PENDERGAST SCHOOL DISTRICT

Job Description

JOB TITLE: School Improvement Systems Specialist

EXEMPT:  Yes                                                           JOB CODE:

SALARY LEVEL: Professional Exempt                         DEPARTMENT: Educational Services

LOCATION: District Office                                         TERM OF EMPLOYMENT: 10 Month

REPORTS TO: Director of School Improvement SystemsDATE APPROVED:                            

POSITION LEVEL: Certificated/Professional Exempt

SUMMARY: 

The School Improvement Systems Specialist serves as a school-facing, district-level educator responsible for supporting instructional leadership teams in implementing school improvement priorities through an improvement science framework. Reporting to the Director of School Improvement Systems, the Specialist works collaboratively with principals, teachers, and district colleagues to build the capacity of schools to improve teaching, learning, and student outcomes.

Each Specialist is hired for and brings a primary area of instructional expertise, while operating as a full member of a multidisciplinary network improvement team assigned to a defined group of schools. Through coaching, facilitation, data-informed problem-solving, and job-embedded support, Specialists help schools translate district priorities, the PESD Portrait of a Graduate, and improvement goals into effective classroom practice. This role emphasizes capacity building over compliance, respectful and candid professional feedback, and shared responsibility for continuous improvement.

Primary areas of expertise may include Special Education, Literacy, MTSS/PBIS, Instructional Innovation, or English Language Acquisition. The School Improvement Systems Specialist may be assigned to a network team in one of the following areas of expertise: Special Education, Literacy, MTSS/PBIS, Instructional Innovation, or English Language Acquisition

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor’s degree in education or a related field.
• Successful teaching experience in a K–12 setting, with demonstrated impact on student learning.
  Experience supporting adult learning, including coaching, facilitation, or professional learning with educators.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with principals, instructional leaders, and teachers in a school improvement context.
• Working knowledge of improvement science or continuous improvement practices, including the use of data, inquiry cycles, and testing change ideas.
• Strong coaching and communication skills, including the ability to provide respectful, candid feedback focused on growth and improvement.
• Ability to analyze instructional data and evidence of practice to inform coaching, problem-solving, and instructional decision-making.
• Demonstrated professionalism, adaptability, and reflective practice, including openness to feedback and continuous learning.
• Ability to operate effectively within a team-based structure, contributing expertise while maintaining shared responsibility for outcomes.
• Commitment to high-quality instruction aligned to district priorities and the PESD Portrait of a Graduate.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in education, curriculum and instruction, educational leadership, or a related field.
• Experience working in a district-level instructional support role, such as instructional coach, specialist, or teacher leader.
• Demonstrated experience applying improvement science at the school or district level, including facilitating improvement cycles with teams.
• Specialized instructional expertise aligned to a designated focus area, such as:
  • Instructional innovation and learning design
  • English Language Learner instruction and supports
  • Literacy or mathematics instruction
  • Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
  • Data-informed instruction and assessment
• Experience supporting principals or Instructional Leadership Teams in planning, implementing, and monitoring school improvement efforts.
• Experience facilitating adult learning experiences, such as professional learning communities, workshops, or coaching cycles.
• Knowledge of Arizona academic standards and accountability systems.
• Experience working across multiple school contexts, adapting support to diverse instructional needs.
• Arizona Certification or demonstrated eligibility.

Such alternatives to the above required & preferred qualifications as the Superintendent/Designee may find appropriate and acceptable

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Partner with principals and Instructional Leadership Teams to support the planning, implementation, and monitoring of school improvement goals and action steps.
2. Design and facilitate job embedded professional learning aligned to school improvement priorities and designated area of expertise; provide coaching, modeling, and strategic support to strengthen teachers’ capacity to integrate high quality instructional practices across diverse learning contexts.
3. Support schools in translating district priorities, academy pathways, and the PESD Portrait of a Graduate into focused, actionable instructional practices.
4. Participate fully in regular, structured improvement science cycles, including problem identification, root cause analysis, testing change ideas, and learning from results.
   Support school teams in using data, evidence of practice, and feedback to inform instructional decisions and refine improvement strategies.
5. Engage in and model respectful, candid professional feedback and coaching that promotes learning and growth.
6. Serve as the network’s lead expert in a designated focus area, which may include:
7. Special Education
8. Literacy
9. MTSS/PBIS
10. Instructional Innovation
11. English Language Acquisition
12. Apply deep content knowledge to strengthen instructional practice, systems, and educator capacity while remaining accountable for shared school improvement outcomes.
    Support the development of instructional leadership capacity among teachers and school teams.
13. Ensure support strengthens internal school capacity rather than create reliance on external expertise.
14. Work as an active member of a multidisciplinary network improvement team, contributing specialized expertise while supporting collective problem-solving.
    Participate in weekly team collaboration routines to reflect on practice, share learning across specialties, and coordinate support across schools.
15. Align work to CLIO- and Director-directed priorities and network improvement strategies.
16. Communicate progress, challenges, and learning clearly to the Director of School Improvement Systems.
17. Maintain documentation and reflection related to improvement work.
18. Adhere to district policies, procedures, and ethical standards.
19. Engage in continuous professional learning and reflective practice.
20. Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Superintendent or designee.

REASONING ABILITY:  

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw conclusions; ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several concrete variables

LANGUAGE SKILLS: 

Ability to read, analyze and interpret education materials and programs; ability to write reports, procedure manuals and correspondence; ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of teachers, students, administration and the community.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:  

Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference; ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions to practical situations.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: 

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.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to talk and hear.  The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit and use hands to handle or feel objects or controls; and reach with hands and arms.  The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:  

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

SUPERVISION: