CURRICULUM SPECIALIST, SUMMER ACADEMY

CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION

235 work days

FTE: 1.0

Salary Range: $67,338-$81,487

Essential Functions and Objectives:

Along with other members of the K-12 Literacy Team, the Curriculum Specialist for Summer Academy is responsible for identifying and supporting the use of high-quality instructional resources, enhancing teaching and learning, and scaling effective programs to meet the student achievement literacy goals of the Literacy 2020 Plan and to prepare all students for success in college, career, and life. Under the direction of the Language and Literacy Director, the Curriculum Specialist for Summer Academy provides strategic and tactical leadership and direction for the district\u2019s Summer Academy Program which includes targeted literacy intervention for students in DPS, and teacher training for new teachers to Denver Public Schools. The Curriculum Specialist focuses heavily on delivering high-quality professional learning and instructional materials for Summer Academy teachers and leaders through the lens of resource development, curation, refinement, implementation and continual improvement.

Lead the development, implementation and continual improvement efforts of Summer Academy curriculum aligned to the Colorado Academic Standards:

- Contributes to the development of a coherent instructional program that is aligned with the Colorado Academic Standards and Colorado English Language Proficiency Standards.

- Applies instructional expertise to improving the effectiveness of curriculum and instruction in Denver Public schools, specifically including implementation of the Colorado Academic Standards, which are inclusive of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

- Applies curriculum development expertise to setting criteria and building frameworks for developing rigorous Colorado Academic Standards (CAS) and Colorado English Language Proficiency Standards (CELP) aligned literacy and language development intervention curricula.

- Assesses needs of teachers and school leaders; and leads development of resources to address those needs and increase the quality of instruction.

- Collaborates effectively with other literacy team members and stakeholders to hire, place, and coordinate professional development for Summer Academy site leaders and site instructional coordinators.

- Creates and/or curates development of units aligned to the rigor and depth of literacy and language development standards.

- Ensures strong alignment between standards/shifts, scope & sequence and assessment items.

- Ensures strong vertical and horizontal alignment in Summer Academy resources, as well as alignment with core school-year programming.

- Develops bodies of annotated student work.

- Collaborates with other department staff in the management, development, and analysis of assessments.

- Provides support and training for administration, reporting and data use of assigned assessments to drive language & literacy instruction

- Revises curriculum, professional learning, and resources based upon student outcomes and implementation feedback.

- Develops research-based recommendations for instructional strategies, professional development and assessments to increase the quality of teaching and learning.

- Deeply analyzes student achievement data (student work samples, interim assessments and performance-based assessments) to determine how to better develop materials and provide targeted, high quality teacher supports.

- Anticipates, identifies, and resolves complex obstacles to ensure success of overall curriculum programs as well as specific projects.

- Develops strategies and clear, specific, and ambitious performance measures for individual projects that are easily translated into individual work goals and deliverables for other team members.

- Creates detailed timelines for each initiative; assesses and tracks project progress regularly using various computer programs and tools; drives project completion by holding others accountable for responsibilities and deadlines. Builds relationships and liaises with various internal departments to drive collaboration and project success; interacts with and responds effectively to urgent requests from multiple internal and external Denver Public Schools stakeholders.

- Perform all other task and duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Experience & Other Qualifications:

- \n A teaching career with five or more years of highly successful teaching\n experience. We will consider a candidate with a minimum of two years of\n teaching experience with exceptional results if there is relevant prior\n work experience.

- CDE teaching certificate in Elementary Language Arts

- Valid Colorado Driver\u2019s license, appropriate insurance coverage and an acceptable driving record for the past three years

- A proven, multi-year track record of exemplary teaching achievement, especially the achievement of low-income, underrepresented/under-served students.

- Linguistically Diverse or Bilingual Endorsement/Masters preferred.

- Demonstrated experience working in urban school districts requiring cultural and linguistic responsiveness to meet the needs of all students.

- Experience in monitoring curriculum content assessment data and recommending program improvements.

- Knowledge of second language acquisition in the curriculum content areas highly preferred.

- Proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking Spanish highly desirable.

- Knowledge of effective instructional programs and methodologies and experience in providing such instruction to meet Colorado Academic Standards and Colorado English Language Proficiency Standards.

- Experience in the design of standards-based curriculum and assessments.

- Demonstrated content area expertise.

- Emotional constancy and extraordinary interpersonal skills to ensure purposeful and professional colleague relationships.

- Meticulous organizational ability in order to set priorities, organize workload, handle multiple responsibilities and meet deadlines.

- Extraordinary oral skills to effectively communicate with varied audiences.

- Comfort with and ability to write efficiently and effectively as part of a culture where curriculum writing, email communication, and documentation are critical.

- Knowledge of how students learn in the designated curriculum focus and knowledge of best program practices.

- Knowledge of best practices in curriculum instruction and standards-based education.

- Demonstrated commitment to continuous professional learning.

- Strong desire and willingness to support student achievement in traditionally under-served communities.

- Passion for connecting with students and families in support of student success.

- Superior analytical skills and sound judgment to make critical decisions.

- Capable of thriving in circumstances involving ambiguity and nuance.

- Positive attitude, maturity, and personal stability sufficient for a demanding position.

Education Requirements:

- Bachelor\u2019s degree with a major in an area of curriculum focus, advanced degree with emphasis in curriculum preferred.

About Denver Public Schools:

Denver Public Schools is committed to meeting the educational needs of every student with great schools in every neighborhood. Our goal is to provide every child in Denver with rigorous, enriching educational opportunities from preschool through high school graduation. DPS is comprised of nearly 200 schools including traditional, magnet, charter and alternative pathways schools, with an enrollment of more than 90,000 students.

Under the leadership of Superintendent Susana Cordova and guided by the tenets of The Denver Plan, DPS has become the fastest-growing school district in the country in terms of enrollment and the fastest-growing large school district in the state in terms of student academic growth. Learn more at dpsk12.org.

Denver Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other status protected by law or regulation. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors.