What are the responsibilities and job description for the Secondary Reading Specialist position at Cambridge City School District?
Secondary Reading SpecialistFull-Time | 2026-2027 School Year Location: Cambridge Middle School and Cambridge High School Reports To: Cambridge Middle School Principal and Cambridge High School PrincipalCambridge City Schools is seeking a passionate, knowledgeable, and student-centered Secondary Reading Specialist to support students in grades 7-12 who need targeted reading intervention. This full-time position will serve students at both the middle school and high school, with the teacher working half-time in each building. The Secondary Reading Specialist will provide structured, explicit reading intervention during scheduled class periods, including a credit-bearing course at the high school level, to help students close foundational reading gaps and build the literacy skills needed for success in all content areas.This position is ideal for an educator who understands that older students with reading difficulties need more than encouragement. They need expert instruction, consistent progress monitoring, strong relationships, and a teacher who believes growth is possible.
The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of the Science of Reading and the ability to deliver district-selected intervention programming with fidelity, including instruction in areas such as phonemic awareness, morphology, vocabulary, decoding, fluency, and comprehension.The selected candidate will begin in the 2026-2027 school year and will be expected to participate in required training in late July 2026; specific dates will be determined.QualificationsCandidates must hold or be eligible to hold appropriate Ohio licensure that permits reading instruction in grades 7-12, including one or more of the following: Ohio licensure in ELA 7-12Reading Endorsement K-12Intervention Specialist K-12Any other valid Ohio teaching license appropriate for providing reading instruction/intervention to students in grades 7-12Position SummaryThe Secondary Reading Specialist will provide direct reading intervention to students in grades 7-12 who demonstrate significant reading needs, including students performing below grade level in areas such as decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The teacher will deliver intervention through scheduled class periods during the school day, primarily in small-group settings, using the district's purchased curriculum and instructional resources.This role also includes progress monitoring, use of reading diagnostic and screening data, collaboration with school teams, communication with families, and coordination with teachers and support staff to ensure students receive aligned and effective literacy support.Essential ResponsibilitiesProvide explicit, systematic reading intervention to students in grades 7-12 during scheduled class periods at both Cambridge Middle School and Cambridge High SchoolDeliver instruction using the district-adopted reading intervention curriculum with fidelityTeach foundational and applied literacy skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics/decoding, morphology, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehensionBuild strong, supportive relationships with adolescent learners and create a classroom environment that promotes confidence, engagement, and persistenceUse screening, diagnostic, and progress-monitoring data to identify student needs, group students appropriately, monitor growth, and adjust instructionParticipate in MTSS processes and collaborate with teachers, intervention teams, and administrators to support student successAttend and contribute to data meetings, intervention planning meetings, and problem-solving discussionsCommunicate with parents and caregivers regarding student progress, goals, and support strategiesCollaborate with content-area teachers to support students' access to grade-level curriculum and strengthen literacy across disciplinesWork collaboratively with special education staff, intervention staff, and 504/IEP teams as needed to support student learningMaintain accurate records related to student intervention, attendance, progress, and course performanceTeach a credit-bearing reading course at the high school levelTravel between the middle school and high school during the workday; both buildings are located on the same campusParticipate in required summer training and ongoing professional learning related to adolescent literacy and district programmingPerform other duties as assigned by the building principals or district administrationDesired Knowledge, Skills, and DispositionsThe ideal candidate will demonstrate: Strong knowledge of the Science of ReadingUnderstanding of how to support older struggling readers, including students with significant foundational skill gapsSkill in explicit, systematic instructionAbility to analyze student data and use it to drive instructional decisionsAbility to motivate and support adolescents who may have experienced repeated difficulty with readingStrong collaboration and communication skillsAbility to work effectively with general education teachers, special education staff, administrators, and familiesStrong classroom management and organizational skillsCommitment to helping students improve literacy outcomes and gain access to grade-level contentHelpful Background or ExperienceThe following qualifications would be beneficial: Training in structured literacy, Orton-Gillingham, or similar evidence-based practicesExperience providing reading intervention to secondary studentsExperience using reading diagnostic assessments and progress-monitoring toolsExperience teaching morphology, multisyllabic word reading, vocabulary, and comprehension to adolescent learnersExperience supporting students with disabilities and students with significant reading deficitsTerms of EmploymentFull-time positionSalary and number of contracted days in accordance with the negotiated agreementPosition begins with the 2026-2027 school yearRequired training in late July 2026; dates to be determined
The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of the Science of Reading and the ability to deliver district-selected intervention programming with fidelity, including instruction in areas such as phonemic awareness, morphology, vocabulary, decoding, fluency, and comprehension.The selected candidate will begin in the 2026-2027 school year and will be expected to participate in required training in late July 2026; specific dates will be determined.QualificationsCandidates must hold or be eligible to hold appropriate Ohio licensure that permits reading instruction in grades 7-12, including one or more of the following: Ohio licensure in ELA 7-12Reading Endorsement K-12Intervention Specialist K-12Any other valid Ohio teaching license appropriate for providing reading instruction/intervention to students in grades 7-12Position SummaryThe Secondary Reading Specialist will provide direct reading intervention to students in grades 7-12 who demonstrate significant reading needs, including students performing below grade level in areas such as decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The teacher will deliver intervention through scheduled class periods during the school day, primarily in small-group settings, using the district's purchased curriculum and instructional resources.This role also includes progress monitoring, use of reading diagnostic and screening data, collaboration with school teams, communication with families, and coordination with teachers and support staff to ensure students receive aligned and effective literacy support.Essential ResponsibilitiesProvide explicit, systematic reading intervention to students in grades 7-12 during scheduled class periods at both Cambridge Middle School and Cambridge High SchoolDeliver instruction using the district-adopted reading intervention curriculum with fidelityTeach foundational and applied literacy skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics/decoding, morphology, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehensionBuild strong, supportive relationships with adolescent learners and create a classroom environment that promotes confidence, engagement, and persistenceUse screening, diagnostic, and progress-monitoring data to identify student needs, group students appropriately, monitor growth, and adjust instructionParticipate in MTSS processes and collaborate with teachers, intervention teams, and administrators to support student successAttend and contribute to data meetings, intervention planning meetings, and problem-solving discussionsCommunicate with parents and caregivers regarding student progress, goals, and support strategiesCollaborate with content-area teachers to support students' access to grade-level curriculum and strengthen literacy across disciplinesWork collaboratively with special education staff, intervention staff, and 504/IEP teams as needed to support student learningMaintain accurate records related to student intervention, attendance, progress, and course performanceTeach a credit-bearing reading course at the high school levelTravel between the middle school and high school during the workday; both buildings are located on the same campusParticipate in required summer training and ongoing professional learning related to adolescent literacy and district programmingPerform other duties as assigned by the building principals or district administrationDesired Knowledge, Skills, and DispositionsThe ideal candidate will demonstrate: Strong knowledge of the Science of ReadingUnderstanding of how to support older struggling readers, including students with significant foundational skill gapsSkill in explicit, systematic instructionAbility to analyze student data and use it to drive instructional decisionsAbility to motivate and support adolescents who may have experienced repeated difficulty with readingStrong collaboration and communication skillsAbility to work effectively with general education teachers, special education staff, administrators, and familiesStrong classroom management and organizational skillsCommitment to helping students improve literacy outcomes and gain access to grade-level contentHelpful Background or ExperienceThe following qualifications would be beneficial: Training in structured literacy, Orton-Gillingham, or similar evidence-based practicesExperience providing reading intervention to secondary studentsExperience using reading diagnostic assessments and progress-monitoring toolsExperience teaching morphology, multisyllabic word reading, vocabulary, and comprehension to adolescent learnersExperience supporting students with disabilities and students with significant reading deficitsTerms of EmploymentFull-time positionSalary and number of contracted days in accordance with the negotiated agreementPosition begins with the 2026-2027 school yearRequired training in late July 2026; dates to be determined