Duties
Reports To: Superintendent of Schools
Directly Supervises:
- Teaching & Learning
- Data & Accountability
- Curriculum & Assessment
- College & Career Readiness
- CTE & Pathways
- Information Technology
- Assessment and F&S compliance
POSITION SUMMARY
The Chief Academic Officer (CAO) serves as the district’s senior executive leader
responsible for:
- Student outcomes and measurable growth
- Literacy and math acceleration (PreK–12)
- Graduation requirements and pathway alignment
- College and career readiness expansion
- Curriculum and assessment coherence
- District data systems and academic accountability
- Instructional technology and IT systems alignment
The CAO ensures that instructional systems, accountability measures, and technology
infrastructure operate as one coherent ecosystem focused on improving student
achievement.
This position integrates:
- Academic leadership and school improvement
- Data systems and accountability oversight? Curriculum and instructional systems leadership
- IT governance and system integration
The CAO serves as the Superintendent’s principal advisor on academic performance and academic technology systems.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Student Achievement & Measurable Growth
The CAO is directly accountable for:
- Literacy acceleration (PreK–12)
- Math acceleration and growth metrics
- Closing achievement gaps
- Graduation rate improvement
- Postsecondary readiness indicators
- Develops measurable annual and multi-year targets and monitors progress through real-time dashboards
2. Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment
- Leads development of a vertically aligned PreK–12 curriculum system.
- Ensures alignment of instructional materials, assessments, and professional learning.
- Oversees district assessment strategy and standardized testing.
- Ensures academic rigor and culturally responsive instructional practices.
- Monitors fidelity of implementation across schools.
3. College, Career & Graduation Pathways
- Oversees graduation requirements and pathway alignment.
- Expands AP, Dual Credit, Early College opportunities.
- Expands and modernizes CTE pathways aligned to workforce demand.
- Develops partnerships with higher education and industry.
- Aligns secondary programming to postsecondary success.
4. Data Systems, Accountability & Reporting
- Oversees district student information systems and academic data platforms.
- Leads Illinois State Report Card reporting and compliance.
- Develops executive dashboards for Superintendent and Board.
- Ensures rapid turnaround of actionable school-level data.
- Implements districtwide data-to-action protocols.
5. Information Technology & Instructional Systems
The CAO provides executive oversight of the District’s IT department to ensure technology directly supports learning and accountability.
Responsibilities include:
- Oversight of all instructional technology systems
- Governance of the Student Information System (SIS)
- Cybersecurity and data protection
- Learning management systems and digital platforms
- Technology integration strategy aligned to academic goals
- IT capital planning aligned to instructional priorities
- Disaster recovery and data continuity planning
The CAO ensures IT decisions are driven by instructional priorities rather than isolated technical considerations.
6. School Improvement Strategy
- Develops tiered academic support frameworks.
- Aligns coaching and instructional support to measurable growth targets.
- Monitors subgroup performance trends.
- Deploys differentiated academic interventions.
7. Professional Learning & Instructional Capacity
- Oversees systemic professional learning aligned to literacy and math acceleration.
- Builds principal capacity in instructional leadership.
- Ensures adult learning translates into measurable student growth.
- Aligns professional development systems to district data.
PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS
- Increase districtwide literacy proficiency rates
- Improve math growth metrics
- Increase graduation rates
- Expand AP/Dual Credit participation and success
- Expand CTE credential attainment
- Implement unified academic dashboards
- Modernize academic data systems
- Align IT governance to instructional outcomes
Salary/Benefits
Expected salary range from $195,000 to $230,000, fringe benefits, and work year as established by the Board of Education.
Evaluation: Performance evaluated annually by the Superintendent.
FLSA Status: Exempt
Status: Revised February 2026
Additional Notes
JG Consulting has partnered with Champaign Unit 4 School District to facilitate the search for this role.
:PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW FOR THE FULL JOB DESCRIPTION:
Champaign Unit 4 School District is a large unit school district serving more than 10,000 students in grades pre-K through 12 in Champaign, Savoy, and Bondville, Illinois. Our 19 campuses employ more than 2,000 teachers, administrators, and support personnel, including some of the brightest educators in the region. Our District represents the diversity of our world, fosters positive learning environments to prepare students for college and careers, and our schools empower students to succeed on any path they choose.
Download Job Description: Click here
How to Apply
Please submit your resume through the application on our website.
Link to District/Third Party Online Application Web Page
https://jobs.jgconsulting.us/jobdetail/ZR_91_JOB