The posting
PCN11392
Due to union restrictions, this position is only available to current employees of this school district for the first 5 days following the posted date. Applications submitted by job seekers not currently employed by the school district will not be considered during this specific time period. EXTERNAL CANDIDATES ARE WELCOME TO APPLY.
TITLE:
Research Associate, 0-8 Early Childhood
REPORTS TO:
Assigned Supervisor
DEPARTMENT:
As Assigned
CLASSIFICATION:
Classified
FLSA:
Exempt
WORK YEAR/HOURS
261 days/7.5 hours
ISSUED:
Created: June 2013
SALARY GRADE:
WTCL 57
BASIC FUNCTION: Perform a wide variety of duties to execute research and evaluation analyses and studies related to the District’s strategic plans and priorities. Implement quantitative and qualitative research projects and data analyses on a variety of topics related to early childhood education and child development from birth to 8 years old. Activities include collecting, organizing, and analyzing data, preparing reports, designing research and evaluation studies, collaboration with research partners, and managing projects.
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES: (Incumbents may perform any combination of the essential functions shown below. This position description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, knowledge, or abilities associated with this classification, but are intended to accurately reflect the principal job elements.)
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Participate in planning, designing and conducting quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods research and evaluation.
- Conduct ongoing research on promising practices in OUSD that contributes to the knowledge base of effective practice, emphasizing priority areas identified in district strategic plans and School Quality Reviews.
- Conduct case study analyses of effective strategies and practices that can be scaled up for use in the District.
- Design methods, data collection processes, research instruments (including scale development), and analytic approaches for each research project.
- Stay abreast of relevant research early childhood education and child development from birth to 8 years old, and on transitions from preschool to kindergarten; analyze applicability of research to OUSD; continually gather information related to assigned research topics.
- Engage in fieldwork interfacing with a wide variety of OUSD stakeholders including, students, parents, teachers, administrators, other staff, and community partners.
- Engage in data cleaning and data management for all studies.
- Prepare and analyze historical data about the District, schools, and local communities and neighborhoods.
- Engage in report writing and editing, contributing to the development of meaningful reports, policy briefs and presentations of findings appropriate for a variety of internal and external audiences and purposes.
- Prepare assessment data on the 0-8 continuum of student performance for principals and teachers.
- Gather observational data, such as from Instructional Rounds across Transitional Kindergarten sites and Balanced Literacy sites, to identify shifts in teacher practice and site leadership practice.
- Develop tools and protocols to facilitate use of data and research findings by central office staff, school leaders, and teachers.
- Present and disseminate project results to internal and external parties.
- Engage in collaborative research with internal and/or external research partners.
- Plan and coordinate research activities, including maintenance of a timeline for completion and dissemination of results.
- Provide cross-training to other staff members within the department.
- Perform related duties as assigned.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
TRAINING, EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
- Any combination of education, training and/or experience equivalent to: Bachelor’s degree and at least four years of training or research experience in a related content area such as child development, child psychology, early childhood education, sociology, public policy, or anthropology.
- Knowledge of infant and early childhood development, child/adolescent development, assessment of early childhood academic, social and emotional learning, and/or pre-K-12 educational research strongly preferred
- Master’s degree preferred
- Experience in urban education context preferred
- Experience working with analysis of underserved populations, particularly those reflected in District student demographics
- Demonstrated experience writing research reports suitable for publication for lay audiences
- Expertise in using Microsoft Office software: Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint
- Experience in using data processing and statistical software such as STATA, SPSS, and/or qualitative data analysis software such as Atlas.ti or NVivo
LICENSES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
Valid California Driver’s License
Employment eligibility that will include fingerprints, tuberculosis and/or other employment clearance
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:
KNOWLEDGE OF:
- Quantitative and qualitative research design
- Formative and summative evaluation design
- Data collection methods and data analysis, organization of information
ABILITY TO:
- Work independently, with minimal supervision
- Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
- Collect, analyze, and present a variety of data and research to a range of audiences
- Write research reports, policy briefs, literature reviews
- Conduct field studies including in-person interviews and site observations
- Establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with department staff and staff across departments, as well as with community and institutional partners
- Be sensitive and responsive to diverse cultural and ethnic groups
WORKING CONDITIONS:
ENVIRONMENT:
Indoor office environment; driving a vehicle to conduct work; fast-paced work, short timelines, frequently changing priorities and assignments
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard; sitting or standing for extended periods of time; hearing and speaking to exchange information and make presentations; seeing to read and write reports.
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY:
The Oakland Unified School District does not discriminate in any program, activity, or in employment on the basis of actual or perceived race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, gender, sex, or sexual orientation.
