Reading Specialist

POSITION: READING SPECIALIST

LOCATION:

Manassas Park Middle School

SALARY:
Teacher Scale - 220 Days

HOURS:

Full Time, 7.5 Hours per dayPOSITION LENGTH: 220 DaysFLSA STATUS:
Exempt

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR:
School Administrators

JOB SUMMARY

The Reading Specialist supports all areas of student literacy; from guiding student and teacher success with implementation of High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) and Tier I instruction, supporting teachers with and overseeing effective data analysis and Tier II strategy/skill lessons, to advising and/or implementing Tier III interventions where needed. The Reading Specialist provides guidance and feedback to all stakeholders around student progress toward SOL-aligned goals.

The Reading Specialist actively participates as a member of the larger division-wide Reading Specialist cohort.

• Valid Virginia Department of Education license with an endorsement in Reading Specialist (or ability to obtain endorsement)
• A Master’s degree in reading or a Master’s degree with a reading endorsement.
• Three (3) years of successful classroom teaching experience in which the teaching of reading was an important responsibility.
• Knowledge of current research and best practices in the field of reading and writing.
• Experience in computer technology and data management programs.
• Must demonstrate effective knowledge of and be sensitive to the needs of a diverse student population.
• Ability to develop effective relationships with students, parents and school personnel.
• Knowledge of current trends in reading education, science of reading, and Virginia legislation relevant to literacy education.

• Complies with all school laws, State Board of Education regulations, and all policies and regulations made by the School Board and Superintendent.
• Performs all duties deemed necessary by the School Board and Superintendent for the efficient and successful operation of the school system.
• Actively pursues professional development and consistently attends meetings convened by or endorsed by division staff, the Superintendent and/or Principal.
• Performs other related duties as may be assigned by the Principal, to ensure the efficient and effective functioning of the work unit.
• Maintains inventory of all reading materials, including specialized materials for testing and remediation.

• Oversees administration of universal screeners and progress monitoring checks for students receiving targeted or intensive intervention.
• Analyzes data from universal screeners and progress monitoring checks to determine which students qualify for interventions, the area(s) of literacy in which an intervention is needed, what interventions will be given, and frequency of those interventions.
• Schedules and monitors the progress of students who qualify for intervention and/or a Student Reading Plan.
• Uses Data-Based Decision Making to implement interventions and measures the progress of those interventions.
• Supports and manages Student Reading Plans in collaboration with homeroom teachers and ESOL/SPED teachers as applicable.
• Supports communication of information regarding the Student Reading Plans with parents or guardians.
• Analyzes data at the school, grade, and classroom level to identify areas of need for teacher/student support and/or professional development.
• Has knowledge of and is able to administer various reading diagnostic assessments.
• Supports and coaches reading interventionists.
• Provides struggling readers with targeted intervention support.
• Supports teachers and parents in understanding the nature of students’ reading challenge(s) and nature of prescribed remediation strategies.
• Coordinates the administration of literacy assessments, analyzes assessment data, and monitors and tracks student progress.

• Leads professional development on HQIM curriculum, Virginia Standards of Learning, Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction (EBLI), and the Science of Reading (SoR).
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of best practices in literacy and state requirements.
• Supports the implementation of core curriculum, classroom-based…