Curriculum Development and Assessment Lead 273 views1 applications

THE OPPORTUNITY

For the last three years Common Good has had the privilege of being a pioneering school operating partner, mandated by the WCED to partner and strengthen a growing network of non-fee paying collaboration schools (now legislated as such) with the goal to improve learner outcomes and close the inequality gap between high performing resourced and no-fee public schools. As our network of schools grows, Common Good now seeks to recruit a passionate, innovative, resilient, strategic and relational Curriculum Development and Assessment Lead, who will be a key change agent in content and curriculum design and implementation, monitoring and measurement of curriculum implementation, school-based assessment and use of data, and driving teacher professional development in collaboration with School Governing Bodies and School Leadership Teams.

You’ll thrive in this role if…

You are passionate about making a difference in the lives of children by improving the quality of education in South Africa, have the relevant experience and the desire to serve with an organisation that loves our City and are passionate about social justice. You are driven to collaborate and partner respectfully with other key change agents and influencers in driving school level change. You are highly proactive with strong self-leadership, a pioneering and resilient spirit that is open to working within challenging contexts. You are committed to innovation with the school curriculum and the professional development of school teachers and leaders in the planning and presentation of it. You are committed to using data effectively to evaluate and make key school improvement decisions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The successful individual will be responsible for the following duties, which are not limited to:

Content and Curriculum Expertise

• Provide strategic direction, design and implementation of the Curriculum Development Programme in the SOP
• Lead and participate in the SIP design and implementation aligned with the Common Good educational model for all schools
• Serve as a curriculum expert based on your deep knowledge of the CAPS curriculum content, standards, instructional materials and resources
• Support development and implementation of the SOP’s vision for best practices in curriculum delivery and remedial bridging programmes
• Consult with school leadership and provide instructional expertise to support school decisions regarding intervention programs and strategies
• Support and assist in the development, design and creation of appropriate curriculum content and materials.
• Lead the coaching and PD of the design and implementation of annual, termly, weekly and daily lesson planning appropriate to the curriculum requirements and learner needs.
• Participate in developing alternative curricula that embrace flexibility of the CAPS curriculum
• Contribute to leadership of teaching and learning to ensure alignment to Common Good’s goals of academic excellence
• Contribute to strategic direction, design and implementation of technology in the curriculum and the use of appropriate teaching aids and software in the computer centres.

Professional development of school leaders and teachers

• Strategic leadership of continuing professional development in the area of curriculum development for teachers at all levels (including principals, deputy principals, HODs and SMT members)
• Observe, mentor, and provide guidance to identified leaders and instructional coaches, Heads of Department and subject mentors across a range of schools as our portfolio grows
• Embed a culture of growth and support in the teachers at our schools
• Provide regular feedback to school leadership based on observations and feedback from coaches of classroom instruction, content teams, and school-based professional development
• Contribute to the strategic direction of professional development for teachers on best practices in effective curriculum design and planning
• Create and deliver professional development programs for schools as required and support/supplement WCED and PD trainings to ensure realization of teacher development goals
• Be accountable for the progress and development of teachers as aligned with SOP targets for school improvement

Monitoring and measurement of curriculum implementation

• Support and lead the design and implementation of practices for monitoring curriculum planning in the schools
• Participate in the development of appropriate measures for teacher performance monitoring
• Participate in the design and implementation of the monitoring of agreed planning processes and intervention strategies
• Participate in the implementation of appropriate measures of the impact of curricula interventions and additional programs
• Ensuring that target setting, assessment and tracking processes are in place

School-based Assessment, Monitoring and use of Data

• Provide strategic direction, design and implementation of the Assessment programme in the SOP
• Lead the design and implementation of practices for monitoring and assessing learner performance in the schools
• Lead the measurement and monitoring of learner and teacher outcomes in schools – targets, projections, interventions based on data – academic results + other measures
• Lead the implementation, analysis of results and development of staff in the processing of results in standardised testing in schools
• Lead the direction and implementation of identifying appropriate data and its collection
• Lead the strategic direction and implementation of external standardised assessments in schools
• Lead the strategic direction and monitoring of internal assessments including setting and moderation in schools
• Lead the sharing of data and professional development of school leaders and staff in their responsive teaching interventions and strategies
• Lead the close monitoring of data that informs grade 3, 6, 9, and 12 interventions and progress

School Operating Partner strategic development

• Promotion of the Common Good educational model
• Participation in refining the model, supporting implementation through target setting and assessment, and providing assurance that tracking processes are in place
• Ensuring that there is appropriate monitoring of professional developments, legislative changes and innovative practice, cascading this as appropriate across the Common Good network
• Advising the Program Director and Head of Education on relevant curriculum and assessment issues
• Serving as a member of school governing bodies and sub-committees
• Link training, interventions, professional development to SIP
• Comprehensive knowledge of current thinking on educational achievement and improvement and best practices.

Minimum Requirements

• A recognized teaching qualification which includes professional teacher education
• At least 5 years’ experience of school classroom teaching
• Specific experience using proven strategies to improve learner attainment and outcomes
• Specific experience in curriculum design and development
• Willingness to contribute to the values and ethos of Common Good is essential
• Your own transport is essential, as you will be travelling between locations regularly.

Competencies and abilities

• Highly proactive with strong self-leadership
• Advanced problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Advanced strategic planning and program design
• A pioneering and resilient spirit that is open to working with various personalities within potentially challenging school contexts
• Competent and skilled communicator with high levels of emotional intelligence
• Approachable and trustworthy
• Excellent facilitation skills and the ability to lead both training and development sessions for colleagues, as well as school-based staff
• Excellent interpersonal skills & the ability to develop positive working relationships with individuals & teams
• Mature and responsible attitude towards work with the ability to take ownership of outcomes
• Highly adaptable to the ever-changing education landscape
• Excellent attention to detail
• Excellent time management & organisational skills

Skills and Knowledge

• Knowledge of the CAPS Curriculum in Primary and High school
• Expert knowledge of literacy and numeracy skill development including knowledge on teaching resources and curriculum planning
• Excellent personal teaching and learning practices
• Ability to create instructional strategic plans and support plans to foster teacher development in planning and preparation
• Ability to create academic strategic plans and support plans to advance teaching and learning
• Proven knowledge and practice of teacher coaching and professional development facilitation
• Proven skills in the development of curriculum plans, materials and resources
• Proven skills in the analysis of multiple sets of school-based data
• Proven skills in the writing of reports and high-level organisational documents
• Advanced computer skills especially on Microsoft Office, Excel and PowerPoint.

APPLICATIONS

To apply, please send a motivational cover letter, your CV and two recent work references to Stacey Calvert by 06 December 2019 to: [email protected]

REF: Indicate the position title in the subject line

Link to full job profile: https://www.commongood.org.za/careers/

NOTE: An application will not in itself entitle the applicant to an interview or appointment. Applicants who fail to meet the minimum requirements will be automatically disqualified from consideration. Applicants who do not receive a reply within one month of submission should deem their application to have been unsuccessful. We reserve the right not to fill the position.