TITLE: Chief for Academic Support, Improvement, and Special Populations ORGANIZATIONAL CENTER: This position reports to the Deputy Commissioner. GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES: The Chief for Academic Support, Improvement, and Special Populations serves as a senior executive leader responsible for advancing the agency's strategic vision through the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of statewide education improvement initiatives. The incumbent leads agency-wide strategic planning, accountability alignment, continuous improvement systems, and organizational effectiveness efforts to improve student outcomes and strengthen district and school performance. The Chief for Academic Support, Improvement, and Special Populations is also responsible for leading, managing, and providing technical assistance to district and school personnel and parents to ensure that all children -- especially those with disabilities and, learning English as a second language -- are instructed by well-prepared teachers using proven methods. Incumbent is responsible for leading the state initiative on achievement gap closure using all tools at his or her disposal including federal funding, state policy and regulations, and community and parent partnerships. Incumbent is responsible for ensuring state compliance with all federal and state regulations to include civil rights requirements associated with Title III, and IDEA. The Chief for Academic Support, Improvement, and Special Populations collaborates across agency divisions, local education agencies (LEAs), state partners, and external stakeholders to align policies, programs, resources, and data systems with strategic priorities. This position provides executive leadership for statewide improvement planning, implementation science and evidence-based decision-making while ensuring compliance with state and federal accountability requirements. Incumbent also serves as a member of the Commissioner's senior leadership team. LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND COLLABORATION: The functions of leadership, management and collaboration are to be integrated so as to achieve both product and process objectives. Teamwork and mutually supportive methods are ascribed as successful outcomes and are necessary for providing high-quality service and achieving high standards of performance. Work must be conducted in ways that include and involve those who have a stake in the outcome and must ensure that issues related to equity and special needs are addressed in a comprehensive fashion. Must work in collaboration with other team members to support the Department's strategic plan's priorities, including extensive work with cross-functional teams and with community stakeholders. The context for this work must be strong advocacy for students and schools and a positive commitment to the role of the Department of Education as a central state level advocate. SUPERVISION RECEIVED: Works in cooperation with colleagues with considerable latitude for the exercise of initiative and independent judgment; work is reviewed upon completion of results obtained and on collaborative process used in achieving results. The Chief for Academic Support, Improvement, and Special Populations is subject to an annual performance assessment. SUPERVISION EXERCISED: Facilitates, directs, coordinates and assesses the work of professional, technical, and support staff. Work is reviewed in process, as necessary, and upon completion for achievement of desired results and on collaborative processes used in achieving results. ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES OF WORK PERFORMED AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Ensure the integration of all Department efforts to enhance the ability of schools and local education agencies to improve teaching and learning, including broad policies and strategic direction, specific statewide programs and initiatives, and efforts to improve performance in individual schools, especially chronically under-performing schools. Lead initiatives that collect and examine data relative to existing policies and procedures and oversee the implementation and evaluation of federal and state policies and procedures to determine their effectiveness and/or applicability. Oversee the development and implementation of RIDE's school improvement process for low-performing schools and districts, including, but not limited to, needs assessment, school improvement plan, monitoring and evaluation protocols, and funding competitive and formulaic school improvement applications. Facilitate collaboration with leadership and staff across RIDE to ensure aligned support is provided to schools and districts based on their specific educational challenges. Organizes and implements district capacity-building efforts for districts to engage in local school improvement efforts, including the use of data to develop, implement, and monitor strategic plans to improve student achievement and performance. Supports schools and districts in their use of data to inform their strategic and investment decisions, including aligning the use of federal funds to evidence-based school improvement strategies. Develops, reviews, and recommends budgets/policies and regulatory guidance documents to ensure compliance with applicable laws, rules, and/or regulations. Ensures ongoing data collection and policy analysis to inform the continuous improvement of school improvement strategies at the school, district, and statewide level. Engages in meetings with school and school system leaders regarding the school planning and improvement process. Engages and supports community stakeholders to be active members of the school planning and improvement process. Seeks opportunities to write state, federal and privately funded grants. Represents RIDE at a variety of meetings, conferences, and public gatherings. Performs related work as assigned.