Senior Director - ESE Information Management Systems

DPSCD Comp; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Detroit Public Schools Community District is seeking a Senior Director for ESE Information Management Systems to lead PowerSchool Special Programs, enrollment, and student data compliance. You will guide data quality, reporting, and system enhancements across the district to support accurate records and informed decisions.

You will partner with ESE leadership and school teams to optimize student information workflows, provide end-user training, and ensure timely MDR and state submissions while

Qualifications

• Master's degree in related field required.
• Expertise in student information systems (SIS) and PowerSchool Special Programs.
• Experience with state-hosted systems and reporting requirements.
• Familiarity with PowerSchool Special Programs and other education platforms.
• Experience developing end-user training for student data systems, reporting tools, databases, and data management processes.
• Knowledge of IDEA implementation within school settings.
• Strong experience in ESE leadership, SIS, enrollment, placement, or compliance.
• Ability to analyze student data, identify trends, and translate findings for leadership.
• Experience with policy and procedures for ESE Enrollment and related data processes.

Responsibilities

• Manage PowerSchool Special Programs operations including implementation, training, and support.
• Develop procedures for ESE data quality, enrollment, placement, and reporting.
• Analyze enrollment trends and projection data for space and placement planning.
• Design data-driven staff allocation models for equitable distribution.
• Lead development of internal ESE dashboards for real-time insights.
• Ensure compliance metrics are reflected in student tracking software.
• Monitor MDR data trends and advise on corrective action plans.
• Oversee data reporting accuracy and timely state submissions.
• Collaborate with ESE leadership on corrective action plans and data improvements.
• Coordinate with District departments for data access, integration, and downstream processes.
• Create training resources for PowerSchool Special Programs and ESE processes.
• Maintain data quality standards and support school and central office staff.

Skills

PowerSchool Special Programs

Student information systems (SIS)

Data analysis & reporting

End-user training

IDEA implementation knowledge

Cross-functional leadership

Communication & mentoring

Education

Master's degree in related field

Tools

PowerSchool

State-hosted systems

Reporting tools & databases

Job description

Senior Director - ESE Information Management Systems

Position Title: Senior Director - ESE Information Management Systems

Location: Exceptional Student Education

Reports to: Deputy Executiv Director (DED), ESE Operations & Compliance

Bargaining Unit: N/A

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Telecommuting Eligibility: Site based. Not eligible for telecommuting

Position Summary::

The Exceptional Student Education Operations and Compliance Division ensures that the District maintains accurate, high-quality, and timely ESE student data to support compliance, student placement, school operations, and informed decision-making. The division supports the production, management, validation, and reporting of ESE student information and works to ensure that school and District leaders have access to reliable data needed to support students, schools, and programs.

As a key member of the ESE division, the Senior Director provides leadership and day-to-day oversight for PowerSchool Special Programs, ESE Enrollment, and the placement of students receiving exceptional student education services. The Senior Director supports accurate ESE student information, system use, data quality, enrollment and placement processes, and the timely production of data pulls and reports for school, District, state, and federal needs. This role works collaboratively with ESE leadership, schools, enrollment teams, and other District departments to ensure student information is accurate, accessible, and aligned with District procedures and special education requirements.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must possess and provide evidence of a master's degree in related field.
• Expertise instudent nformation systems (SIS) and PowerSchool Special Programs experience is required.
• Experience with state-hosted systems and school and student reporting requirements.
• Familiarity with PowerSchool Special Programs and other education-specific platforms.
• Experience developing and delivering end-user training for student data systems, reporting tools, databases, and data management processes.
• Experience & knowledge of IDEA implementation within the school setting.
• Knowledge of the continuum of services offered to ESE students.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in ESE eadership, student information systems, enrollment, placement, compliance, or a related area preferred.
• Proven ability to analyze student and program data, identify trends, and translate findings into clear, actionable information for leadership and schools.
• Experience in the use and support of technology, database applications, reporting ools, and state systems.
• Experience with pupil accounting principles, practices, and methods strongly preferred.
• Understanding of requirements and timelines for studen data submissions to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI), and the U.S. Department of Education preferred.
• Excellent communication and mentoring skills and previous experience as a collaborative leader
• Skilled at running cross-functional relationships and communicating with leadership across multiple teams and departments.
• Ability to translate Department and District goals into daily work activities and procedures.
• Experience with policies and procedures related to ESE Enrollment, including school enrollment, Transfer B, student placement, transportation coordination, program alignment, and case management.

