Student Data Specialist -Residential Treatment Facilities (RTF)

Job Summary/Objective

The Student Data Specialist will coordinate, communicate, and collaborate with staff, supervisors, residential facilities, districts, and PA Department of Education (PDE) to ensure compliance with mandates guaranteed to students with disabilities by state/federal law.

Support Staff Core Essential Functions

• Regular attendance and reliable on-site presence.
• Develop, initiate, maintain, communicate, revise & monitor comprehensive systems for auditing special needs records to ensure compliance with mandates guaranteed to students with disabilities by state/federal law; ensure compliance with local policies and procedures outlined for students in program.
• Collaborate with departments such as related services, ESY (Extended School Year), transportation, child accounting, and business office, to examine data collection, compilations for value, completeness, and accuracy, and to identify other useful information for administrators & teachers.
• Complete the admission/enrollment and withdrawal process for students within RTF programs including record requests and transportation requests for Woods students who attend IU classrooms (off-campus).
• Serve as a liaison with residential facilities, educational entities, and school districts to administer and maintain integrated and error-free student data to ensure timely and accurate placement, meeting of timelines for related services and Individual Education Plan (IEP) development and implementation.
• Support with maintaining process guides and reference materials.
• Prepare documentation for facility audits and analyze necessary reports for both external and internal customers.
• Generate all administrative operations including attendance monitoring, submitting & tracking referrals, preparing NOREPs (Notice of Recommended Educational Placement), progress reports, class credit documentation, data entry into Student Information Systems, including child accounting, enrollment information, student data, parent and/or guardian information, and pertinent residency information.
• Demonstrate daily guidance to staff, districts, educational providers on issues ranging from technical support to special education requests and inquiries.
• Implement administrative operations where the Bucks IU has LEA agreements as outlined in the contracts with those facilities.
• Generate, investigate, track, execute and mail all aspects of the PDE-4605 process for LEA facilities, and work directly with PDE representatives to resolve residency issues when necessary.

Other Duties

Additional duties, responsibilities, and special projects may be assigned as needed to support departmental and organizational needs.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands

This position requires regular onsite presence and includes primarily sedentary work with occasional active physical duties in an office or educational support environment. Employees are regularly required to sit, communicate effectively, use hands for computer, telephone, and office equipment operation, and perform repetitive hand and wrist movements associated with typing, filing, and data entry. Frequent activities may include walking, standing, reaching, bending, and moving throughout office, school, or program locations. Employees may occasionally lift, carry, or move office materials, files, supplies, or equipment weighing up to 25 pounds. The position may also require maintaining and organizing records, operating standard office technology, and supporting daily operational or program needs.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position does not include direct supervisory responsibilities but may provide guidance, support, and collaboration with colleagues and team members as needed to support departmental and organizational goals.

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Associate’s Degree beneficial.
• Minimum three (3) years’ administrative experience.
• Advanced computer competency in various databases, Microsoft Office, Microsoft SharePoint, and the ability to learn other software as needed.
• Special Education Experience preferred.
• Ability to create, manage and edit spreadsheets and various reports.
• Ability to work independently and within a team to accomplish goals and to problem solve.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal and time management skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.