© Courtesy of TNTP. 2014.

POSITIONTITLE
Grade Level Chair (Elementary Schools)
COMPENSATION
$XXXX
ROLESUMMARY
Grade Level Chairs provide organizational leadership and support to all teachers within their grade level to ensure the grade level team meets ambitious student achievement goals. They are consistently effective teachers with demonstrated strengths according to the evaluation framework. Collaboration among teachers and administrators is critically important to a school’s culture. In addition to serving as a liaison between a school’s leadership team and teachers in their grade level, Grade Level Chairs lead and coordinate the grade-level team’s meetings, organizational practices, parent communication, and grade-wide activities. Grade Level Chairs will also provide instructional support to teachers in the grade level.
REQUIREDRESPONSIBILITIES
Establish a vision for the grade level in coordination with school leaders and establish specific goals for the grade-level team.
  • Establish a structure for team collaboration, decision-making, and grade level team meetings.
  • Set grade level team collaboration norms and ensure they are implemented by the grade level team.
  • Develop the agenda and facilitate grade level team meetings on a regular basis (frequency to be decided on with the school leadership team and the grade level team).
  • Model effective instructional practice for the grade level.
  • Serve as a communication conduit between teachers on the grade level team and school leaders.
  • Meet and collaborate with other grade level chairs within the building to share and discuss progress, successes, challenges, and problem solve solutions.
  • Lead the team’s efforts to identify and implement solutions to challenges.
  • Lead the grade level team’s tracking and analysis of student-related data and work with teachers on the team to plan for the differentiation of instruction based on the student data.
  • Provide differentiated support to grade level teachers to support continuous improvements in their instructional practice.
/ ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES (OPTIONAL/FLEXIBLE)
  • To ensure the high quality and timely completion of lesson plans, review draft plans and provide teachers with feedback.
  • Coordinate with other teacher leaders (e.g., Curriculum and Planning Team Leader, if available) to develop a lesson plan template (as necessary and/or possible).
  • Contribute to hiring decisions for the grade-level team.

RELEASE TIME
This teacher leader will receive .5 release time to fulfill these additional responsibilities.
CASELOAD
Responsibleforworking with up to 8 teachers within their content area and/or grade-level.
The teachers on this team will be determined by the school leader and the school leadership team.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
  • Increased collaboration across the teachers in a grade level team.
  • Increased number of students are achieving student learning targets due to increased differentiated instruction, strong instruction, and effective lesson plans.
  • Stronger school culture and instructional environment.

LENGTHOFTERMFORTHEROLE
Oneyear.
Termmaybeextendedpendinga reviewofschoolneedsand the teacher leader’s successintheroleafterthe firstyear.
MINIMUMQUALIFICATIONS
Overall evaluation rating of Proficient or higher, demonstrating effective teaching experience.
SELECTIONCRITERIA
  • Exceptional organizational skills.
  • Very strong verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to work effectively with a diverse group of adults.
  • Awareness of resources that are available and ability to utilize these resources effectively.
  • Willingness to commit to the role for the entire school-year.
SELECTION PROCESS
Interested candidates will need to complete the following:
  • Submit a portfolio containing evidence of their performance and skills.
  • An application for this role.
  • An interview with the school leader.
Ultimate selection for this role will be based on the principal’s final decision.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Thisrolewillrequirethreedaysoftrainingoverthe summerandtwodaysoftrainingduringtheschoolyear (dates TBD).
Possible trainingtopicsinclude:
  • Projectmanagementandtimemanagement.
  • Goalsetting and progress monitoring.
  • Analyzing student data and differentiating instruction.

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