Kristi Westendorf
Paradise
Summary
Strategic Special Programs Director with 33 years of experience in education leading compliant, high-performing programs that support diverse student populations. Expertise in regulatory adherence (IDEA, Section 504, Dyslexia), compliance, program development, and cross-functional team leadership. Proven success in improving student and staff assessment systems, implementing future-ready technology solutions, and driving service quality while managing student and staff growth. Trusted leader skilled in building collaborative relationships with educators, families, and district stakeholders.
Overview
34
34
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director of Special Programs
Springtown Independent School District
Springtown, TX
01.2023 - Current
- Develop and implement innovative special programs to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes
- Establish partnerships with community organizations to provide additional resources and support for students
- Lead and coordinate professional development workshops for staff, focusing on best practices in special education programming and compliance
- Evaluate program effectiveness through data analysis, making strategic adjustments to improve service delivery
- Oversee budget management for special programs, ensuring resource allocation aligned with district priorities
- Lead and guided program planning, coordination and evaluation
- Maintain compliance with relevant regulations by staying current on industry trends and adapting policies accordingly
- Analyze district needs and develop targeted district improvement plans, strategic support plans, and corrective action plans
Coordinator of Special Education Assessment and Compliance/Lead Diagnostician
Springtown Independent School District
Springtown, Texas
08.2022 - 12.2022
- Continuously coordinated with campus administrators and counselors to refine and assist with the Child Find process
- Coordinated district referrals and assessments
- Assisted with Section 504 trainings
- Collaborated with district 504 coordinators on campuses to answer questions and ensure compliance
- Met with district administrators to problem solve situations on campuses
- Trained district staff in the use of the new Special Programs Management (SPM) program being adopted by Springtown ISD
- Worked closely with Frontline staff to troubleshoot and navigate the new SPM program
Lead Diagnostician
Springtown Independent School District
Springtown, Texas
08.2020 - 07.2022
- Mentored teachers and evaluation staff
- Provided continuous collaboration with diagnosticians regarding job duties, evaluations, ARD paperwork, and special education laws and requirements
- Developed procedures to ensure TEA compliance
- Worked with campus administrators and counselors to refine and assist with the Child Find process
- Provided ongoing training for assessment staff and special education teachers as well as conferring with the general educators for student success
- Integral member of the Cyclical Monitoring Team
- Essential member of the Special Programs Management (SPM) integration team working closely with Frontline SPM administrators and programmers to learn the new documentation program and provide input for future updates
- Indispensable member of the Special Education Advisory and Leadership team (SEALs team) developed to implement creative problem solving to address any issues or concerns on campuses involving students and staff
Diagnostician
Springtown Independent School District
Springtown, Texas
08.2009 - 07.2020
- Coordinated ongoing tasks of team members to maintain compliance with TEA requirements
- Assisted families during the initial special education process and beyond
- Collaborated with special education teachers and staff to assist in determining appropriate programming for IEP development
- Collaborated with general education staff to ensure success for all students with disabilities
- Successfully maintained district Child Find responsibilities (SPP 11 and SPP 12)
- Responsible for collecting and documenting information for Child Outcome Summary Forms (COSFs) as part of state compliance for SPP7
- Coordinated assessments with related services providers and bilingual assessment providers
- Integral member of the district Autism Team (5 years) and Early Childhood Team (14 years)
- Successfully scheduled and conducted ARD meetings within federal timelines and completing paperwork for compliance
- Conducted evaluations, gathered data, and wrote Full and Individual Initial Evaluations (FIIE) interpreting assessments and conveying results to parents, administrators, general education teachers, and special education teachers
Adapted Physical Education/Special Education Homebound/Transition Specialist
Springtown Independent School District
Springtown, Texas
08.2006 - 07.2009
- Collaborated with students and families to discuss post secondary assessments to drive goals
- Completed ARD paperwork regarding transition and Transfer of Rights at the age of 18 as required for compliance
- Attended ARDs to address transition
- Provided weekly adapted physical education services to students throughout the district
- Conducted adapted physical education evaluations and wrote reports interpreting the data
- Provided homebound services to student with disabilities
- Completed ARD paperwork regarding transition and Transfer of Rights at the age of 18
- In January of 2009 began conducting assessments and writing interpretive reports to assist district diagnosticians in the initial referral process
Transition Specialist
Springtown Independent School District
Springtown, Texas
08.2008 - 07.2009
- Collaborated with students and families to discuss post-secondary assessments to drive student goals
- Completed ARD paperwork regarding transition and Transfer of Rights at the age of 18
- In January of 2009 began conducting assessments and writing interpretive reports to assist district diagnosticians in the initial referral process
Special Education Teacher
Springtown ISD, Keller ISD, White Mountains Regional School District, Lansing Independent Schools, Cooperative Educational Service Agency #8
07.1992 - 07.2006
- Scheduled and attend ARDs for the campus
- Completed all necessary ARD paperwork for students as required for compliance
- Collaborated with teachers and staff to prepare for ARDs
- Accommodated/modified assignments as required in the students’ IEPs
- Differentiated instruction to meet students' needs
- Completed teacher ARD paperwork for students in the Behavior Intervention Classroom and attended ARDs
- Responsible for the instruction of students in grades 7 and 8 in all subjects with grade level instruction ranging from 1st grade level on grade level content
- Successfully implemented a leveling system within the classroom which allowed several students learn to self monitor and control their behavior in order to return to the general education setting as appropriate
