Urbana School District #116

TITLE: UMS Instructional Coach

LOCATION: Urbana Middle School

HOURS:

• 8:45 AM – 3:44 PM or as determined by the Director of Professional Development and UMS administration
• Work hours may vary depending on the scheduling of after-school and weekend professional development activities

SUPERVISOR: Director of Professional Development, in consultation with building principal(s)

JOB SUMMARY: Instructional Coaches will work directly with teachers to increase student learning through job-embedded professional development. UMS Instructional Coaches will serve as a bridge between building and district initiatives and the classroom. This position will primarily involve working with teachers to better meet student needs while providing limited direct services to students.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily.

• Work collaboratively and communicate effectively with UMS administration, faculty members, and Central Office personnel to strengthen all aspects of the instructional program while enthusiastically supporting all building and district goals, programs, and initiatives.
• Collaborate with UMS administration, the Director of Professional Development, the Director of Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction, the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Professional Development, the Deputy Superintendent, and others to develop, prepare, implement, and assess building-level professional development.
• Coach teachers on best practices in responsive teaching, student engagement, and data-based decision-making at all grade levels, in all disciplines, and for all students.
• Maintain the confidence and privacy of individual teachers.
• Champion, promote and increase social justice, diversity, and multiculturalism practices and awareness for all staff and students.
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of adult learning in order to meet the individual needs of teachers, including their varied learning styles, knowledge, skills, experiences, cultures, and backgrounds.
• Promote a culture of professional inquiry and reflection.
• Demonstrate extensive knowledge of the district’s curriculum, including the new Illinois Learning Standards, grade level progressions, and pedagogical approaches.
• Set instructional goals with teachers that reflect a process of collecting, analyzing, and responding to data.
• Provide model teaching lessons and side-by-side coaching.
• Help teachers develop differentiated lessons with higher-order learning activities.
• Introduce teachers to new research-based methods, materials, and instructional strategies that have proven to increase student achievement.
• Collaborate with teachers to review formative assessments and analyze data in order to identify students’ strengths, needs, and misunderstandings and determine the next instructional steps.
• Work closely with special education educators, ESL/bilingual teachers, and regular classroom teachers to find ways to best meet the needs of struggling students in the regular education classroom.
• Encourage teachers to participate in peer observations that lead to professional conversations about instructional practices and student learning.
• Videotape and then share teacher's teaching model lessons in order to showcase the many forms of successful differentiated instruction taking place in the building.
• Provide staff development on effective instructional strategies and data-based decision-making to teaching teams, as well as small and large faculty groups.
• Participate as part of the school’s leadership team for continuous school improvement and attend school improvement meetings as scheduled by the building principal.
• Attend Coaches Council meetings and work as a part of the K-12 Instructional Coaching Team to plan and implement staff development activities at the district level.
• Attend the district’s Unified Professional Development Institute during the summer to support the building-level implementation of EC-12 Unified Professional Development.
• Create and submit Coaching Reports that summarize work with teachers and use reports as a self-reflection tool.
• Use surveys to frequently monitor teacher needs, as well as successes and challenges of the program.
• Report on the successes and challenges of the UMS Instructional Coaching Program to all UMS stakeholders, including the School Improvement Team, the Board of Education, district administration, and community members.
• Collaborate on professional development initiatives with the Center for Education in Small Urban Communities, the Regional Office of Education, and other staff development providers.
• Teach no more than two instructional classes daily.
• Additional duties as assigned by the Director of Professional Development and UMS administration.

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION

• Bachelor's Degree, from an accredited college or university, with certification and endorsements (listed below).

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 2 years of successful teaching experience
• Experience in professional development, responsive teaching, and facilitating adult learners
• Experience and knowledge in relation to instruction and instructional processes and in facilitating the delivery of effective instruction.

LICENSES/CREDENTIALS: Professional Educator License (K-9) endorsement, Secondary Education endorsement (6-12), or Special Education (K-12) endorsement

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to make differentiated instructional plans based on student data
• Strong background in data analysis, effective teaching practices, and differentiation
• Ability to form strong professional relationships with colleagues
• Proficiency in word processing and a strong working knowledge of spreadsheets and databases
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines while being detail-oriented

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:  185-day contract (teacher’s schedule); UEA member, Salary Schedule

EVALUATION: The performance of this job will be evaluated by the Director of Professional Development, in consultation with building principal(s), in accordance with provisions of the negotiated agreement using the district’s evaluation instrument.

START DATE: August 14, 2023

NOTE: This is a position within the collective bargaining unit and is not an administrative position.

AN EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

REVISED:  May 2015