What does a Special Education Coordinator do?
A Special Education Coordinator supervises programs that provide educational assistance to children with disabilities. They advise school principals about special educational programs to make sure that the needs of students are accommodated.
Special education coordinator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real special education coordinator resumes:
- Manage social media profiles through Facebook for important details and dates pertaining to HeartChase.
- Integrate technology across all content areas, making mathematics come to life!
- Assess students in reading, writing, and mathematics base on informal measures.
- Coordinate the scheduling and facilitation of CSE meetings with district staff and relate service providers.
- Leverage social media on Facebook to promote sponsor events to reach out to young adults.
- Conduct CSE and CPSE meetings on a regular basis; coordinating services for students with internal and external agencies.
- Design and implement RTI program to reduce special education placement.
- Supervise special education teachers and provide psychological testing for the district k-12.
- Initiate an RTI program that regularly assess and analyze progress of at-risk students so that interventions are adjusted accordingly.
- Develop and cultivate positive center and family relationships; plan, team, and implement ARD goals/objectives into early childhood curriculum.
- Experience teaching students with dyslexia, PDD, and ADHD.
- Work with students that have ADHD, major sight impairments, hearing impairments, dyslexia, and narcolepsy.
- Develop Medicaid program and files e-claims for reimbursement.
- Gather documentation and assist FDIC appoint auditors with questions.
- Tutor students individually in grades k-5, assessing specific areas of need and developing assignments/activities for skill improvement.
Special education coordinator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Special Education Coordinators are proficient in Professional Development, IEPs, and Rehabilitation. They’re also known for soft skills such as Patience, Resourcefulness, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Special Education Coordinators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Professional Development, 13%
Provide professional development to general education staff members of special education policies based on state and district compliance standards.
- IEPs, 12%
Confer with team to develop individualized education programs (IEPs) and multidisciplinary reports.
- Rehabilitation, 9%
Develop adult-centered RtI processes, 504 planning, and vocational rehabilitation services.
- K-12, 5%
Provided psychological and mental health support services to diverse K-12 student populations, supported instruction, and emphasized crisis prevention/intervention.
- Student Performance, 4%
Analyze student performance data to provide appropriate instruction.
- Mediation, 4%
Facilitated mediation among Community Council teachers, school administrators, parents and Regional Case Managers.
Most special education coordinators use their skills in "professional development," "ieps," and "rehabilitation" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential special education coordinator responsibilities here:
Patience. The most essential soft skill for a special education coordinator to carry out their responsibilities is patience. This skill is important for the role because "special education teachers must be able to stay calm instructing students with disabilities, who may lack basic skills, present behavioral or other challenges, or require repeated efforts to understand material." Additionally, a special education coordinator resume shows how their duties depend on patience: "demonstrate patience and understanding while providing individualized instruction in a safe, inclusive classroom learning environment for students with significant disabilities. "
Resourcefulness. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling special education coordinator duties is resourcefulness. The role rewards competence in this skill because "special education teachers must develop different ways to present information that meet their students’ needs." According to a special education coordinator resume, here's how special education coordinators can utilize resourcefulness in their job responsibilities: "showed resourcefulness and teaching effectiveness in meeting the needs of students with limited english language proficiency as well as learning disabilities. "
Communication skills. special education coordinators are also known for communication skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to special education coordinator responsibilities, because "special education teachers need to explain concepts in terms that students with learning disabilities can understand." A special education coordinator resume example shows how communication skills is used in the workplace: "define expectations for staff performance with regard to instructional strategies, classroom management, and communication with the public. "
The three companies that hire the most special education coordinators are:
- BBoston Public Schools5 special education coordinators jobs
- KK122 special education coordinators jobs
- AAlphaVista Services2 special education coordinators jobs
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Special education coordinator vs. Resource teacher
A Resource Teacher is responsible for providing curriculum support systems for students, teachers, and administrators. Another role of a Resource Teacher is to assist the class teacher and provide additional support for children with moderate learning difficulties.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a special education coordinator are more likely to require skills like "rehabilitation," "k-12," "mediation," and "medicaid." On the other hand, a job as a resource teacher requires skills like "math," "student learning," "behavior management," and "classroom environment." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Resource teachers earn the highest salaries when working in the manufacturing industry, with an average yearly salary of $50,696. On the other hand, special education coordinators are paid more in the government industry with an average salary of $65,737.On average, resource teachers reach lower levels of education than special education coordinators. Resource teachers are 10.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Special education coordinator vs. Learning support teacher
Learning support teachers focus on offering out-of-school education to pupils who need additional help. Their duties include planning and implementing constructive teaching policies as well as collaborating with parents, other relevant professionals, and personnel. They assist pupils in adapting and overcoming problems that emerge due to learning difficulties. Also, the design and foster suitable skills and social abilities as well as motivate students to develop independence, self-confidence, and to achieve their full potential. Additionally, they develop and deliver lessons as well as record and assess children's progress.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, special education coordinator responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "ieps," "rehabilitation," "k-12," and "student performance." Meanwhile, a learning support teacher has duties that require skills in areas such as "math," "iep," "classroom environment," and "language arts." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Learning support teachers earn a lower average salary than special education coordinators. But learning support teachers earn the highest pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $35,976. Additionally, special education coordinators earn the highest salaries in the government with average pay of $65,737 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Learning support teachers tend to reach lower levels of education than special education coordinators. In fact, they're 14.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Special Education Coordinators in the next 3-5 years?
Chris Craig
Deputy Provost, Missouri State University
Special education coordinator vs. Learning disabilities teacher
A Learning Disability Teacher plays a vital role in ensuring that every child with special needs can be able to learn even though they are physically and mentally struggling because of their disability. This career does a lot of intervention and production of outcomes for the individual to understand the importance of studying. They use different guides and materials like diagrams, pictures, and other graphics to improve their cognitive, psychological, and analytical thinking of an individual who has disability issues.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from special education coordinator resumes include skills like "rehabilitation," "student performance," "mediation," and "medicaid," whereas a learning disabilities teacher is more likely to list skills in "student learning," "curriculum development," "math," and "autism. "
Learning disabilities teachers earn the best pay in the education industry, where they command an average salary of $39,190. Special education coordinators earn the highest pay from the government industry, with an average salary of $65,737.When it comes to education, learning disabilities teachers tend to earn lower degree levels compared to special education coordinators. In fact, they're 8.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.9% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Special education coordinator vs. Reading specialist
Reach truck operators are responsible for safely using reach trucks (forklifts). They operate their reach truck to load, move, and unload new warehouse or sizeable retail store materials. Operators will need various mechanical and communication skills, as well as good visual acuity. Obtaining the proper licensure and understanding the safety protocols involved with heavy machinery is important to the job.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between special education coordinators and reading specialists, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a special education coordinator might have more use for skills like "professional development," "ieps," "rehabilitation," and "mediation." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of reading specialists require skills like "language arts," "student learning," "assessment data," and "state standards. "
Reading specialists enjoy the best pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $53,155. For comparison, special education coordinators earn the highest salary in the government industry.The average resume of reading specialists showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to special education coordinators. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 2.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 1.5%.Types of special education coordinator
Updated January 8, 2025