National Director of Curriculum & Instruction (Location Flexible)

Reading Partners is changing the education landscape. We are a leader in working to solve the literacy crisis in our country by leveraging AmeriCorps members and community volunteers in under-resourced schools. Our diverse and expansive volunteer base provides one-on-one tutoring to students twice weekly. Our program is proven to help children master the reading fundamentals they need to unlock their potential as successful, happy, and confident readers in school and in life. The people at Reading Partners are our heartbeat and our greatest resource. We are all passionately rallied around our mission to help children become lifelong learners by empowering communities to provide individualized instruction that works. Join our stellar team leading the charge to deepen our impact and expand our national service.

The Reading Partners program is a proven, evidence-based national model leveraged to support students who have fallen behind in reading. A 2015 MDRC study concluded that Reading Partners has a positive and statistically significant impact on reading comprehension, sight-word reading, and reading fluency. The impact was equivalent to 1.5 to 2 months of additional growth in literacy in one year. At the heart of Reading Partners s new strategic plan, we will focus on innovating to scale, building partnerships, and centering students through racial equity. Over the next three years, Reading Partners will expand our impact to reach tens of thousands of students annually through direct service and partnerships. Also, Reading Partners is the recent recipient of a $8 million grant from the Department of Education and an unsolicited $20 million gift from MacKenzie Scott. Watch this video to learn more about Reading Partners.

The high level

Reading Partners is looking for an educational practitioner with curriculum and program development experience to lead Reading Partners national curriculum development, revision, and implementation process for our in-person and distance learning curricula. The Director of Curriculum & Instruction engages members of Reading Partners program advisory and conducts research to ensure that the educational content of lesson plans and other instructional support resources are aligned to state standards and evidence-based practices around the Science of Reading. They ensure that organizational planning and training around lesson plans and other curricular materials are aligned with students learning needs and the organization s strategy and business plans. The Director of Curriculum & Instruction also supports improvements leading to greater impact on student reading achievement and collaborates on Reading Partners program innovations.

This position requires a unique blend of knowledge in elementary literacy and digital instruction best practices, experience and skills in writing and/or revising K-5 digital/online instructional materials, as well as planning, organization, communication, and project management skills. The ideal candidate has experience not only in leading and writing for K-5 reading or English Language Arts curriculum projects connected with state learning standards, but also relationship development and project management experience. They have experience working in urban schools and/or school districts and experience working in a regional or multi-state educational organization.

Reporting Relationships:

The Director of Curriculum and Instruction reports to the Managing Director of National Programs (MDNP) in the program department. This role also supports and facilitates discussions with our internal and external Program Advisory.

What You ll do:

Curriculum Development and Instruction

• Engage Reading Partners program advisory to review the content and alignment of Reading Partners curricula with existing state standards and online educational best practices.
• Lead instructional design principles and revise as needed the curricula for Reading Partners online tutoring program, Reading Partners Connects (RPCx).
• Maintain, evolve, and write lessons and other materials for Reading Partners in-person program, Reading Partners Traditional (RPT).
• Work closely with other members of the Program department and regional staff to ensure Reading Partners curricula are highly effective in improving students reading proficiency, adaptable to volunteer tutors from diverse backgrounds, and meet national and regional stakeholder needs.
• Support the Chief Knowledge Officer and Managing Director of National Programs with communication and planning for the program advisory committee; participate in quarterly meetings/calls and lead key agenda topics.
• Evaluate and improve Reading Partners approach to individualized instruction and the development and implementation of Individual Reading Plans.
• Develop, guide, and/or evaluate supplemental instructional resources used by regional teams and partners.
• Collaborate with teams to support curriculum and development needs for innovative pilot programs.

Quality Assurance

• Lead the vision and planning for curricula review and feedback cycle with external experts and program staff.
• Collaborate with the Manager of Data, Evaluation, and Learning to ensure the annual monitoring and evaluation system supports effective and efficient organizational reporting on program impacts.
• Collaborate with members of the program department for maintaining the program quality standards and program fidelity guide as they relate to curriculum resources and implementation.

