Data Specialist
Position Summary: The New York City school system is the largest in the country, consisting of approximately 1.1 million students, and 75,000+ teachers in over 1,800 schools. The Office of Assessment (OA) supports the DOE’s continuing efforts to prepare students for college and career readiness through its focus on effective assessment implementation, exam validity, and equity and access.
The Data Analytics, Research, and Innovation team is responsible for using data analytics to support assessment implementation and the development of innovative processes, programs, and policies for summative exams administered in NYCDOE schools. The team, together with the broader Office of Assessment, oversees the data analytics, data modeling, data tools, data capture, tracking and reporting, and assessment research and innovation for a suite of testing programs, including programs for the New York State Regents and Grades 3-8 ELA, Math, and Science exams, the NYC World Language Exams, and the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test.
The Data Specialist will be the team’s resident data expert, and will develop data tools, models, reports, and analyses to support and enhance assessment programs. This position will produce program deliverables, perform strategic and ad hoc data analyses, conduct research necessary to inform possible changes to assessment programs, and liaise with teams across the DOE as well as outside entities to meet Office of Assessment’s data needs. The Data Specialist will develop deep program knowledge of assessments administered in NYC and work closely with all members of the Data Analytics, Research, and Innovation team. The Data Specialist’s work will be critical both to ensure smooth program implementation and improvement, and to develop assessment strategy and policy to best serve NYCDOE schools and students. Performs related work.
Reports to: Director, Data Analytics, Research, and Innovation
Direct Reports: Consultants
Key Relationships: Work closely with the team members and Director of Data Analytics, Research, and Innovation, in addition to the Office of Assessment’s Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, and all other Office of Assessment teams. Establish key relationships in other offices, including the Office of Academic Policy and Systems (OAPS), the Office of Data Management (ODM), and the Division of Instructional and Information Technology (DIIT), in addition to liaising with representatives from Borough Citywide Offices and schools.
Responsibilities
Data Analysis and Reporting
- Support the design of and maintain data tools used to plan, execute, and support assessment programs. Tools will include forecasting models, completion reports, data extracts, and other deliverables.
- Design models, conduct analyses, and evaluate data that project operational testing and resources needed to inform decision points and processes across the office.
- Create and turnkey status and completion reports to track school progress in meeting assessment program benchmarks; interpret these reports for internal partners, who will be conducting field outreach.
- Assist in the creation of models and conduct analyses to assess the effectiveness of assessment programs as well as school engagement.
- Prepare analytics to inform assessment policy initiatives, through both descriptive statistics as well as more advanced statistical modeling.
- Develop interpretations of data analyses and use these interpretations to identify actionable policy recommendations at both school and central levels.
- Implement the process of program and policy evaluation, including developing targeted research questions, data collection, data analysis, and synthesis of outcomes.
- Review and respond to NYCDOE and external data requests and inquiries.
- Support the creation of and manage warehouses for assessment data to make data available and accessible for team members and other constituents.
- Develop knowledge of various types and sources of student, school, and staff data across the NYCDOE, and its appropriateness for and utility to assessment programs.
Project Management and Communications
- Develop, use, and implement project plans for key assessment data analytics and research initiatives to ensure that project goals and objectives are met.
- Support the production of written and verbal analyses of data inquiries that drive the decision-making process by DOE leadership and other stakeholders.
- Advise on internal data analysis reports and policy briefs for OPE leadership, which may be confidential in nature.
- Support the Director in the project planning and implementation necessary for tracking stakeholder satisfaction and program effectiveness.
- Inform program changes/recommendations through establishing feedback channels and working with program and field-facing staff to systematically gather and synthesize information; identify trends to inform continual improvement.
- Coordinate research and analysis with program staff and other projects to ensure data informs program practice and program practices inform data analysis.
- If needed, manage and develop consultants to support the implementation of data analysis and the preparation of completion reports, research memos, and other (program) deliverables.
- Create documentation of data and processes for internal and external users.
Qualification Requirements:
Minimum
To be appointed to Assignment Level II, candidates must have:
1. A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
2. A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However,all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience
required in "1" and "2" above.
Plus
- Strong strategic thinking, analysis, and problem-solving skills. Ability to consider a large and complex problem, break it down into component parts, identify the key drivers/variables, and think through a solution.
- Ability to organize and present information and figures in a clear, concise, and logical manner, both orally and in writing.
- Excellent analytical skills and experience gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data. Creative problem-solver with the ability to perform independent, thorough analysis.
- Experience providing constructive feedback to others on research and analytical work; receptive to and acts on feedback for their own work.
- Proficiency in database applications, such as SQL or Access
- Advanced proficiency with software for statistical analysis such as Python, R, Stata, etc.
- Advanced proficiency in Excel, including familiarity and comfort with all standard functions, nested formulas, pivot tables, data validation, and advanced formatting techniques.
- Experience managing the administration, development, and implementation of a product or program within a school or other organization.
- Experience building strong, mutually beneficial relationships with other individuals and teams; sensitive to the needs of diverse constituents.
- Ability to understand and communicate information and data to a variety of audiences and build strong relationships with diverse constituencies.
- Attentive to detail, extremely organized, able to work under pressure, and able to meet frequent and changing deadlines.
- Experience working with confidential data or information.
Preferred
- Experience with Python
- Experience working in the educational assessment field and knowledge about the administration and scoring processes for one or more assessment programs administered in NYC, and the various assessment-related workflows required for schools and central teams.
Starting salary is $75,505. If interested, please fill out this form.