Essential Functions:

• Manage and support the day-to-day operations of PowerSchool Special Programs, including implementation, user support, training, troubleshooting, monitoring, and coordination of system-related needs in accordance with District expectations.
• Develop, refine, and implement procedures and processes related to ESE student information, enrollment, placement, data quality, and reporting.
• Analyzes enrollment trends and student projection data to proactively determine space requirements and geographical placement for new exceptional student education classrooms.
• Designs, implements, and refines a data-driven ESE staff allocation model to ensure equitable and compliant distribution of teachers, paraeducators, and support staff across all District schools.
• Leads the strategy, design, and continuous optimization of internal ESE dashboards to provide real-time, actionable insights for school administrators and District leadership.
• Serves as the primary authority on state and federal special education compliance metrics, ensuring student tracking software accurately reflects current IEP statuses.
• Tracks, analyzes, and reports on MDR data trends to identify disparate impacts, ensure student rights are protected, and advise on corrective action plans for school sites.
• Oversee processes to monitor, identify, and resolve data reporting errors to ensure accurate and timely state reporting submissions.
• Collaborate with ESE Compliance leadership to develop and monitor data-related corrective action plans in response to state, county, or internal monitoring findings. Establish procedures to address identified concerns, document corrective actions, and prevent recurring data and operational deficiencies.
• Develop and monitor districtwide enrollment and placement procedures to identify students who are pending placement, assigned but not enrolled, or enrolled but not attending. Collaborate with school teams and appropriate District departments to address barriers and support timely access to educational services.
• Use stakeholder feedback to improve PowerSchool Special Programs processes, reports, dashboards, data pulls, and user supports; partner with schools to resolve student information, enrollment, placement, and data concerns.
• Establish and monitor data quality standards for ESE student information and support school and central office staff in maintaining accurate and complete records.
• Coordinate across District departments to ensure ESE student data is accessible, understood, and appropriately used, and that relevant data integrations and downstream processes are supported.
• Develop and maintain training, guidance, job aids, and support resources for PowerSchool, Special Programs, ESE enrollment and placement processes, and ESE data reporting.
• Ensure stakeholders receive timely, relevant resources and data needed to support accurate student records, compliance, enrollment, placement, and decision-making.
• Collaborate with school and central office leaders to support high-quality ESE data collection, validation, correction, and submission, including supporting Medicaid billing.
• Complete and coordinate timely and accurate ESE data pulls, reports, and extracts for District leadership, schools, compliance monitoring, state and federal reporting and other approved operational needs.
• Maintain operational calendars, reporting schedules, and recurring data routines that anticipate the needs of central office and school-based staff.
• Coordinate with vendors and internal partners supporting PowerSchool Special Programs and related ESE data systems to resolve issues and ensure services meet operational needs.
• Demonstrate an effective approach to team building, including clarity of purpose, shared responsibility, accountability, and collaboration.
• Develop project management routines that support clear tasks, owners, timelines, deliverables, and regular communication with appropriate stakeholders.
• Build effective relationships with school and District staff to support mplementation of the District strategic plan and ESE priorities.
• Oversee and implement policies, procedures, and case-management processes associated with ESE Enrollment and student placement, including school enrollment, Transfer B, placement, transportation coordination, program alignment and movement of students across the continuum of ESE services.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Senior Executive Director of ESE Operations & Compliance or designee.

Security Clearance:

Internal Applicants

If you are a current Detroit Public Schools Community District employee, you do not have to submit to a new security clearance, unless your new role requires a different type of criminal background check.

External Applicants

In alignment with Michigan law, if you are hired to fill a position, you will be required to submit to a Detroit Public Schools Community District criminal background check. Information regarding required background checks will be shared at point of hire.

DPSCD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability and/or religion. Contact the Civil Rights Coordinator for more information at [phone] or detroitk12.org/compliance

DPSCD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, transgender identity, disability, age, religion, height, weight, citizenship, marital or family status, military status, ancestry, genetic information, or any other legally protected category, in its educational programs and activities, including employment and admissions opportunities.