High School Academic Coach

The Academic Coach will provide instructional support and coaching to teachers as they work to ensure

that each student is able to reach his or her academic potential. The Academic Coach’s primary role is to

work with teachers to support best practices in using data, provide analysis of school-wide trends in

instruction, and make recommendations about potential next steps to address areas of need. It is not the

Coach’s role to work with teachers on individual student behavior issues outside of setting up lessons

that will more readily engage students.

As an advisor to teachers and the leadership team, the Academic Coach is responsible for four main

areas:

A. observing instructional delivery, providing modeling when needed, and providing

non-evaluative feedback to enhance and support the development of each teacher’s content area:

B. supporting teachers in the design of units and lessons:

C. analyzing data in order to modify curriculum and forms of assessment to meet students‘ needs:

D. working with the academic staff and providing professional development (grade level chairs,

assistant principals, principals) in the school to support teacher practices.

The Academic Coach must take a hands-on approach to improving instruction and effectiveness by

working directly to improve student-learning outcomes by fostering teacher development. This may

include modeling lessons in classrooms, helping teacher groups plan instruction, offering professional

development in best practices on teaching and learning, creating system-wide procedures around

improving instruction and student outcomes, and providing confidential one on one feedback to

teachers to foster growth and development without evaluative properties.

Duties will include:

○ Developing and maintaining strong collaborative relationships with teachers.

○ Providing instructional support and coaching to teachers to ensure every student is able to

meet or exceed state grade level standards.

○ Providing instructional and content support in meeting educator evaluation tools put forth

by DESE.

○ Assigned a lead teacher position or department chair position and fulfilling the role as

described in the teacher contract.

Duties also include:

A. Modeling lessons

B. Supporting teachers in the ongoing design or revisions of unit plans and lesson plans. This will

consist of deeply unpacking standards, developing clear learning targets, rigorous tasks and

measurable criteria for success.

C. Planning, leading and assessing the impact of student-centered coaching that embeds data driven

practices to support the needs of all students.

D. Observing instruction and providing non-evaluative feedback to enhance and support the

development of the teacher to support student's academic achievement and growth.

E. Providing feedback specific to district-wide instructional focus areas from the DESE evaluation

tool for teachers.

F. Working with the academic staff (department chairs, assistant principals, principals) in the school

to support sharing of best practices.

G. Working with the building Instructional Leadership Team, to analyze school-wide and District

Instructional Leadership Team to look at district-wide trends in instruction. During these meetings

the Academic Coach will make recommendations about potential next steps to build off of

strengths and further develop areas needing improvement. Continuously monitoring, tracking and

analyzing student achievement and growth data in order to identify needed supports and

strategies.

H. Researching, preparing materials, and identifying resources with the building principals and

Curriculum Director to improve teaching and learning. This may include: teaching strategies,

lesson planning, task design, data use to inform instruction, ect.

I. Providing support and assistance to all classroom teachers in the implementation of curriculums.

J. Assisting teachers in building the capacity to deliver instruction that is at the rigorous level of the

state curriculum frameworks.

K. Serving as a resource for identifying appropriate instructional strategies and interventions to

improve student achievement and growth for all students.

L. Reporting to the principal of the building(s) assigned. Principal will be the academic coaches

evaluator.

M. Performing other duties as requested by the principal in cases of emergency.

Qualifications:

● Bachelor's Degree required but, Masters preferred

● Massachusetts Teaching Credentials

● Experience working with adult learners, coaching teachers, and delivering professional

development.

● An understanding of the Massachusetts Standards curriculum frameworks for building assigned.

● At least three years of teaching experience serving low-income students

● Experience coaching, leading, and supporting teachers.

● Strong record of helping students achieve academic success, primarily with low- income students.

● Experience with curriculum development and daily lesson planning.

● Experience in analyzing data and using results to modify curricula.

● Multi-faceted, multi-skilled, resourceful, and willing to do whatever it takes to help our students

reach a level of academic excellence.

● Model positive and healthy character traits and habits, such as being organized, consistent, and

understanding.

● Completion of Research for Better Teaching’s Studying Skillful Teacher course is preferred.

that each student is able to reach his or her academic potential. The Academic Coach’s primary role is to

work with teachers to support best practices in using data, provide analysis of school-wide trends in

instruction, and make recommendations about potential next steps to address areas of need. It is not the

Coach’s role to work with teachers on individual student behavior issues outside of setting up lessons

that will more readily engage students.

As an advisor to teachers and the leadership team, the Academic Coach is responsible for four main

areas:

A. observing instructional delivery, providing modeling when needed, and providing

non-evaluative feedback to enhance and support the development of each teacher’s content area:

B. supporting teachers in the design of units and lessons:

C. analyzing data in order to modify curriculum and forms of assessment to meet students‘ needs:

D. working with the academic staff and providing professional development (grade level chairs,

assistant principals, principals) in the school to support teacher practices.

