CREST Collaborative Hiring for Early Literacy Specialists Part-Time, DESE Early Grades Literacy Grant at Massachusetts Full Time

2023 FC 734a and FC 734b – Early Grades Literacy Consultants for Schools/Districts Located Across Massachusetts; Springfield/Western MA Area, Southeastern MA, Suburbs of Boston, and North Shore Area

Job Description: Pending funding, regional literacy consultants will begin in July/August

2022.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)is seeking to recruit and hire regional
Literacy Consultants to support DESE’s 2022/2023 Early Grades Literacy grant programs. DESE seeks an individual who: has deep knowledge and understanding of literacy, specifically evidence-based instruction, practices and assessment, the development of children as readers, demonstrates experience working with a team to meet ambitious outcome goals, and an understanding of the nexus and power of curriculum standards, high-quality, evidence-based, inclusive and culturally responsive instructional materials and practices and early literacy assessments.

CONTEXT AND FRAMING:
DESE will fund two Early Grades Literacy grant programs for SY 2023, FC 734a – From Research to
_ Practice: Evidence-Based Early Literacy _ and FC 734b – Implementation and Sustainability:
_ Evidence-Based Early Literacy_.

1. FC 734a – From Research to Practice: Evidence-Based Early Literacy is a three-year, competitive grant to increase teacher knowledge to implement evidence-based, inclusive, culturally responsive practices in early literacy through professional learning with a focus on the Mass
Literacy Guide, and Culturally Responsive Teaching & Leading.

Schools participating in the Early Grades Literacy grant fund a six-member, grant team that will attend …

• two full-day professional development institutes (October 2022 and January 2023)
• an end-of-year, Showcase meeting (June 2023)
• six, 90-minute meetings for the grant team and up to 32 additional educators who opt to participate.

Each grant team member, up to 6 members, will receive $1,000/year to participate in all grant activities and up to 32 additional staff will receive $400 to attend six, 90-minute, afterschool meetings

Each school will be funded for 320 hours of school-based work with an expert literacy consultant. This support includes:

• collaborating with the established, school-based literacy leadership team to ensure grant implementation

• supporting the leadership team in developing short-term goals for grant implementation
• modeling the implementation of evidence-based, inclusive, culturally responsive early literacy instruction through grade 3
• promoting equity of access and academic achievement for diverse students,
• coaching individual teachers and administration
• co-facilitating after-school professional learning focused on tier I instruction
• facilitating data and grade-level meetings

2. FC 734b – Implementation and Sustainability: Evidence-Based Literacy is a one-year, targeted grant for schools that participated in DESE, evidence-based, early literacy professional development. An early literacy consultant will provide targeted support for full implementation and sustainability of evidence-based, inclusive, culturally responsive, early literacy instruction with a continued focus on the Mass Literacy Guide, and Culturally Responsive Teaching &
Leading.

Each school will be funded for 320 hours of school-based work with an expert literacy consultant. This support includes:

• collaborating with the established, school-based literacy leadership team to ensure full implementation of evidence-based, inclusive, culturally responsive early literacy instruction and assessment.

• support the leadership team in developing short-term goals for grant implementation
• modeling the implementation of evidence-based, inclusive, culturally responsive early literacy instruction through grade 3
• promoting equity of access and academic achievement for diverse students,
• coaching individual teachers and administration
• facilitating data and grade-level meetings

SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS MUST DEMONSTRATE THE FOLLOWING:

• _ Experience_ o Master’s degree or higher in education o A minimum of 5 years of teaching experience o Expertise in early literacy as specified in the Reading Specialist Subject Matter

Knowledge Guidelines and evidence-based practices for explicit, systematic, and cumulative instruction aligned to grade-specific standards in the 2017 Massachusetts
English Language Arts and Literacy Framework. o General knowledge of the Mass Literacy Guide, specifically, Where to Start, The Four
Shifts, and the Simple View of Reading. o Improving evidence-based, early literacy instruction in grades K-3. o Teaching early literacy using evidence-based practices. o Organizing meetings with various stakeholders that result in clear, actionable outcomes. o Formal literacy coaching and modeling, targeting evidence-based, early literacy skills instruction to school and district leadership and staff. o Conducting classroom observations of evidence-based, early literacy, instructional practices. o Providing coaching and consulting to individual teachers, and small, collaborative groups. o Leading teachers in data-driven decision-making and planning targeted instruction for whole-and small-groups. o Implementing inclusive and culturally responsive instructional practices.

_ Communication_
o Strong written and oral communication skills o Ability to analyze, synthesize, and communicate complex information quickly to stakeholders

CONSULTANT EXPECTATIONS:
Consultant work for the 22-23 Early Grades Literacy grant will be individualized and responsive to school needs. Through an equity-driven gradual release approach, consultants will build and support the capacity of district and school leaders, literacy coaches, and educators to sustain evidence-based, inclusive, and culturally responsive literacy systems, structures, and practices. Specifically, Early Grades literacy consultants will:

1. Provide individualized and customized support to educators, school, and district leaders, on
center evidence-based, inclusive, culturally responsive early literacy instruction. a. Participate in summer professional learning as determined by grant lead b. Attend planning meetings in person or virtually as scheduled with DESE grant lead (50 hours) c. Work with school-based teams for a total of 320 hours

• Facilitate data-driven, decision-making meetings (a minimum of three times per year after each benchmark)
• Travel to schools, institutes, and planning meetings, travel is not paid

