School Readiness Coach
SCHOOL READINESS COACH
Lexington-Fayette, Bourbon, Harrison and Nicholas Counties
Operational Title: Coaching and Monitoring Specialist
Reports to the Assistant Director of Child Development
Full time position
Primary Responsibilities: The position provides hands-on guidance and teaching instruction through high quality interactions between student and adult, to the Council's teachers to improve child assessment data outcomes, reach and maintain a level of excellence in the CLASS assessment, and to ensure that students are identified as school ready when exiting our program.
Desired Education: Bachelor in early childhood education or related field.
Desired Job Experience: Bachelor's degree (master's degree preferred) in early childhood education or related field with 5+ years of demonstrated experience in the field of early childhood education. Must obtain a T.B. skin test, physical, food handler's permit, as well as any other screenings, physicals, and testing required by the funding source, licensing an/or regulations.
Pay range: $19.81 - $21.79 (Hourly)
Full Job Description:
Job Function Statement: This position serves as part of the Council's Office of Child Development team that monitors and ensures program compliance and serves as the implementer of the Council's research based coaching plan. The School Readiness Coach is committed to providing exceptional education opportunities to students enrolled in the Council's Head Start programs with specific emphasis on CLASS Instructional Strategies and will implement Practice Based Coaching strategies with Council's teaching staff. The position provides hands-on guidance and teaching instruction through high quality interactions between student and adult, to the Council's teachers to improve child assessment data outcomes, reach and maintain a level of excellence in the CLASS assessment, and to ensure that students are identified as school ready when exiting our program. This position provides training and technical assistance of child development best practices and ongoing professional development for staff and volunteers in accordance with Head Start Program Performance Standards, Head Start Act, state and local or other requirements.
Major Tasks: (Specify tasks: what when how, often, differentiate essential and secondary job functions)
1. Conveys high expectations for implementation of specialized content area instructional goals, activities, interactions, and classroom environment for student achievement.
2. Ensures on-going monitoring and technical support pertaining to requirements as set forth by the Council, local, state, federal guidelines, Head Start Program Performance Standards and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
3. Guides and trains the Children's Services Coordinators in looking at student work, developing lesson plans based on student need, data analysis, managing center operations, co-planning with teachers and verifying required documents.
4. Maintains a safe, organized, and high quality environment that facilitates learning and minimizes student disruptions.
5. Demonstrates appropriate teacher-student interactions with general warmth, caring, and respect within the developmental and cultural norms as described in the CLASS Manual.
6. Observes and assesses classroom activities and provides on the job training, coaching, and modeling to Head Start staff and volunteers in order to improve the qualifications and training of classroom staff, to maintain high quality child development services, and to promote career development in Head Start programs.
7. Demonstrates, uses and implements techniques that support social and emotional learning, well organized classrooms, and instructional teacher interactions that will lead to higher levels of thinking and increased sophisticated vocabulary usage among students.
8. Demonstrates and models lesson implementations that meet the diverse needs of all students incorporating expertise in all areas of instruction and classroom functionality.
9. Performs the duties of the Children's Services Coordinator or Lead Teacher, as required by the program.
10. Integrates the use of educational technology in the classroom. (
11. Establishes efficient systems for performing non-instructional duties resulting in minimal loss of instructional time.
12. Guides the learning process toward the achievement of curriculum goals, CLASS goals and in harmony with their content specialization, establishes clear objectives for all lessons, units, projects and the like. Communicates these objectives to teachers.
13. Guides a learning process that builds a continuum of skills from early learning through the Kentucky Core Academic Standards reducing the educational gap with students after exiting Head Start and entering school.
14. Ensures ongoing monitoring and technical support pertaining to CLASS, curriculum, individualization, and assessment for all children to assure compliance with requirements set forth by the Council, local, state, and federal guidelines, and Head Start Program Performance Standards and NAEYC.
15. Assesses the accomplishments and achievements of teachers on a regular basis, provides progress reports, and designs written and verbal improvement plans to achieve optimum outcomes.
16. Monitors and administers the CLASS, Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale (ECERS) and Infant/Toddlers Environmental Rating Scale (ITERS) to designated centers at a minimum of three times per year.
17. Conducts the Brigance K-1 screener near the end of the program year to assess kindergarten readiness.
18. Participates in annual program self assessment by providing technical support and monitoring.
19. Monitors and compiles aggregated child outcome data and CLASS data.
20. Monitors parent involvement in the curriculum.
21. Performs other duties as assigned. (S)
Job Qualifications:
Knowledge, skills, experience, education, abilities:
- 1. Bachelor's degree (master's degree preferred) in early childhood education or child development and/or and teaching certification in IECE is required with 5+ years of demonstrated experience in the field of early childhood education. 2. Knowledge of Kentucky licensing regulations, Head Start Program Performance Standards, KY ALL STARS and NAEYC accreditation. 3. Must be able to operate technology efficiently in carrying out duties and the aggregation of data. A working knowledge of Excel, Microsoft Word, and the ability to manipulate the Council's internal data base is required.
- Knowledge of Creative Curriculum, AEPS, Teaching Strategies GOLD, ECERS/ITERS, Practice Based Coaching, and CLASS are preferred. 5. Ability to maintain up-to-date knowledge of current child development practices and research based early childhood quality methods and approaches. 6. Understanding of developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood education and the ability to support its use in school readiness goals. 7. Must demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills including working as part of a team, leadership ability, ability to pay close attention to detail and lead others to a higher level of service delivery.
Licenses, certifications: 1. Valid Kentucky driver's license. 2. Sex offender registry check. 3. State criminal records check, including fingerprints. 4. Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal records check, including fingerprints. 5. Child abuse and neglect state registry check. 6. Must obtain CLASS reliability certification within 90 days of hire. 7. Must obtain a Kentucky State Trainers Credential within one year of hire. 8. Must obtain a food-handler's permit, CPR and First Aid Certifications, Orientation I and II, Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma Training, and 21 hours of professional development annually. Additional trainings as required or implemented by funding sources or to meet program objectives must also be obtained.
Physical and mental requirements: 1. Results of a negative tuberculin test. 2. Results of a recent physical examination. 3. Any other testing required or implemented by funding sources, 4. Must possess a working knowledge and demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of people experiencing low income. 5. Must be very energetic and enthusiastic about working with teachers in the classroom to assist in achieving a level of excellence.
Tools and equipment:
Travel: 1. Reliable transportation for work related travel and be willing to use vehicle for work travel.
Work conditions: 1. Safety and hazards: Excellent work site. 2. Work site layout: Various. 3. General environment: Collaborative, creative problem-solving, major emphasis on program outcomes and staff empowerment, improvement and decision making. Council maintains a smoke free environment in the workplace.