Arna Sanders Nance
Houston,TX
Summary
Experienced educational executive leader with a proven track record of achieving organizaional goals through consistent and organized practices. Highly skilled in coordinating production plans and utilizing personnel resources to successfully complete work within tight deadlines. Mentors and challenges team members to surpass objectives, fostering a positive and motivating work environment. Encouraging manager and analytical problem-solver who excels in team building and stakeholder relationship-building. Leverages strong decision-making skills and sound judgment to drive company success. Committed to applying training, monitoring, and morale-building abilities to enhance employee engagement and boost overall performance. Brings comprehensive knowledge of curriculum writing, planning, and implementation to contribute to organizational growth.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Professional Learning Consultant
Curriculum Associates, LLC
01.2023 - Current
- Maintained a portfolio of 6 comprehensive districts to evaluate available curriculum and assessment materials to align with product purchases.
- Teamed with subject matter experts in evaluation and revision of training tools in order to continually improve learning platforms.
- Researched and incorporated district assessment data into standard curriculum for Reading and Mathematics.
- Collaborated with administrators and effectively implemented best training practices and adult learning principles in planning and creation of professional learning courses.
- Updated district Pre-K curriculum to integrate technology and enhance quality of student education.
Educational Leadership Consultant
Muses3, LLC
11.2022 - Current
- Utilized expertise in managing resources and optimizing performance to plan and facilitate professional learning for over 65 school districts across 4 states with a net promoter score of 82.8% for over 200 touchpoints.
- Proficient in providing valuable insights and supporting decision-making processes. Committed to enhancing productivity and contributing to overall success.
- Provided lesson planning and pacing support to helping educators analyze data and apply it to instruction.
- Coordinated training and professional development courses for teachers and school administrators to create new teaching strategies that encourage student learning.
- Performed detailed and comprehensive evaluations of teaching and support staff.
- Supervised and evaluated teaching and support staff to assess education standards and classroom policies and implement changes based on data.
- Developed and facilitated English I & II intervention curriculum to meet needs of high school students to retest for the state end of course assessment.
Senior Director, Academic Recovery
KIPP Texas Public Schools
11.2021 - 01.2023
- Directed design and execution of academic recovery initiatives to drive academic growth and achievement for 31,000+ students in 54 schools across Texas.
- Planned, created, tested and deployed life cycle methodology to produce high quality systems to meet and exceed stakeholder expectations.
- Launched quality assurance practices for each phase of development.
- Recruited, interviewed and hired a team of 5 curriculum writers and implemented mentoring program to promote positive feedback and engagement.
- Established performance goals for employees and provided feedback on methods for reaching those milestones.
- Evaluated employee performance and conveyed constructive feedback to improve skills.
- Leveraged data and analytics to make informed decisions and drive project improvements.
Director, Secondary Curriculum and Development
Houston Independent School District
07.2017 - 11.2021
- Recruited, hired, and trained team of 25 district instructional specialists, working to establish key internal functions and outline scope of positions to serve 262,000 students in 97 schools.
- Executive leadership coaching and development of curriculum and assessment design.
- Fostered relationships with executive leaders to align with district vision for curriculum and assessment to improve student achievement and overall district accountability rating.
- Leveraged professional networks and content knowledge to strengthen stakeholder relationships.
- Observed each employee's individual strengths and initiated mentoring program to improve areas of opportunity.
- Cultivated and strengthened lasting client relationships using strong issue resolution and dynamic communication skills.
Teacher Development Specialist
Houston Independent School District
07.2014 - 06.2017
- Utilized recorded data to implement actionable campus curriculum improvements.
- Collaborate with teachers to determine instructional efficacy.
- Planned and monitored implementation of technology-based learning programs.
- Contributed to development of district teacher coaching framework and subsequent professional learning courses.
- Developed assessments and user polls to evaluate professional learning effectiveness, altering content and delivery to achieve student learning goals.
Teacher
Hinds County Schools/Jackson Public Schools
08.2008 - 06.2014
- Scheduled conferences with parents to discuss students' progress and classroom behavior.
- Helped students explore concepts with engaging, learning-focused activities.
- Shifted between formal and informal methods of teaching to keep students engaged.
- Adapted teaching methods and materials to meet students' varying needs.
