Lipscomb Academy - Director of Academic Support

The director of academic support provides leadership and day-to-day management of a comprehensive academic support program serving students in the lower, middle, and high school divisions. This individual leads a team that includes student success coordinators, reading and math interventionists, testing center coordinators, and tutors. The role demands a collaborative and student-centered leader who can cultivate strong partnerships among faculty, students, and families to ensure that students are supported and positioned for success.

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Strategic Vision

Oversee the Academic Support program across Lower, Middle, and High School divisions

Lead program and initiate new programs and improvement efforts for each school year

Facilitate bi-weekly team meetings with student success coordinators, interventionists, and tutoring staff to review student concerns, share updates, align on priorities, and ensure coordinated delivery of services across all divisions

Lead weekly At-Risk meetings for middle and high school

Develop and implement professional development opportunities for staff, including training for teachers on high-stakes testing protocols and accommodation procedures

Represent the Academic Support program in academic and strategic planning meetings

Section 504 Coordination & Compliance

Serve as the school's designated representative overseeing 504 eligibility determinations, annual reviews, and reevaluations in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act across all divisions.

Supervise Student Success Coordinators in the facilitation of initial eligibility meetings, annual reviews, and reevaluations, ensuring procedural integrity and consistency across all divisions

Ensure documentation expiration timelines are being monitored and that families are receiving proactive communication at least three months in advance of expiring evaluations

Oversee the accurate and timely maintenance of finalized 504 plans

Ensure teacher accommodation references and documentation quick guides are kept current and accessible to staff following each 504 meeting

Provide guidance and support to Student Success Coordinators attending Solly School ILP/504 meetings, ensuring compliance standards are met

Psychoeducational Evaluation & Eligibility Review

Read and interpret recommendations from psychoeducational evaluations, psychological assessments, and medical reports to determine 504 eligibility and minor adjustments

Maintain working knowledge of current assessment instruments and their relevance to eligibility determinations

Guide Student Success Coordinators in understanding and applying evaluation data when facilitating eligibility meetings and drafting 504 plans

Confidentiality, Ethics & Legal Compliance

Maintain strict confidentiality of all student records and educational information in full compliance with FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and applicable state privacy regulations

Ensure all Academic Support team members are trained on and adhere to FERPA requirements, confidentiality protocols, and appropriate information-sharing boundaries with faculty, staff, and outside providers

Apply ethical decision-making frameworks when navigating sensitive student situations and and competing stakeholder interests

Model and uphold professional ethical standards consistent with the school's mission and applicable professional codes of conduct

Ensure secure storage, access controls, and proper retention and disposal of confidential student documentation across the program

Student Success Coordinator Oversight

Supervise Student Success Coordinators across all divisions, ensuring consistent, high-quality support is being delivered to students on their caseloads

Monitor the effectiveness of student check-ins, intervention, and progress documentation

Review student progress data regularly to identify needs and make programmatic adjustments

Ensure cross-functional collaboration between Student success coordinators among counselors, teachers, and outside providers is occurring systematically and effectively

Oversee transition support processes for students moving between divisions, including incoming admissions reviews and senior college accommodation planning

Testing Center Oversight

Support the Testing Center Coordinator, providing guidance on operations, staffing, and administration of standardized and classroom-based testing

Assist in the administration of key assessments, including iReady, MAP, Milestones, ERBs, ACT, PSAT, and AP exams

Review and approve testing accommodation schedules for mid-term and final exams, ensuring alignment with athletics and other school calendars

Support AP exam proctoring and assist with coordinating exam schedules and student folders

Tutoring Program Oversight

Provide leadership and direction over the school's tutoring program, ensuring it operates in alignment with the broader Academic Support program goals and student needs.

Supervise tutors setting expectations for scheduling, family communication, accountability, and program quality

Review program data and tutor caseloads to ensure students are receiving appropriate and consistent support

Ensure tutoring services are integrated with 504 plans, intervention strategies, and recommendations from Student Success Coordinators

Evaluate the overall effectiveness of the tutoring program and make recommendations for staffing, structure, or process improvements as needed

Reading & Math Interventionist Oversight

Supervise reading and math interventionists across divisions, setting clear expectations for caseload management, progress monitoring, and documentation of student outcomes

Review interventionist data and student progress to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention delivery and make adjustments to student groupings, frequency, or approach as needed

Ensure interventionists are collaborating with Student Success Coordinators, classroom teachers, and outside providers to align intervention strategies with 504 plans and broader academic support goals

Admissions & Transition Support

Review lower, middle, and high school admissions files to ensure incoming students with identified needs are appropriately supported and connected with academic support services

Attend grade-level promotion meetings and rising-grade transition meetings for middle and high school students.

Support the coordination of transition orientations and preview day experiences for students entering new divisions, ensuring 504 plans and support needs are communicated to receiving teams

Evaluate course scheduling recommendations for students with 504 plans, ensuring alignment between student needs and academic programming

Make recommendations for students for summer programs; oversee the summer communication process, including recommendations for summer programs and outreach to families with expiring documentation

Data, Reporting & Communication

Oversee the collection and analysis of student progress data across the Academic Support program, including grades, teacher feedback, intervention outcomes, and testing center usage

Ensure student meetings, progress notes, action plans, and barriers are being documented consistently and accurately by all members of the academic support team.

Serve as the primary point of escalation for complex or sensitive parent and teacher concerns related to accommodations and academic support services

Other Duties As Assigned

Qualifications

Required

Master’s degree in Education, Special Education, School Psychology, Psychology, or a related field; Doctoral degree preferred

Minimum 5 years of experience in academic support, special education, or a related student services role

Thorough ability to read and interpret psychoeducational, psychological and medical evaluations

Strong working knowledge of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, including eligibility determination, plan development, and compliance obligations

Demonstrated experience managing or supervising a team of education professionals

Exceptional organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills

Ability to collaborate effectively across academic, counseling, athletic, and administrative departments

Preferred

Experience in a PreK-12 independent or private school setting.

Familiarity with standardized testing coordination (AP, ACT, PSAT, ERB, iReady, MAP) and accommodation request processes.

Experience with diagnostic assessment and academic intervention frameworks (e.g., Wilson Reading System, IXL).

Proficiency with school information systems (e.g., FACTS, Schoology).

Education

Required

Masters or better in Education