Academic Specialist (English & Social Studies)

Academic Specialist (English & Social Studies)

IOTA Community Schools Tennessee LLC seeks a talented, highly accountable Academic Specialist (English & Social Studies) to serve as the network's instructional leader for English Language Arts and curriculum resource for both ELA and Social Studies across all campuses in Tennessee and Arkansas. This role carries significant responsibility across the full instructional cycle for ELA — coaching ELA teachers, developing and aligning curriculum, designing assessments, and creating professional learning materials — while also providing Social Studies curriculum support.

The Academic Specialist is required to spend 20% of his/her time supporting schools in Arkansas, 80% each for Bluff City & Wooddale in Tennessee. The Academic Specialist works closely with the ESL & RTI Compliance Specialist as a thought partner on ELA curriculum alignment and assessment development, recognizing the natural overlap between English language arts and English language development. Note: Social Studies teacher coaching is provided by Assistant Principals of Instruction at each campus; this role focuses on Social Studies curriculum and resources, not direct SS teacher coaching. This is an on-site, campus-based role requiring consistent presence across all IOTA campuses.

Job Description

1. ELA Instructional Coaching

• Serve as IOTA's primary instructional coach for ELA teachers across all campuses at the middle and high school levels, including all ELA courses and literacy-focused content.
• Provide consistent, high-quality observation and feedback cycles to ELA teachers, using the coaching model to support gradual release of instructional responsibility and reflective practice.
• Strategically plan and facilitate Intellectual Preparation (IP) collaboration sessions to build ELA teacher depth in content knowledge, close reading, writing instruction, and standards-aligned pedagogy.
• Promote instruction that meets the demands of the Tennessee and Arkansas ELA Academic Standards through focused observations, co-planning, and differentiated coaching support.
• Model research-based ELA instructional strategies for teachers, including text-based discussion, writing across the curriculum, and evidence-based literacy practices.
• Collaborate with the ESL & RTI Compliance Specialist to ensure ELA instruction is scaffolded appropriately for ELL students and that language development is embedded in literacy instruction.
• Track the instructional growth of every ELA teacher coached, using observation data, assessment results, and teacher self-reflection to document progress and adjust coaching strategies over time.

2. Social Studies Curriculum Support

• Develop and refine Social Studies curriculum unit plans, pacing guides, and instructional resources aligned to Tennessee and Arkansas state standards.
• Set expectations for Social Studies curriculum coverage within each school year across all campuses.
• Develop high-quality, reusable Social Studies instructional resources, including unit plans, document-based inquiry materials, primary source sets, and writing tasks, that teachers can access and implement across all campuses.
• Support Assistant Principals of Instruction in their coaching of Social Studies teachers by providing curriculum resources, content expertise, and instructional guidance as requested.
• Partner with APs of Instruction on Social Studies curriculum implementation fidelity through resource refinement and content support.

3. ELA Curriculum Development

• Develop and/or refine ELA curriculum unit plans, pacing guides, and instructional resources aligned to Tennessee and Arkansas state standards.
• Set expectations for ELA curriculum coverage within each school year across all ELA courses, ensuring alignment between pacing, standards, and assessment.
• Collaborate with the Managing Director of Advancement & Academic Affairs to ensure ELA curriculum is integrated into IOTA's academic platforms, including Common Curriculum and OTUS.
• Develop high-quality, reusable ELA instructional resources, including unit plans, text sets, discussion protocols, and writing tasks, that teachers can access and implement across all campuses.
• Monitor ELA curriculum implementation fidelity through classroom observations and data reviews, refining resources based on teacher feedback and student performance.

