Elementary Advanced Learning Specialist(.5)/ Advanced Learning Specialist (.5)


Doyle Administration Building

43,471.00 - 74,600.00

Essential Functions

Each portion of the role comprises 50 percent of the full time allocation for this role, though the exact schedule within the work day will remain flexible.

The Advanced Learning (AL) portion of this role entails collaboration with principals, instructional coaches, and teachers under the direction of the Director of Advanced Learning. The primary role of the AL Specialist is to support the education of students with advanced learning needs in a variety of ways, a mix of coaching, professional development, and direct intervention with students to support systemic access to advanced curriculum and instruction in the five domains outlined by the State of Wisconsin: General Intellectual; Specific Academic; Leadership; Creativity; Visual & Performing Arts. Attention to identifying potential through Talent Development continues to be a strong part of the role.

Roles and Responsibilities

Using Data for School Improvement

Employees will provide support to staff to interpret data to inform instruction, including opportunities for differentiation, scaffolding, and talent development. Data review includes:

• Specific purpose for data review and understanding of which data are most relevant
• Use of both cross-group and in-group analysis of qualitative and quantitative data sources
• Consideration of historical marginalization and intersectionality

Employees will create a climate of trust and critical reflection in order to engage colleagues in challenging conversations about student data that lead to identification of solutions and purposeful action steps for improvement of teaching and learning. Data review with an equity lens will result in proactive identification of the strengths and assets of students, in particular those students from historically marginalized backgrounds. Student data will be at the center of school improvement efforts.

Additionally, the AL Specialist will provide guidance for the Principal and staff of the assigned elementary school to ensure compliance with all State legal requirements for "gifted and talented" and will ensure timely completion of all documentation requirements

Developing and Leading Professional Learning

In the AL Specialist role, employee will provide school-based coaching and professional development related to assessment, instructional practices, interventions, legal requirements, and district policies & procedures for students with advanced learning needs

Leading Curriculum Development and Instructional Initiatives

Employees will address matters of race, language acquisition, and unique student learning needs to ensure that all students have equal access to a high quality education, rooted in the Common Core State Standards. Employees will demonstrate the capacity to integrate a variety of pedagogical strategies into instruction, including: Disciplinary Literacy, Gradual Release of Responsibility, Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Practices, Universal Design for Learning, and Differentiation.

Support for teachers will focus on promoting instructional strategies that address issues of equity in schools and ensure that individual student learning needs remain the central focus of instruction. This support may include providing constructive feedback to teachers aimed at strengthening classroom practices.

Family and Community Engagement

Employees will collaborate with families, communities, and colleagues to develop a shared understanding of the diverse cultural and linguistic assets and educational needs of the community. This will include intentionally engaging families of students from historically marginalized backgrounds through targeted outreach. Employees will also engage in personal examination of their own implicit biases, and facilitate colleagues' self-examination of their own understandings of community, culture, and diversity - with the consistent goal of high levels of learning for all students.

Providing AL Services aligned to a Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

In MMSD, Advanced Learning utilizes the MTSS model to provide comprehensive, flexible support to students with AL needs. Participation in School Based Leadership Team, Student Support and Intervention Team (SSIT), and/or other student support planning/problem solving teams is expected at the assigned middle school, as AL team collaborates with principals and school staff to plan for service delivery, progress monitoring, and data analysis.

Minimum Qualifications

• Teacher Certification in Elementary/Early Childhood with the ability to teach kindergarten
• Minimum of three years classroom teaching experience in the elementary setting
• Demonstrated commitment to supporting staff with anti-racist, culturally responsive, and inclusive teaching
• Demonstrated knowledge of the Common Core State Standards) and experience planning assessment for learning with these standards
• Experience in Coaching or other leadership role working with teachers to develop and implement standards-based curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices
• Ability to manage numerous priorities within and across multiple work locations
• Demonstrated knowledge of supports for academic, social, emotional, and behavioral issues for students with advanced learning needs
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with principals, staff and families in order to solve challenges and implement change in accordance with department and district initiatives
• Excellent written and oral communication skills

Desired Qualifications

• Supplemental Gifted and Talented licensure is preferred
• Leadership experience across grades levels, K-12
• Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply
• ESL Teacher Certification (DPI license 1395)
• Training with QTEL strategies for supporting English language learners
• Training with AVID strategies for supporting disciplinary literacy