Early Head Start – Education and Disabilities Specialist

40 hours

Start Date: Immediately

Summary:
Under the direction of the Director of Early Childhood Education, the Education and Disabilities Specialist promotes school readiness of infants and toddlers by providing training and technical assistance to Early Head Start (EHS) and Hana Infant/Toddler Center staff. He/She is responsible for the planning and implementation of integrated early childhood and disabilities services.

 Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Early Childhood Development Services–

1. Works collaboratively with the Center Supervisor, Home-Based Supervisor, and EHS Specialists to ensure high quality early childhood education and development services that promote positive outcomes and comprehensive school readiness of children including dual language learners to:
   • Promote children’s readiness to learn that involves culturally responsive, integrated service delivery of child development, disabilities, and mental health services;
   • Enhance children’s growth in language, literacy, mathematics, science, social and emotional development, creative arts, physical development, and approaches to learning; and
   • Provide guidance and support to staff with implementation of curriculum/individualization plans and ongoing assessments.

2. Provides coaching, mentoring, training and/or technical assistance to education staff by:
   • Ensuring that services are aligned with the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), Child Development Early Learning Framework (CDELF), Hawaii Early Learning Development Standards (HELDS), and Teaching Strategies GOLD to meet the individual needs of children and families; and
   • Developing, preparing, and coordinating training and professional development activities.

3. Conducts ongoing monitoring to ensure:
   • Information from screenings, ongoing observations, evaluations, and insight from parents are used to determine how to best respond to each child’s individual characteristics, strengths, and needs;
   • Implementation of curriculum that promotes children’s language and cognitive development, early literacy and math skills, socio-emotional development, physical development, and approaches to learning.
   • Curriculum is linked to ongoing assessment and supports each child’s individual pattern of development and learning.
   • School Readiness Plan updates and reports are aggregated and analyzed 3 times in each program year.

4. Develops the program’s School Readiness Plan in partnership with the EHS Leadership Team, direct service staff, parents, and Policy Council.

5. Attends staff meetings and participates in agency in-service training and other meetings as required.

6. Keeps current on best practices and trends in child development and areas relating to infant/toddler care and special needs.

7. Participates in program planning including Performance Quality Improvement (PQI), ongoing monitoring, Self-Assessment, and Community Assessment.

Disabilities Services –

1. Works with the Director of Early Childhood Education in planning and budgeting of EHS funds to assure children’s specials needs identified in the Individualized Family Support Plans (IFSP) are fully met.

2. Ensures that children most in need of an integrated placement and of special assistance are served.

3. Ensures that MFSS EHS maintains the level of fiscal support to children with disabilities consistent with the Congressional mandate to meet their special needs.

4. Responsible for outreach and recruitment of children with disabilities to ensure 10% requirement is met at all times.

5. Responsible for the timely completion of screenings and ongoing assessment in coordination with other program staff.

6. Reviews developmental screenings and facilitates referral of children to Part C if parents have concerns or if screenings show developmental concerns.

7. Collaborates with Part C providers in developing IFSPs for EHS children with identified specials needs.

8. Coordinates with the Health Specialist and Mental Health Specialist in identifying children who show signs of developmental concerns.

Education and/or Experience:
At least a Child Development Associate (CDA) or an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education.  Bachelor’s Degree in ECE or related field preferred.  In-depth knowledge and experience in aligning HSPPS, CDELF, HELDS, and Teaching Strategies GOLD in the School Readiness Plan of the program.  Training and experience in securing and individualizing needed services for children with disabilities.  Experience in mentoring and coaching other professionals and para-professionals a must. 

Must be well organized, self-motivated, and can work with little supervision. Good verbal and written communication skills necessary, computer proficiency and ability to aggregate and analyze data desired.  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  Other qualifications listed below are needed to adequately fulfill essential job duties.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Current and valid driver’s license.
• Current and clean driver’s abstract.
• Current automobile insurance and registration.
• Current CPR/FA certification.
• Current TB clearance.
• Computer literate in Microsoft Word and Excel.