Administrative Consultant; English Learners

Overview

The Iowa Department of Education’s mission is ensuring all students experience a world-class education. To accomplish this mission, we need talented, passionate people working together to build an excellent education system that empowers all students to achieve their full potential.

Administrative Consultant – English Learner (EL) provides statewide leadership, oversight, and strategic guidance for English Learner programs. This position plays a critical role in supporting districts and schools to deliver high-quality, equitable instructional programs for multilingual learners while ensuring compliance with federal and state requirements.

The consultant leads the planning, implementation, and evaluation of professional development and technical assistance for educators, promotes data-driven decision-making, and collaborates across bureaus and divisions to integrate EL supports within all statewide school improvement initiatives. A central focus of this role is reducing achievement gaps for English Learners by advancing equitable access to rigorous instruction, language development, and supportive learning environments aligned to state strategic goals.

• Design, deliver, and evaluate professional learning aligned to evidence-based practices for English Learners, including differentiated instruction, academic language development, content scaffolding, and strategies to close achievement gaps.
• Build the capacity of district and school leaders to implement effective EL programs through coaching, mentoring, and improvement planning.
• Provide guidance and technical assistance to strengthen EL instructional models, program design, and intervention systems that promote improved student outcomes.
• Develop and disseminate statewide resources, guidance documents, and toolkits to support implementation fidelity, sustainability, and alignment with EL standards.
• Identify and promote effective technology-based tools and digital learning resources that support instruction, data use, and professional learning.
• Promote systems that ensure English Learners have equitable access to rigorous coursework, advanced learning opportunities, and appropriate instructional supports.
• Collaborate across bureaus and divisions to align EL strategies with statewide initiatives and ensure multilingual learners are included in all school improvement efforts.
• Analyze statewide EL student performance and language proficiency data to identify trends, achievement gaps, and areas for targeted intervention. Provide technical assistance to districts on monitoring academic and language progress using formative and summative assessments.
• Support evaluation of EL program effectiveness through measurable performance indicators, continuous improvement cycles, and reporting tools that inform statewide planning.
• Facilitate partnerships among content-area teachers, ESL specialists, administrators, families, and community stakeholders to strengthen EL programs and instructional quality.
• Lead and participate in cross-bureau and cross-division initiatives to ensure coherent supports for multilingual learners.
• Support districts in strengthening family and community engagement, including strategies to increase family participation in student learning, decision-making, and program design.
• Ensure statewide compliance with federal and state regulations governing English Learner programs, including English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards, assessment, and program evaluation. Support and conduct district monitoring processes, including analysis of local plans, feedback, and implementation of corrective actions or program improvements.
• Collaborate with the ESEA Bureau to align Title III and school improvement resources in support of EL outcomes.
• Develop, revise, and maintain state technical assistance documents, compliance tools, and monitoring resources.
• Review, provide feedback on, and support districts in the development, implementation, and annual updates of Lau Plans to ensure alignment with civil rights requirements and state expectations.
• Identify and promote innovative instructional models and digital strategies that advance outcomes for multilingual learners.

A successful candidate will bring, or have the ability and desire to learn:

• Expertise in English Learner pedagogy and language acquisition theory.
• Knowledge of federal and state regulations governing English Learner programs, including program requirements and compliance.
• Experience advising on professional development design and delivery for K–12 educators.
• Ability to analyze data and implement strategies to reduce achievement gaps for diverse student populations.
• Experience leading statewide or large-scale initiatives, including project planning, grant administration, or strategic implementation.
• Ability to facilitate partnerships with diverse stakeholders, including families, community organizations, and institutions of higher education.
• Experience advising on EL programming within…