Training and Professional Development

• Collaborate with the Managing Director of National Programs, National Program Manager, and Director of Equity to evolve the training scope and sequence for tutors and program staff in relation to curriculum and best practices in the field.
• Develop content for training on literacy and reading development, as well as Reading Partners curricula and instructional beliefs. In addition, develop content to support tutor coaching around curriculum best practices.
• Attend national literacy conferences, join webinars, and engage in research activities to build knowledge of current best practices in literacy development and use that information to improve Reading Partners practices.

Communications

• Develop and refine key documents as well as internal and external language about Reading Partners curricula, state standards, and core instructional beliefs.
• Coach executive directors and program staff on how to effectively communicate about Reading Partners curriculum and instructional pedagogy.
• Build relationships with external partners and key staff in Reading Partners districts.

How You ll Do It:

Educational Expertise:

• Have a deep understanding of K-5 literacy foundations, the science of reading, digital learning best practices, and work to keep up with current literacy trends and the broader educational climate. Engage in and model on-going learning for literacy development and evidence in the literacy field. Demonstrates a deep passion for social justice and the educational success of all students.

Project Management:

• Demonstrates exceptional skill at ensuring curriculum goals, project or program purposes, and criteria for success are clearly defined. Clarifies the related roles and responsibilities, deliverables, milestones, and needs of primary stakeholders. Integrates ideas and needs of others in developing feasible strategies to achieve goals. Evaluates progress and success against performance standards and goals. Manages multiple competing priorities and projects, and re-prioritizes as needed. Balances the needs of regions with national strategic priorities and operational resources. Remains adaptable, flexible, and positive while navigating complex problems. Anticipates challenges and/or questions and proactively acts to address them. Demonstrates an ability to also make quick, sound decisions, when needed, that consider all stakeholders.

Development and Facilitation:

• Act as the organization's voice when it comes to curriculum. Be a skilled and engaging facilitator who translates information to being disseminated to varied audiences throughout the organization.

About you!

• Have 5+ years of experience in curriculum design and instruction field
• Degree in reading, curriculum and instruction, elementary education, or related field
• Demonstrated knowledge of current K-5 literacy education best practices
• At least three years of experience in developing curriculum and/or instructional resources in reading or English Language Arts
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in curriculum and instructional resource development for digital learning
• Experience in the field of K-5 education (e.g., as a teacher, literacy coach, etc.), especially within the context of Title I schools and diverse student populations (including students for whom English is not their primary language)
• Experience with literacy/reading interventions or tutoring programs.
• Exceptional communication, organizational, problem solving, time management, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to independently work toward goals and reprioritize projects and priorities in an adaptive environment
• Ability and flexibility to travel out of state, up to 20% of the time
• Root your work in our core values
• Approach your work with pride and have fun while doing it.
• Prove eligibility to work legally in the U.S.
• COVID-19 vaccination is required unless a medical or religious accommodation is requested and approved. Please review our Vaccination Policy.

The preferred location of this position is in one of Reading Partners direct service locations

Bonus points if you have:

• Previous experience working with regionally or nationally scaled nonprofits, especially high-growth nonprofits.
• 2-3 years of project management experience, demonstrating progressively greater responsibility.
• Experience designing curricula materials for literacy learning
• Experience designing interactive, engaging digital curricula or instructional materials
• Experience authoring or working with authors from underrepresented and marginalized communities) to produce diverse, engaging books or ebooks used for instruction with K-5 students.

What we offer:

Reading Partners offers the full package – great benefits, a great place to work and the opportunity to have a glowing and growing career.

• Salary is commensurate with experience but is up to $120,000 per year. This is a full-time, exempt, salaried position
• We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, flex spending accounts, generous paid time off, commuter benefits, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and currently a 403(b) match option.
• We offer an exciting and dynamic culture, and we commit to investing in and supporting our amazing people to grow their careers with us.

What s Next?

If you re interested in joining our Reading Partners team, please submit the following application materials to our online job posting:

• A cover letter describing your interest in Reading Partners and how your past experience has prepared you for this role. Please include your salary needs.
• Resume