Nature and Scope:

The Reading Specialist works directly with students in special education with reading goals on IEPs related to basic reading skills, including decoding, reading fluency, and encoding. The ideal candidate must be licensed by DESE and hold either an Orton Gillingham or Wilson Reading Levels One and Two certification.

Essential Functions/Responsibilities:

• Provides direct reading intervention and instruction for students who are on an IEP.
• Provides literacy assessments and ongoing data analysis
• Helps teachers interpret literacy assessment data of students.
• Assists administrators and teachers in designing appropriate intervention programs for students at risk of reading failure.
• Provides professional development training, workshops, and coaching appropriate for teachers and instructional assistants in literacy development skill acquisition.
• Assists administrators and teachers in identifying appropriate literacy materials for all students.
• Provides leadership, coordination, and innovation in English/Language Arts and Common Core curriculum and instruction.
• Provides demonstrations of new methods and materials for teaching English/Language Arts (e. g. integration of mobile devices and application, use of interactive white board)
• With the Reading Specialist, plans and conducts periodic program evaluations to assess the need for improvements in reading instruction and/or assessments.
• Conducts formal evaluations and disseminates results at Team Meetings.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s degree preferred
• DESE certified
• Massachusetts Reading certification
• Ability to assess reading and general literacy needs of students.
• Effective oral and written communication.
• Familiarity with educational testing and informal assessment and structured multi-sensory sequential reading programs preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, ABILITY, AND SKILL

- Knowledge of the standards set forth in the MA curriculum frameworks and the Westwood learning expectations.
- Knowledge of the relevant content.
- Knowledge of relevant School Committee Policies, district and building goals, needs of the students in the class, and relevant state and federal laws.
- Ability to execute the performance standards set forth in the WPS teaching rubric.
- Strong oral and written communication skills.
- Strong organizational and planning skills.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues.
- Ability to forge effective working relationships with students and parents.
- Technological proficiency, both in the use of technology for communication and for instruction.
- Ability to work under time constraints and meet deadlines.

PERSONAL QUALITIES

- Demonstrates caring and concern for all students.
- Conveys a love of learning to students.
- Makes positive contributions to the larger school community.
- Communicates clearly.
- Uses good judgment.

JOB ENVIRONMENT

Work takes place in classrooms and other building rooms/areas, including offices, auditorium, gym, lunchroom and hallways, within a school building setting, primarily indoors. Job takes place in a high-performing school district with high expectations.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

- Requires sufficient vision to read printed documents and to view detail on a computer screen for extended periods.
- Requires frequent standing, walking, sitting, bending, and reaching, as well as carrying and occasionally lifting up to 30 lbs.
- Ability to speak in an understandable voice with sufficient volume to be heard in normal conversation, on the telephone, and in the classroom.
- Ability to hear sounds clearly up to twenty feet.
- Travel among buildings may be required.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Westwood is an inclusive community that supports diversity among its staff and student body

The Westwood Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status.