4. Assessment Development & Data Analysis

• Coordinate the design, scheduling, and quality review of ELA and Social Studies benchmark and interim assessments, ensuring assessments are rigorous, text-based, standards-aligned, and instructionally useful.
• Develop high-quality assessment items and tasks for ELA and Social Studies, including multiple-choice, extended response, and performance tasks, aligned to state testing formats and academic standards.
• Collaborate with the ESL & RTI Compliance Specialist on ELA assessment design to ensure appropriate accommodations and accessibility for ELL students are embedded from the start.
• Analyze ELA and Social Studies assessment and observation data to identify trends, surface instructional gaps, and recommend targeted next steps to teachers, school leaders, and the Managing Director of Advancement & Academic Affairs.
• Train teachers in data analysis practices, supporting PLC cycles that connect assessment results to instructional adjustments.
• Work in conjunction with the Managing Director of Advancement & Academic Affairs to coordinate with the Academic Specialists to ensure the full assessment calendar — state, benchmark, AIMSweb, and locally-developed — is cohesive, non-conflicting, and communicated clearly to all campuses.
• Update campus level API trackers with OTUS assessment information weekly.

5. Professional Learning Material Development

• Design and develop professional learning materials, resources, and tools for ELA and Social Studies teachers across the network, including slide decks, facilitation guides, protocols, and resource libraries.
• Work collaboratively with the Managing Director of Advancement & Academic Affairs to contribute ELA and Social Studies content to network-wide PD sessions and the annual professional learning calendar.
• Develop content-specific PD sessions on ELA and Social Studies instructional strategies, curriculum implementation, and data use that can be facilitated on-site or virtually.
• Create a network-accessible library of ELA and Social Studies instructional resources that teachers across all campuses can use independently.

6. Weekly Lesson Planning

• Develop and submit weekly lesson plans for all assigned ELA courses across IOTA campuses, ensuring plans are standards-aligned, text-based, and posted in shared academic platforms (e.g., Common Curriculum, OTUS) on time each week.
• Maintain a complete, current set of lesson plans for all assigned ELA courses so that plans are accessible, consistent, and replicable across the network.
• Ensure all lesson plans reflect alignment with Tennessee and Arkansas ELA Academic Standards, IOTA's curriculum framework, and best practices for supporting diverse learners including ELL and special education students.

7. Academic Systems Contribution

• Partner with the ESL & RTI Compliance Specialist as a thought partner on ELA curriculum, assessment, and instructional planning, leveraging their expertise in language development to strengthen ELA program design.
• Contribute to the academic department's broader systems work, including curriculum platform management, benchmark assessment scheduling, and professional learning coordination.
• Support the Managing Director of Advancement & Academic Affairs with ELA and Social Studies data analysis for network-wide academic reporting.
• Other duties as assigned by the Managing Director of Advancement & Academic Affairs.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIS)

Weekly Lesson Planning & Teaching

• Weekly lesson plans for all assigned ELA courses are submitted and posted in shared platforms on time each week with zero lapses.
• All lesson plans reflect standards alignment, differentiation for diverse learners, and consistency with IOTA's curriculum framework.

ELA Instructional Coaching & Teacher Growth

• All ELA teachers across all campuses receive a minimum of 1 observation and feedback cycle per week.
• ELA IP sessions are held on schedule each semester for all relevant departments across the network.
• 80%+ of ELA teachers demonstrate measurable improvement in targeted instructional practices between the first and last observation of each school year, as documented in coaching logs.
• 80%+ of ELA teachers report improved instructional confidence and clarity through coaching in annual surveys.

Academic Outcomes — ELA & Social Studies

• All tested ELA and Social Studies courses achieve a TVAAS Level 3 or above annually across all Tennessee campuses.
• The Arkansas campus demonstrates student growth in ELA and Social Studies at or above the 50th percentile SGP on the Arkansas School Performance Framework.
• Year-over-year improvement in ELA proficiency and growth scores on state assessments across all campuses.

Curriculum & Assessment

• ELA and Social Studies curriculum unit plans and pacing guides are finalized and distributed at least 2 weeks before the start of each instructional unit.
• ELA and Social Studies benchmark assessments are developed and distributed on the network assessment calendar