Associate Director of Academics, 5-8 Literacy

The 5-8 Literacy Associate Director, reporting to the Director of Academics, provides curricular and instructional leadership in the development, implementation, coordination, assessment, and analysis of the 5-8 literacy program to improve student achievement and meet student, school, and regional goals.

The Associate Director of Academics, 5-8 Literacy’s role is to create and execute a strategy to support our middle school students’ achievement in literacy development and in English Language Arts and influence teachers and leaders within our region to operate high achieving schools that support and serve all of our students. In particular, the 5-8 Literacy Associate Director will be responsible for providing direct coaching support to leaders and teachers, while also working to enhance our regional, balanced approach to common core rigorous literacy instruction, ensuring that our schools provide the best-in-class literacy programs for all students.

As an Academics team, we set the academic direction, support School Leaders, partner with School Leader Managers, develop Assistant Principals and Content Specialists at our schools, and create and maintain academic systems which enable our schools. This position requires frequent travel between our schools throughout the Bay Area and Stockton.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience:

• 2+ years coaching and supporting teachers at a 5-8 school with leadership experience as a grade level/department chair, Dean of Curriculum and Instruction, Assistant Principal or other equivalent position.
• 2+ years experience as an Assistant Principal, Principal, or District Leader to be considered for Associate Director.
• 4+ years of Foundational Literacy and/or ELA teaching experience at an elementary or middle school with strong results.
• Experience working in a middle school setting.
• Experience with adaptive coaching.
• Previous work with multilingual learners (MLs) students, or students who have learning gaps.

Education:

• BA/BS required, MA/MS or Ph.D. preferred

Knowledge/skills required:

• Curricular and instructional leadership experience and demonstrated ability to lead high quality professional development and coach teachers and leaders.
• Proven track record of school-based leadership (grade level or department chair at minimum) with outstanding results.
• Holds a high bar for instruction and can identify actions that will improve teacher practice.
• The ability to use data, including student work, to identify next steps for teachers
• An eagerness to receive and implement feedback.
• Ability to self-direct, prioritize and multi-task among competing goals; strong ability to think strategically and prioritize competing commitments and tasks.
• Content expertise in Foundational Literacy and English Language Arts.
• Strong knowledge of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and the Science of Reading.
• A background in Relay instructional coaching practices. Proficiency in the Relay Coaching Model for data driven instruction, weekly data meetings, observation and feedback, and leading adult professional development.
• Demonstrated ability to work well with others and build relationships across teams.
• Excellent oral and written communication, relationship building, and interpersonal skills.
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and the ability to partner across lines of difference.
• A deep passion for social justice and equity for all children; a strong belief that all students can achieve at the highest levels regardless of demography.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Content and Curriculum Expertise:
  • Provide differentiated support, resources, and direction as they build instruction aligned to our Academic Literacy Vision and Core Beliefs, and our regional vision of anti-racist, equitable, academically excellent schools.
  • Serve as resident expert by holding a deep knowledge of the science of reading and literacy content and curriculum, standards, instructional materials, standardized assessments and resources for Foundational Literacy and ELA.
  • Have a clear understanding of Culturally Responsive Education (CRE) orientations, practices and applications within the ELA classroom.
  • Support development and implementation of region’s vision for a balanced approach to literacy, including the use of curriculum and reading intervention structures and aligned assessments
  • Develop and lead change management of curriculum and assessment
  • Partner with our multilingual learner team to support integration of explicit language instruction that will meet the needs of all learners.
  • With the Academics team, determine best practices in analyzing student assessment and instructional practice data, with key subgroups in mind, to inform planning and strategic support for all students.
  • Monitor curriculum-based assessments to assess quality of implementation
  • Lead the curation, administration, and analysis of our ELA regional interim assessments, Fishtank curricular assessments, and 5-8 DIBELS assessments, to support strong planning and internalization practices across our region.

