POSITION TITLE: Literacy Specialist and Testing Coordinator
REPORTS TO: Director of Faculty,Teaching and Learning
FLSA: Exempt Status
JOB STATUS: Regular, Part Time 32 hours per week
FTE: .8 FTE/ 10 months
Salary: $44,646
Mission
To provide a creative learning environment where students develop a deep sense of place and belonging and work to become engaged stewards of the natural world around them and active citizens within our community.
Vision
Our vision is to look beyond classroom walls. We believe that healthy communities are created by engaged, informed and compassionate citizens, and that children learn best when participating in authentic, hands-on learning experiences that are closely tied to the community. Through service, integrated curriculum and experiential learning, we provide opportunities for our students to actively build relationships locally, inspiring them to become catalysts of change in a global community.
DEI Commitment
The Cottonwood School believes that the full education of a student depends and relies upon a diverse, equitable, and inclusive school environment. We value all lived experiences and integrate the voices of our school community members, while also inviting insight from our larger community. We apply a culturally responsive approach to our teaching and our decision-making. We incorporate the histories, perspectives, and experiences of diverse groups of people who are traditionally left out of school curricula.
Position Summary
We are seeking a patient, creative, and passionate Literacy Specialist to support young learners in kindergarten through third grade. The ideal candidate will have experience in primary education and a strong understanding of literacy development and willingness to coach classroom teachers in literacy instruction. This role involves working with students individually or in small groups by using multisensory methods in order to make learning fun, engaging, and interactive and to foster a love of reading. Additionally, the Literacy Tutor will coordinate and administer benchmark testing to assess students' literacy progress and tailor instruction accordingly. The specialist will also have experience working with struggling readers, students with 504 Plans, students moving towards an evaluation for special ed, and adapting instruction to meet diverse learning needs.
Key Responsibilities:
- Provide one-on-one or small-group literacy tutoring to students in grades K-3, focusing on essential skills such as phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.
- Help students develop foundational reading strategies, including decoding words, understanding letter-sound relationships, and building reading fluency using structured literacy approaches aligned to the Science of Reading.
- Support students' writing development by guiding them through sentence structure, basic grammar, spelling, and creative writing.
- Administer and coordinate easyCBM testing to assess student literacy levels in areas such as reading fluency, comprehension, and spelling.
- Use results from easyCBM assessments to guide instruction and track individual student progress over time and communicate to families.
- Screen, identify, and communicate to parents students who show signs of dyslexia using school benchmark systems.
- Collaborate with teachers, administrators, Student Intervention Team (SIT), and parents to provide updates on student progress and suggest ways to support literacy development at home.
- Occasionally attend IEP meeting
- Adapt instructional strategies and materials to meet the needs of students with 504 Plans and IEPs, ensuring that accommodations and modifications are implemented effectively.
- Provide differentiated instruction and additional support for students with learning disabilities, ensuring a supportive and inclusive learning environment.
- Foster a love for reading by introducing students to diverse and age-appropriate books and materials.
- Create a school wide event to promote reading for all students
- Encourage positive learning habits and self-confidence in young students.
- Mentor and coaches teachers K-5 in literacy
- Coach Oregon Battle of the Books for the Cottonwood School 26/27
- Attend trainings and stay updated on the Science of Reading
- Assist with literacy in the K-3 classroom when not meeting with students
State Testing Coordinator:
- Coordinate and schedule State Testing and with the support of the Director of Faculty and Tech Coordinator.
- Train and set up teachers for success in the administration of state testing
- Monitor testing progression and assist with make-up testing
- Prepare reports for the Director of Faculty as needed
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, Literacy, or a related field (or working toward a degree).
- Experience working with young children, preferably in a tutoring or classroom setting.
- Strong understanding of early literacy development, including phonemic awareness, phonics, and reading comprehension strategies.
- Familiarity with EasyCBM or other forms of Curriculum Based Monitoring and how to interpret the results to inform instruction (training available if necessary).
- Experience working with students with 504 Plans and ability to implement appropriate accommodations and modifications in tutoring sessions.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to connect with young learners in a supportive, patient, and encouraging manner.
- Ability to create a positive, engaging, and safe learning environment for children.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with evidence-based literacy programs
- Familiarity with early literacy assessments and tools
- Experience working with students who have reading challenges, such as dyslexia, ADHD, or other learning differences.
- Proficiency with or confident learning Student Information Systems, testing platforms, and data entry.
- Bilingual or multilingual skills are a plus.
To apply:
Please send a cover letter, resume and 3 references to: work@thecottonwoodschool.org