Senior Director of Academic Strategy

This role with specifically support our High School academic strategy.

About the Senior Director of Academic Strategy Role: The Senior Director of Academic Strategy will drive the instructional and academic strategy through curriculum implementation, assessment implementation, and leading Assistant Principal of instruction development in order to provide a cohesive vision for regional academic achievement. This role will be an essential part of the KIPP Colorado Program Leadership Team. They will also partner closely with KIPP’s school leaders, instructional staff and external stakeholders. This full-time position is a part of our Home Office Team and is a key member of KIPP Colorado’s leadership team. This role will report to the Managing Director of Academics and Teacher Development. 

About KIPP: Together with families and communities, KIPP creates joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. KIPP is a national network of tuition-free, public charter schools open to all students. There are 255 college-preparatory KIPP schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 100,000 students. Nationally, KIPP students are graduating four-year colleges at three times the national average for low-income students. 

Who we are: KIPP Colorado Public Schools is a network of six free college-preparatory public charter schools open to all students. Our 350-person staff educates 2,600 students from ECE to 12th grade. At KIPP Colorado, we partner with our KIPPsters, educators, families and communities to ensure that we are all united around the goal of a choice-filled future for our KIPPsters. Our KIPP Forward Team supports our 1,000+ high school Alumni as they create their own paths. Our core values of excellence, belonging, belief, advocacy and courage are central to who we are and how we operate at all levels of our organization.

What we do: We believe in the unique gifts and brilliance of every student. We believe in setting a high bar for joy and academic excellence to ensure the infinite possibilities our students have before them become a reality. We aspire to create and reinforce a culture of achievement, belonging and support. We know that every student is different and we personalize learning based on a student's needs, skills, and interests.

Role Responsibilities and More About How You’ll Spend Your Time in this Role
 

• Believe deeply in the mission, values, and Race, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (RIDE) commitments of KIPP Colorado Schools and that all children can and will learn
• Assume personal responsibility for student achievement
• Read, internalize, and adhere to the KIPP Colorado Policies and Procedures manual and guidelines
• Providing an active presence, strategic supervision, and intentional monitoring to ensure student safety and engagement in rigorous learning (regardless of my role and its proximity to students)
• Take ownership for the development of your craft (meet 1x/1-2 weeks with a manager, implement feedback, engage in active practice, etc.)
• Commit to being prepared. Such as; internalizing and preparing for lessons; preparing for O3s/coaching, preparing for meetings, coaching, PD, etc. 
• Meet professional obligations including and not limited to meeting deadlines and honoring schedules
• Consistently leverage existing professional tools, including but not limited to Google Suite (google documents, etc.) and Microsoft Suite (including but not limited to your KIPP Colorado email, Teams chat / meetings, Teams phone, and Microsoft outlook)
• Maintain strong attendance each day and be on time to all responsibilities
• Collaborate with colleagues and seek feedback in the spirit of continuous improvement
• Reflect on professional practices to meet individual professional development goals
• Actively participate in professional development, grade level, and department meetings
• Actively engage and implement in all school-wide and Org wide professional development
• Serve as a positive, contributing member of a grade team or functional team, collaborating with colleagues to tackle common challenges and implement org and grade-wide initiatives
• Share candid, solutions-oriented feedback with peers and leadership on a regular basis, assuring that feedback is shared directly with the intended recipient. Ensure that feedback is focused on improving outcomes and experiences for students
• Assist with both student and staff recruitment and engagement- including events, home visits, calls home, and other determined and related requirements
• Your role, professional development, org wide meetings, etc may require you to travel around Denver to other KIPP Campuses, our Home Office, or other KIPP or PD events
• Other duties as assigned (such as but not limited to, lunch duty, arrival/dismissal duty, bathroom duty, school support duties, etc.) 

