K-5 Literacy Coach - Utah Connections Academy

School Summary

Utah Connections Academy (UCA) is a tuition-free, online public school that serves students in grades K–12 throughout Utah. UCA is authorized under state law by the Utah State Charter School Board and governed by an independent Board of Directors. The school is operated by Utah Connections Academy, a nonprofit corporation, through a contract with Connections Academy of Utah, LLC, to provide its educational program and other services. UCA is accredited by the Northwest Accreditation Commission, an accrediting division of AdvancED.

Utah Connections Academy strives to create an inclusive environment that welcomes and values the diversity of the people we serve. We foster fairness, equity, and inclusion to create a workplace environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.

Position Summary

Working from a home office in Utah, the K-5 Literacy Coach will be responsible for the coordination of the reading program.  This position is a full-time, 10- month position. 

Responsibilities:

• Provide consistent and frequent job-embedded professional learning aligned to teacher and student needs through ongoing coaching cycles, pre-planning, data collection, classroom support, and reflective conversations.
• Engage educators in ongoing instructional coaching cycles, including goal setting, observation, modeling, co-teaching, feedback, reflection, and action planning to strengthen literacy instruction and educator capacity.
• Develop and maintain confidential, positive, and collegial relationships with teachers while providing appropriate non-evaluative feedback.
• Develop and deepen own content knowledge of literacy theory and the Science of Reading through participation in professional development.
• Design, facilitate, and evaluate relevant, cohesive professional learning sessions based on principles of adult learning to strengthen educator implementation of evidence-based literacy practices and support PLC work and school-wide literacy initiatives.
• Coordinate and oversee the administration of Acadience Reading, NWEA MAP, and other diagnostic assessments, ensuring scoring accuracy and inter-rater reliability.
• Support educators, administration, and staff in analyzing and interpreting literacy data to inform instructional adjustments, evaluate effectiveness, and refine school-wide literacy instruction.
• Partner with school administration to align coaching work with the School Improvement Plan (SIP), Strategic Plan, and statewide literacy goals.
• Lead the school literacy committee and support MTSS teams in developing, implementing, and monitoring Individualized Reading Plans (IRPs), ensuring literacy interventions are evidence-based, data-driven, and aligned to individual student needs.
• Maintain coaching records and documentation using school-approved tools.
• Collaborate with school staff to ensure school-level instructional practices and supports are aligned with state standards.
• Model professional and ethical standards and adheres to the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission (UPPAC) standards.
• Maintain records and confidentiality of all student information in secure locations.
• The K-5 Literacy Coach is not a school administrator and does not evaluate or supervise employees.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Requires a valid Utah Professional Educator License in one of the following:
  • Elementary;
  • Early Childhood Education; or o Special Education (K-12); and
• Requires completion of LETRS training or equivalent.
• Requires a professional Instructional Coaching endorsement or willingness to obtain within 2 years of hire.
• A master's degree or higher in education or related field is preferred.
• Requires a minimum of three (3) or more years of successful experience as an elementary-level classroom teacher; five (5) or more years is preferred.