Overview

Reporting directly to the chief curriculum and instruction officer, the director of student intervention is a vital curriculum team member that will lead the way in developing Ascend's vision and approach to address, mitigate, and reverse COVID-slide learning loss. This is an ideal opportunity for an entrepreneurial and visionary instructional leader who seeks to directly affect the scholars who need it most and who take pride in seeing the growth and success of our Ascend scholars.

The director of student intervention will strategize, analyze, and work alongside the curriculum team and schools team to implement and guide new strategies and interventions to improve scholar performance, particularly for our marginalized scholar populations who have been most impacted by COVID-related circumstances. A successful candidate will ensure scholars don't fall through the cracks; ensure scholar supports are in place and are being monitored; track scholar success based on intervention programs; and create and monitor high-leverage interventions to support at-risk scholars. With many scholars attending classes virtually, the director of student intervention will need to be creative with how to build support avenues and how to keep scholars engaged with learning.

Ascend Public Charter Schools

Ascend is a network of K-12 public charter schools serving 5,700 students in 15 schools across Brooklyn-New York's most populous borough. Our undertaking is to lead our students on a great intellectual adventure, provide them with an exceptional college preparatory education, and place them firmly on the path to success in college and beyond.

We guide our students to think critically and independently and to enjoy education as an end in itself. We teach a rich and rigorous liberal arts curriculum that nurtures students' natural curiosity about the world. We foster a positive, non-punitive school culture where students feel connected, empowered, and safe to take academic risks. Even our school buildings are designed to reflect our high aspirations for teaching and learning and the notable accomplishments that occur within our walls.

To create this kind of vibrant learning community, we invest heavily in our faculty by providing ongoing professional training and support, and encourage our educators to collaborate closely and push each other to achieve great outcomes. Leading at Ascend means growing deeply in your career, expressing your voice, and playing a defining role in the future of your students, your school, and the Ascend network.

Ascend is committed to building a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist (DEIA) community, both through our hiring practices and our focus on creating a culture and environment where diverse perspectives, ideas, and identities are valued and integrated into our way of working and educating students. Ascend staff represent a wide diversity of racial, socio-economic, gender, religious, and national identities-opening a window to the entire Ascend community on the richness of humanity. We welcome all applicants who share our mission and vision to join us in our deeply consequential work.

Learn more about the Ascend approach by visiting our website .

Responsibilities

A successful director of student intervention will create a vision that will guide and determine our theory of action to address the significant learning caused by the ongoing pandemic. Essential responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Vision and program

• Design and develop programs to address learning loss for our students from K-8 and drive student achievement by supporting schools to actualize the vision and program(s) for learning loss
• Develop and promote strategies for engaging in practices that affirm inspiring possibilities for diverse students, with an emphasis on racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse students
• Respect and regularly engage the community-including families and students as key partners in the organization's work-and support others to do so, leading to actions that benefit all students
• Maintain high expectations as well as a high level of support to meet those expectations

Research and data

• Stay abreast of current best practices and incorporate past successes into the intervention vision and programs
• Research best practices for intervention to address learning loss-there have only been instances where this kind of learning loss has occurred in the past (Hurricane Katrina, SIFE)
• Partner with other organizations to stay abreast of cutting edge practices and to consider as partners for student services
• Regularly collect data to inform next steps for curricular revision and professional development

School partnerships and accountability

• Analyze school and network trends to identify areas for development and provide consistent accountability, differentiated support, actionable feedback, coaching, and training throughout the year in support of school leaders
• Use data-both quantitative and qualitative-to drive development of individuals executing the designed program
• Drive leader development through data reviews, check-ins, and visits that focus on development via instructional walkthroughs, co-observations, and coaching
• Foster and facilitate positive relationships with key stakeholders to advance efforts that support achievement of all students
• Strategically communicate to influence critical collaborators to achieve established goals and coach others to proactively and effectively communicate

Unequivocally committed to our DEIA mission

• Identifies and removes structural barriers to DEIA wherever possible, considers team member suggestions and addresses individual biases or behaviors that prevent collaborators from growing to their full potential
• Ensures equitable processes and policies and ensures students, families, and staff members across identity groups participate in and are reflected in conversations and decisions that shape the vision and programs
• Develops and promotes strategies for engaging in practices that affirm inspiring possibilities for diverse students-with an emphasis on racially, culturally and linguistically diverse students-and prepare students to meet their aspirations

Reporting relationships and teams

The director of student intervention reports directly to the chief curriculum and instruction officer and partners with the curriculum team directors and schools team leaders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, with an advanced degree strongly preferred
• Three or more years of teaching experience with exceptional results
• Three or more years of experience managing and developing instructional staff
• A sustained record of outstanding academic results in grades K-8
• A broad familiarity with ELA and math pedagogies, programs, and effective practices
• Alignment with the educational philosophy and core beliefs of Ascend
• Insistence on academic excellence and rigor
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
• Ability to deliver impactful professional development to leaders and teachers
• Ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial environment; flexible, able to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed
• Ability to inspire and influence others; strong relationship-builder
• A hunger for feedback and an openness to engage in a process of self-improvement
• An accurate sense strength and growth areas for self and team
• Maturity, humility, strong work ethic, and "roll-up-my-sleeves" attitude

Diversity at Ascend

Ascend is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community, both through our hiring practices and our focus on creating a culture and environment where diverse perspectives, ideas, and identities are valued and integrated into our way of working and educating students. Ascend staff represent a wide diversity of racial, socio-economic, gender, religious, and national identities-opening a window to the entire Ascend community on the richness of humanity. We welcome all applicants who share our mission and vision to join us in our deeply consequential work.

Compensation

Ascend offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. Please visit www.ascendschools.org/careers to learn more about the benefits of working at Ascend.