An Invitation to Apply for the Position of

Director of Curriculum & Assessment

Available July 2013

Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School

New York, NY

Overview: About Public Prep

The Public Prep Network is a nonprofit organization that develops single-sex elementary and middle public schools that pursue excellence through continuous learning and data-driven instruction. Our model is designed to empower each student to build strong character, demonstrate critical thinking, possess a core body of knowledge and be on a predictive path to earn a degree from a four-year university.

Public Prep is currently comprised of three tuition-free, all-girls charter schools centered on the core values of Scholarship, Merit, Community, and Responsibility.

Girls Prep Lower East Side Elementary, the first all-girls charter school in New York City and the inaugural school in our network, was launched in 2005 and serves 325 students in grades K-4. Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle School and Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School launched in 2009 and are both entering their fourth years of operation. Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle School serves 225 students in grades 5-8^th. Girls Prep Bronx serves 375 students in grades K-4^th.

Joining our team at Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School

Public Prep is seeking a Director of Curriculum & Assessment to serve Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School for the 2013-2014 school year.

The Director of Curriculum & Assessment plays a vital role in the instructional leadership of the school. He/she is responsible for ensuring that teachers are prepared to execute the highest quality instruction. The chief responsibilities for the Director of Curriculum & Assessment include overseeing the development, implementation, and assessment of Public Prep's content-explicit and integrated curriculum. He/she fulfills these responsibilities by leading revision of curriculum maps and aligning maps with curricular resources, building teachers' capacity for planning, instruction, and assessment, managing assessment systems, and serving as an active member on the School Leadership and Instructional Leadership teams.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Leading the school-wide, ongoing curriculum mapping process and aligning maps with curricular resources:

• Ensuring vertical, horizontal, and Common Core State Standards alignment of curriculum maps for all subjects in collaboration with the MD, Student Learning and Achievement at Public Prep and the Instructional Leadership Team at Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School
• Helping grade level teams identify strategic opportunities for interdisciplinary units and integration of technology and performance assessment
• Working with grade level teams to revise curriculum maps based on student data and current research about effective practices
• Ensuring that all curriculum maps and lesson plans are stored and well-organized on school's shared drive or online curriculum mapping tool
• Coordinating instructional materials and resources that align with curriculum maps and working with the operations teams to ensure additional materials are purchased as necessary
• Acting as a liaison between companies and programs that support the instructional core of the school (scheduling school and classroom visits, attending trainings, and providing regular information and updates from external providers to school-based staff)
• Researching and approving additional curricular resources

Building teachers' capacity for planning, instruction, and assessment

• Conducting frequent walk throughs of classrooms to identify school-wide strengths and needs and to ensure fidelity to curriculum
• Engaging in targeted coaching cycles based on meeting school-wide goals
• Leading the planning, facilitation and/or debriefing of instructional team meetings related to curriculum and assessment (grade level team meetings, data analysis sessions during professional development days, etc.)
• Providing input and feedback on all grade team curriculum maps, unit and lesson plans
• Drawing on content expertise to develop and lead staff-wide professional development as directed by the Principal
• Supervising and evaluating a portfolio of teachers using Danielson's Framework for Teaching

Managing assessment systems (administration, analysis, and reporting):

• Working alongside Public Prep's Director of Assessment & Accountability to develop clear, published and accessible procedures that facilitate all staff members in testing and assessment practices
• Ensuring that assessment expectations are transparent and explicit for all members of the community
• Ensuring that both internal and external assessments are appropriately scheduled, implemented, and reported
• Ensuring compliance with all assessment guidelines in collaboration with the Director of Operations of the school and the Director of Assessment & Accountability at Public Prep Network
• Collaborating with external vendors (e.g. The Achievement Network) and Principal to ensure alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment

Serving as an active member of the School Leadership and Instructional Leadership Teams

• Participating in weekly School Leadership and Instructional Leadership Team meetings
• Working with the School Leadership Team (the Principal, Director of Student & Family Affairs, and the Director of Operations)to coordinate each of the components of our College Completion curriculum: Academic Achievement, Character Development, and College Knowledge
• Working alongside other members of the School Leadership Team in analyzing programmatic effectiveness and identifying opportunities to leverage the school community to improve student academic performance, (i.e. hosting family events related to curriculum such as Literacy and Math Nights)
• Working with the Instructional Leadership Team to develop annual SMART goals related to student learning and achievement
• Leading the analysis of current data regarding student performance to support the Instructional Leadership Team's ability to improve curriculum and instruction
• Creating action plans to achieve SMART goals and monitoring progress towards these goals
• Exemplifying Public Prep core values of scholarship, merit, community, and responsibility

The ideal candidate will have:

• A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• An M.A., Ed.M. or Master's degree in Education Leadership, Teaching or relevant content area
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex systems of data, resources, and information in a systematic way
• Familiarity with multiple grade levels and content areas is preferred
• Deep understanding of understanding by design, Common Core State Standards, and curriculum mapping and the processes involved in creating vertical and horizontal alignment reflective of learning progressions
• Knowledge of interdisciplinary planning, performance assessment, and integration of technology (within classrooms and adult learning)
• A minimum of five years of demonstrated success in elementary school teaching, preferably in a high-performing, urban school setting
• Demonstrated ability to effectively coach, train, and develop educators
• Evidence of excellence in teaching through continuous learning and data analysis
• Superior communication skills
• The ability to work collaboratively
• A commitment to single-sex education

To apply, please visit: https://publicprep.schoolrecruiter.net/Index.aspx. Please be sure to attach a resume and a cover letter including examples of how you have demonstrated continuous learning and specific ways you have used student data to drive instructional decisions.