Arizona Department of Education

Academic Standards Section

Phoenix Location

Salary: $70,000 - $75,000 

Grade: 21

Closing Date: 06/01/2025

• Responsible for assisting coaches and teachers in the implementation and effective delivery of scientifically based reading instruction.
• Provide a non-threatening, open, professional, and collaborative work relationship with district-level school personnel, school-based literacy coaches, principals, and teachers.
• Facilitating and assisting local Pre-K-3 Literacy Coaches and PK-3 teachers to increase performance of their students’ early literacy skills, measured on the state aligned reading assessment.
• Facilitate learning aligned to science of reading research and provide technical assistance to teachers that will improve implementation of aligned practices into daily literacy instruction and intervention. This work includes the integration of the Arizona's English Language Arts (ELA) Standards and Language and Literacy (ECE) Standards, locally determined PK-3 curricula and intervention programs, and use of data collected from the administration of formal and informal assessment tools.
• Occasional in-state and rare out-of-state travel is required for this position.

The Arizona Department of Education currently utilizes a hybrid work environment, with up to two days of remote work (contingent upon business needs). Candidates should apply with an ability and willingness to work in-office up to five days per week as business needs necessitate.

• Provide regional assistance to coaches and teachers in training in the implementation and effective delivery of scientifically based reading instruction.
• Provide ongoing professional development and coaching support for a cohesive, sustained, intensive, and classroom focused approach that is rigorous, engaging, and relevant for students in assigned regions.
• Use data to effectively identify the needs of assigned schools to prioritize, schedule, organize, and provide technical assistance that builds educator capacity to provide effective literacy instruction so that students meet age and grade level literacy expectations by the end of 3rd grade and beyond. Use of Grants Management Enterprise to manage applications and allocation of funds.
• Professional Development: building, revising, scheduling, delivering, and overseeing multi-format professional development related to all aspects of PreK-3 literacy.
• Guidance and Technical Assistance: building, maintaining, and disseminating guidance documents and resources, providing technical assistance over the phone, via email, virtually, and in person related to all aspects of PreK-3 literacy.
• Record Maintenance and Reporting: Monitor and train all PreK-3 literacy coaches, maintain records for professional development, and other relevant data, build and share reports for multiple audiences to multiple audiences. Monitor budgets and budgeting processes.
• Other duties as assigned as related to the position.

Knowledge in:
• Evidence-based research in the areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking, and language
• Science of reading and structured literacy
• Move On When Reading legislation
• Arizona's English Language Arts (ELA) Standards and Language and Literacy (ECE) Standards
• Literacy assessment systems, practices, and types
• Knowledge and experience in literacy instruction, literacy intervention, and development of and/or implementation of instructional literacy resources
• Instructional coaching approaches and strategies for teaching adult learners
• Multi-tiered system of supports model, and data analysis and application
• Grants Management Enterprise
• Bachelor’s degree in education (or related field) with 5 years documented successful experience teaching reading with a minimum of 3 years of literacy experience at the State, District, or School Level OR a master’s degree in education (or related field) with 3 years documented successful experience teaching reading
• Valid Arizona Teaching Certificate
• K-5 Literacy Endorsement (preferred) or a Reading Endorsement

Skills in:
• Experience providing professional development and technical assistance directly to school and district staff
• Use effective written and oral communication skills, including the ability to engage in difficult and candid conversations with a variety of stakeholders.
• Demonstrated leadership/managerial skills
• Demonstrated team building skills
• Demonstrated collaboration and facilitation skills
• Proficient in MS Word, MS Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and other tools
• High quality interpersonal skills and the ability to relate to and interact with adults exhibiting a range of abilities and dispositions
• Strong work ethic, self-directed and reliable
• Use Grants Management Enterprise to review applications for Title 1 funding

Ability to:
• Motivating others to achieve
• High degree of professionalism to ensure and protect the confidentiality of educators and students
• Work both independently and collaboratively
• Persistent despite obstacles
• Ability to orchestrate change
• Value lifelong learning
• Belief that a coach can make a difference, despite the nature of the challenges
• Desire to grow professionally
• Travel daily
• Effectively prioritize, schedule, manage, and organize multiple daily tasks to achieve goals
• Administer and interpret reading assessments and use data to determine professional development needs, and recommend changes to improve school-wide and/or classroom instructional practices
• Rapidly acquire and apply new skills and information
• Provide effective instructional feedback
• Identify problems and develop appropriate solutions

Preference will be given to those applicants with:
• Successful experience facilitating adult learning and delivering professional development specific to literacy instruction (e.g., professional development feedback / surveys, letters from participants, etc.).
• Experience mentoring, coaching, and providing feedback about instruction to classroom teachers, coaches, and administrators.

• Offers are contingent upon successful completion of all background and reference checks, required documents and, if applicable, a post-offer medical/physical evaluation.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

The State of Arizona provides an excellent comprehensive benefits package including:

• Affordable medical, dental, life, and short-term disability insurance plans
• Top-ranked retirement and long-term disability plans
• Ten paid holidays per year
• Vacation time accrued at 4.00 hours bi-weekly for the first 3 years
• Sick time accrued at 3.70 hours bi-weekly
• Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program).
• Deferred compensation plan
• Wellness plans

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

You will be required to participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) upon your 27th week of employment, subject to waiting period. On or shortly after, your first day of employment you will be provided with enrollment instructions and effective date.

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by calling (602) 542-3186 or emailing Human.Resources@azed.gov. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.