DIYONAH CONTEE
Instructional Designer
Portsmouth
Summary
Academic and Instructional Designer specializing in standards-aligned curriculum development for grades 6–8 ELA and English Language Development. Experienced in developing print-focused and digital instructional materials, including lessons, learning objectives, and scope and sequence. Skilled in cross-functional collaboration and quality control to deliver high-quality educational publishing content.
Signature Achievements:
- Designed standards-aligned 6-8 ELA curriculum, resulting in a 94% increase in student mastery of literacy skills.
- Authored and published ELA curriculum resources aligned to CCSS and VA SOL, with 100+ downloads and purchases by educators across the U.S.
- Hand-selected by the Division Lead Supervisor of English Instruction to develop district-wide lesson plans and curate digital instructional materials adopted by 200+ educators, increasing educator engagement with McGraw-Hill and other edtech platforms.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
Work History
Founder and Leader Designer
RIGOROUSLY FUN TEACHING, LLC
05.2024 - Current
- Designed and developed standards-aligned instructional games (Four Corners and Tic-Tac-Toe) and ELA lessons for grades 6–8, increasing student engagement, formative assessment participation, and vocabulary acquisition for over 1,000 nationwide learners.
- Conducted market research and gap analysis in print and digital educational resources to create instructional prototypes supporting publishing initiatives, contributing to steady revenue growth and expanded product reach within 30 days.
- Utilized Microsoft Office and content authoring tools to iteratively develop and refine print-focused and digital curriculum materials, resulting in educator praise and increased recommendations for ELA teachers.
- Developed detailed scope and sequence-aligned teacher and student materials, including detailed instructions and supporting resources, to facilitate consistent implementation across diverse classroom settings.
- Applied user data and teacher feedback to maintain quality control, improve curriculum products, enhance accessibility and inclusivity, while meeting project timelines and standards..
ELA Teacher | Curriculum & Assessment Developer
CHESAPEAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Chesapeake
08.2020 - Current
- Designed standards-aligned ELA (grades 6-7) curriculum and assessment materials using backward design, UbD, and ADDIE principles; validated across classrooms serving 500+ learners and contributing to a 94% increase in reading proficiency within one academic year.
- Developed 750+ digital formative assessment items to measure learner comprehension, increasing assessment participation by 30% during a 120-day pilot across classroom settings.
- Created gamified, accessible instructional activities aligned to differentiation and UbD frameworks; piloted across diverse classrooms to ensure inclusive design and learner engagement over a 90-day implementation period.
- Collaborated cross-functionally with academic designers to refine instructional materials, applying data-informed feedback cycles to improve standards alignment, quality control, and content effectiveness.
- Led the design, piloting, and iterative refinement of vocabulary assessment materials adopted school-wide, supporting a sustained 50% increase in vocabulary acquisition on state-aligned assessments within two quarters.
Learning Design Lead | Curriculum & Assessment
CHESAPEAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Chesapeake
01.2021 - 06.2024
- Led a cross-functional learning design team (10+ stakeholders) using Agile iterative cycles to analyze data and align learning objectives with middle school ELA standards through backward design and Bloom’s Taxonomy.
- Refined curriculum coherence and instructional quality over one academic year, driving measurable improvements in student learning outcomes.
- Designed and facilitated the development of 30+ formative and summative assessments, including innovative, performance-based prototypes, contributing to a 10-point increase in district-wide assessment scores.
- Created engaging, standards-aligned literacy materials, and leveraged Agile feedback loops to boost student engagement and improve reading and writing achievement across grades 6–8.
Instructional Content Developer (Summer Position)
CHESAPEAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Chesapeake
06.2023 - 08.2023
- Collaborated with district curriculum writing team to develop 21 standards-aligned ELA instructional plans across for grade 6, embedding differentiation and UbD principles to support diverse learners and ensure instructional accessibility.
- Curated original digital text sets and designed accompanying ELA instructional materials and skill-building activities, aligned to curriculum scope and sequence requirements.
- Earned district subject matter expert (SME) recognition for detail-oriented, high-quality instructional design, resulting in publication within district-wide curriculum guides used by 200+ educators.
- Integrated blended and digital learning strategies into instructional materials using LMS platforms and media tools to support consistent instructional delivery across classroom settings.
MTSS Coach | Academic & Behavioral Interventions
CHESAPEAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Chesapeake
08.2022 - 06.2023
- Led design and implementation of a schoolwide intervention framework targeting academics, behavior, and attendance by creating structured learning supports, role-specific guides, and scenario-based resources; achieved full adoption within one semester.
- Led needs analysis and evaluation with 100+ stakeholders (95% response rate), using data to refine instructional supports and intervention materials for improved effectiveness and sustainability.
- Developed and supported the use of clear documentation, training materials, and implementation protocols to ensure consistent application of the intervention model across 6-8th grade classrooms and teams, strengthening academic outcomes and student engagement.
Education
M. Ed. - Curriculum & Instruction-Teacher Leader
Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA12-2022
B.A. - English
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA05-2019
Skills
Literacy Curriculum Development
Instructional Content Development
Standards Alignment (TEKS, CCSS)
Quality Control
Digital Content Creation
Accessibility (WCAG)
Data-Informed Content Improvement
Publishing Software (MS Office)
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Stakeholder Communication
Team Collaboration (Agile)
Project Workflow Coordination
Timeline
Founder and Leader Designer
RIGOROUSLY FUN TEACHING, LLC
05.2024 - Current
Instructional Content Developer (Summer Position)
CHESAPEAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
06.2023 - 08.2023
MTSS Coach | Academic & Behavioral Interventions
CHESAPEAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
08.2022 - 06.2023
Learning Design Lead | Curriculum & Assessment
CHESAPEAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
01.2021 - 06.2024
ELA Teacher | Curriculum & Assessment Developer
CHESAPEAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
08.2020 - Current
M. Ed. - Curriculum & Instruction-Teacher Leader
Regent University
B.A. - English
George Mason University