Reports To: Executive Director – Curriculum and Instruction
General Job Description:
The English Language Arts (ELA) Specialist acts as a resource person to promote student and teacher growth in learning and teaching ELA. The ELA Specialist works collaboratively with teachers to implement a quality ELA program that is research-based and differentiated for student needs. This position supports teachers by modeling instructional strategies and lessons, developing and modifying lesson plans, supporting all students in a variety of ways to learn ELA, and expanding teacher and parent understanding of current ELA research and knowledge. This position is responsible for the design, implementation, and analysis of ELA assessments and for the facilitation of the district-wide ELA plan.
Responsibilities:
English Language Arts (ELA) Teaching and Learning:
1. Exhibits personal interest and enthusiasm for ELA to support the teaching of ELA and encourage the learning of ELA.
2. Spends a majority of time in classrooms working directly with teachers and students in the area of ELA.
3. Thoughtfully advocates for and supports all students with rich, deep and engaging ELA curriculum and learning experiences below, at, and above grade level.
4. Actively investigates and considers new ideas that improve ELA teaching and learning and draws on current education policy and research in ELA.
5. Draws upon professional, community and technological resources, inside and outside the school, to improve ELA teaching and learning.
6. Assists administrators, teachers, and school staff in implementing and monitoring a comprehensive ELA program.
7. Collects and maintains appropriate records of student progress and provides timely and accurate oral and written feedback to teachers, school staff, students, and parents.
8. Uses a variety of data to evaluate abilities and disabilities of students and works independently and with classroom teachers and school staff to adjust their instruction to meet the needs of all students.
9. Serves as a member of the school ELA committee and data team to design, implement, and monitor the school ELA plan.
10. Maintains an inventory of ELA intervention instructional and professional materials.
11. Maintain confidentiality with sensitive matters.
12. Be flexible and able to prioritize tasks and maintain accurate and detailed records.
13. Report to work on time and work no less than 7.5 hours per day.
14. Work independently with very little supervision
15. May be required to perform other related functions as assigned by your supervisor.
English Language Arts (ELA) Improvement Plan:
1. Coordinate and facilitate a yearly and ongoing process of standards pacing guides alignment with input from K-12 teaching staff.
2. Engages collaboratively in the school-wide and district-wide ELA effort to build a shared vision and supportive culture, identify common goals, and monitor and evaluate progress toward those goals.
3. Participates actively as an ELA team member to improve ELA teaching and learning in the school and district.
4. Participates actively as part of school team, giving feedback on ELA practice, examining student ELA work, analyzing data from multiple sources, making decisions to improve student learning, and being accountable for each students learning in ELA.
5. Reports results of improvement plan effectiveness to the school principal on a regular basis.
6. Assists with evaluating students, identifying knowledge gaps and practice shortfalls, and recommending interventions.
7. Actively integrates technological tools and ELA programs to support students, families, teachers, and school staff.
8. Helps design and participates in school and/or district professional development activities to improve ELA teachings and learning.
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS CONTENT SPECIALIST (CONT’D)
9. Demonstrates quality ELA lessons to individual and teacher groups in a classroom setting.
10. Helps design and participates in parent and family workshops to enhance ELA learning at home and school.
11. Engages in professional learning to enhance his/her knowledge and skill in ELA, contribute to the knowledge and skill of others in ELA, and work collaboratively to advance professional practice in ELA.
English Language Arts (ELA) Instruction and Assessment:
1. Designs formative and summative assessments to assess individual and group student learning in the area of ELA.
2. Regularly uses formative and summative assessments to develop, guide, and/or modify ELA instruction to accommodate individual and student group needs.
3. Creates and provides developmentally appropriate ELA instruction in individual and/or small group instruction to meet the needs of students.
4. Makes appropriate provisions for individual students who have particular learning differences or needs in the area of ELA.
5. Uses ELA strategies that are sensitive to the multiple experiences and diversity of learners and that allow for different ways of demonstrating learning.
6. Connects ELA instruction to each student’s prior knowledge and experiences.
7. Incorporate tools of ELA development into planning and instruction, including strategies for making ELA accessible to all learners including educational disability, socio-economic disadvantaged, and English language learners.
8. Accesses appropriate services and ELA resources to meet specific learning differences or needs.
9. Creates learning environments in which individual differences are respected and valued.
10. Collaborates with families, school teachers and staff, and other professionals to promote student growth and development in ELA.
English Language Arts (ELA) Knowledge and Application:
1. Engages students in understanding the importance of ELA practices and their necessity for successful learning in ELA.
2. Stimulates student reflection on prior ELA knowledge, links new concepts to familiar ELA concepts, and makes connections to students’ experiences in ELA.
3. Engages students in ELA experiences that encourage students to explore and attempt different methods of presenting and solving ELA problems.
4. Uses real world problems to engage students in applying ELA knowledge and practice.
5. Engages students in seeking out real world applications of ELA.
6. Recognizes when student misconceptions interfere with learning ELA and creates educational experiences to correct for these misconceptions and build conceptual understanding of ELA.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
N/A
Qualifications:
1. Hold a current NM Public Education teaching license.
2. Bachelor’s degree or higher
3. Certified, Level II or Level III (English Language Arts Endorsement preferred)
4. Five years Teaching Experience
5. Experience with Common Core State Standards
6. Experience with various ELA Curriculum
7. Ability to analyze and use data to design, modify, and evaluate ELA curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
8. Valid Driver’s License and Car Insurance and travel from site to site as needed.
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS CONTENT SPECIALIST (CONT’D)
Physical Requirements:
Walking, standing, sitting, bending, kneeling and squatting, climbing stairs, speaking and listening, reaching with hands and arms, having full mobility of fingers/hands to finger, handle or feel, close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus, carrying, lifting, and moving up to 25 pounds and/or moving light furniture may be required. Reasonable (ADA) accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions if mutually agreed on and if those accommodations do not create an undue hardship upon the district.
Safety and Health:
Knowledge of universal hygiene precaution (blood borne pathogens, body fluids, etc.)
Equipment/Material Handled:
Must know how to properly operate, or be willing to learn to operate, multi-media equipment including current technology as needed.
Work Environment:
Must be able to work within various degrees of noise and temperature. Interruptions of work are routine. Flexibility and patience are required. Must be self-motivated and able to complete job assignments without direct supervision. After hour work may be required. May make site visits as needed. May work under stressful conditions on occasion.
Terms of Employment:
Salary and benefits commensurate with a Level II or Level III Teacher contract. 193 days. (5 days prior to the school year beginning and 5 days at the end of the school year)
Evaluation:
Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with administrative procedures and established contractual protocols |