PROGRAM SUMMARY: Easterseals Head Start/Early Head Start provides high-quality, family-centered education for children birth to five years old. We collaborate with 40+ early childhood programs located in the city of Chicago and suburban Cook County to promote school readiness in young children of all abilities from families with incomes below poverty guidelines. Easterseals also directly operates two Early Learning Centers in Head Start/Early Head Start in Chicago and in Hickory Hills.

POSITION LOCATION: This position is located at the Easterseals Early Learning Services Headquarters at 1939 W. 13th Street, Chicago 60608.

$1,000 Signing Bonus offer extends until the end of January 2023.

POSITION SUMMARY: The Instructional Coach reports to the Instructional Coordinator. The primary responsibilities include implementing a research-based curriculum and coordinated coaching strategies; ensuring the review and analysis of education, disabilities, and mental health d/ata to inform planning; and supporting the referral and inclusion of children with suspected and diagnosed disabilities.

MAJOR /FUNCTIONS/ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Implement a research-based curriculum and coordinated coaching strategies that include:

• Assess all education staff using a variety of tools, including staff self-reflection, to identify strengths, areas of needed support, and staff that would benefit most from intensive coaching.
• Provide opportunities for intensive coaching to identified education staff, including observation opportunities, feedback, and modeling of effective teacher practices directly related to program performance goals.
• Align coaching with the program’s school readiness goals, curricula, and other approaches to professional development.
• Use assessment data to drive coaching strategies aligned with program performance goals.
• Provide ongoing communication between the coach, program director, education director, and any other relevant staff.
• Assist in providing a process for achieving program goals.
• Provide opportunities for education staff not identified for intensive coaching to receive other forms of research-based professional development aligned with program performance goals.
• Facilitate peer learning communities, reflecting on the implementation of teaching practices and how the optimal climate in the classroom impacts how children work and play together and maximizes learning and growth.
• Facilitate lesson-planning meetings to support job-embedded professional learning on an individualized level, with a single classroom teacher or team.
• Work with EHS/Head Start program sites and teaching staff to review and analyze child outcome data, home visits, parent/teacher conferences, and screenings to inform the individual child and program planning.
• Provide intensive CLASS coaching to identified classrooms, resulting in improvements in teacher-child interactions, CLASS scores, and child outcomes.
• Provide coaching and modeling to teachers on effective home visits, parent/teacher conferences, and parent-child activities.
• Assist Education and Inclusion Leadership to provide ongoing training related to Education and Disabilities for all EHS/Head Start programs and sites’ teaching staff as needed.

Support the referral process of children with suspected disabilities and social-emotional concerns and ensure the full inclusion of all children in the program:

• Perform individual child observations for children in the referral process.
• Collaborate with the site team to ensure that screening results are shared with parents and that re-screenings, referrals, and follow-ups are conducted as needed.
• Collaborate with the site team to ensure timely referrals to the LEA and Early Intervention.
• Attend IFSP conferences, IEP conferences, and LEA meetings with parents of children with disabilities to support the families and advocate for the children. Assist parents in understanding their rights and special education law.
• Collaborate with social-emotional specialists to implement behavior intervention plans and model strategies.
• Provide CSEFEL coaching to identified classrooms.
• Assist teachers in modifying curriculum and individualizing lesson plans for children with disabilities based on IEP and IFSP goals.
• Work with EHS/Head Start staff and sites to implement an annual and ongoing outreach and recruitment plan for identifying and enrolling children with disabilities. Attend play dates for children with special needs at sites and collaboratively work with parents and staff to plan transitions into and out of the Head Start program.

Provide ongoing monitoring and support as part of the site team:

• As part of the site team, assist with monitoring EHS/HS classrooms to assure that classrooms are safe, nurturing, and engaging learning environments for children.
• Participate in regular meetings to assess progress and planning for education and disability content areas.
• Assist directors and teaching staff with compliance to and implementation of performance standards.
• Participate in Enrollment/Recruitment Campaigns, annual self-assessment, and PIR.

Complete all requirements as part of the program:

• Maintain an up-to-date calendar of visits and activities in Outlook.
• Attend and participate in regular team meetings.
• Attend relevant workshops and training. Share information from workshops and training with parents, teaching staff, and other team members.
• All other duties as assigned.

Education/Certification:

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Early Childhood Education.
• Certified CLASS Pre-K and Toddler Observer within 12 months of hire, including annual renewal.

Experience Required:

• 3 years teaching in an early childhood classroom.
• 3 years working with children with disabilities.
• Bilingual language skills (English & Spanish) a plus.
• Working with Teaching Strategies Gold and COPA online systems is a plus.
• Infant/Toddler programs are a plus.

Required Knowledge:

• Working in a Head Start program.
• Knowledge of CLASS.
• 1-year coaching teachers.

Vehicle/Transportation Requirements:

• Valid driver’s license.
• Auto insurance.
• Reliable vehicle.

Skills/Abilities:

• Ability to multi-task in a high-stress environment.
• Ability to interact with diverse personalities.
• Ability to problem solve.
• Basic computer knowledge including Microsoft Office programs.
• Completion of a minimum of 15 hours of continuing education per year.
• Willing to work flexible hours to accommodate the needs of the families.
• Bilingual - Spanish a plus but not required

ADA: Easterseals will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disability Act of 1990. Unless exempted by the Americans with Disabilities Act, all persons hired for this position are required to possess the ability to perform the physical tasks necessary to treat clients, i.e., bending, floor-sitting, etc., as well as to have the ability to lift up to 50 pounds frequently.

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