Reading Interventionist (ARI Grant)- West Decatur

SUMMARY:

• 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.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

An ARI local 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 of three years of successful teaching of reading or content areas and good classroom management.
• Experience providing 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.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

To ensure that all students are reading on or above grade level by the end of third grade, the job of the ARI-funded interventionist 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.

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.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• A nine-month contract is required to fulfill these job responsibilities. It is also expected that interventionists offer to serve as a teacher to support summer learning efforts, preferably in the role of an interventionist, and it is recommended that any addition to a nine-month contract be supplemental and not an extended contract. We are not opposed to districts who decide to move interventionists to a ten-month contract. We recommend you consult your legal department regarding any implications involved in changing the contract.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:

• Works well with others from diverse backgrounds. Focuses on solving conflict; maintaining confidentiality; listening to others without interrupting; keeping emotions under control; remaining open to others' ideas and contributing to building a positive team spirit. Demonstrated ability to successfully work with children.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

• Ability to communicate fluently verbally and in writing in English. Ability to effectively present information and respond effectively to questions in one-on-one, small group situations to students and other school staff. Ability to verbally respond to common inquiries from students. Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, procedure manuals and governmental regulations. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio and percent.

REASONING ABILITY:

• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form.

COMPUTER SKILLS:

• General knowledge of computer usage and ability to use, e-mail, Internet software and word processing software.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to appropriately communicate with students, teachers, parents, community agencies, social services and members of the community. Ability to exercise good judgment and work in an environment with constant interruptions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, and talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to sit, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
  
  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and infrequently lift and/or move 35 pounds. Occasional restraining required to reach with hands and arms, climb stairs, bend, stoop, squat, and crouch and kneel. The employee must occasionally lift, push, pull, carry and/or move up to 35 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include near vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.
  
  The employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions for short periods of time.

SALARY:

• Salary schedules are found on the main Decatur City Schools website, available here . (Please right-click and select Open in New Tab to view our salary schedules.)
• Listed below are items that may be necessary to complete your employment process in order to compute your annual salary. It is your responsibility to provide us with this requested information in order to receive your accurate salary.
• We need verification of previous public school teaching experience. Use the following information when requesting verification of experience from your past employment at other boards of education:
  
  • Within the state of Alabama, experience must be verified on Supplement EXP
  • Outside the state of Alabama, we must have a letter (on school district letterhead) or public school district form showing beginning and ending dates stating your years of service and position held while employed
  • Credit is awarded for public school experience only, private, parochial, or similar experience will not be accepted
  • Experience must be full time at least 50%-100% of the academic year
  • Administrative credit will be awarded only for experience in the same position, i.e., principal for principal position as stated in the salary schedule
  • Transfer Sick Leave: If you have sick leave from another state school system or from another state of Alabama agency, you must have a Sick Leave Transfer form sent from your previous employer to our Human Resources department
• The Decatur City Board of Education awards a salary based on the highest degree earned, even if the degree is outside education. The degree must be verified on an official transcript & recognized by the Alabama State Department of Education.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by an employee(s) within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of an employee(s) for this job.

The Decatur City School System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, disability, sex, religion, national origin, or age in its programs, activities, or employment and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The Title IX Coordinator for Decatur City Schools is responsible for handling inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies. The Title IX Coordinator can be reached by calling the Decatur City Board of Education at (256) 552-3000.