The Academic Coach must take a hands-on approach to improving instruction and effectiveness by

working directly to improve student-learning outcomes by fostering teacher development. This may

include modeling lessons in classrooms, helping teacher groups plan instruction, offering professional

development in best practices on teaching and learning, creating system-wide procedures around

improving instruction and student outcomes, and providing confidential one on one feedback to

teachers to foster growth and development without evaluative properties.

Duties will include:

○ Developing and maintaining strong collaborative relationships with teachers.

○ Providing instructional support and coaching to teachers to ensure every student is able to

meet or exceed state grade level standards.

○ Providing instructional and content support in meeting educator evaluation tools put forth

by DESE.

○ Assigned a lead teacher position or department chair position and fulfilling the role as

described in the teacher contract.

Duties also include:

A. Modeling lessons

B. Supporting teachers in the ongoing design or revisions of unit plans and lesson plans. This will

consist of deeply unpacking standards, developing clear learning targets, rigorous tasks and

measurable criteria for success.

C. Planning, leading and assessing the impact of student-centered coaching that embeds data driven

practices to support the needs of all students.

D. Observing instruction and providing non-evaluative feedback to enhance and support the

development of the teacher to support student's academic achievement and growth.

E. Providing feedback specific to district-wide instructional focus areas from the DESE evaluation

tool for teachers.

F. Working with the academic staff (department chairs, assistant principals, principals) in the school

to support sharing of best practices.

G. Working with the building Instructional Leadership Team, to analyze school-wide and District

Instructional Leadership Team to look at district-wide trends in instruction. During these meetings

the Academic Coach will make recommendations about potential next steps to build off of

strengths and further develop areas needing improvement. Continuously monitoring, tracking and

analyzing student achievement and growth data in order to identify needed supports and

strategies.

H. Researching, preparing materials, and identifying resources with the building principals and

Curriculum Director to improve teaching and learning. This may include: teaching strategies,

lesson planning, task design, data use to inform instruction, ect.

I. Providing support and assistance to all classroom teachers in the implementation of curriculums.

J. Assisting teachers in building the capacity to deliver instruction that is at the rigorous level of the

state curriculum frameworks.

K. Serving as a resource for identifying appropriate instructional strategies and interventions to

improve student achievement and growth for all students.

L. Reporting to the principal of the building(s) assigned. Principal will be the academic coaches

evaluator.

M. Performing other duties as requested by the principal in cases of emergency.

Qualifications:

● Bachelor's Degree required but, Masters preferred

● Massachusetts Teaching Credentials

● Experience working with adult learners, coaching teachers, and delivering professional

development.

● An understanding of the Massachusetts Standards curriculum frameworks for building assigned.

● At least three years of teaching experience serving low-income students

● Experience coaching, leading, and supporting teachers.

● Strong record of helping students achieve academic success, primarily with low- income students.

● Experience with curriculum development and daily lesson planning.

● Experience in analyzing data and using results to modify curricula.

● Multi-faceted, multi-skilled, resourceful, and willing to do whatever it takes to help our students

reach a level of academic excellence.

● Model positive and healthy character traits and habits, such as being organized, consistent, and

understanding.

● Completion of Research for Better Teaching’s Studying Skillful Teacher course is preferred.

Position Type:Full-time

Salary:$53,876 to $95,344 Per Year

Job Categories:

Instructional Support > Teacher Mentor

Student Services > Teacher Mentor

Athol is a manufacturing community, 11 miles south of New Hampshire and 75 miles west of Boston. Athol High School is located on the Southeast side of Athol at the junctions of Routes 2A (Main Street) and 32 on the shores of Lake Ellis. Athol High School, a comprehensive regional high school for grades 9, 10, 11 and 12, presently enrolls 500 students. Eighty-eight percent of the district’s students reside in Athol, 9% reside in Royalston and 3% are school choice students. Students can also attend Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School located 25 miles to the east in Fitchburg. The population of Athol is 11,299 and Royalston's population is 1,254 according to the 2000 federal census.

• Additional Responsibilities:
  
  The Academic Coach will be required to work 10 days in the summer. Of the ten days of additional work
  
  two of them will be done two days prior to new teacher orientation in order to assist with distributing
  
  materials and supporting the principal with any of the items listed in the job description. The District will
  
  do everything it can to inform the Academic Coach by no later than June 1 of each year of the other eight
  
  days they will work in the summer. If the dates can not be provided prior to June 1 the district will notify
  
  the Academic Coach of the dates they will be required to be in at least two weeks in advance. The Coach
  
  will notify the Assistant Superintendent if they have any scheduled vacations after June 1 so that they can
  
  do their best to avoid those dates. Compensation will be prorated per diem based on the coaches full
  
  annual salary and the length of the teacher’s work year.
  
  The Athol-Royalston Regional School District does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, creed, homelessness, sexual orientation, pregnancy, pregnancy related condition, or disability in the administration of its educational programs, activities, or employment policies.
• At least 3 year(s) of relevant experience preferred.
• Bachelor degree preferred.
• Citizenship, residency or work visa required

There are no application questions required for this job posting.

• David King
• 2363 Main Street
• Athol, Massachusetts 01331
• Phone: 978-249-2435
• Email: