About Pennwood Cyber Charter School
Pennwood Cyber Charter School is a tuition-free, K–12 public cyber charter school serving students across Pennsylvania. Pennwood provides flexible virtual learning supported by a proven curriculum, individualized student support, and innovative educational opportunities designed to promote academic achievement, engagement, and long-term student success.
Pennwood operates on a unique school calendar that includes a three-week Connections Term (CTerm), extending the school year to 195 instructional days. The Connections Term provides additional opportunities for intervention support, enrichment experiences, relationship-building, career readiness exploration, and personalized student learning.
Pennwood is committed to fostering a collaborative, relationship-centered virtual school culture where students, families, and staff feel connected, supported, and empowered to succeed.
Pennwood staff members participate in a competitive benefits package, including health coverage and retirement contributions through a 403(b) plan with a 5% employer match in place of PSERS.
Position Summary
The Special Populations Administrative Assistant is responsible for managing the administrative, compliance, and operational processes that support special populations services at Pennwood Cyber Charter School. This role ensures the accurate coordination, documentation, and tracking of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), evaluations, and related compliance requirements in alignment with Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) regulations.
This position plays a critical role in maintaining timelines, supporting service delivery, and ensuring legal compliance across the full special populations lifecycle—from Child Find through evaluation, IEP development, and ongoing services. Specialists may be assigned to specific grade bands (K–4, 5–8/Foundation, or 9–12) while operating within a unified system of processes and expectations.
Core Responsibilities
IEP Documentation & Records Management
- Process Special Education document requests
- Upload and maintain accurate documentation, including Evaluations, IEPs, NOREPs, and Invitations
- Update document vaults (DV) and internal systems with required documentation
- Create and maintain IEP cover pages and supporting documentation
- Ensure all documentation is complete, accurate, and audit-ready
IEP Coordination & Meeting Management
- Manage and coordinate IEP meeting schedules across assigned grade band
- Schedule IEP and evaluation/re-evaluation meetings
- Send meeting invitations and ensure required participants are included
- Conduct follow-ups (email/text) to ensure attendance and participation
- Coordinate translator requests as needed
- Support virtual meeting logistics (Google platform)
- Monitor and track all scheduled IEP meetings
Compliance & Timeline Management
- Monitor and flag critical compliance timelines including:
- 60-day IEP due dates
- 90-day evaluation/re-evaluation timelines
- Ensure timely completion of all required documentation and actions
- Track and manage IA tickets related to evaluations and record reviews
- Monitor compliance dashboards (IEPWriter, PowerBI, or similar systems)
- Support audit readiness and compliance reporting
Evaluation & Child Find Processes
- Conduct intake calls for new referrals
- Create and manage Child Find IA tickets
- Track evaluation timelines and required documentation
- Create and issue Prior Written Notices (PWNs)
- Support creation and tracking of Evaluation Reports (ER), Re-evaluation Reports (RR), and record reviews
- Monitor evaluation timelines across assigned grade band
IEP Writer & Systems Management
- Utilize IEPWriter to:
- Manage documentation and compliance workflows
- Assign providers and track related services
- Support Extended School Year (ESY) processes
- Maintain accurate data across systems including IEPWriter and internal trackers
- Support system updates and data integrity
Service Coordination & Tracking
- Assign service providers within IEPWriter
- Track delivery of related services
- Support coordination of Extended School Year (ESY) services
- Collaborate with service providers and case managers to ensure alignment
State Reporting & Compliance Support
- Support state reporting processes related to special populations
- Assist with compliance monitoring and reporting requirements
- Participate in documentation reviews and weekly data pulls
- Support disability determination documentation processes
Operational Support & Continuous Improvement
- Assist with training and onboarding support for new staff
- Maintain training trackers and documentation systems
- Provide administrative support for Special Education systems (e.g., IEPWriter Admin functions)
- Collaborate with internal teams and external partners (e.g., Armstrong Group)
- Support development and refinement of processes and workflows
Success Criteria
Success in this role is defined by:
- 100% compliance with IEP, evaluation, and documentation timelines
- Accurate and audit-ready documentation across all student records
- Effective coordination of meetings with high attendance and completion rates
- Strong tracking and visibility of compliance metrics and timelines
- Minimal errors in data entry and documentation
- Proactive identification and resolution of compliance risks
Qualifications
Required
- High school diploma or equivalent (Associate’s or Bachelor’s preferred)
- 2–4+ years of administrative, compliance, or school-based experience
- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
- Ability to manage multiple timelines and high-volume workflows
- Strong communication and coordination skills
- Proficiency in Google Workspace or Microsoft Office
Preferred
- Experience in special populations, compliance, or school operations
- Familiarity with IEPWriter or similar special populations systems
- Knowledge of Pennsylvania special populations regulations and timelines
- Experience with data tracking tools (e.g., PowerBI or compliance dashboards)
Work Environment & Scope
- Remote-based role with high coordination across teams
- High-volume, deadline-driven environment with strict compliance requirements
- Role requires strong independent workflow management
- Direct impact on student services, legal compliance, and audit readiness
