Director of Research / Assessment, Transforming Education – National Center on Time & Learning – Boston, MA

Who We Are: Transforming Education

Transforming Education (TransformEd) is an independent program of the National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL) that aims to spark systemic change across the K-12 education space, driving school systems towards a strategic focus on the academic mindsets and related “non-cognitive” skills that have been shown to help students achieve their full potential. We refer to these skills as “MESH,” short for the “Mindsets & Essential Skills and Habits” that prepare students for college, career and life. Despite compelling research and broad support from educators, MESH has not yet been integrated into the formal structures that undergird US K-12 education. To that end, TransformEd is laser-focused on identifying scalable, sustainable ways for MESH to take root in the modern American education system. To learn more about TransformEd, visit our website: http://www.transformingeducation.org/.

TransformEd emerged from a set of research collaborations, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, between the National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL) and MIT Professor of Brain & Cognitive Science John Gabrieli. Since 2009, TransformEd and its scientific advisors have collaborated on a series of research projects to explore the relationship of MESH skills to students’ academic, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes. Through large-scale studies with Boston Public Schools, several smaller districts, and leading charter schools in the Boston area, our team has built strong research capabilities and produced multiple peer-reviewed publications. TransformEd’s Scientific Advisory Board is led by cognitive neuroscientist John Gabrieli (MIT) and includes the following leaders of the psychology, MESH, and education policy fields: Angela Duckworth (UPenn), Carol Dweck (Stanford), David Yeager (UT Austin), Roger Weissberg (CASEL), Marty West (Harvard), Hunter Gehlbach (Harvard), Paul Goren (Evanston/Skokie School District), Clancy Blair (NYU), Daniel Willingham (UVA), and Matt Kraft (Brown). Additional partner organizations include: Educational Testing Service (ETS), Harvard Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR), CASEL, Chicago Consortium for School Research (CCSR), Character Lab, and Panorama Education

Our current collaboratories in California (CORE) and Massachusetts (Boston Charter Research Collaborative or BCRC) provide us with opportunities to develop proof points by fostering translational learning in the context of vastly different education systems. In each of our collaboratories, we have partnered with education systems that are committed to taking action now to improve student outcomes. For example, in California, we are translating research into policy and practice, curating open-source MESH assessments, and collecting comparable data on students’ MESH competencies across nearly 1,500 district schools. Through the BCRC in Massachusetts, we are working with some of the nation’s leading charter management organizations and researchers to iteratively develop and test MESH measures and interventions. Together, these efforts enable us to impact over one million students right away, while also building our own long-term capacity to effect change nation-wide.

Position Summary

The Director of Research and Assessment will be charged with setting and implementing an organizational MESH research agenda that builds upon existing knowledge and develops new knowledge in the MESH field. This includes providing a high level of direction on research design and project managing existing and new research projects. You will be deeply involved in pushing the boundaries of education reform, addressing a diverse set of challenges that provide chances to broaden and enhance your skills. As a member of the TransformEd team, you will have opportunities to receive coaching and mentorship from experienced leaders in research, policy, and practice.

Responsibilities:

– Work with the Co-Founders, Executive Director, and Scientific Advisory Board to set TransformEd’s organization-wide research agenda;

– Advise multiple internal project teams on research and assessment issues

– Work with internal team and external research partners to set and carry out the research agenda of the Boston Charter Research Collaborative (BCRC);

– Project manage assessment administration and data analysis work done by our external partners and other collaborators;

– Design research and evaluation studies with our CORE District partners;

– Contribute to writing reports and white papers and presenting research findings to multiple audiences, including educators, policymakers, and other researchers;

– Work with other staff to steward existing Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) members and recruit new SAB members;

– Identify and interface with partners who are developing performance-based assessment and next generation MESH assessments;

– Curate and share assessments and other research tools as appropriate;

– Stay up to date on the latest research and assessment trends in the MESH space, incorporating findings into TransformEd’s work;

– Represent TE at conferences and other speaking engagements to share what we’re learning;

– Identify and maintain secure data transfer system;

– Manage contracts and data use agreements on research projects;

– Maintain research ethics certification;

Who You Are:

You are a driven self-starter with a thirst for knowledge and growth. Big ideas and even bigger challenges excite you. You have a demonstrated interest in education research and/or education policy and you are eager to apply your skills to accelerate the pace of education reform in the United States. You are a fast learner and enjoy taking initiative, and you are looking for a role with growth potential. Your resourcefulness and research design skills are matched only by your sense of humor and passion for education reform. Not content to sit in a data closet and write SPSS code, you are excited about being a research partner to districts and schools in designing and implementing research and assessment projects. You work well both individually and as a member of a team and are excited by the idea of working for a nimble startup team within an established and respected organization. In short, you are a whip-smart self-starter with strong research design, analysis, and educational assessment knowledge who can support groundbreaking efforts to change the face of public education. Working as a member of a small but mighty team, you will be an integral part of helping us work with collaborators and school/district partners to do rigorous but practical research.

Requisite Qualifications and Experience

Advanced degree in Education, Psychology, Public Policy, Economics, or related field required, PhD or EdD preferred.
Demonstrated applied and advanced knowledge of research and assessment methodology, assessment design and implementation and school accountability systems.
Excellent interpersonal skills, including written and oral communication skills with the ability to convey complex information to a diverse audience.
5-7 years of experience in designing and implementing research initiatives, preferably for a non-profit or educational organization.
Strong leadership and exceptional project management skills, with excellent attention to detail and the ability to facilitate and coordinate teamwork across projects and multiple stakeholder perspectives.
Working knowledge of STATA, SAS, SPSS or comparable data analysis programs.
Familiarity with or demonstrated interest in existing MESH research, which draws from the literature on education, social psychology, personality psychology, youth development, and related fields preferred

Position Details

This is a full-time role based in Boston. Salary is commensurate with experience, and the position includes full benefits, including 403(b) and employer match. Some travel may occasionally be required for this position (<20%). Transforming Education is committed to building diversity in our staff, volunteers, boards and membership and creating a positive, inclusive workplace culture where all can thrive. People of color are encouraged to apply.

How to apply

Application

Interested and qualified applicants should send a thoughtful cover letter and resume to jobs@transformingeducation.org. Applications must include a cover letter in order to be considered. Please include “Application for Director of Research and Assessment” in the subject line of the e-mail.

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