Director of Assessment and Accountability

Salary: $87,295.00 - $101,846.00 Annually

Location : Chief of Administration

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Number: 5029

Department: Assessment and Student Performance

Opening Date: 07/25/2024

Closing Date: Continuous

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Providence Public School District (PPSD) serves approximately 22,000 students (about the seating capacity of Madison Square Garden) attending our 37 schools. PPSD employs more than 3,200 professionals who work in and provide support to our schools, which include 20 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, 11 high schools, and 2 public district charter schools. Of our employees, about 2,000 are educators, and over 600 others directly support our schools' students and families.

Our schools are diverse learning communities. Approximately 68% of our students are Latinx, 15% Black, 7% White, 4% Asian, 5.5% Multi-racial and 1% Native American. Approximately 40% of students are multilingual, and about 16% receive special education services. Approximately 55% of students come from homes where English is not the primary language spoken. Our students and families speak more than 55 languages and hail from 91 countries of origin.

The DIRECTOR OF ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY ensures that all schools administer all local, state, and national assessments and report on assessment progress and results. The position serves as a key member of the district's data team, providing accurate data to various district stakeholders promptly.

This role is an exciting opportunity to serve as a leader within a diverse and dynamic team committed to transforming public education in the Providence Public School District (PPSD). We are hiring someone who believes in the capacity of all students to achieve at high levels, and the ability to work collaboratively with a diverse set of partners and stakeholders to drive transformative change within and outside of an organization.

The Providence Public School's Data Team works to deliver data to school and district leadership in a timely manner to support data driven decision-making in service of our students and in alignment with the district Turnaround Action Plan.
EDUCATION TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree with a focus in education, assessment, or data; Master's preferred
• Five or more years' experience in a K-12 educational setting
• Proficiency with statistical software such as SPSS, SAS, or R
• Experience with Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Student Information Systems (SIS)
• Familiarity with assessment platforms like Pearson, College Board, or similar systems

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND CURRICULAR LINKAGES

Assessment Supervision:

• Serve as the DAC (District Assessment Coordinator) and oversee the administration of all district assessments, including but not limited to: ACCESS, AP assessment, RICAS, PSAT, SAT, NGSA, AP, BIMAS, SECA, STAR, STAMP, iReady, SurveyWorks, etc.
• Coordinate with SPED Director to administer the DLM assessment and work with the SPED Director and MLL Director to ensure accommodations are in place for MLLs and students with IEPs taking other required state and district assessments
• Coordinate with the MLL Director to administer WIDA screeners
• Coordinate with registration to administer related screeners
• Coordinate with technicians to set up testing requirements for any online assessments
• Facilitate any required assessment training; handling of testing materials; scheduling of testing locations; supporting medical exemption processes, monitoring testing irregularities. and purchasing testing incentives
• Report and elevate concerns of testing irregularities to senior leadership

Data Reporting:

• Work collaboratively with other members of the district data team to provide timely and accurate assessment completion and results to school and district leadership
• Prepare reports on assessment completion and results as needed
• Work collaboratively with other members of the district data team to use assessment data to continuously drive instructional decision making
• In collaboration with data team members, develop and maintain Power BI dashboards for automatic data reporting
• Monitor and report out on Seal of Biliteracy, Commissioner's Seal, and Diploma Plus metrics
• Monitor and report on graduation requirements in collaboration with School Counseling and Skyward; ie ILP completion, PBDA or equivalent, Civics Project completion, etc.
• Monitor and report on CTE certifications and related assessments, when applicable

Additional Duties

• Conducting benchmarking studies to compare district performance against state or national standards
• Analyzing trends over time to identify areas for instructional improvement
• Assume other duties as may be delegated by supervisors
• Implementing quality assurance processes to ensure the validity and reliability of assessment data
• Conducting audits and reviews of assessment processes and data integrity
• Recommending updates on district policies related to assessment, including accommodations and modifications for students with special needs
• Attending regular data and assessment meetings at the Rhode Island Department of Education as a PPSD liaison
• Completing all assessment data reports on time
• Collaborating on guidelines for ethical and responsible use of assessment data

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS STANDARDS

• Advanced skills in statistical analysis and interpreting complex data sets
• Ability to communicate complex data insights to non-technical stakeholders effectively
• Developing contingency plans for assessment administration during emergencies, such as natural disasters or health crises
• Ensuring continuity of assessment practices under unusual circumstances
• Project management experience, requiring the ability to collaborate with multiple departments and personnel to achieve project goals
• Expert knowledge of Microsoft Excel and other Office applications
• Experience with Power BI and/or other data visualization tools
• Familiarity with educational measurement, including formative and summative assessments and surveys
• Excellent quantitative thinking, including the ability to examine available data, apply decision rules and analytical methods, and produce meaningful results
• Strong attention to detail and a fundamental concern for the accuracy of information, including the ability to organize substantial amounts of data and track multiple time-sensitive projects simultaneously
• Passionate commitment to improving public education and accelerating achievement among underserved students
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism
• History of realizing exceptional outcomes under time and resource constraints and in times of ambiguity
• Exceptional problem-solving, critical thinking, and planning skills
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Experience in a large, urban district is a plus
• Bilingual preferred

Your Next Steps
A cover letter detailing your interest in Providence Public Schools and how your professional experience has prepared you for this role is recommended, but not required. The priority deadline for applying is one week from the posting date. After this date, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please submit your application through Government Jobs.

We offer a complete benefits package to full-time employees including health care, dental, vision, retirement, deferred compensation plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, holidays, and Personal Time Off (PTO).