Position Title: Professional Development & Coaching Specialist
Reports To: Child Development and Educational Services Director
Date Updated: May 2014
Summary: The Professional Development/Coaching Specialist will provide leadership in implementing effective coaching practices, which enhance the quality of early childhood educational services and support the ongoing professional development of early childhood professionals. The Professional Development/Coaching Specialist will aggregate and analyze multiple sources of data to develop individual and program wide professional development activities, which support the agency’s school readiness goals.
Qualifications / Requirements:
- Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development or Child/ Family Development preferred.
- Extensive experience in the management of child development programming
- Knowledge of Head Start Performance Standards, Creative Curriculum, Early Childhood teaching competencies and curricula, and family support practices
- CLASS reliability certification is preferred; ability to obtain CLASS reliability certification within six months of hire is required
- Cultural sensitivity
- Extensive experience in supervision, staff training and development, leadership and advocacy
- Knowledge of and experience with infant / toddler and preschool programming
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Experience with low-income and families of diverse cultures
- Successfully pass Caregiver Background Check and a physical examination verifying physical ability to perform job responsibilities
Physical Demands: Primarily sedentary work; occasionally lifting up to 30 lbs as needed
Physical Activity: Bending, stooping, kneeling, sitting on floor, walking / transporting, fingering, handling, feeling, reaching, climbing, balancing, crouching, crawling, talking and speaking clearly, hearing conversation level, tasting, smelling and seeing; Ability to respond to an emergency or a crisis situation
Work Environment: Mainly classroom or office setting but must have the ability to operate a motor vehicle and travel to various sites for meetings
Personal / Physiological: Frequent significant decisions to assure development progress of children; ability to respond to an emergency or a crisis situation
(For more information about physical demands and activities, work environment / conditions, and personal / physiological demands, please see Human Resources.
Note: The purpose of this document is to describe the general nature and level of work performed by personnel so classifies; it is not intended to serve as an inclusive list of all responsibilities associated with this position.
Position Responsibilities: All staff members are accountable for knowing and performing the responsibilities associated with their individual position in an efficient and effective manner, understanding that each of us plays an integral role in the success of our mission. The Professional Development/Coaching Specialist will support the agency mission, vision and strategic directions and support administrative decisions. The Professional Development/Coaching Specialist will maintain a positive work atmosphere by behaving and communicating in a manner so that they get along with children, families, coworkers, supervisors and the public while achieving performance expectations.
- Plan, develop, and implement professional development opportunities for education staff based on individual, site, and program level data; Assure that needed resources, materials and technical assistance are available to assist educational staff in the provision of high quality services
- Support and supervise coaching staff in providing ongoing observations and feedback to classroom staff
- Analyze and aggregate multiple sources of data (i.e. ECERS/ITERS, TPOT/TPITOS, CLASS, accreditation reviews, GOLD) to identify professional development needs and ensure progress toward the agency’s school readiness goals
- Develop, monitor and maintain a coaching model of support in all educational services
- Serve as a member of the agency’s School Readiness and Pyramid Model Leadership teams
- Serve as a member of the Education Services team and provide the Child Development and Education Services Director with ongoing feedback on implementation of the coaching model and identified professional development needs
- Assist the 0-5 Director in developing an annual training and technical assistance planAssist with formulating, revising and updating the DCPC Head Start training plans on an annual basis
- Meet regularly with coaching staff and provide ongoing monitoring of coaching/professional development activities
- Work closely with Human Resources Department and Agency Leadership team to plan and coordinate agency-wide trainings as needed
- Assist with coordination of staff training for children with special needsServe as lead advisor for student teacher placement in agency classrooms
- Maintain the professional competence, knowledge and skills necessary for the satisfactory performance of all assigned responsibilities
- Advocate for needed services for children with agency programs, the early childhood community and the community at large
- Assist with community partner’s professional development activities as appropriate
- Assist the 0-5 Director and Child Development & Educational Services Director in the planning and implementation of agency programming
- Obtain and maintain CLASS reliability and serve as CLASS observer as needed
- Maintain a professional manner at all times
- Attend all meetings and trainings as required
- Perform all other duties as assigned or delegated
This position description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills or efforts associated with the position. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of principal job elements.
(This job description is subject to approval by the Dane County Parent Council, Inc. Board of Directors.)
