Lower School (K-4) Learning Specialist

Reports to:  Lower School (K-4) Division Director

Role Duration: Faculty 11 months, full time

Position Overview

Ashley Hall seeks a full-time Learning Specialist for grades K-4 to begin immediately. The Grades K-4 Learning Specialist will partner with teachers, administrators, and families to support students who require accommodations in their learning environment based on diagnosed learning differences. The successful candidate will provide resource and support services to students in grades K-4 who have a diagnosed and documented need for academic accommodations, both in classrooms and individually. Additionally, the Learning Specialist will help evaluate students who are experiencing academic struggles by providing support through the referral process. Working in collaboration with the Lower School Division Director and the IB Primary Years Programme Coordinator, the Learning Specialist will also develop and implement professional development opportunities for Lower School faculty that will enhance their ability to provide purposeful differentiated instruction and strategies to help strengthen teaching and learning. 

Major Responsibilities and Duties

• Maintain confidential records of students who have psycho-educational testing and share necessary and appropriate summaries of accommodations and recommendations with teachers and the grades K-4 administration.
• Ensure teachers understand student diagnoses, accommodations, and recommendations and that these are correctly and consistently implemented and provided to students. 
• Schedule individual appointments with students to discuss specific areas of challenge.
• Support students by submitting and following through with accommodation requests and appropriate documentation for standardized testing.
• Teach executive functioning skills to help students manage deadlines and learn study skills. 
• Conduct classroom observations of students and administer diagnostic assessments to help identify potential skill deficits in specific academic disciplines, student needs, and progress, and communicate results and recommendations of observations and assessments with administration, teacher(s), and parents.
• Support teachers by communicating about accommodations and recommendations.
• Partner with teachers to prepare student-specific material that supports student learning. 
• Develop and offer professional development for faculty based on collected and analyzed data of student learning behaviors and best practices gleaned from current brain-science and educational research on how students best learn. Professional development should include providing positive learning strategies related to specific learning concerns that improves the learning experience for all students.
• Collaborate/co-teach with teachers on content delivery. 
• Maintain accurate student services records for the purpose of documentation and partner with families as needed to ensure records are updated to reflect current diagnoses.
• Communicate with parents regarding student evaluation needs, accommodations, and progress. 
• Attend parent and/or parent/teacher conferences to offer suggestions or strategies to ensure school success.
• Meet with any new Lower School family whose child has a formal evaluation to review accommodations and recommendations and construct a learning plan.
• Along with the appropriate administrators, meet with parents who have concerns about their students in order to educate and inform about the benefits of third party testing and the development of a support system at Ashley Hall.
• Provide recommendations to parents related to tutors and/or formal evaluations based on diagnostic impressions and observations. 
• Partner with other members of the learning support team in other divisions to ensure students smoothly transition between divisions.

• Maintain records and collection of data necessary for maintaining educational grants and the educational credit for students with exceptional needs program (ECENC).

• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s degree preferred in a relevant field.
• Minimum five (5) years experience working with students with special needs and/or learning disabilities at the lower school level, independent school experience preferred.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills to facilitate student record-keeping and timely feedback.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with both students and adults.
• Deep understanding of developmentally appropriate strategies and practices for students in grades K-4.
• Positive, strong work ethic, with the ability to meet deadlines in a timely manner. 

In addition, the ideal candidate will

• Demonstrate a commitment to student-centered learning as defined by the IB Primary Years Programme.
• Embrace a collaborative, interdisciplinary, team-oriented academic environment.
• Enhance student life in grades K-4 through support of student co-curricular activities.

• Approach their work with students with patience, kindness, and humor. 

Interested candidates are required to submit an official application through Ashley Hall’s website at www.ashleyhall.org/careers to be considered for the position.

As part of the online application, candidates will be required to upload a cover letter, resume, and list of references.

Questions regarding the position can be directed to:
Kimberly Ells-Payne, Talent Acquisition and Onboarding Manager
Email: [email protected]

Ashley Hall is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability or genetic information.