KIPP Public Charter Schools

Company Description

About KIPP New Jersey

KIPP New Jersey is part of the nationally recognized “Knowledge Is Power Program” network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools dedicated to preparing students for success in college and in life. In 2002, 80 fifth graders walked through the doors of our first middle school in Newark, New Jersey and KIPP New Jersey has since grown to educate 8,135 students in grades K-12 across 17 schools in Newark and Camden. More than 90% of KIPP New Jersey students currently qualify for free or reduced meals. 

By 2025, KIPP New Jersey will provide a world-class education to over 10,300 students across fifteen schools in Newark and five in Camden. To learn more, visit www.kippnj.org.

Job Description

Here’s what you need to know:

At KIPP NJ and KIPP Miami, Achievement Directors serve first as members of our K-12 multi-city Teaching & Learning TEAM, and then as leaders of their discipline in the academic program. Using best practices, standards knowledge, vertical thinking, input and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders, and an equity lens for developing content, Achievement Directors develop and manage our curriculum and assessment model, with the goal of improving long-term learning for kids. In addition to managing curriculum and assessments, Achievement Directors are responsible for increasing the instructional leadership capacity of school-based leaders (including Heads of Schools, School Leaders, and Assistant Principals) by deepening everyone’s subject matter expertise and modeling and coaching the instructional power moves. 

Specifically, Achievement Directors are responsible for driving academic achievement and growth on: 

• State and standardized tests (NJGPA/NJSLA, FSA, STAR, ACT)
• Internal assessments (i-Ready, F&P, unit-level tests, midterms, finals)

The High School Literacy Achievement Director will…

Design and Deliver Responsive Curriculum & Assessments in High School Literacy 

• Champion the adoption of a nationally-vetted curriculum in our high school English courses in 2023-2024 school year. This will include fully internalizing the curricula’s materials and assessments, as well as publishing and packaging them for leaders and teachers. Provide any specific modifications or adjustments to these materials based on our Vision for Humanities instruction. 
• Develop and/or finalize a rigorous assessment model that aligns to the grade level expectations for each grade, and prepares students for the assessments needed for graduation: NJGPA/NJSLA, ACT, and where applicable, AP. 
• Prepare module overviews and guidance for internalization for each unit of study. 
• Monitor the implementation of the curriculum, and make and communicate changes and improvements to content as needed.
• Review and respond to assessment data by making adjustments and modifications to curriculum materials and/or by deploying coaching support to places most in need.

Coach and Support the Implementation of the Academic Program 

• Support our high schools to get extraordinary results in both growth and achievement, by engaging in coaching & strategy sessions with each school as aligned to that school’s plan for coaching and development. 
• By working with instructional leaders in each school, build our school-based leaders’ content knowledge and instructional leadership capacity -- this may include engaging in walk-throughs, student work analysis protocols, coaching O3s, leading and monitoring content meetings, supporting PD implementation, and more. 
• Ensure that every one of our schools is creating equitable experiences for students by increasing support at high-needs campuses when needed, and partnering with Heads of Schools in order to drive rapid improvement in key academic systems and processes. 
• Analyze data and student work from major assessments with instructional leaders at each school and make recommendations about responding to misconceptions and implementing instructional next steps.
• Serve as a point person for all things programmatic, operational, data-related, and logistical – from assessment questions to materials management – related to the high school literacy curriculum.

Lead and Engage in Professional Development

• As a resident content expert, lead professional development for leaders and teachers in accordance with the T&L team’s annual professional development strategy, including AP Cohort Meetings, One TEAM, One Sound, Leading For Learning, Heartbeat Summit, etc. Note that, depending on the PD strategy, group sizes for professional development sessions may exceed 100 depending on the PD venue.
• Embrace and develop skill in a wide range and methods of professional development and coaching, including real-time feedback, co-teaching and model teaching, observation and debrief, etc.
• Support content TEAM meetings in high school literacy, on an as-needed basis.
• Engage in research and professional development opportunities within and outside of the T&L team, to continuously grow and develop our team’s knowledge based, spread best practices, and improve on our collective coaching and leadership skills. 

Serve as an Outstanding TEAMmate on the Teaching & Learning TEAM 

• Collaborate with other members of the T&L high school team team, and vertically with other T&L Humanities TEAMmates, to engage in coherent decision-making across the grade band and content area.
• Participate in the EKG Walk-Through process, to objectively score schools on instructional practice and to generate feedback designed to move schools forward.
• Participate in routine meetings with the T&L team, to solve tactical matters, engage in strategic work together, build vertical content knowledge and program, etc. 
• Participate in routine and/or schedule ad hoc meetings with Heads of Schools, School Leaders, and APs, to solve tactical matters, engage in strategic work together, and respond to the most pressing needs our schools have. 
• In years that EKGs are in place, participate in the EKG Walk-Through process, to objectively score schools on instructional practice and to generate feedback designed to move schools forward.
• Participate in teacher rubric scoring and rating, to help schools norm their scoring and calibrate the rubric scores for all teachers in a building.

Qualifications

Must-Haves:

• Kid- and teacher-focused: makes recommendations and plans based on what is best for kids and teachers; exhibits a front-line obsession.
• Leadership experience -- has served as a School Leader, Assistant Principal, or network leader for two years or more. As a coach and leader for other leaders in our organization, the person in this role needs to have walked the walk. 
• Exceptional high school content knowledge and alignment to our instructional vision -- knows the ins and outs of everything related to high school standards, assessments, and best practices within the discipline.
• Strong data analysis skills: can look at an assessment and data set (including sets of student work), diagnose challenges, and immediately recommend clear next steps for instructional leaders and/or teachers.
• Presence and gravitas: can command the attention of a room when delivering feedback, explaining data, or leading professional development.
• Responsiveness, service orientation, and ability to invest and inspire others -- the T&L TEAM exists to support and serve our schools, and so a top-down mentality will not work well.
• Big picture thinking -- can develop and drive a vision that will serve schools across multiple cities. Does not get bogged down by logistics or uncertainty. 
• Detail-orientation -- while keeping an eye trained on the big picture, simultaneously does not let important details slip through the cracks.
• Excellent communication skills -- can speak and write compellingly about the discipline and all the nitty gritty details stakeholders will need to know in order to achieve results.
• Proactiveness – does not wait for explicit direction but rather asks the appropriate questions and self-directs; takes on additional projects without compromising the integrity of existing ones.
• Flexibility -- sees unforeseen obstacles and challenges as an opportunity to design a better solution

Nice-to-Haves:

• An advanced degree in Literacy, or extensive study in the science of reading / literacy development 

Additional Information

Compensation & Benefits

In addition to a competitive salary, KIPP NJ offers a full comprehensive benefits plan, including health care, retirement, a school laptop, and transportation benefits for TEAMmates commuting into New Jersey from the New York City area.