- Encouraged small groups to discuss topics and explore concepts through hands-on activities.
- Met with students, parents and administrators to address and resolve students' behavioral and academic issues.
- Created and developed lesson plans to meet students' academic needs.
- Completed student progress reports mid-term to notify students and parents of strengths and areas of improvement.
- Participated in department meetings to provide input to colleagues about student achievement and improvement.
- Fostered inclusive classroom culture to encourage belonging.
- Implemented reading and writing workshops to increase student literacy and support school reading programs.
- Modified lessons and curriculum to accommodate diverse learners by using strategies such as peer-assisted learning and group work.
- Developed and implemented classroom routines to address varying student needs.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration -
Master of Arts in Teaching - undefined
Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies - Education
Skills
- Organizational Culture Transformation
- Collaborative Leadership
- Leadership and Teacher Development
- Curriculum Implementation and Design
Certification
- Core Subjects Grades (EC-6) Texas
- English Language Arts and Reading 7-12, Texas
- Middle School English 4-8, Mississippi
- English Language Arts and Reading 7-12, Mississippi
- Economics 9-12, Mississippi
- Elementary 4-8, Mississippi
- Social Studies 7-12, Mississippi
Professionalpresentations
- Talk Read Talk Write, Presented Districtwide at Houston Independent School District, Houston, TX, 07/2017
- Planning with Mastery in Mind Series, Presented Districtwide at Houston Independent School District, Houston, TX, 2018
- Leadership Bootcamp, Presented to Achieve 180 Campus Leaders at Houston Independent School District, Houston, TX, 06/2019
- Academic Planning Days, Presented Districtwide at Houston Independent School District, Houston, TX, 08/2019
- Integrating Technology into ELA, Presented at Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts, Frisco, Texas, 01/2020
- Conferring with Readers, Presented Districtwide at Houston Independent School District, Houston, TX, 06/2020
- STAAR Redesign, Presented Districtwide at Houston Independent School District, Houston, TX, 06/2020
- Literacy Strategies Integration, Presented Districtwide at Houston Independent School District, Houston, TX, 07/2021
- Acceleration, Not Integration, Presented Statewide at KIPP Texas Public Schools, Houston, TX, 01/2022
- Literacy Launch, Presented Statewide at KIPP Texas Public Schools, Houston, TX, 05/2022
- BrainFit, Presented Statewide at KIPP Texas Public Schools, Houston, TX, 06/2022
- Academic Recovery Convening 1.0, Presented Statewide at KIPP Texas Public Schools, Houston, TX, 07/2022
- Beyond the Pages, Presented Statewide at KIPP Texas Public Schools, Houston, TX, 08/2022
- Internalizing Just in Time Literacy Lessons, Presented Statewide at KIPP Texas Public Schools, Houston, TX, 09/2022
Specialqualifications
- Executive leadership coaching and development of curriculum and assessment design and implementation
- Fostered relationships with executive leaders to align with district vision for curriculum and assessment.
- English Language Arts instructional best practices professional development
- District and State assessment development and review
- Developed, implemented, and progress monitored curriculum for the Acceleration and Intervention course that I created to address learning loss.
- Supervised a team that designed and reviewed curricula and assessment as well as professional learning to align with department annual goals leveraging individualized monthly objectives and key results.
- Developed and implemented districtwide initiatives for improving instruction designed to serve students in specialized populations (e.g., English Learners, Special Education, Gifted and Talented, etc.).
- Devised a regular cadence for communication to key stakeholders regarding project development and progress.
- Created and facilitated organization wide professional learning series for key stakeholders that consistently received highly effective survey data.
Timeline
Professional Learning Consultant - Curriculum Associates, LLC
01.2023 - Current
Educational Leadership Consultant - Muses3, LLC
11.2022 - Current
Senior Director, Academic Recovery - KIPP Texas Public Schools
11.2021 - 01.2023
Director, Secondary Curriculum and Development - Houston Independent School District
07.2017 - 11.2021
Teacher Development Specialist - Houston Independent School District
07.2014 - 06.2017
Teacher - Hinds County Schools/Jackson Public Schools
08.2008 - 06.2014
Jackson State University - Master of Arts in Teaching,
Mississippi State University - Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration,
Jackson State University - Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, Education