fully on-site. This role is currently required to be on-site or in schools during regular work hours.
Responsibilities
The percentages for each key responsibility are estimates, and other duties may be assigned. Flexibility and responsiveness are encouraged to accommodate organizational needs.
Student Support Instruction & Programming (80%)
- Manage the Special Populations caseload for a specific school (IEP, 504, ELL)
- Collaborate with others to design high-quality IEPs and 504 plans with appropriate accommodations aligned to student data
- Consistently monitor and evaluate progress toward individual and school-wide goals for students on caseload, in collaboration with SPED teachers, general education teachers and related service providers
- Participate in SST to support development of high-quality interventions and fidelity to child find process
- Collaborate with School leaders to lead weekly professional development sessions, provide input to department meetings and coach teachers
- Manage special education staff to write high-quality Present Levels of Performance, annual IEP goals, and quarterly progress report comments for students on caseload
- Support onboarding and development of Special Education teachers case management skills
- Analyze teacher and student performance data to design, coordinate and facilitate professional development to increase teacher and leader expertise in all components of specialized instruction: content, methodology and delivery of instruction
- Support suite of special education learning programs
- Drive an instructional vision focused on academic rigor, “work worth doing,” and building student autonomy; collaborate with ILT in content team meetings
- Create instructional priorities at the secondary school level with school teams.
- Manage a full continuum of services at assigned schools and create a monitoring system for the school’s continuum
- Consult with School Leadership teams to implement high quality RTI processes for both academic and behavioral needs
- Collaborate with Director of Student Support and schools team on effective progress monitoring system for students with IEPs and students in Tier 3
- Work within select schools, side-by-side with those school leaders and Director of Student Support, to significantly improve achievement outcomes for special populations
- Understand IDEA and Section 504 law and implications in KIPPDC’s LEA
- Articulate child find procedures and process at KIPP DC and speak knowledgeably about intersections with SST process
- Support the completion of all necessary documentation within appropriate timelines required to maintain compliance for students on caseload, specifically for initial eligibility determination timelines and child find timelines
- Support and facilitate effective MDT/ 504 meetings, when needed
- Manage evaluation completion for students in initial and triennial eligibility process in conjunction with Director of Student of Support, Compliance Manager and related service providers
- Learn and effectively use Special Programs to document IEP, Eligibility and Referral paperwork (OSSE-mandated system for IDEA compliance)
- Communicate regularly with families to develop a supportive home-school relationship. Address parent concerns in a professional and timely manner
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree
- Minimum of 5 years special education teaching and school leadership experience in an urban school community
- Experience working with secondary school students in urban school communities
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree
- Prior experience as a Special Education Coordinator
- Prior experience teaching or leading across the Special Education continuum
- Demonstrated effectiveness in leading and coordinating across functional teams
- Ability to build relationships and consensus, impact & influence, and motivate action
- Superior analytical skills and sound judgment to make critical decisions autonomously
- Capable of thriving in circumstances involving ambiguity and nuance
- Meticulous organizational ability in order to set priorities, organize workload, handle multiple responsibilities and meet deadlines
- Strong and responsive communication skills
Physical Requirements
- Ability to travel across KIPP DC schools.
Demonstrated Excellence in the Following Areas:
- Commitment to Students and Schools: Demonstrates commitment to education reform, believing in every child's potential for success and prioritizing students, schools, and the essential role of families.
- Strategic Thinking and Problem Solving: Finds creative solutions to challenges that achieve broader goals of team and organization.
- Project Management: Sets a high bar for own work and supports others to achieve desired team outcomes.
- Communications and Influence: Demonstrates adept communication skills and influence to advance work by adjusting content and style.
- Teamwork: Contributes to a supportive team culture, fostering diverse work styles and maintaining a high performance standard.
- Trust and Collaboration: Establishes and nurtures effective relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders to support the best outcomes for our work.
- Cultural Humility: Advances KIPP DC’s commitment to anti-racism by creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for all stakeholders.
- Continuous Learning: Commits to continuous learning through feedback, self reflection, humility, and action.
Benefits & Compensation
KIPP DC offers an extremely competitive compensation and benefits package:
- The anticipated starting salary range for this position is $94,082-$103,984. At KIPP DC we strive for clarity, equity, and to be highly competitive. When determining salaries we look at benchmarks in the education and non-profit sector.
- KIPP DC offers a robust benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurances; various voluntary benefits; and employer paid benefits such as short term disability, long term disability, life insurance, and a membership to One Medical.
- KIPP DC also offers a 403(b) retirement account with a 3% employer contribution and a 3% match with vesting after three years.
Equal Employment Opportunity Employer
KIPP DC Public Schools does not discriminate against, or tolerate discrimination against, employees or applicants for employment on any legally-recognized basis or protected class including, but not limited to, actual or perceived race, color, national origin, immigration status (except as necessary to comply with federal, DC, state, or local law), religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity or expression), marital status (including domestic partnership status), genetic information, political affiliation, pregnancy, family responsibilities, personal appearance, veteran status, uniform service member status, status of being unemployed, status of victim a survivor of domestic violence, sexual offense or stalking, matriculation or any other protected class under federal, state, DC, or local law.
Click here or here to review KIPP DC’s non-discrimination policy and KIPP DC’s Title IX Coordinator’s contact information.
Please Note: If you encounter difficulties submitting your application or fail to receive a confirmation email after applying, kindly reach out to Danica Cunningham at danica.cunningham@kippdc.org. Please include your name, resume, and specify the role you are applying for in your email. We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience caused.