Job Description

Job Title:                          Reading Specialist

Contract Length:         191 contract days

FLSA Status:                  Exempt

Job Summary

Under the direction of the Principal, the position's responsibilities fall into two categories. As a teacher, the reading specialist is responsible for providing direct instruction to students, individually or in small groups, to help them develop literacy skills. As a literacy leader, the position is responsible for implementing a comprehensive literacy program at the assigned school by coaching, supporting, and guiding teachers in best literacy instruction practices.

Essential Duties

(These are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work performed.  The omission of specific duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.)

Direct Instruction of Students

 (No more than 50% of the reading specialist’s time shall be devoted to this category.)

• Provide direct instruction in the areas of reading and writing for identified groups and individual students, with an emphasis on emergent, beginning, and transitional readers.
• Utilize the identified division resource for Tier 3 intervention for the lowest performing 5% of students, as designed.

Literacy Leader

(At least 50% of the reading specialist’s time shall be devoted to coaching to include, but not limited to, co-teaching, collaboration, facilitation of instructional strategies, modeling, observing, and providing feedback.)

• Support teachers in organizing classroom libraries with books at appropriate independent reading levels.
• Support teachers in selecting books for guided reading instruction, to supplement leveled readers in the core program, as appropriate to the students’ instructional reading levels;
• Provide curriculum support and training for all teachers and administrators, ensuring continuous staff development and thorough knowledge of school division initiatives, current SOL English resources, and assessment blueprints for all.
• Model and coach instructional methods in a variety of settings (whole group and small group) to include pre-conferencing, feedback, and follow-up observation of the teacher(s) implementing the demonstrated techniques.
• Provide ongoing training and follow-up in the design and implementation of literacy workstations.
• Gather, analyze, and communicate literacy data to support the continuous improvement model & to set grade school-wide, grade-level, and individual teacher SMART goals; make data-based recommendations to principals and
• Collaborate with and coach teachers on the use of assessment data to plan instruction; analyze school literacy data and plan for future literacy needs, with specific attention to monitoring membership groups and strategizing ways to support the same.
• Provide ongoing training and follow-up in the use of assessment tools.
• Participate in collaborative instructional planning at least once a month.
• Assess students new to the school and others as requested by the principal, using a variety of measures to determine appropriate placement and specific instructional needs.
• Conduct classroom visitations and provide feedback to teachers and administrators on the school’s literacy program.
• Serve as a liaison between the school and the Department of Instruction by attending meetings and disseminating information.
• Maintain an organized system and accessible location for the storage and circulation of reading and writing material.l

• Maintain a comprehensive inventory of literacy materials, including supplemental Title I resources as applicable.
• Plan with (Early Intervention Reading Initiative) Literacy Support Assistants for meaningful extension lessons aligned to classroom instruction.
• Ensure that the school’s home reading program is organized and updated annually (as part of the Title I Parent Involvement Policy, as applicable to Title I schools), and support teachers in its implementation as planned by the school’s Literacy Team.
• Assist with planning and delivering parent workshops and information sessions on the language arts program.
• Participate in parent conferences and Child Study Team meetings as requested and provide instructional suggestions.
• Remain grounded in content standards and objectives to facilitate integrated and concept-based instruction
• Identify literature for use across all content areas in support of the curriculum.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities Required)

Must possess a Master’s degree and be eligible for a Virginia Teaching License with an endorsement as a Reading Specialist.  Three (3) years of successful classroom teaching experience in which the teaching of reading was a primary responsibility is required.  Knowledge of ACPS curriculum resources and techniques for integrating curriculum, ACPS policies and effective instructional practices; knowledge of the needs of students requiring literacy interventions; knowledge of the core program for literacy in ACPS; technology skills necessary to model use of available literacy resources, gather and organize data; thorough understanding of the teaching and learning process; ability to provide instruction that reflects multiple perspectives and multicultural education; ability to infuse technology into curriculum; ability to guide and train teachers in practical techniques and strategies; ability to work effectively with administrators colleagues, central office, school board based staff, parents and community; ability to use diagnostic data to tailor instruction to meet the needs of the student(s); excellent organizational, communication, and human relation skills.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

Must have the ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time; exhibit manual dexterity to dial a telephone, to enter data into a computer; to see and read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids; hear and understand speech at normal classroom levels, outdoors and on the telephone; speak in audible tones so that others may understand clearly in regular classrooms, outdoors, and on the phone; physical agility to lift to 25 pounds; and to bend, stoop, sit on the floor, climb stairs, walk and reach overhead.

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.  Duties are usually performed in a school/classroom environment.  Duties may be occasionally performed on field trips away from school.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Clearance

Criminal Justice Background Check, Fingerprinting, TB Assessment

Supervision Exercised:  Dependent on grade level and subject; may include instructional assistants, volunteers, and tutors.

Supervision Received:  Principal

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee.  The applicant will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other related duties as assigned by the Principal or appropriate administrator.  Accomack County Public Schools reserves the right to update, revise, or change this job description and related duties at any time.

The Accomack County School System does not discriminate based on age, sex, handicap, race, religion, color, or national origin in its employment practices.

"We are an equal opportunity employer."