One KIPP Requirements High School Assessment Leader

• Leads regional project planning, leader coordination, and school-based assessment coordination and implementation for College Board P/SAT, the Colorado P/SAT, and AP exams (including pre, practice/mock, and official exams)

One KIPP Requirements High School Data Analytics Lead

• Supports regional leadership with analysis needs around the annual bottom’s up goal setting process
• Meets with school and regional leadership to review and discuss trends, highlight potential inequities among student populations, and address future data needs regarding One KIPP initiatives
• Builds and maintains One KIPP aligned data products such as the high school academic health dashboard

One KIPP Requirements High School Academic Health Lead

• Owns or assigns implementation of High School Academic Health Playbook
• Uses the Academic Health Dashboard to consistently monitor academic health outcomes, particularly for ninth grade (in collaboration with School Leader)
• Plans and leads the response to academic health data for teacher and student interventions

Initiative Organization and Management

• Create multi-year project plans from instructional aspects of strategic plan
• Lead work around two major workstreams related to Academic Excellence priority of the strategic plan: 

Curriculum Implementation - prioritization of Math and Literacy 

• Math and Literacy Curriculum

• AP for All 
• Fishtank Pilot (KNDLA) 
• Open Up Pilots (KNDLA and KDC)

• S&S to support curriculum implementation 
  • Identify priority lessons for Math and Literacy courses  
• Teacher and Leader development on curriculum implementation 
• Coordinating external partners on curriculum implementation 
• Supporting materials ordering for curriculum implementation (bridging campus needs and operations / procurement processes)

Assessment Implementation - prioritization of Math and Literacy 

• Regionally supported assessments 
  • Academic Approach Digital P/SAT Benchmark 
  • iReady 9-12
  • AP Mocks (from KIPP Foundation) 
• Assessment calendar to align with curriculum S&S 
• Development of tools and resources to analyze and respond to data at the regional, campus, and teacher level (in partnership with MD of Academics and Teacher Development)
• Training and implementation of tools for analyzing and responding to key data on regionally supported assessments to drive progress 
• Partnership with data team to ensure alignment on cut scores, reporting, and backend set up of assessments 
• Development of assessment SOPs and implementation plans 
• Execute the implementation of Academic-based strategic priorities in pursuit of achieving organizational goals
• Track and progress monitor against large-scale Academic priorities and initiatives, working closely with the Academic team leaders to gather relevant data and project manage accordingly
• Perform research and development activities to determine whether new initiatives are viable and worthy of prioritization for Academic Team efforts
• Maintain existing partnerships and lead the exploration of new vendors, opportunities and program priorities, including serving as a liaison with Denver Public Schools, our authorizer, as needed
• Additional duties as assigned

Academic Strategy

• Build out academic strategy in partnership with Academics and Schools Leadership Team to include aligned metrics, goal / progress monitoring, curriculum and assessment
• Serve as the lead project manager and problem solver for academic program initiative efforts, moving into launch and implementation
• Support UIP Development, Black Excellence Plan Development, and READ Act for High Schools 
• Design tools and systems for high-level accountability tracking for academic program requirements
• Manage several high-impact, academic strategic projects for the Academics team, to be determined collaboratively with the MD of Academics and Teacher Development 

Leader Development

• Work in conjunction the Program Leadership Team, MD of Academics and Teacher Development, and Academics and Schools Leadership Team to provide strong leadership development and capacity-building opportunities for campus-based leadership, especially Assistant Principals of Instruction (APIs), including: 
  • Weekly or every other week check ins with APIs 
  • Leader Development Weeks for APIs 
  • Support planning for teacher development to drive outcomes 
  • Train and drive effective instructional coaching of teachers on FCE and using cohesive coaching cycle 
  • Model, train, and develop effective Real Time Coaching for instructional leaders 
• Streamline coaching strategies as outlined in the Cohesive Coaching Cycle 
• Support hiring and development of instructional leaders 
• Onboard and manage any pending placement APIs for HS

Teacher Development

• Work in conjunction with Program Leadership Team, MD of Academics and Teacher Development, and Academics and Schools Leadership Team to provide strong regionally led teacher teacher development for all high school teachers aligned with priorities 
• Streamline coaching strategies as outlined in the Cohesive Coaching Cycle
• Foundational Classroom Excellence - implementation and coaching for HS 
• SchoolMint grow management and reporting for HS 

Content Creation

• Create visually appealing content that successfully communicates compelling and meaningful messages
• Use data to create presentations, one-pagers, online content, and other media to support CAO/your/team recommendations

