Reading and Literacy Liaison

The Heart of Art; Hyattsville (MD); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A community arts organization in Hyattsville, Maryland, is seeking a Reading & Literacy Liaison. This vital role involves designing assessment strategies to enhance student reading proficiency and program alignment with literacy best practices. The ideal candidate will have a background in literacy education, strong analytical skills, and a passion for integrating the arts into educational practices. The position supports a creative approach to literacy while ensuring measurable outcomes for student success.

Qualifications

• Background in literacy education or related fields.
• Experience in assessing children's reading development.
• Familiarity with literacy benchmarks and assessment tools.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement assessment strategies that track student reading growth.
• Analyze assessment data for actionable insights.
• Collaborate to embed literacy into all programming.
• Support ongoing program evaluation and improvement.

Skills

Literacy education

Strong analytical skills

Reading intervention

Curriculum and instruction

Job description

The Reading & Literacy Liaison plays a key role in ensuring that all programming at The Heart of Art is grounded in strong literacy development, measurable outcomes, and academic growth. Working closely with the Board Chair of Arts & Program Development, this role ensures that our programs spark creativity and strengthen reading proficiency, comprehension, and confidence in every child we serve.

This role exists to

• Design and implement assessment strategies that track student reading growth
• Align programming with literacy development best practices
• Identify trends in student performance to inform program improvement
• Strengthen the organization’s ability to demonstrate measurable literacy outcomes

Key Responsibilities

Assessment Design & Implementation

• Develop and manage pre-, midpoint, and post-program assessments to evaluate
  • Reading levels (across grade levels)
  • Comprehension
  • Fluency and expression
• Ensure assessments are age-appropriate, engaging, and aligned with program goals

Data Analysis & Insight Generation

• Analyze assessment data to identify
  • Areas of student success
  • Opportunities for growth and intervention
• Translate findings into clear, actionable insights for program refinement

Curriculum Alignment & Support

• Collaborate with the Chair of Arts & Program Development to ensure literacy is intentionally embedded into all programming
• Recommend strategies to strengthen reading outcomes through storytelling, performance, and creative expression

Program Evaluation & Continuous Improvement

• Support ongoing evaluation of program effectiveness from a literacy lens
• Provide recommendations to enhance student learning outcomes and engagement

Staff & Volunteer Guidance

• Offer guidance to teaching artists and volunteers on
  • Supporting diverse reading levels
  • Encouraging literacy development through the arts
• Share best practices and simple tools that can be easily implemented in sessions

Impact Reporting & Storytelling

• Contribute to reports, grant applications, and communications by providing
  • Literacy data
  • Outcome summaries
  • Evidence of student growth and impact

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Background in one or more of the following
  • Literacy education
  • Reading intervention
  • Elementary or secondary education
  • Curriculum and instruction
• Experience assessing or supporting reading development in children or youth
• Familiarity with literacy benchmarks, reading levels, or assessment tools
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into meaningful insights
• Passion for using the arts as a vehicle for literacy and educational equity

Impact of the Role

• Move from anecdotal impact to data-driven literacy outcomes
• Identify and support students across varying reading levels
• Continuously refine programming based on real student needs
• Demonstrate measurable success to funders, partners, and the community