Karen Tineo: Portfolio for Director of Special Education and Pupil Services

Welcome to my professional portfolio showcasing the artifacts demonstrating the successful completion of requirements for the Director of Student Services license in Wisconsin.

Welcome

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” ~ John F. Kennedy

Thank you for visiting my professional portfolio. What you’ll find here is a collection of experiences, reflections, and artifacts that demonstrate my readiness to lead as a Director of Special Education and Pupil Services in Wisconsin.

Every document and artifact included was selected to illustrate my knowledge of the standards and guidelines in special education and pupil services. Each demonstrate my deep commitment to equitable access, inclusive education, and collaborative problem-solving.

WI Administration Standards

Strong educational leadership in Wisconsin is guided by a clear set of expectations: the Wisconsin Administrator Standards. These seven standards serve as the foundation for preparing, developing, and evaluating school and district leaders across the state. They reflect a vision of leadership that is student-focused, equity-driven, and systemically responsive.

Standard 1: Mission, Vision, and Core Values

Effective educational leaders develop, advocate, and enact a shared mission, vision, and core values of high-quality education, academic success, and well-being of each pupil.

Standard 2: Ethics and Professional Norms

Effective educational leaders act ethically and according to professional norms to promote each pupil's academic success and well-being.

Standard 3: Equity and Cultural Responsiveness

Effective educational leaders strive for equity of educational opportunity and culturally responsive practices to promote each pupil's academic success and well-being.

Standard 4: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

Effective educational leaders develop and support intellectually rigorous and coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to promote each pupil's academic success and well-being.

Standard 5: Care and Support

Effective educational leaders cultivate an inclusive, caring, and supportive school community to promote each pupil's academic success and well-being.

Standard 6: Professional Capacity of School Personnel

Effective educational leaders develop the professional capacity and practice of school personnel to promote each pupil's academic success and well-being.

Standard 7: Professional Community

Effective educational leaders foster a professional community of teachers and other professional staff to promote each pupil's academic success and well-being.

Standard 8: Meaningful Engagement

Effective educational leaders engage families and the community in meaningful, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial ways to promote each pupil's academic success and well-being.

Standard 9: Operations and Management

Effective educational leaders effectively manage school operations and resources to promote each pupil's academic success and well-being.

Standard 10: School Improvement

Effective educational leaders act as agents of continuous school improvement to promote each pupil's academic success and well-being.

Standard 11: Teacher Standards

Effective educational leaders understand and demonstrate competence in the teacher standards under s. PI 34.002.

Content Guidelines for Director of Special Education and Pupil Services

Historical, theoretical and legal foundations of special education and pupil services including:

1.1 Historical and evolving special education laws, regulations, and policies and procedures that affect the lives of children with disabilities and their families.

1.2 Models, theories and philosophies that provide the basis for general and special educational systems.

1.3 Organizational and systems theory including political and economic issues that affect policy development within state and local education agencies and across other service systems.

1.4 Federal, state, and local education reform initiatives and their requirements for both general and special education.

1.5 Legal responsibility with regard to school-based counseling, psychological, social work, and nursing services including the children’s code under Wis. Stats., Chapter 48.

Managing student behavior and social skills/interactions including:

6.1 Federal, state and local policies and procedures governing the discipline of all students and the implications for children at risk and children with disabilities.

6.2 Knowledge of legal and ethical issues surrounding use of various forms of behavior and social skills management procedures for children at risk and children with disabilities.

Professional and ethical practices including:

8.1 The professional ethics and social behaviors appropriate for school and community.

8.2 Interpersonal communication, intergroup communication, and public communication both oral and written

The characteristics of learners including:

2.1 Theories of child and adolescent development and principles of learning and how they relate to children at risk and children with disabilities.

2.2 Differential learning characteristics of students with and without disabilities and the implications for development of programs and services.

Assessment and diagnosis practices including:

3.1 Current legal and policy issues surrounding assessment and accountability related to children at risk and children with disabilities.

3.1 Characteristics, appropriate use, and interpretation of various types of education-related assessments, including but not limited to norm-referenced, informal, and performance-based portfolio.

Instructional content and practice including:

4.1 General education curriculum theory, models, and implications for children at risk and children with disabilities.

4.2 General education curriculum theory, instruction, and how special education and related services support student access to the general education curriculum

Communication and collaboration partnerships including:

7.1 Interacting successfully with students, parents, educators, employers, and community support systems such as juvenile justice, public health, vocational rehabilitation, human services, and early childhood and adult education.

7.2 Approaches for involving parents, family, and community members in educational planning, implementation, and evaluation.

7.3 The roles of parents and various advocacy organizations as they support children at risk and children with disabilities and their families.

Planning and managing the educator and learning environment including:

5.1 Research methods and knowledge about issues and trends to improve practice in schools and classrooms.

5.2 Coordination of curriculum and instructional programs and practice strategies that facilitate the seamless movement of students from early childhood into K-12 environments and from school to postsecondary settings.

5.3 Organization, development and management of collaborative and mutually supportive pupil services and special education programs within educational settings.

5.4 Program evaluation models, processes and accountability systems.

5.5 Leadership and human resources management including recruitment, personnel assistance and development, on-going supervision and evaluation of personnel, sites and district services related to learning outcomes for all students.

5.6 Federal, state and local fiscal and taxation policies related to education and other social and health agencies.

5.7 The educator standards under s. PI 34.02.

5.8 Minority group relations under s. PI 34.15(4)(c).