Middle School Reading Specialist

Paul Cuffee School, a K-12 public charter school of choice, educates a diverse community of students from the City of Providence, Rhode Island. We respect each individual and the world we share. This quality of our community is central to our mission. In the spirit of Paul Cuffee’s life, we teach students to value and practice personal initiative, perseverance, and social responsibility. Our School accomplishes these goals through a rigorous academic program which, enriched with maritime experiences, fosters discovery and critical thinking. We prepare students for higher education, lifelong learning, and active citizenship. To learn more about our school, please visit us at www.paulcuffee.org

Reports to: Middle School Principal and Head of School

Hours: 1.0 FTE, Exempt (193-day position)

Overview

The reading specialist works with teachers to develop scope and sequence, unit plans, and systems to teach literacy and foster a culture of reading. He/she also teaches intervention classes, provides in-class support, and works with students in pull-out and small groups. Finally, the reading specialist provides expertise in best-practice strategies and instructional methods for the school.

Responsibilities/duties include, but are not limited to:

• Teach small-group literacy support classes for students struggling to meet grade level expectations in reading. Work with small groups of students to meet individual needs in reading and to accelerate progress toward grade level expectations.
•  Assess individual needs and develop appropriate methods and materials for learning.
• Conduct ongoing assessment of student learning and progress and modify instructional methods to fit individual student's needs, including students with individualized education plans; incorporate individual and small group instruction.
• Maintain a system for accurate and complete record-keeping and grading.
• Demonstrate, model, and coach effective research-based literacy instructional strategies with teachers, for use with whole group, small group, and individual students.
• Support teachers in development of best practice instruction in balanced literacy, reading in the content areas, and reading intervention.
• Work with teachers and principal in creating, refining, and documenting current curriculum maps and instructional units that are aligned to Common Core State Standards.
• Use common planning time and professional development time as scheduled to collaborate with classroom teachers to differentiate for and support students with academic needs; collaborate with teachers to further refine and develop literacy program across all content areas.
• Provide diagnostic, evaluative, and interpretive assessment guidance for students and staff.
• Use assessment data to track all student growth in reading and writing; Update students’ Personal Literacy Plans with individual data and support recommendations.
• Other duties and tasks as assigned.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university required
• Valid Rhode Island Department of Education Certification required
• Reading Specialist/Consultant