School Support Specialist Position Announcement (Chicago, Illinois)

The SERP Institute, a nonprofit education research and development organization, seeks a part-time School Support Specialist to support schools and districts in the greater Chicago area in-person and remotely. This is a part-time, 1099 position, available immediately. We anticipate weekly hours fluctuate depending on needs, but it is anticipated that the position will require 30-60 hours per month.

The primary work will be to support implementation and evaluation of the Strategic Adolescent Reading Intervention (STARI) in several districts in Illinois and Wisconsin. STARI is a Tier II intervention for students in grades 6-8 who read two or more years below grade level. The work of the School Support Specialist will involve clear communication and close collaboration with various stakeholders in multiple schools and districts, including teachers, literacy coaches, and school and district leaders. This position will be responsible for school recruitment and engagement with the STARI study, serving as the primary contact for participating schools, and working with participating schools to plan for and monitor STARI implementation, observe STARI classrooms, and support with STARI logistics.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for school- and district-based liaisons in districts across Illinois and Wisconsin, including Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Assist schools with optimizing STARI scheduling, STARI materials ordering and distribution, and other tasks as needed to ensure successful implementation of STARI.
• Actively engage in recruiting additional schools in Illinois (including within CPS) and in Wisconsin to participate in an ongoing grant–funded research study.
• Collaborate with the project director and other team members to support implementation of STARI in grades 6-8 in participating schools.
• Schedule and lead observations of STARI classrooms to document fidelity of instruction Assist with scheduling study-required end-of-year assessments, and assist with collecting parent consent in active consent districts (including CPS).
• Travel to schools in CPS, Illinois, and Wisconsin expected. Travel expenses covered by SERP.

Bachelor’s degree required. Excellent communication skills in written and oral language are critical. Success in this role requires dedication to K-12 education and literacy achievement, flexibility in the kinds of tasks one is willing to take on, ability to prioritize work and change directions as the job dictates, and a willingness to work respectfully with people in districts, schools, and other organizations.

Preferred qualifications include experience working in large school systems, and experience as a literacy teacher, particularly in grades 6-8. While many responsibilities will be completed remotely, location in the Chicago region is highly preferred for purposes of in-person school visits. Some travel is required to conduct observations in schools in other parts of Illinois and in Wisconsin.