Principal or Vice Principal Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Job Description
The Director of Curriculum and Instruction serves as the leader of the instructional leadership team of the school and drives strong instructional outcomes for all learners. The DCI is responsible for creating a climate of instructional excellence in the building, analyzing student performance data, and ensuring that teachers are prepared to execute the highest quality instruction. The chief responsibilities for the DCI includes (1) overseeing the school-wide implementation of instruction and assessment of Amani Public Charter Schools curriculum; and (2) the supervising, coaching and evaluating of teachers.
The DCI fulfills these responsibilities by coaching and supervising teachers to build teachers’ capacity for planning, instruction, and assessment; observing classrooms and identifying instructional strengths and needs; planning and leading professional development; managing assessment systems; driving results through the analysis of student performance data; ensuring that best practices are used to ensure consistent, coherent, high quality instruction; aligning units with curricular resources. As a key member of the school and instructional leadership teams, the DCI will also support and advise the ED on hiring, budgeting, scheduling, and other matters of concern.
Duties & Responsibilities
Managing instructional evaluation and assessment systems (administration, analysis, and reporting):
Supervising 25+ instructional staff through frequent walkthroughs of classrooms and instructional observations to identify school-wide strengths and needs, to ensure fidelity to interdisciplinary curriculum and the Common Core shifts, and assess levels of rigor and student ownership of student assignments.
Building teachers’ capacity for planning, instruction, and assessment
Engaging in targeted coaching cycles based on meeting school-wide goals.
Leading the planning, facilitation and/or debriefing of instructional team meetings related to curriculum and assessment (grade level team meetings, data analysis sessions during professional development days, etc.).
Leading the school’s Academic Team to drive results based on student academic results through testing and assessment.
Ensuring that both internal and external assessments are appropriately scheduled, implemented, and reported.
Assisting the Director of DATA with all assessment guidelines.
Collaborating with the academic team, outside vendors and consultants, to ensure alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
Leading the school-wide, ongoing curriculum mapping process and aligning maps with curricular resources:
Supporting the creation and effective delivery of vertical, horizontal, and Common Core State Standards alignment of curriculum units for all subjects.
Helping departments and grade level teams identify strategic opportunities for interdisciplinary units and integration of technology and performance assessment
Working with departments and grade level teams to revise curriculum maps based on student data and current research about effective practices
Ensuring that all curriculum maps and lesson plans are stored and well-organized on school’s shared drive or online curriculum mapping tool to promote consistency and collaboration
Coordinating instructional materials and resources that align with curriculum maps and working with the operations teams to ensure additional materials are purchased as necessary
Acting as a liaison between companies and programs that support the instructional core of the school (scheduling school and classroom visits, attending training, and providing regular information and updates from external providers to school-based staff)
Researching and approving additional curricular resources
Providing input and feedback on curriculum maps, unit and lesson plans, and assessments to ensure Common Core Learning Standards alignment.
Ensuring that standards-based unit plans and lesson plans reflect appropriate levels of rigor and incorporate the Common Core instructional shifts.
Drawing on content expertise to develop and lead staff-wide professional development.
Coaching and evaluating teachers using Danielson’s Framework for Teaching.
Supervising faculty and staff as directed by the ED.
Serving as an active member of the School Leadership and Instructional Leadership Teams:
Participating in weekly School Leadership and Instructional Leadership Team meetings.
Working with the School Leadership Team (ED, Director of School Culture, Director of Finance, Director of Student Personnel Services and the Director of Operations) to coordinate implementation of the design elements of the Amani public charter school
Working alongside other members of the School Leadership Team in analyzing the programmatic effectiveness and identifying opportunities to leverage the school community to improve student academic performance, (i.e. hosting family events related to interdisciplinary curriculum or report cards).
Working with the Instructional Leadership Team to develop annual goals and theories of action related to student learning and achievement.
Leading the analysis of current data regarding student performance to support the Instructional Leadership Team’s ability to improve teaching and learning.
Working alongside the Director of Student Personnel Services to analyze current data to improve teaching and learning for special education and ELL students.
Regularly analyzing student performance data for other high-needs populations (ELL, previously retained, etc.) to improve teaching and learning.
Creating action plans to achieve SMART goals and monitoring progress towards these goals.
Regularly representing Amani externally by conducting workshops, trainings, and presentations with partner non-profits, universities, education foundations, etc.
Exemplifying Amani Public Charter School’s core values of scholarship, merit, community, and responsibility.
