Instructional Coach

Our public school students need your expertise, passion and leadership.

We are looking for highly motivated and skilled talent to join our team at District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). We seek individuals who are passionate about transforming the DC school system and making a significant difference in the lives of public school students, parents, principals, teachers, and central office employees. DCPS serves nearly 51,000 students in the nation's capital through the efforts of approximately 4,200 educators in 117 schools. As part of a comprehensive reform effort to become the preeminent urban school system in America, DCPS intends to have the highest performing, best paid, most satisfied, and most honored educator force in the nation and a distinctive central office staff whose work supports and drives instructional excellence and significant achievement gains for DCPS students

Position Overview

This fall, the Office of Equity will continue to implement LEAP (Learning together to Advance our Practice), a research based professional development model designed to foster collaboration between and for the development of teachers. The Instructional Coach, along with other school ­based LEAP Content Leaders (generally Assistant Principals and Teacher Leaders) will be the primary drivers of this professional development model in order to improve teacher practice and increase student achievement. At its core, LEAP is about creating content specific, school ­based learning teams that engage in a weekly cycle of lesson planning, content knowledge development, formative observations, and student work analysis. The LEAP cycle is grounded in DCPS curricular resources and facilitated by a content specific leader. This position is a safety ­sensitive position. As a result, throughout employment this position will be subject to the Employee Mandatory Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy. The Instructional Coach will be evaluated by their Principal or Assistant Principal. This position is a safety-sensitive position. As a result, throughout employment this position will be subject to the Employee Mandatory Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy.

The Instructional Coach will report to the Principal.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The below statements are intended to describe the general nature and scope of work being performed by this position. This is not a complete listing of all responsibilities, duties, and / or skills required. Other duties may be assigned.

• Leads content specific professional learning communities through LEAP (Learning together to Advance our Practice); depending on school placement, the Instructional Coach will serve as a LEAP Content Leader that will be responsible for leading cycles of lesson planning, content knowledge development, formative observations, and student work analysis tied to the DCPS curriculum.
• All Instructional Coaches at the Elementary and Middle School level will be responsible for serving as a LEAP Content Leader for one of the following content areas : Elementary Literacy, Elementary Math, Secondary Literacy, and Secondary Math.
• Depending on school placement, Instructional Coaches at the High School level may be responsible for serving as a LEAP Content Leader for one of the following content areas : Secondary Literacy and Secondary Math.
• Facilitates teachers’ understanding and implementation of the Common Core State Standards and the DCPS Teaching and Learning Framework by developing and executing LEAP Collaborative Learning Cycles, Observations and Feedback.
• Supports teachers’ achievement of goals, as needed, by effectively employing coaching strategies that gradually release responsibility for implementing instructional practices to the teacher (for example, co-planning, modeling, and observing).
• Analyzes teacher practice through ongoing classroom observations, data analysis, and examination of student work.
• Provides clear and direct feedback to teachers based on analysis of practice.
• Tracks student and teacher progress to assess the effectiveness of coaching.
• Develops teachers’ capacity to collect and analyze multiple sources of data to improve student learning.
• Articulates a clear instructional vision alongside the principal with a school-wide focus on teaching and learning that is data-driven, standards-aligned and rooted in a belief that all students can achieve at high levels.
• Fosters collaboration and teacher leadership.
• Participates actively on the school’s Academic Leadership Team and their content specific district LEAP team.
• Attends professional development meetings, trainings and all events led by the DCPS Office of Instructional Practice.

Qualifications

Personal Qualities of Top Candidates