District Name: Morgan County
Regional Literacy Leadership Specialist:
ALABAMA READING INITIATIVE LOCAL READING SPECIALIST JOB DESCRIPTION & MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING/ALLOCATION (MOU/MOA) School Year 2024-2025
This document will be used as notification of the ARI local reading specialist for each school in a district to determine funding allocations and agreement to uphold the parameters outlined. If the ARI local reading specialist no longer serves the position after the completion of this document, the district should notify their Regional Literacy Leadership Specialist of a replacement or that the position is not filled. If the position remains unfilled, the quarterly allocation may be withheld. A local reading specialist may serve only one school in this role for the district to receive an allocation.
STATEMENTS OF AGREEMENT
Your signature at the end of the document indicates your agreement to support and fulfill the following:
We agree each ARI-funded local reading specialist is assigned to one school to support teachers in implementing the SCIENCE OF READING so that student proficiency increases, the achievement gaps close, and all students are reading at or above grade level by the end of the third grade.
We agree each ARI-funded local reading specialist supports teachers in the implementation of the SCIENCE OF READING by ensuring that literacy instruction is explicit and systematic (including daily teaching routines with extensive opportunities for supported practice, error correction, and feedback), that curricular resources are aligned with a clear scope and sequence for foundational reading skills, and that multisensory and small-group instruction occurs at all tiers of instruction.
We agree the ARI regional specialists support schools within the LEA according to the frequencies specified in the Alabama Literacy Act for the level of support (FS=daily/weekly on-site, LS1=monthly, LS2=quarterly) and to attend all quarterly trainings hosted by ARI including Coaching Communities/Labs (local reading specialists), Leadership Labs (principals), and Curriculum Virtual Chats (ARI Contacts).
We agree the ARI regional specialists collaborate with LEA and school leaders, local reading specialists, and teachers to monitor teacher quality and student data at least three times per year. This will include data collection, analysis, and use in instructional decision making.
We agree the ARI regional specialists collaborate with LEA and school leaders, local reading specialists, and teachers in adjusting instruction to ensure student reading proficiency increases and students are reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade.
We agree the ARI regional specialists, LEA and school leaders, and local reading specialists function as a Problem-Solving Team (PST) that meet at specified intervals throughout the year to collect, analyze, and report student data per the Alabama Literacy Act.
EVALUATION AND SUPPORT: Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) local reading specialists will be evaluated according to quantitative and qualitative data measures. Summative and formative student assessment data, surveys, and site visit reports will be used in determining local reading specialists’ effectiveness and that of the overall program and process effectiveness. This includes results-based coaching cycles and weekly schedules of planning. Support for local reading specialists will be provided by ARI regional literacy specialists according to specifications outlined in the Alabama Literacy Act 2019-523.
ROLE OF THE LOCAL READING SPECIALIST: Per the Alabama Literacy Act, “An Alabama Reading Initiative local reading specialist shall be assigned to provide intensive, targeted professional development for elementary school teachers at one school.” ARI local reading specialists may not perform administrative functions such as serving as an evaluator, substitute teacher, assessment coordinator, or school administrators, full-time interventionist, or instructional coach above third grade. The state superintendent of education will certify that each local reading specialist has the qualifications to serve in this capacity based on verification by the local superintendent.
ALLOCATION: Each Local Education Agency (LEA) is to ensure that each school with any configuration of kindergarten, first grade, second grade, or third grade has designated a local reading specialist. For example: If system a has a kindergarten school and a first grade through third-grade school (two schools total), that system would receive two full allocations for two local reading specialists. Allocations for local reading specialists will be sent quarterly for schools that can verify a local reading specialist committed to the ARI LOCAL READING SPECIALIST JOB DESCRIPTION. Schools without a verified local reading specialist will not receive their quarterly allocation.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: An ARI local reading specialist shall have all the following minimum qualifications:
A bachelor’s degree and advanced coursework or professional development in the science of reading, such as multisensory language instruction, or comparable alternative training approved by the Alabama State Board of Education.
A knowledge of scientifically based reading research, special expertise in quality reading instruction and intervention, dyslexia specific interventions, and data analysis.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: To ensure that all students are reading on or above grade level by the end of third grade, the job of the ARI-funded local reading specialist(s) outlined in the Alabama Literacy Act will include the following as evidenced by student reading achievement and growth:
Collaborating with the principal to create a strategic plan for coaching to support and measure the impact of reading instruction according to the science of reading, school baseline data, and data from approved early reading assessment systems.
Modeling effective science of reading instruction for teachers that is explicit, systematic, inclusive of detailed explanations and more extensive opportunities for guided practice, error correction, and feedback.
Prioritizing time for those teachers, activities, and roles that will give the greatest impact on student reading achievement, such as coaching and mentoring in classrooms, as evidenced by coaching logs, student impact data, and site visit data.
ALABAMA’S JOURNEY TO READING SUCCESS PROGRAM AND PROCESS OUTCOMES:
For the 2024-2025 school year, schools should have in place the following outcomes listed below.
Collaborative Leadership:
Increased administrator, local reading specialist, and teacher collaboration as evidenced by the facilitation of collaborative planning and reflection resulting in a more collaborative school culture.
Increased evidence of results-driven, collaborative planning time to impact student achievement and teacher growth.
Evidence of teacher growth and leadership in instructional capacity (planning, data informed decision making).
Assessment:
Increased student proficiency according to state and district summative and formative measures with emphasis on closing achievement gaps and ensuring students are reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade.
Emphasis on closing achievement gaps and ensuring students are reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade.
Decreased student retentions.
Professional Learning:
Increased job-embedded and collaborative professional learning opportunities for individual teachers, or groups of teachers, to create building-based learning communities such as grade level and/or problem-solving teams (PSTs).
Evidence of serving in multiple coaching roles-classroom support, instructional specialist, data coach, and adult learning facilitator-to support coaching throughout the school building.
Participation ARI Coaching Labs (local reading specialists) and ARI Leadership Labs (principals) to support ongoing growth and building school capacity.
Increased instructional capacity among all educators as evidenced through coaching cycles and peer coaching at the building level and increased job-embedded professional learning in the science of reading for all student support staff (interventionists, auxiliary teachers, paraprofessionals, etc.).
Evidence of levels of implementation of the coaching cycle resulting in increased student achievement and teacher growth.
Instruction and Intervention:
Implementing evidence-based instruction and intervention according to the science of reading, monitoring all tiers of instruction, and making recommendations for adjustments based on quantitative and qualitative data sources.
Increased instructional capacity of all educators in meeting the needs of students in all tiers of instruction.
Increased evidence in classroom transfer of instructional practice in the knowledge of the science of reading as evidenced by increased student proficiency and decreased intervention numbers.
Curriculum and Standards:
Ensuring adopted core and intervention curricula are aligned to the science of reading as evidenced by scope and sequence of instruction and use of the 2021 Alabama Course of Study: English Language Arts standards to ensure teachers in Grades K-3 understand the rigorous instructional content based on the science of reading, evidenced by implementation of the Alabama Literacy Act.
EMPLOYMENT TERMS: A nine-month contract is required to fulfill these job responsibilities. It is also expected that local reading specialists support summer learning efforts, preferably in their coaching role, and it is recommended that any addition to a nine-month contract be supplemental and not an extended contract. We are not opposed to districts who decide to move local reading specialists to a ten-month contract. We recommend you consult your legal department regarding any implications involved in changing the contract.
SELECTION: Districts must carefully consider selection of the ARI-funded local reading specialist(s) whose qualifications align with the Alabama Literacy Act 2019-523.
