JOB DESCRIPTION

 

TITLE:  Director of Special Projects and School Improvement

 

REPORTS TO: SUPERINTENDENT

SUPERVISES:  na

WAGE/HOUR STATUS:    SALARY

LENGTH OF CONTRACT:    240

CLASSIFICATION: EXEMPT

HOURS: 8-5 

SALARY: $71,554-$93,654

 

PRIMARY PURPOSE: 

The Director of Special Projects and School Improvement is responsible for the strategic planning, implementation, and monitoring of the district’s academic programs, professional development, and state accreditation standards. This role serves as a bridge between district leadership and campus administrators, ensuring that all schools remain in compliance with state laws while fostering a culture of continuous improvement through Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and Teacher Excellence and Support Systems (TESS).

 

The Director of Special Projects and School Improvement provides strategic leadership to advance student achievement and organizational effectiveness across all K–12 schools. This role leads the development, implementation, and monitoring of school improvement efforts aligned to district goals, ensuring a cohesive, data-driven approach to teaching and learning. The director works collaboratively with principals, instructional leaders, and district staff to build capacity, strengthen instructional practices, and improve outcomes for all students.

EDUCATION MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Master’s Degree in Education Administration or Curriculum and Instruction

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Valid District-Level Administrator License


• Building Leadership Experience

 

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:

• Three years of experience in district level administration. 

SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS:

• Deep understanding of Arkansas accreditation standards and TESS/LEADS evaluation systems.


• Ability to manage large-scale procurement and district-wide logistical events.


• Proficiency in disaggregating standardized testing data and financial reports.


• Exceptional public speaking skills for Board presentations and district-wide opening sessions.


• Experience with EES (Employee Evaluation Systems), SFA monitoring tools, and Google Workspace for district-wide collaboration.

JOB DUTIES:

 

Standards for Accreditation & Compliance

• Website Transparency: Oversee the district’s compliance with state-mandated website postings, including financial data, student policies, dyslexia reports, and personnel contracts.


• SFA Tool Management: Perform weekly monitoring of the Standards for Accreditation (SFA) tool; identify and resolve errors in coordination with the Department of Education.


• State Reporting: Prepare and present the Annual Report to the Public and ensure all campus-level improvement plans are finalized and published.


• Foster Care Liaison: Act as the primary point of contact for DHS to identify and support foster care students within the district.

Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment

• Instructional Leadership: Manage the Course Code Management System, textbook adoptions, and the development of Standards-Based Report Cards.


• Pathways to Success: Coordinate Science of Reading plans, Acceleration Pathways, and partnerships with local Community Colleges for Career and Technical Education (CTE).


• Data Disaggregation: Analyze district-wide ATLAS assessment data to drive instructional shifts and long-range school improvement plans.


• Wildcat Online Academy: Oversee the advertising, enrollment, and progress monitoring for the district’s virtual learning platform.

Professional Development (PD) & Teacher Support

• PD Coordination: Design, facilitate, and track the district-wide PD calendar, ensuring all certified staff meet annual verification requirements.


• Instructional Coaching: Facilitate "TIP" (Teacher Induction Program) workshops focusing on lesson planning, classroom management, and explicit instructional models.


• LPE/MPE Support: Maintain records for Lead and Master Professional Educators and provide pathways for staff to increase licensure status.


• TESS/LEADS Administration: Manage the EES system, archive users, and provide weekly "Track to Completion" reports to principals to ensure merit pay eligibility (April 30 deadline).

District Operations & Event Leadership

• Administrator Retreats: Plan, host, and facilitate the annual Administrator’s Summer Retreat, including booking speakers and venues.


• Opening Sessions: Lead the district’s "Opening Session" for the school year, managing agendas and presenters.


• Logistics & Supplies: Oversee the bulk ordering and distribution of district school supplies, managing multi-vendor requisitions (Walmart, Amazon, Staples).


• Family & Community Engagement (FACE): Review and approve campus-level FACE plans and templates to ensure meaningful community involvement.

 

Professional Learning Communities (PLC)

• Guiding Coalition: Lead the District Guiding Coalition meetings and support campus-level implementation of the PLC process.


• 30-60-90 Day Reviews: Facilitate school improvement meetings with campus leadership to monitor short-term goals and progress.

School Improvement

• Guide the design and implementation of a comprehensive district and school wide school improvement plans.


• Support principals in developing, executing, and monitoring campus improvement plans.


• Align school improvement efforts with district vision, strategic plan, and accountability requirements.


• Facilitate continuous improvement cycles focused on student achievement and instructional effectiveness.


• Oversee the collection, analysis, and use of student performance and program data to inform decision-making.


• Monitor progress toward district and campus goals, identifying trends and areas for improvement.


• Collaborate with curriculum and instruction teams to strengthen Tier I instruction and intervention systems.


• Support the implementation of evidence-based instructional practices and programs.


• Lead initiatives to close achievement gaps among student subgroups.

 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position requires frequent travel between multiple school campuses and district facilities throughout the workday. The employee will regularly attend meetings in various buildings with limited transition time, necessitating the ability to walk at a brisk pace between locations. Duties involve prolonged periods of standing and walking on hard surfaces, including tile and concrete floors. The role may also require navigating stairs, carrying light materials (e.g., laptop, documents), and adapting to both indoor and outdoor conditions when moving between sites.

 

Physical Requirements:

 

Language:

Must have good expressive and receptive English language skills, to be able to communicate with and be understood by students, co-workers and parents, receive their responses and respond to them appropriately.

 

Sensory:

Must be able to visually or otherwise access written and printed content, and respond verbally and in writing. Must be able to hear and be understood over the telephone. Must have the ability to understand and respond to the verbal expressions of others, often in a noisy environment with multiple speakers and background noise, or outside.

 

Movement:

Ability to move around inside on hard surface and industrial carpeted surfaces, and to travel at a brisk, walking pace relatively long inside distances, without needing to stop or rest.

 

Attendance:

Must have the ability to work for the duration of the daily contracted time period, and to be physically present and at assigned work, with only infrequent unexcused absences, during the contract year.

 

Cognitive:

Must be able to conform behavior to that which is socially accepted as being appropriate to an adult and positive role model who is working both with young and impressionable children and interfacing with the public. 

Must have the ability to receive complex oral and written instructions and execute them appropriately. Must be able to operate with a high degree of accuracy any required technology. 

EVALUATION:

 

Performance of this job will be evaluated annually in accordance with provisions of the Board’s policy on Evaluation of Administrative Personnel.