Reading and Language Arts Campus Instructional Specialist - Elementary

Primary Purpose: 

The Reading/Language Arts Campus Instructional Specialist (CIS) job description centers on supporting  teachers and improving student reading and writing achievement through coaching, professional  development, and curriculum development/support. Key responsibilities include improving literacy  instruction, building teacher capacity, providing coaching to teachers on researched based instructional  strategies (RBIS), modeling effective instruction, and analyzing student data to identify strengths and  weaknesses. The specialist also assists in planning and implementing reading and writing interventions,  aligning instruction with standards, and sometimes engaging with families. 

The RLA CIS is an integral part of the campus leadership team, and will collaborate with other campus  leaders, teachers, and Learning Services Department to ensure strong communication and partnership  among all stakeholders. The primary focus of this role will be devoted to campus-based instructional  leadership and teacher coaching; and other duties may be devoted to district-level responsibilities such  as professional development delivery, curriculum development, and cross-campus collaboration.  

Qualifications: 

Education/Certification/License: 

Requires five years of successful teaching experience in the subject and level of assignment.  Demonstrate competency in the subject area assigned. Requires a valid Texas teaching certificate in the  subject and level of assignment or other certification credentials as allowed by the Texas State Board for  Educator Certification. Bachelor’s degree from accredited institution. Master’s degree in the subject  area assigned, preferred. Principal certificate or enrollment in leadership preparation program,  preferred. 

Special Knowledge/Skills:  

Experience coaching teachers in a high-need or turnaround environment. Evidence of achieving  significant student growth gains in reading/language arts. Ability to lead courageous conversations and  manage adult learning. Ability to utilize computer software and interpret computer printout data,  especially testing data. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each  essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill,  and/or ability required.

Major Responsibilities and Duties: 

**Campus-Based Responsibilities** 

Lead the implementation of district reading/language arts curriculum and aligned resources to ensure  high-quality Tier 1 instruction in every classroom. 

Design and deliver campus-specific RLA professional development. 

Mentor, coach, and provide feedback to RLA teachers and monitor implementation of improvement  plans. 

Lead the campus RLA professional learning community (PLC) to ensure lesson internalization, data  analysis, reteaching plans, and student work analysis occur weekly. 

Coordinate tiered interventions and progress monitoring for at-risk student populations. 

Conduct high-leverage walkthroughs of RLA classrooms to calibrate quality of instruction and provide  immediate feedback. 

Collaborate with the principal, assistant principal, and other instructional leadership staff to evaluate  teacher performance and build teacher leadership capacity. 

Lead data meetings with teachers and administrators after every formative assessment, progress check,  or benchmark to adjust instruction. 

Assist with local testing, including scheduling, administration, and analysis of results. Organize and distribute resource/instructional materials for classroom use. 

Communicate clearly with teachers, administrators, and the community in oral and written form. 

Serve as a liaison and communication link between district curriculum instruction personnel and the  local campus leadership team. 

Perform other duties as assigned by the principal or Executive Director of Schools. 

**District-Level Responsibilities** 

Serve as a campus and/or district trainer in professional development initiatives including New Teacher  Induction (NTI), mentor training, appraisal system, and others. 

Act as project leader on RLA curriculum projects; assist in writing RLA curriculum and pacing guides. 

Participate in cross-campus leadership meetings and provide expertise in RLA instruction for other  campuses. 

Contribute to district-level initiatives in RLA assessment, instructional planning, and professional  learning.

Performs other duties as assigned by the principal or Executive Director of Schools.  

Supervisory Responsibilities:  

Provides functional supervision and leadership to reading/language arts teachers and PLC leads in  collaboration with the campus administrative team. 

Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environmental Factors: 

Tools/Equipment Used: Standard office equipment including personal computer and peripherals. Phone  systems, and peripherals. 

Posture/Physical Demands: Prolonged sitting; regular kneeling/squatting, bending/stooping,  pushing/pulling, twisting. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must  be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the  duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear, to use hands to finger,  handle, or feel, and to stand and walk. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision,  distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.  

Motion: Repetitive hand motion; frequent keyboarding and use of mouse; regular walking,  grasping/squeezing, wrist flexion/extension, reaching. 

Lifting: Regular moderate lifting and carrying (less than 44 pounds); occasional heavy lifting and carrying  (45 pounds and over). 

Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an  employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. District-wide travel to multiple  campuses, as assigned. Possible travel outside of the district. The noise level in the work environment is  usually moderate. Occasional work during the weekends and evenings for special school functions. May  work outside with extreme temperatures (hot and cold) and humidity extremes,regular exposure to noise  and computer monitors.  

Mental Demands: Work with frequent interruptions; emotional control under stress.