• Develop and Execute Structures and Systems to Support our Schools:

Our most recent priorities have been to create a system that allows us to use data to drive instruction at our schools. This has meant aligning on scopes and sequences of standards at our schools, putting together interim assessments that align with our north star assessments, and

• Ensure we have systems and structures in place to effectively execute our regional priorities that will impact student achievement across our schools.
• Build partnerships with schools and gather data to understand their needs and provide them with the support they need to make progress towards our vision that will move students forward.
• Support the development and execution of a plan for implementing the regional priorities at schools that incorporates schools voices to inform what is the right balance between feasible for staff and ambitious for students.
• Create partnerships with Regional Support Office teammates to support the creation and execution of enabling systems.
• Partner with the KIPP Foundation to provide high leverage resources for our schools.
• Develop a perspective on the most critical structures and systems for student achievement and how schools should go about executing them.
• Influence and support schools to make decisions that will have the greatest positive impact on student learning.
• On an annual cycle, determine the next incremental items that will positively impact schools.
• Partner with the Director and Managing Director of Academics on budget and invoices.

• Coaching and Professional Development:
  • Increase the impact of our instructional coaches and thus their teachers on student achievement by building relationships with them and coaching them using a combination of the Relay Coaching Model, and Strengths Based adaptive coaching.
  • Coach teachers and leaders in the use of research-based instructional strategies and best practices aligned to regional academic priorities (Lesson Internalization, Observation/feedback, Academic Monitoring, Weekly Data Meetings, and Real Time Coaching).
  • Structure opportunities with School Leader Managers/School Leaders/Assistant Principals/Content Leads to strengthen core pedagogical practices through content meeting Scope and Sequence, walkthrough/observation goals, and initial coaching plans.
  • Plan and facilitate monthly professional learning communities (PLCs) with our Elementary leaders to support their content and pedagogical development.
  • Manage Literacy Regional Content Teacher leads who support Literacy-specific initiatives.
  • Plan and lead regional professional development for teachers and leaders on best practices in literacy Instruction and learning, including the use of formative assessments and other data to inform instruction.

Physical, Mental and Environmental Demands

Physical: Ability to navigate office and school campuses, and hold meetings in different spaces. Traditionally, much of the day involves sitting. Ability to access and utilize technology. Occasional lifting/carrying of equipment 1-20 lbs.

Mental: Stress of deadlines and normal work standards, ability to analyze problems and generate alternatives, work with interruptions, concentrate for long periods of time, read, calculate, perform routine math problems, memorize and recall objects and people.

Environmental: This role is currently hybrid with a minimum requirement of 2 days on-site (schedule subject to change based on organizational needs). Office environment subject to constant interruptions and distractions. Occasional classroom/school environment and travel (50-60%) to schools in the Bay Area. Adhere to KIPP’s health and safety guidelines as outlined by the CDC, CDE, and public health agencies’ recommendations.

Classification and Calendar

This is a full-time, exempt position role based on a full year calendar cycle and time off policy, located in our Regional Support Office with travel to schools and districts.

The KIPP Regional Support Office is currently operating in a hybrid fashion. Most positions can expect to work in person 2-3 days per week and remotely the remaining days, subject to change based on the needs of the role.

About KIPP Public Schools Northern California

We are a thriving nonprofit network of 21 free, public charter schools open to all students. At KIPP, we believe all children should grow up free to create the future they want for themselves and that schools can and should be a critical factor in making that vision a reality. Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Our student community consists of over 7,000 elementary, middle, and high school students in East Palo Alto, Oakland, San Francisco, San Lorenzo, San Jose, Redwood City, and Stockton. 79% qualify for free or reduced price lunch, 23% are multilingual learners, and 10% have special needs. We strive to cultivate a representative team of teachers and leaders that reflect our students’ diversity.

Compensation

KIPP Northern California is dedicated to you and your family's well-being! We offer a competitive salary as well as a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, and transportation benefits.

We benchmark annually against comparably-sized non-profit organizations in the regions where we operate, to offer competitive salaries. The salary range for this position is between $103,000 and $125,000 for the Associate Director level. Most candidates at the AD level would be compensated at $111,000.