Programming Director - Oklahoma Literacy Initiative

Reports to: Executive Director

Division: State Chamber Research Foundation

SUMMARY

This role will support the Oklahoma Literacy Initiative at the State Chamber Research Foundation.  The Programming Director will lead a philanthropically- funded initiative focused on enhancing PK-3 literacy outcomes through training, coaching and modeling instruction in the Science of Reading.  

The programming director is responsible for overall design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the statewide coaching model that supports districts in implementing the Science of Reading aligned instruction and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) in early literacy. This role manages external coaches and consultants, partners closely with district leaders and state literacy partners, and reports on impact to the State Chamber Research Foundation leadership and donors.

The Programming Director will be a full-time position based in Oklahoma City (with flexibility for remote work as agreed upon by the Executive Director of the State Chamber Research Foundation).  Regular in-state travel will be required. In addition, occasional evening or weekend meetings will be required.  This position is funded.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership and Design:

• Align the multi-year goals and theory of action for the Oklahoma Literacy Initiative  to Oklahoma’s Strong Readers Act and MTSS expectations.
• Design a coherent coaching model (tiered supports for districts, coaching cycles, principal-coach partnership structures) that builds the district capacity rather than long term external dependence on outside resources.
• Align the initiative with broader State Chamber Research Foundation and The State Chamber priorities around early literacy proficiency and workforce readiness.

Program Management and Implementation:

• Lead annual planning, including district selection/onboarding, scope of work, and deployment of coaches and technical assistance.
• Develop and manage project timelines, milestones, and implementation calendars (by year, quarter and assessment windows). 
• Coordinate with districts to ensure coaching is connected to local Strong Readers plans, High Quality Instructional Materials adoption, assessment and Student Literacy Intervention Plans (SLIP) processes.

Coaching System and Oversight:

• Lead foundation committee to recruit, select and supervise external literacy coaches and consultants. Ensure each meets agreed upon competencies in the Science of Reading, structured literacy, adult learning/professional development and MTSS.
• Provide clear expectations, tools, and on-going support, including common coaching cycles, look-fors, reporting templates and professional learning.
• Observe and support coaches in the field (virtually and on site), providing feedback to strengthen their practice and maintain model fidelity.
• Ensure all consultants operate in a non-evaluative capacity and that roles with district administrators are clearly defined.

District and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Serve as primary point of contact for participating districts, superintendents and principals.
• Facilitate MOUs with districts, clarifying commitments, roles, data sharing expectations and communications plans.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with the Oklahoma State Department of Education, regional literacy partners, philanthropic and nonprofit organizations working on early literacy.
• Represent the initiative in Research Foundation meetings, business roundtables and public forums as requested.

Data, Evaluation and Continuous Improvement:

• Develop and oversee a data and evaluation plan that uses screener results, progress monitoring, implementation indicators and qualitative feedback to monitor impact.
• Use data to refine district selection, coach deployment, focus areas and professional learning content over time. 
• Produce clear, actionable reports and presentations for the Research Foundation leadership, funders and district partners, highlighting outcomes, challenges and lessons learned. 
• Lead annual reflection and planning cycles with coaches and districts to strengthen the model and sustainability.

Operations, Budget and Compliance:

• Manage the initiative’s budget in collaboration with Research Foundation staff, aligning spending with funder requirements and project priorities. 
• Support grant writing, reporting and funder stewardship related to the initiative.
• Ensure all activities comply with applicable state and federal laws, district policies and data privacy requirements (including FERPA) and adhere to non-partisan, non-evaluative guardrails. 
• Develop and maintain internal documentation (playbooks, templates, protocols) so that the model can be replicated or scaled.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in education, literacy, public policy or related field.
• Significant K-5 literacy experience such as classroom teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, and/or district literacy leader.
• Demonstrated expertise in the Science of Reading, structured literacy and MTSS for early literacy.
• Experience managing or leading instructional coaching, implementation initiatives, or school/district improvement efforts.
• Strong project management skills including ability to manage multiple districts, timelines and stakeholders at once.
• Excellent communication, facilitation and relationship-building skills with educators, administrators and non-education audiences including business, philanthropic and policy leaders.

Preferred:

• Master’s degree in education, literacy or a related field.
• Experience in statewide or multi-district projects, especially in Oklahoma.
• Prior work with public-private or philanthropic initiatives in education.
• Familiarity with Oklahoma’s Strong Readers Act, state literacy guidance and K-3 assessment systems.
• Experience supervising coaches and/or consultants and developing professional learning.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Deep understanding of evidence-based‑ reading instruction and intervention K–3.
• Ability to translate policy and research into practical guidance for teachers, principals, and district leaders.
• Strong analytical skills for interpreting literacy data and using it to drive decisions.
• Capacity to design systems and tools (coaching cycles, templates, dashboards) that are usable in busy school contexts.
• Commitment to equity and to ensuring all students, particularly historically underserved groups, gain access to effective reading instruction.
• Comfort operating in a cross-sector‑ environment (business, education, philanthropy) and explaining the economic case for early literacy.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Typical working conditions associated with this type of work and environmental hazards, if any, may be encountered in performing the duties of this position. Work is normally performed in a climate-controlled environment, where exposure to conditions of extreme heat/cold, poor ventilation, fumes and gases are very limited. Noise level is moderate and includes sounds of a normal office environment. No environmental hazards are encountered in performance of normal job duties. In state travel and use of personal vehicle will be required.