- Provided both itinerant and classroom instruction for students who were deaf and hard of hearing
- Responsible for planning and instruction for students ages 3 through 21 who met eligibility criteria as deaf and hard of hearing
- Responsible for maintenance, troubleshooting, and care of technological devised related to hearing impairment
- Worked closely with families to facilitate communication between parents and siblings of students who were deaf
- Taught sign language classes through community education to increase my students ability to communicate with people in the community
Behavior Intervention Classroom Teacher
Springtown Independent School District
Springtown, Texas
08.2004 - 07.2005
- Completed teacher ARD paperwork for students in the Behavior Intervention Classroom and attended ARDs
- Responsible for the instruction of students in grades 7 and 8 in all subjects with grade level instruction ranging from 1st grade level on grade level content
- Successfully implemented a leveling system within the classroom which allowed several students learn to self monitor and control their behavior in order to return to the general education setting as appropriate
Special Education Teacher
Keller Independent School District
Keller, Texas
08.1999 - 07.2004
- Responsible for instructional and IEP planning for students in grades 5 and 6
- Provided services in a resource setting, content mastery lab, and as an inclusion teacher
- Worked collaboratively with a team of special educators with shared responsibilities
- Attended ARDs and worked closely with parents of students with autism
Special Education Teacher
White Mountain Regional School District
Whitefield, New Hampshire
08.1997 - 07.1999
- Responsible for IEP preparation
- Responsible for conducting IEP meetings and completing paperwork in order to maintain compliance
- Planning and instruction for students with disabilities (most of whom met criteria as students with an emotional disturbance) in grades 4 through 8
- Provided supervision and training of 15 instructional assistants
- Completed achievement testing for students initial evaluations and three year re-evaluations
- Responsible for starting the "Planning Room" which was available for all students with behavioral issues to assist with decreasing and tracking difficult behavior
- Attended extensive behavioral trainings and returned to the district and trained teachers and staff to provide behavioral support for students
- Maintained progress records and data on the information obtained in the Planning Room and presented information to administrative staff
Long-Term Substitute Teacher
Lansing Public Schools
Lansing, Michigan
08.1996 - 06.1997
- Responsible for planning and instruction for English/Language Arts and Math for students with disabilities.
- Responsible for IEP meeting preparation such as preparing goals and accommodations for student.
Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Cooperative Educational Service Agency #8 (CESA #8)
Gillett, Wisconsin
08.1992 - 07.1996
- Provided both itinerant and classroom instruction
- Responsible for planning and instruction for students ages 3 through 21 who met eligibility criteria as deaf and hard of hearing
- Responsible for maintenance, troubleshooting, and care of technological devised related to hearing impairment
- Worked closely with families to facilitate communication between parents and siblings of students who were deaf
- Taught sign language classes through community education to increase my students ability to communicate with people in the community
Education
Master's in Special Education - Diagnostician Certification
Texas Woman's University
Denton12-2008
Bachelor of Science - Deaf Education
Kent State University
Kent, Ohio12-1991
Skills
- Special Education Compliance (IDEA, FAPE, Section 504)
- Program Development & Oversight
- IEP/ARD Process Management
- Staff Leadership & Development
- Assessment & Evaluation Systems
- Budget & Resource Allocation
- Data-Driven Decision Making
- EdTech Implementation
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Policy & Procedure Development
- Compliance Driven
- Policy and procedure development
Accomplishments
- Created a presentation for the Admission, Review, and Dismissal process in Frontline Special Education & Interventions system for diagnosticians to follow in order to ensure TEA compliance
- Created a presentation to assist diagnosticians in the completion of the Review of Existing Evaluation Data and Full and Individual Initial Evaluation using the Frontline Special Education & Interventions system for diagnosticians to follow in order to ensure TEA compliance
- Created several procedures within the special education department in conjunction with information and requests from district principals to assist in streamlining the referral and ARD process in order to create consistency between all campuses
- Assisted in the continuous refining of Springtown ISD’s Child Find process
- Extensive experience and knowledge in working with students with disabilities as well their families
- Experienced and efficient user of the Frontline Special Education & Interventions system
Affiliations
- Member of Texas Educational Diagnosticians Association (TEDA) since 2009
- Member of Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education (TCASE) since 2021
Certification
- Generalist Grades EC-4
- Generalist Grades 4-8
- General Special Education Grades Prek through 12
- Hearing Impaired Grades Prek through 12
- Educational Diagnostician EC-12
Timeline
Director of Special Programs
Springtown Independent School District
01.2023 - Current
Coordinator of Special Education Assessment and Compliance/Lead Diagnostician
Springtown Independent School District
08.2022 - 12.2022
Lead Diagnostician
Springtown Independent School District
08.2020 - 07.2022
Diagnostician
Springtown Independent School District
08.2009 - 07.2020
Transition Specialist
Springtown Independent School District
08.2008 - 07.2009
Adapted Physical Education/Special Education Homebound/Transition Specialist
Springtown Independent School District
08.2006 - 07.2009
Behavior Intervention Classroom Teacher
Springtown Independent School District
08.2004 - 07.2005
Special Education Teacher
Keller Independent School District
08.1999 - 07.2004
Special Education Teacher
White Mountain Regional School District
08.1997 - 07.1999
Long-Term Substitute Teacher
Lansing Public Schools
08.1996 - 06.1997
Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Cooperative Educational Service Agency #8 (CESA #8)
08.1992 - 07.1996
Special Education Teacher
Springtown ISD, Keller ISD, White Mountains Regional School District, Lansing Independent Schools, Cooperative Educational Service Agency #8
07.1992 - 07.2006
Bachelor of Science - Deaf Education
Kent State University
Master's in Special Education - Diagnostician Certification
Texas Woman's University