• Attend and assist at two (2) Literacy Institutes Collaboratively plan the end-of-year Showcase with the school-based teams
• Plan and facilitate six (6), 90-minute, after-school, professional learning meetings
• Facilitate grade level or PLC meetings and data meetings (screener and progress monitoring) with grade-level teachers and/or vertically across grades K-3
• Conduct classroom observations
• Guide and support the administration on grant expectations and content
• Plan (co-plan) and model evidence-based, inclusive, culturally responsive, early literacy practices
• Plan professional learning opportunities and the final showcase collaboratively with school staff d. Collaboratively develop and submit quarterly, measurable, school-based goals will be short-term, actionable, measurable, and co-developed with the principal, and selected staff three times per year (August, November. and March). Goals will be reviewed by the grant lead and co-monitored with the literacy consultant. e. Work closely with educators to deepen knowledge of evidence-based, inclusive, culturally responsive early literacy instruction for ALL students through institutes, six,

90-minute after-school, professional learning sessions, classroom coaching and modeling, data and staff meetings). f. Provide opportunities and structures for intentional equity pauses throughout all aspects of the Early Grades Literacy work to ensure the work is reflective of and responsive to all students, stakeholders, and educators, especially those who have been historically underserved (e.g., six, 90-minute after-school meetings, classroom coaching, and modeling, data-meetings, lesson planning) g. Support schools and districts by strengthening educators’ capacity to honor the many identities of students through evidence-based, inclusive, culturally responsive, early literacy instruction, assessment, and materials. h. Ensure time and efforts are spread equitably across the school throughout the entire school year.

2. Provide DESE with the following: a. Artifacts/Evidence of student learning/achievement, high expectations, student growth, and improved literacy experiences and outcomes for all students (e.g., student work, videos, lesson plans, etc.) b. Deliverables, all of which should center on high expectations, evidence-based, inclusive, and culturally responsive instruction (e.g.., meeting schedules with administrators, teachers, professional learning dates, school-based goals, etc.)

• [By September 16, 2022] August to November goals submitted for review
• [September 21, 2022] *Two-hour consultant meeting
• [By September 23, 2022] Complete culturally responsive teachers PD
• [By September 30, 2022] Consultants’ schedule of meetings is submitted
• [October 3, 2022] Progress towards goal meeting (½ hour)
• [October 19, 2022] *Two-hour consultant meeting
• [October 31, 2022] *Progress towards goal meeting (½ hour)
• [November 16, 2022] *Two-hour consultant meeting
• [By November 25, 2022] submit December to March goals for review
• [November 28, 2022] *Progress towards goal meeting (½ hour)
• [December 14, 2022] *Two-hour consultant meeting
• [December 19, 2022} *Progress towards goal meeting (½ hour)
• [January 18, 2023] *Two-hour consultant meeting
• [January 30, 2023] *Progress towards goal meeting (½ hour)
• [February 15, 2023] *Two-hour consultant meeting
• [February 27, 2023}*Progress towards goal meeting (½ hour)
• [March 15, 2023] *Two-hour consultant meeting
• [By March 23, 2023] submit April to June goals for review
• [March 27, 2023] *Progress towards goal meeting (½ hour)
• [April 12, 2023] *Two-hour consultant meeting
• [April 24, 2023] *Progress towards goal meeting (½ hour)
• [May 17, 2023] *Two-hour consultant meeting
• [May 30, 2023] *Progress towards goal meeting (½ hour)
• [June14, 2023] *Two-hour consultant meeting

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

• A consistent, regular schedule of onsite school-based coaching that is coherent across schools and responsive to school needs
• Schools are making effective and timely progress toward their goals that result in deep and lasting improvements in literacy for all students, especially students who have been historically underserved

• Teachers build knowledge of evidence-based, inclusive, culturally responsive instruction and practices as measured by the pre-and post-survey

• Clear evidence of impact on student learning, student growth, high expectations, and improved literacy experiences and outcomes for all students as measured by K-3 data submitted in February and June of 2023

• Schools report positive relationships with consultant support that is responsive and capacity-building through administrator and teacher interviews

• implementation of evidence-based, inclusive, culturally responsive practices in small and whole group instruction as measured by classroom observations (principal, literacy consultants and grant lead)

CONTRACTED HOURS: Pending Funding
ANTICIPATED COMMITMENT* (370 hours at $75/hour – 320 school-based hours and 50 consultant hours at $75/hour over the course of ten [10] months beginning in August 2022 and ending in June 2023).

FC 734a

Description Prep Hours Work Hours Over-head
Per School Per School

Anticipated School-Based Hours

After school PD (6 PDs X 90-minutes) 18 9
Onsite coaching (~6 hours/week/32 weeks) 91 192
Meeting with the principal (~1 hour/month/10 months) 10

Total Anticipated Hours per school 109 211

Anticipated Consultant Hours

Virtual Consultant Meetings (11 meetings X 2 hours) 22
Summer Professional Learning (2 days X 6 hours) 12
Showcase 6
Progress Monitoring Meetings (9 X 30 minutes) 5
Optional Office Hours (45 minutes/week) 5

Total Anticipated Consultant Hours (per Consultant) 320 50

FC 734b

Description Prep Hours Work Hours Over-head
Per School Per School

Anticipated School-Based Hours

Onsite coaching, meeting with the principal (~6 64 256 hours/week/32 weeks)

Total Anticipated Hours per school 64 256

Anticipated Consultant Hours

Virtual Consultant Meetings (11 meetings X 2 hours) 22
Summer Professional Learning (2 days X 6 hours) 12
Showcase 6
Progress Monitoring Meetings (9 X 30 minutes) 5
Optional Office Hours (45 minutes/week) 5

Total Anticipated Consultant Hours (per Consultant) 320 50

AGENCY: Department of Elementary and Secondary Education through June 2023

Job Types: Part-time, Contract

Pay: $75.00 per hour

Work Location: On the road