Curriculum and Instruction Specialist

Curriculum and Instruction Specialist

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has set ambitious goals to ensure that every childin every school and every neighborhoodhas access to a world-class learning experience from birth, resulting in graduation from high school college- and career-ready.

The Curriculum and Instruction Specialist is a 3-year grant funded position that will provide support and guidance on STEM integration, curriculum, instruction and assessment for all students in all grades. This position is fully devoted to building the instructional capacity of teachers and supporting the development of STEM curricular units. Candidates should have experience in teaching and modeling effective, research-based instructional practices; designing and building curriculum; developing assessments and analyzing student performance data; and creating, organizing, and leading professional learning experiences for instructional leaders and teachers.

The Curriculum and Instruction Specialist will be expected to collaborate with the existing school-based STEM and Technology Integration Specialists in addition to supporting projects and working collaboratively with other stakeholders to ensure articulation in STEM teaching and learning in all disciplines throughout the school.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide differentiated instructional support and feedback to teachers in accordance with the CPS Framework for Teaching and the CPS STEM Standards for Success.

• Plan collaboratively and work directly with teachers to provide mentorship and pedagogical support by partnering with instruction and modeling best instructional practices.

• Build and sustain professional relationships with teachers and demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills and a strong commitment to enhancing teacher practice.

• Create and submit detailed support plans which include focused goals and clear measures of success.

• Maintain an instructional log of work with teachers that is shared with the CPS MSAP team.

• Assist in gathering, analyzing and interpreting data and facilitating the analysis of student work using data protocols or instructional rounds to effectively augment teacher instruction and student learning.

• Work with teachers and specialists to enhance existing curricular units in alignment with the CPS STEM Standards for Success and CPS Framework for Success.

• Ensure the fidelity of instructional units by verifying the required components are embedded and implemented in classroom instruction, and monitoring what the students are actually doing.

• Develop interdisciplinary, problem and project-based learning units and authentic and performance based assessments and rubrics in alignment with content standards and the CPS STEM Standards for Success.

• Lead quarterly unit development through backward design.

• Work with administration and specialists to design and facilitate professional learning.

• Support school administration in developing data-informed strategies to support development and implementation of the school's Continuous Improvement Work Plan (CIWP).

• Collaborate with the STEM Department and with the STEM Integration Specialists across the MSAP schools to ensure alignment and coherence of STEM and district priorities.

• Perform related duties as required to support the priorities of the Department of STEM and the strategic plan of the Chief of Schools in alignment with the goals of the MSAP grant.

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Curriculum and Instruction Specialist must possess the following qualifications:

Type of Education Required:

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field of study.

• Master's degree in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, education, or a related field preferred.

Type of Experience and Number of Years:

• A minimum of 5 years of teaching experience; leadership experience required. • A minimum of 3 years of experience working with adult learners, including designing and facilitating professional development to classroom teachers and school leaders.

• A minimum of 3 years of experience in curriculum design and development.

Certification:

• Valid Standards teaching license - Professional Educator License (PEL) issued by the Illinois State Board of Education with appropriate grade level and content level endorsement.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Expertise in the CCSS for math, NGSS for science, ISTE standards for technology

• Expertise in the CPS Framework for Teaching

• Expertise in research-based STEM instructional practices and pedagogy

• Experience designing and leading adult professional learning experiences

• Ability to define problems, analyze data and develop action plans as part of a continuous improvement cycle

• Strong leadership skills

• High standards for performance

• Understanding of Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

• Commitment to continuous improvement

• Proven track record of success and a clear focus on results

• Excellent facilitation, written, and oral communication skills

• Excellent technology skills (PowerPoint, Excel, Google Docs, etc.)

• Experience managing a portfolio of projects simultaneously while meeting associated deadlines

• Knowledge of critical issues in education

• Ability to collaborate effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders

• Knowledge of research-based school improvement models

• Experience with curriculum mapping, unit planning, and formative progress monitoring