Project/Systems Management

• Determine the priority level of various projects to be completed and take initiative to create action plans and move forward
• Create long- and short-term plans, including setting targets for milestones and adhering to deadlines
• Delegate tasks on the project to team members best positioned to complete them
• Make effective decisions when presented with multiple options for how to progress with the project
• Communicate with team members, school-based staff or other KIPP CO staff to keep the projects aligned with their goals and on deadline
• Adjust schedules and targets on projects as needs for the project change
• Create systems for tracking team long- and short-term plans, including setting targets for milestones and adhering to deadlines

Relationship Management

• Cultivate and manage relationships with regional leaders and other critical stakeholders, especially Managing Directors of Schools, principals and school leadership team members
• Meet with internal and external stakeholders and synthesize their concerns, challenges, and ideas into easily understandable and actionable recommendations

Special Projects

• Lead strategic initiatives and special projects as determined by the Academics and School Leadership Team that are critical to KIPP Colorado's long-term success

Role Level Specifics, Scope of Work, and Level of Responsibility

• For more about how you’ll lead at this level, please visit the KIPP Colorado Role Levels Matrix (this is an internal document, only)

About the skills and qualifications you will bring to this role: 

• Bachelor's Degree (required)
• At least 7-8 years of relevant and aligned school based experience (required)
• At least 5-8 years of experience in academic programming or coaching (required) 
• 3+ years of experience managing a team (preferred) 
• A full understanding and Commitment to an Exceptional Student Experience (more about that HERE) (required) 
• Previous experience developing and facilitating adult learning/training (required)
• Adept at thinking strategically, translating plans into action, and exhibiting excellent judgment
• Detail oriented with exceptionally strong follow-up and follow-through skills
• Unquestioned integrity and commitment to KIPP Colorado’s mission and values, including a strong commitment to the belief that all children can learn and deserve access to an excellent public education
• Naturally and readily assumes responsibility to fix problems and create improvements
• Ability to quickly and effectively build relationships with, motivate, and engage a diverse group of stakeholders
• Skilled at analyzing, interpreting, and using data to collaborate, identify best practices and areas for improvement, and drive results

Employee retention and satisfaction is imperative for KIPP Colorado. We seek to provide competitive compensation and benefits including the following:

• Competitive Market Salary: Starting salary for this role begins at $117,300 and is commensurate with experience
  • Please submit a comprehensive resume to assure all your experience is accounted for! Tip: We don't care if your resume is more than one page, we are eager to see and compensate you for all of your experience and accomplishments
• Excellent Healthcare Plan: 100% of employee-only monthly premium paid by KIPP Colorado and options for family enrollment and coverage, through United Healthcare

• Time Off !!!: More than 6 weeks of annual vacation and Paid Time Off (PTO) 
  • Based on hire date, employees are eligible for up to 8 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) 
  • All employees receive summer break through an organization-wide closure, based on work location and position
  • Access to parental and medical leave: includes 6 weeks paid and 6 weeks unpaid for a total of 12 weeks (after your first year)

• Career Trajectory: Access to opportunity to move up, across schools, and grow your career during weekly coaching sessions to refine your craft

• Mental Health Care: Immediate and ongoing access to mental health support through our Employee Assistance Program

• Technology & Access: Equipment provided: laptop & phone 

• Retirement Planning: Participation in the Colorado PERA retirement program, including a PERA 401k option
• Move to Join Us: Relocation reimbursement (when applicable)
• Additional Pay: Most schools offer various stipend opportunities
• Other Insurance Options: 
  • Wellness reimbursement
  • Voluntary employee, spousal, and child life insurance
  • Voluntary long term disability insurance
  • Voluntary short term disability insurance
  • Optional Basic Life and AD&D Insurance

• Additional Information: For more information, you can view our benefits FAQ here

 
KIPP Colorado Schools is dedicated to equal employment opportunities and fair labor practices. KIPP Colorado Schools, KIPP Denver Collegiate High School, KIPP Northeast Denver Middle School, KIPP Northeast Elementary, KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy, KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy and KIPP Sunshine Peak Elementary provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals based on job-related qualifications, and the ability to perform a job without regard to race, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religious creed, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, legally protected medical condition, veteran status, sexual orientation, or on any other basis made unlawful by federal, state or local laws. It is our policy to maintain a non-discriminatory environment free from intimidation, harassment or bias based upon these grounds.