What are the responsibilities and job description for the Instructional Coach position at Phenix City Schools?
INSTRUCTIONAL COACH
POSITION TITLE: Instructional Coach
SUPERVISES: N/A
JOB GOAL: To cultivate a community of learners that value collaborative problem solving. To implement school-wide practices that substantially accelerate the learning of struggling readers. To facilitate professional development that results in improved student reading achievement.
QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Possess valid Alabama Teacher’s Certificate.
2. Proper endorsement in teaching field.
3. Minimum of five (5) years teaching experience.
4. Master’s Degree or higher
5. Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the Board might find appropriate and acceptable.
REPORTS TO: School Principal
SALARY: To be determined commensurate with local salary matrix, credentials, and experience.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES OF THE JOB:
- Assist administrators in organizing literacy leadership teams that review assessment data and develop literacy plans for schools.
- Collaborate effectively with faculty and administrators on a professional basis to achieve literacy improvement in their schools.
- Nurture supportive, respectful behavior in all interactions among adults in the school.
- Influence school wide policies, procedures and practices that prompt proficient reading for all students.
- Provide an essential link among teachers on a grade level or within a department; across grade levels and across departments; and between faculty and administrators.
- Build collaborative, professional relationships among administrators, faculty and staff.
- Align reading standards, instruction, and measures of learning.
- Select reading programs based on their compatibility with scientific research.
- Secure commitment of all adults to implement a school wide research based, comprehensive reading plan that features systematic collection, analysis, and use of student performance data.
- Demonstrate a high level of skill in all aspects of instruction that accelerates the learning of struggling readers.
- Promote highly specialized reading instruction in which struggling readers thrive: instruction that is explicit, intensive, accelerated, and provide ample practice.
- Arrange for the organizational features needed to increase the achievement of struggling readers: more time with more highly skilled teachers, reduced teacher/pupil ratio, and flexible/varied grouping.
- Monitor student progress in ways that inform teaching and motivate learners.
- Make available student materials that ensure students read at their instructional reading level throughout the school day.
- Coordinate across instructional settings the instruction provided to struggling readers (e.g., intervention teacher collaborating with the social studies teacher).
- Create practices that motivate struggling readers and reward their progress.
- Create an environment in which all adults in the school know the struggling readers by name and collaborate in increasing their reading achievement.
- Partner with the principal to:
- Bring about all that is needed to facilitate a school wide commitment to reach all struggling readers.
- Motivate faculties to contribute to the school wide commitment to all students reading well.
- Structure professional activities that are research based, ongoing, coordinated, and responsive to student needs revealed by data (e.g., workshops, book studies, classroom coaching).
- Model research based instructional procedures and help teachers implement these procedures.
- Identify teachers’ strengths and areas for improvement based on student performance data and classroom observations.
- Provide teachers with feedback and coaching that impacts student learning.
- Help teachers select materials and instructional strategies that fit students’ needs and interests.
- Organize professional materials to enhance a system of ongoing learning.
- Organize and make accessible instructional materials (e.g., leveled text, electronic sources, and content related texts).
- Ensure that research based literacy strategies learned in workshops are used effectively in classrooms.
- Assist teachers in overcoming problems they encounter in their classrooms.
- Work closely with new teachers and administrators, helping them to understand the school’s literacy program and their roles in it.
- Model ongoing learning (e.g., participate in professional meets; stay current with national, state and local initiatives).
- Perform such other duties and assume such other responsibilities as may be assigned by the supervisor or Superintendent.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Good knowledge of content, curriculum, methods, materials and equipment of instructional specialty to which assigned.
- Good knowledge of student growth and development applicable to the grade level assigned.
- Good knowledge of the school's program of studies related to mission, goals and organization.
- Ability to apply knowledge of current research and theory to instructional programs.
- Ability to plan and implement lessons based on curriculum objectives and the needs and abilities of students.
- Ability to move around the room in order to monitor student work and behavior.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with students, parents and peers.
- Skilled and effective in oral and written communication.
- Excellent human relations skills.
- Physical and emotional ability and dexterity to perform required work and move about as needed in a fast paced, high-intensive work environment.
OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
Ability to apply knowledge of current research and theory in specific fields. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, staff and the community. Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both in oral and written form. Ability to perform duties with awareness of all district requirements and Board of Education policies.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
- 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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit and talk or hear. The employee occasionally is required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and depth perception.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
- The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- The noise level in the work environment is quiet to loud, depending upon the activity in the particular part of the day and location.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:
Length of contract and salary to be established by the Board.
EVALUATION:
Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with provisions of the Board’s Policy on Evaluation.
