Reading Specialist - System-wide

Qualifications:

1. 1. Valid teacher’s certificate.
2. . Valid Reading Specialist certification.
3. Completed ARI two-week summer institute.
4. Certified ARI trainer/presenter.
5. Minimum of one-year experience in the role of ARI site-based Reading Specialist.

FLSA status:

Exempt

Supervisor:

Director of Educational Programs

Supervises:

Assists Principals with Reading Specialists

Required knowledge, skills and abilities:

1. 1. Know the critical processes in literacy learning and teaching in the context of a broad-based literacy framework.
2. Know how to form learning communities in multiple school settings that focus on integrated learning rather than a series of separated activities.
3. Able to design staff development in order to offer teachers of literacy an analytic, reflective, inquiry-oriented program.
4. Able to assess individual Reading Specialists, classrooms, and schools, and gather vital information about the teachers.
5. Able to analyze reading, writing, and word study lessons quickly and determine precise actions that help Reading Specialists move forward in his/her coaching/learning.
6. Able to support Reading Specialists and literacy teachers learning over time through study groups, peer coaching, and quality staff development organized to bring about lasting change.
7. Understand and support adult learning.
8. Know how the reading/writing processes develop and how to adjust instruction to particular students.
9. Know how to use a range of effective pedagogical approaches and techniques, able to analyze instruction, and provide clear, specific information for strategy implementation.

Job goal:

A Reading Specialist is defined as a specially prepared professional who has responsibility for the literacy performance of readers in general or struggling readers in particular. A System Reading Specialist is also referred to as a teacher educator, teacher leader, literacy coordinator, staff developer, or literacy consultant. The Reading Specialist in this role works closely with the site-based Reading Specialist, ARI offices in Montgomery, Put Reading First Staff, Inservice Reading Specialist, Principals, and the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction to design an effective professional development model that encourages on-going, inquiry-oriented learning, peer-coaching, and assessment monitoring.

Essential Functions:

1. 1. Establish clear goals for staff development at the school and system level.
2. Assist Reading Specialists in analyzing performance data to identify classrooms that are making substantial progress and classrooms that are making minimal progress.
3. Communicates regularly with ARI staff and Put Reading First Staff to implement program for Reading Specialists and individual schools that will successfully accelerate achievement for all students.
4. Assist in organizing statewide training efforts, including summer institutes, workshops, principal training, etc.
5. Organize local study groups, such as book clubs, reflective practices, or program supports.
6. Attend Principal meetings to inform their literacy growth concerning Best Practices.
7. Encourage and support site-based professional development led by the principal and a school-based literacy team using student achievement to inform professional development plans and actions.
8. Provide demonstration materials (appropriate gradient text, videos, professional books, etc.) to strengthen Reading Specialists’ ability to help teachers organize and manage their classrooms.
9. Provide feedback during Reading Specialist coaching sessions that help Reading Specialists establish routines and procedures to target effective practices.
10. Provide concrete suggestions for changes in teacher behavior and/or organization and use of time.
11. Analyze and discuss examples of teachers’ teaching for greater student learning and/or better management.
12. Coach Reading Specialists as they help teachers engage in analysis and reflection in their continual refining of their teaching.
13. Help Reading Specialists formulate their own goals for extending their understanding.
14. Work with Reading Specialists to teach them useful sources of assessment date for measuring literacy progress at appropriate grade and ability levels.
15. Help school literacy teams assess and focus resources –time, people, and materials—where they will make the greatest difference.
16. Provide weekly Reading Specialist training on specific, clear instructional procedures.
17. Create an atmosphere of trust and collaboration in classrooms/schools that allows for professional growth by all teachers and Reading Specialists.

Terms of employment:

The terms of employment shall be in accordance with provisions of the Board’s Policy Manual, Alabama Teacher Tenure Act, and the Board’s Salary Schedule – Coordinators for Curriculum and Instruction.

Evaluation:

Performance of this job will be evaluated annually in accordance with provisions of the Board’s policy on Evaluation of Professional Personnel

Source: Tuscaloosa City Schools
Date: May 21, 2002