Instructional Coach & Project Based Learning Research Director

Job Title: Instructional Coach & Project Based Learning Research Director

Exemption Status: Exempt/Teacher

Reports to: Assistant Superintendent C&I

Education Dept./School: District

Collaborates with:  Instructional Coaches, Secondary Counselor, Superintendent, Asst Sup C&I, and Secondary Principal

Student Research 

• Directs the creation of mission, objectives, and implementation plans for district-wide student research project initiative
• Works with in-house Agrilife Extension specialist to design some projects
• Instructs teachers and students on basic empirical research knowledge and skills
• Provides templates and resources to teachers in grades 3-10 and students in grades 11-12 for project implementation
• Meets with 11th and 12th graders (one-on-one) to design and help implement Capstone research projects
• Designs rubrics for projects at various grade levels
• Ensures expectations and research designs are aligned with science TEKS
• Orders, inventories, organizes, and distributes project materials and supplies
• Helps find funding for projects
• Keeps record of expenses for research projects
• Provides instruction for students in various parts of research process at request of teacher
• Designs and distributes materials to teach research (such as Montessori works and sentence stems)
• Creates content-based assessments in Eduphoria
• Organizes and hosts research judging events
• Enters scores and uses formulas to determine winners of projects
• Coordinates project fairs and winner presentations at PTECH Advisory/Student Symposium meetings
• Helps other CEN districts with research project logistics

Instructional Support 

• Plans for and delivers professional development (via PTC, inservice days, etc.) using needs assessments, leadership team input, data, teacher feedback, and campus improvement plans
• Plans and prepares for New Teacher Orientation
• Helps leadership team develop campus improvement plans
• Helps develop district problem of practice
• Participates in weekly leadership team meetings 
• Coaches teachers on planning, finding resources, common instructional framework, data-driven instruction, and any other instructional needs
• Analyzes lesson plans
• Helps develop lesson plan template
• Acts as a liaison between teachers and other administrators
• Works with team of ICs to create internal and external instructional rounds schedules, conduct rounds, and brief rounds process
• Works with team of ICs to create observations schedule and focus areas; tracks completion of teacher observations
• Works on implementing Teacher Incentive Allotment (application and planning year)

Rural Student Success Initiative Coordinator (RSSI) 

(Agrilife Extension Grant Program to support rural college readiness)

• Leads leadership team to create annual RSSI Implementation Plan for college persistence, matriculation, FAFSA, readiness goals based on baseline data 
• Plans activities (field trips, college visits, family nights) to support goals
• Assigns lead people to various activities
• Oversees implementation of RSSI Implementation Plan throughout the year
• Creates and monitors RSSI grant budget
• Helps host college readiness events
• Collects, prepares, and turns in data files for RSSI:
• FAFSA/TASFA application reports
• College application reports
• 8th-12th grade enrollment reports
• National Student Clearinghouse reports on enrollment and matriculation
• Participates in professional development and RSSI mandatory training sessions

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree 
• Texas Teaching Certificate (Math/Science preferred)
• Master's Degree preferred, but not required
• Minimum three years experience as a successful classroom teacher
• Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail
• Working knowledge of curriculum and instruction (Math/Science)
• Ability to interpret data and support instructional adjustments