Position Overview
The mission of the Office of School Improvement and Supports (OSIS) is to ensure we support our schools and our students to succeed and to meet the Goals of our Strategic Plan. The Office works to dramatically accelerate the number of excellent schools through school transformation, including design, partnerships, Connected Schools, and Comprehensive School Planning (CSP). The Office develops, aligns, and delivers high-quality supports to ensure students, particularly students furthest away from opportunity, are in school, able to engage in rigorous learning, and have a joyous educational environment. The Office ensures our schools have excellent leaders, educators, and staff who are prepared to meet the diverse needs of the young people we serve.
Divisions/Teams
School Improvement
School Performance: Promotes data-driven decision-making through a cycle of continuous improvement to develop, implement, and monitor the comprehensive school plan designed to move schools toward a consistent standard of excellence.
Design: Designs innovative school models that transform learning for our students furthest from opportunity and supports District workstreams to be more grounded in community voice by anchoring in data, community engagement and understanding, and elevating and integrating student voice.
Connected Schools: Supports schools in implementing the DCPS Connected Schools Model. Connected Schools take a whole child, whole school, whole community approach by making schools spaces that support not only a student’s academic development, but also the student and family’s overall wellbeing through access to resources related to health, employment, housing, and more.
Student Supports
School Mental Health: Ensures that students' behavioral and social-emotional needs are met to increase access to the curriculum, strengthen emotional regulation and prosocial skills, and respond to school communities in times of crisis.
Student Placement: Ensures every student that requires a change in school assignment based on housing status, military transition, community release or other special circumstance receives a placement that considers their unique needs for school success.
Learning and Development Sciences
Learning and Development Sciences Division (LDS) is charged with supporting the district’s Strategic Plan goals on Safety and Belonging. Grounded in the latest science of learning and development and powered by lived experiences, the district’s approach is a long-term vision that incorporates critical system shifts, codifies the most effective evidence-based practices, and supports individual schools to implement systems and practices that create favorable conditions for learning.
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS): DCPS’s approach to tiered supports is grounded in a commitment to serving the whole child. The MTSS team supports schools to understand student and staff strengths and needs holistically and supports their implementation of aligned evidence-based best practices across academics, social-emotional learning, attendance, and behavior.
IMPACT: IMPACT is DCPS’ effectiveness assessment system for all school-based staff. IMPACT endeavors for all school-staff members to receive timely and accurate feedback on their performance and to have that performance recognized and rewarded. The ultimate goal of IMPACT is to ensure that all students, at all schools, have access to a highest quality staff members across all roles.
IMPACT Operations: The team coordinates across DCPS to develop guidance for individual components that reflect DCPS’ priorities, manages external vendors for the accurate and timely production of scores for various components, manages a helpline where all staff can reach out with questions about their evaluation, supports managers to ensure all evaluations are conducted with fidelity, and produces data analysis to support the mission of other teams across DCPS.
IMPACT Design: This team gathers and responds to feedback from DCPS leadership, staff and other central services teams. This team uses this feedback to consider possible adjustments to IMPACT to ensure the evaluation system remains accurate and aligned to DCPS priorities. The team also liaises with other states, districts, education groups, and researchers to learn from the best practices and lessons learned in the field of staff and school leader evaluation.
The Director, School Mental Health – School Psychology and programming team will be responsible for all aspects of school mental health for all District of Columbia Public School students. For aspects of programming that already exist, the Director will be responsible for evaluating their effectiveness and ensuring that they effectively meet the needs of students. Where there are gaps in programming, the Director will be responsible for collaborating with schools, the School Mental Health programming team, and Central Services teams to develop appropriate programming, interventions, and supports for students prior to referral, as well as those with IEPs, using national standards for school psychologists. The Director will work to promote the reduction of barriers to academic success for students through well-coordinated and collaborative activities.
This position has been designated as Protection 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 protection sensitive positions are subject to the following checks and tests: Criminal background check; Sex Offender Registry check; Traffic record check (as applicable).
The Director, School Mental Health - School Psychology will report to the Senior Deputy Chief, Student Supports.
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.
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Leads a team of program managers who supervise approximately 125 School Psychologists and liaises with principals to support the implementation of services.
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Develops and supports the strategies and programming utilized to develop the skills of providers, to ensure all providers are appropriately credentialed, trained, and have the skill set to implement evidence-based, high-quality services across the continuum of need.
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In partnership with the Multi-tiered Systems of Support Team (MTSS), provides technical assistance to school psychologists and school administrators to implement a schoolwide model of MTSS.
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Develops strategy for school staffing allocation across the school psychology discipline to achieve high-quality service delivery, staff collaboration, and provide services to students in the least restrictive environment.
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Ensures implementation of strategic monitoring systems that measure and report on the effectiveness of Tier 1 and Tier 2 mental health supports and progress toward identified goals.
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Oversees the timely and consistent implementation and delivery of services and develops strategies to improve outcomes of service delivery.
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Ensures timely assessment and quality reports for students in the special education or 504 eligibility process.
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Ensures timely assessment and quality reports for students requiring re-evaluation and triennial review.
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Oversees and designs the professional development for school psychology staff in ensuring providers are informed on innovations, key developments in policy or practices, and research conducive to providing high quality service delivery for DCPS students.
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Oversees the implementation of IMPACT, including determining standards, operationalization of standards, and fidelity of implementation across disciplines.
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Works in partnerships with the Director, Internships to plan and implement content and supportive structures that promote high quality learning experiences for interns and promote broad recruitment efforts and opportunities to train students in the field of school psychology.
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Keeps informed about innovations, developments in policy, and research and advises the Senior Deputy Chief on programming that aligns to District goals.
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Responds effectively to urgent requests from multiple internal and external DCPS stakeholders.
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Increases ties to community and social supports.
Qualifications
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Bachelor's degree and five to seven years of related work experience.
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Master's degree in School Psychology required.
- Previous exposure to or experience in the education sector a plus.
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Previous supervisory experience strongly preferred.
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Specialized experience in special education in an urban district preferred.
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STUDENTS FIRST: We recognize students as whole children and put their needs first in everything we do.
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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.
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EQUITY: We work proactively to eliminate opportunity gaps by interrupting institutional bias and investing in effective strategies to ensure every student succeeds.
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EXCELLENCE: We work with integrity and hold ourselves accountable for exemplary outcomes, service, and interactions.
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TEAMWORK: We recognize that our greatest asset is our collective vision and ability to work collaboratively and authentically.
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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].
