Director of Curriculum and Instructional Excellence, Humanities (3rd-5th)

The Director of Curriculum and Instructional Excellence leads the work of strengthening teaching and learning across KIPP Texas schools, with a focused emphasis on campuses in transformation. This role is anchored in three core priorities: professional learning, deep curriculum expertise, and high-impact instructional coaching.

In this role, the Director serves as a content and curriculum expert within an assigned grade band and subject area, ensuring a clear and coherent understanding of KIPP Texas’s adopted high-quality instructional materials with the ability to plan and support execution to excellence, including (but not limited to) Amplify Texas, Amplify ELAR Texas and HMH Into Literature. The Director develops deep expertise in these curricular frameworks and ensures their implementation with fidelity, rigor, and alignment to standards.

A central responsibility of this position is the design and facilitation of high-quality professional learning for teachers and school leaders. The Director plans and leads professional development experiences that strengthen content knowledge, build instructional capacity, and deepen understanding of curriculum execution. Through ongoing learning cycles, the Director supports leaders and teachers in internalizing what strong curriculum implementation looks like in practice.

The Director also provides direct, job-embedded coaching to teachers and instructional leaders. This includes modeling instruction, observing classrooms, providing actionable feedback, and strengthening leaders’ coaching capacity. Coaching efforts focus on curriculum execution, effective instructional practices, and measurable progress toward student achievement goals.

Through data-driven progress monitoring, clear expectations for curriculum implementation, and sustained professional learning structures, the Director of Instructional Excellence plays a critical role in advancing instructional excellence and improving student outcomes across KIPP Texas campuses.

You know you are successful if you support your portfolio of schools to meet their KIPP Texas STAAR targets each year, leading to: 

• Significant student growth and achievement across all student sub-populations  

• 100% of schools in your portfolio achieve an A or B rating

• 100% of schools in your portfolio achieve 90/75/40 on the Reading STAAR

• 100% of schools in your portfolio achieve 90/75/40 on the Math STAAR

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Focus on Transformation: Demonstrate a deep desire and record of results to support schools with significant instructional transformation. Understand the research underpinning transforming school communities. Hold high expectations for themselves as well as the leaders and teachers at transformation campuses.

• Content Expert: Demonstrate instructional expertise and understanding of curricular frameworks, pedagogy, and instructional materials in an area of content expertise. You have experience effectively implementing KIPP Texas’s chosen curricular products (such as, but not limited to) : Amplify Texas, Amplify ELAR Texas and HMH Into Literature, SAVVAS and McGraw Hill 

• Effective Coach: Lead instructional improvement efforts on a portfolio of transformation schools (3-5 campuses) by planning and facilitating professional learning communities (PLCs), observing classroom instruction, and providing actionable feedback to both classroom teachers and school leaders

Effectively coach teachers to improve instructional effectiveness

Provide support to primary schools and secondary schools by:

• Partnering with the school-based leadership team, specifically by coaching assistant principals to impact with a focus on high-quality instruction & curriculum implementation 

• Conducting individualized coaching sessions with teachers to observe classroom instruction, provide feedback, and collaboratively develop actionable strategies for improving instruction

• Leading teachers in setting clear, measurable instructional goals and providing ongoing guidance and support to help them achieve these goals through targeted observation and professional development

• Utilizing a strengths-based approach to identify and leverage teachers' existing skills and talents while also providing guidance and support in areas of improvement

• Establishing a supportive and trusting relationship with teachers and leaders  built on mutual respect, open communication, and a commitment to professional growth

• Demonstrating a willingness to lead small group instruction within classrooms during the Crescendo season

Facilitate professional learning communities that drive instructional excellence

Provide support to transformation primary schools and priority secondary schools by: 

• Planning & co-leading weekly content team meetings in assigned schools 

• Leading school-based practice clinics & teach backs 

• Providing targeted support and resources to teachers, supporting the implementation of evidence-based instructional strategies

Engage in continuous data analysis and action planning

Provide support to transformation primary schools and priority secondary schools by:

• Supporting transformational school leader managers & school leadership teams in progress monitoring actions that drive improvement in the areas of data-driven culture, curriculum implementation, and high-quality instruction that leads to teacher impact

• Crafting and executing organization-wide improvement plans in response to curriculum implementation data

• Coaching leaders and teachers on effective daily data practices, such as strategic monitoring, daily data dives, exit ticket trackers, etc.

• Analyzing school-specific data to identify trends and support the development of response plans

• Confidently speaking to formative student outcome data across portfolio campuses to support regional leaders in ongoing coaching and response plans