Alabama Reading Initiative Interventionist

Title: ARI Reading Initiative Interventionist

General Information: The Midfield City Board of Education is an Equal Opportunity Employer. "No person shall be denied employment or be excluded from participation in any program or activity on the basis of disability, sex, race, religion, natural origin, color or age."

Reports To: Elementary Principal

Job Goal: An Alabama Reading Initiative interventionist shall be assigned to provide intensive, targeted intervention to K-3 students at one school. ARI interventionists may not perform administrative functions such as serving as an evaluator, substitute teacher, assessment coordinator, school administrator, instructional coach, or full-time interventionists above third grade. The local superintendent of education will certify that each interventionist has the qualifications to serve in this capacity.

Duties: To ensure that all students are reading on or above grade level by the end of third grade, the job of the ARI-funded local reading specialist(s) outlined in the Alabama Literacy Act will include the following as evidenced by student reading achievement and growth:

• Fully participate in all scheduled Multisensory Language Education (MSLE) training sessions associated with CALT training, which may include in-state travel.
• Participate in the administration of universal reading screeners to all students.
• Participate on the Problem-Solving Team (PST) for students identified by the universal screener as having a reading deficit. Assist in developing Student Reading Improvement Plans (SRIP) and/or a Response to Intervention (RtI) plans when appropriate according to the ALA and PST Manual.
• Utilize the Dyslexia Screening and Needs Assessment Profile to administer reading assessments that will identify students with the characteristics of dyslexia.
• Administer additional diagnostic academic skills assessments to identify areas of need and strengths, if needed.
• Depending on data, both qualitative (retention and consistent deficiency data) and quantitative, discern which students need dyslexia-specific intervention.
• Deliver prescriptive, explicit, systematic, structured, multi-sensory language instruction to students requiring dyslexia-specific intervention for a minimum of four out of five days per week in a small group setting of four to six students for the time prescribed by the IMSLEC curriculum which is 45 to 60 minutes daily.
• Begin teaching intervention classes a minimum of four days per week no later than the third full week of September and continue through the second full week of May.
• Teach all classes/groups a minimum of 130 days per year.
• Collaborate with the classroom reading teacher and/or local reading specialist to ensure consistency in the use of reading strategies utilized during intervention and in the classroom, to keep abreast of classroom progress monitoring, and to ensure effective communication with the parent.
• Serve as a secondary resource to classroom teachers by providing support and instruction in Structured Literacy through analyzing data, lesson protocols, planning, and the implementation of routines and procedures. The local reading specialist serves as the primary resource.
• Collaborate with administration and others on scheduling of students, preferably prior to the beginning of the year and the building of classes. Students should not miss Tier 1 classroom literacy instruction or social time to receive intervention.
• Collaborate with Local and Regional Literacy Specialist when requested and appropriate.
• Stay abreast monitoring, according to the program being administered, the reading progress of current students receiving dyslexia-specific intervention. This progress should be indicated in Unified Insight as an "intervention" that aligns to the student's Student Reading Improvement Plan (SRIP).
• Make recommendations for the potential adjustment of instruction according to student-specific needs identified from progress monitoring both classroom and intervention program specific.
• Agree to serve as a teacher for summer reading camp providing reading intervention to students, assisting in collecting reading data, and working to communicate data to ARI. The funding for this would be through your Summer Reading Camp allocation.
• Work to support the administrator in ensuring all K-3 teachers utilizing an intervention program have training in their approved Dyslexia Specific Intervention Program and all K-3 teacher, at a minimum, have been trained in dyslexia awareness.

Qualifications :

An ARI interventionist shall have all the following minimum qualifications:

• The required Alabama Professional Educator Certificate in Early Childhood, Elementary Education or Special Education Collaborative.
• A master's degree and Mastery Status in LETRS Early Childhood and/or LETRS K-12.
• Minimum three years of successful teaching of reading or content areas and good classroom management.
• Experience provided intensive, targeted intervention utilizing an approved dyslexia-specific intervention program (from the current or previous ALSDE-approved lists) as a classroom teacher, special education teacher, English Learner, or reading intervention teacher.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Advanced knowledge of and compliance with the Alabama Literacy Act in order to effectively interpret policy, procedures, and student data such as diagnostic test results and state assessments.
• Growth minded and willing to engage in high-level professional learning leading to CALT certification.
• Engage students in small-group instruction for several sessions a day in order to attain the 700 required clinical teaching hours that are required in CALT certification.
• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills in order to collaborate effectively with other teachers, administrators, and parents.
• Ability to transition with the district, campus, and/or department changes.
• Ability to facilitate schoolwide professional development in the area of dyslexia awareness to assist parents and teachers. Until trained, the interventionist may need to schedule a dyslexia awareness training led by ARI Regional Literacy Specialists.
• Ability to communicate effectively with and receive guidance from supervisors and coaching from the local reading specialist and/or regional literacy specialist.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Strong computer skills to implement multiple and diverse programs in person or online and to analyze data.
• Training or experience in a variety of effective reading intervention programs and/or strategies that would support students with the characteristics of dyslexia, a dyslexia diagnosis, and all struggling readers.
• Serve in partnership with the local reading specialist as literacy leaders for your school.

Evaluation and Support: Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) interventionists will be evaluated according to quantitative and qualitative data measures. Summative and formative student assessment data, surveys, Unified Insight data, and other relevant data will be used in determining interventionist's effectiveness and that of the overall program and process effectiveness. Additionally, progress in your Multi-Sensory Language Education program as determined by your assigned mentor will be used as applicable. This includes weekly schedules of intervention groups. Support for interventionists will be provided primarily by the ARI State Office in addition to ARI regional literacy specialists.

Salary Range: Salary is based on Board approved salary schedule based on rank, certification and experience. (Actual salary will be determined upon verification of experience.)

Applicants will be required to submit legible fingerprints for a background review by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (HB 402 Act 99-361 Alabama Legislature).