Literacy Specialist - Northview Elementary School

 Rantoul City Schools #137 is hiring a Literacy Specialist for our Northview Elementary School beginning with the 2024-25 school year.

Why choose RCS? Here are three reasons, just to get started...

• Our Students. Once you meet them, you will love them!
• Small Classes. We pride ourselves on our very small class sizes (15-20 per class).
• Professional Support. Our schools have Instructional Coaches, Tech Integration Specialists, Reading and Math Specialists, Counselors and Social Workers__all to support you and your students.

District and Salary Information

Job Summary: The Literacy Specialist is responsible for supporting student achievement in the area of Literacy with special attention to Tier II and III instruction. The Specialist provides individual or small group instruction to students who are struggling academically. This position is also responsible for monitoring, reporting, and communicating student progress and performance.

Required Qualifications:

• Illinois Professional Educator License with Endorsements to teach assigned grade level and content.
• Work experience collecting, analyzing and interpreting student performance data in a school setting.
• Excellent interpersonal/communication/collaboration skills
• Knowledge and work experience using multiple literacy assessment tools and diagnostic procedures in a school setting.
• Ability to apply instructional strategies on differentiation
• Knowledge of collaboration practices, team teaching practices, and special education 
• Ability to collect data and make course placement recommendation for students

Preferred Qualifications:

• Evidence of continuous literacy-focused professional development.
• Knowledge and experience using district curriculum materials.
• Knowledge of scientifically based research in literacy, principles of effective literacy instruction and use of assessment in literacy instruction.
• Successful teaching experience

Reports to: Building Principal/Assistant Principal, Assistant Superintendent 

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

• Provides diagnosis and instructional high quality literacy instruction to individual students and small groups for students identified as intensive or strategic on district assessment.
• Schedules in-class and out-of-class instructional groups for students requiring literacy support. 
• Prepares lessons and provides support for individual students and groups of students requiring literacy support.
• Collaborates with classroom teachers to collect and analyze data in order to design literacy lessons using identified research-based interventions that focus specifically on individual student instructional needs
• Supports classroom teachers as they implement new literacy practices into their classrooms, by modeling lessons and engaging in collaborative conversations about teaching and learning.
• Consults and coordinates with classroom teachers, families and other District staff to help identify best practices for individual and small groups of students and provide student progress information.
• Participates in grade level meetings and makes recommendations for literacy services in collaboration with the other participants. 
• Participates in District-wide meetings, Building-level meetings and attends in-service activities as directed.
• Actively participates in District meetings, evaluations, and assessments regarding at-risk students.
• Requisitions materials necessary to carry out the instructional program.
• Develops and implements parent involvement activities and opportunities at the District.

• Maintain accurate, efficient, and effective records for instructional and non-instructional purposes.
• Engage in continuous learning in order to keep current.
• Design and facilitate effective professional learning opportunities.
• Work experience collecting, analyzing and interpreting student performance data:
• To provide instruction to students and to bring their skills to grade-level, including maintaining data-based documentation of continuous monitoring on student performance and progress. 
• To bring to school teams to participate in decisions about student progress
• To assist with identifying students for placement in intervention groups
• To bring students’ skills to grade-level
• Excellent interpersonal/communication/collaboration skills.
• Supports implementation of assessment tools and data management systems
• Knowledge and work experience using multiple literacy assessment tools and diagnostic procedures in a school setting.
• Attends appropriate trainings to improve knowledge and skills.
• Knowledge of scientifically based research in literacy, principals of effective literacy instruction and use of assessment in literacy instruction.
• Performs any and all additional duties as assigned by the Board of Education and Administration.

Other Duties:

• Communicates and interacts with students, parents, staff and community.
• Works cooperatively with the administration and staff to schedule meetings.
• Demonstrates knowledge of educational research, trends, and best practices.   
• Participates in district-wide and building committees related to educational and employment matters

Mental Demands:

• Ability to effectively communicate (verbal and written) with parents, colleagues, administration and all other members of the educational community
• Ability to instruct students effectively and capably.
• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress.
• Ability to use web-based programs, e-mail, and technology (laptop, Smartboard, etc.) effectively.

Working Conditions: 

• Indoor classrooms/School, exposure to: student noise, lawn mowing, music, odors of food, mowed grass and possible communicable diseases. 
• Outdoor schoolyard and grounds, field trips ; exposure to; temperatures (hot warm, cool, cold), and exposure to mowed grass.
• Regular work attendance. 

Salary : $52,206 - $69,892