Family and Education Specialist

About the role

Join a mission-driven nonprofit with over 170 years of experience supporting children, teens, and adults with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and behavioral health challenges. As a Family and Education Specialist at Elwyn Davidson School in Media, Pennsylvania, you will coordinate the admission of new students, overseeing the referral, intake, and admissions processes while making recommendations for educational programming and placement. This role involves collaboration with parents, school districts, charter schools, Intermediate Units (IUs), and other educational partners to ensure a seamless admissions experience.

Responsibilities

• Assess all children presented for admission using knowledge of Special Education and evaluate the appropriateness of placement; determine educational programming for each admitted student.
• Develop and administer the school admission process from start to finish, including forms, communication, process steps, tracking, and reporting.
• Ensure all referrals are responded to within established timelines and track progress against census goals and openings.
• Generate regular summary reports on admissions, including fill rates, trends, denials, referral sources, and other relevant data.
• Review referrals received by phone, email, or fax; log referrals by date received and respond in writing to submitting school districts within 48 hours.
• Conduct a thorough review of the referred child’s IEP, Record Review (RR), Positive Behavior Support Plan (PBSP), and Functional Behavior Analysis (FBA) to make placement determinations based on admissions criteria.
• Conduct tours with families and potential students to showcase how Elwyn can meet the student’s educational needs.
• Schedule, coordinate, and facilitate the student interview process, including student/family interviews, team interviews, and providing program information to referral sources.
• Notify families of admissions decisions and communicate projected start dates or waitlist status to districts and school personnel.
• Send admission packets to new families upon confirmation of placement and initiate referrals to appropriate placements with parent permission.
• Make non-acceptance determinations based on established exclusionary criteria and communicate reasons to Local Education Agency (LEA) representatives.
• Collect and compile additional documents (e.g., medical reports, IEPs, evaluation reports) to create a complete student profile ensuring child safety and proper programming.
• Collaborate with school districts, charter schools, LEAs, and Intermediate Units to assess referrals and determine placement appropriateness.
• Maintain a rolling admissions process for Elwyn’s Approved Private School (APS) programs, including tracking daily census, projecting graduations, admissions, discharges, and vacancies.
• Serve as the primary liaison for referrals from Elwyn’s residential programs, coordinating with residential teams, families, and school districts on educational options.
• Identify and address potential obstacles to placements for internal and external referrals, working with leadership to develop solutions.
• Maintain an up-to-date directory of referents (LEAs, school districts, IUs, charter schools) to drive admissions and market school programs.
• Conduct quarterly reporting, trend analytics, and statistical reporting to inform revenue cycle targets and projections.
• Lead admission meetings with Elwyn Davidson School personnel to finalize placements and improve communication and collaboration on new students.
• Manage special circumstances impacting admissions, such as the PDE 4010 conversion process, PCA contracts, acceptance letters, census reporting, and troubleshooting district coordination.
• Represent Elwyn at professional conferences, seminars, and public events to maintain the organization’s reputation as the oldest and largest APS in Pennsylvania.
• Plan and coordinate welcome days and orientations for new students and families to acclimate them to the school routine.
• Execute and mail contracts for accepted students to appropriate school districts, charter schools, or LEAs.
• Ensure student and family documents are centrally maintained and accessible by entering admissions information into PowerSchool.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Education with certification; Pennsylvania Special Education PK-12 teaching certificate preferred.
• Three (3) years of experience in school admissions, teaching, and/or operations within the special education field, with progressively increasing responsibility.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the PDE 4010/4011 Approved Private School Admissions and Enrollment process.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team with strong attention to detail and time management skills.
• Excellent judgment with the ability to independently solve problems and make decisions with minimal supervision.
• Advanced experience with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) for reporting and materials creation.
• Experience with electronic records systems; PowerSchool and Blackboard preferred.
• Excellent customer interaction, collaboration, presentation, and written/verbal communication skills.
• Strong internal and external customer service skills with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities.

Benefits

• Generous Paid Time Off.
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefit Packages.
• Earned Wage Access/On-Demand Pay.
• Paid On-the-Job Training.
• Tuition Reimbursement.
• Career Advancement Opportunities and Growth.
• Flexible Schedules.
• Retirement Savings Plan.