Position Announcement: Deputy Chief, Assessment and Accountability
Requesting Office: Office of Data and Accountability
Closing Date: Open until filled
Number of openings: 1
Location: Washington, DC
Our public school students need your expertise, passion and leadership.
We are looking for highly motivated and skilled talent to join our team at
District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). We seek individuals who are
passionate about transforming the DC school system and making a significant
difference in the lives of public school students, parents, principals,
teachers, and central office employees.
DCPS serves 45,000 students in the nation’s capital through the efforts of
approximately 4,000 educators in 123 schools. As part of a comprehensive
reform effort to become the preeminent urban school system in America, DCPS
intends to have the highest-performing, best paid, most satisfied, and most
honored educator force in the nation and a distinctive central office staff
whose work supports and drives instructional excellence and significant
achievement gains for DCPS students.
Deputy Chief Assessment and Accountability (Salary Range: 119,635-131,755
preferred 125,695).
Deputy Chief, Assessments and Accountability is responsible for lead a team
focused on providing high quality data, information and analysis to enable
the sweeping reforms currently underway at the District of Columbia Public
Schools. The Deputy, Assessment and Accountability will serve as the
analytic hub for the district by providing data to support policy and
implementation goals. This individual will lead the development and
dissemination of all achievement related data and oversee and direct all
research, evaluation, analytics and testing activities including all
summative and formative assessment. The Deputy will also coordinate and
guide the district’s use of district performance data to enhance student
achievement and inform instructional planning and decision making
Deputy Chief, Assessments and Accountability reports to the Chief of Data
and Accountability
1. Primary Duties
• Serves as a key member of the Office of Data and Accountability’s
management staff and helps drive the formulation and implementation of
policies and strategies to meet the vision and goals of the Office and of
DCPS
• Overall responsibility for access and reporting of state required data
and information, and managing and facilitating all analytic work related to
achievement data for the district.
• Develops clear, specific, and ambitious performance targets and
evaluates progress of Office programs and initiatives; holds parties
accountable and helps adjust strategy and approach accordingly to achieve
success
• Conducts special studies of extremely complex, difficult, controversial
or sensitive issues; recommends and implements changes in program
operations, resourcing, and approach to resolve obstacles to success
• Provide leadership for the development of a district wide school
performance management system including: vision, goals, program
objectives/strategies/activities, infrastructure, staffing, training,
evaluating, and budgeting. This work includes a school level scorecard and
other school level accountability and performance management activities to
be developed.
• Reviews and analyzes key implications on strategy and operations from
major legislative policy proposals and internal/external reports and data;
develops position papers and briefing documents for the Chief
• Prepares and presents key data analysis Chief of Data and
Accountability for senior management team, summarizing progress and key
points of projects and initiatives and distilling key lessons that will
accelerate the learning curve of DCPS senior leadership
• Drives innovation and best-practice sharing both within the Office of
Data and Accountability, between Offices of DCPS and other key stakeholders
through continuous flow of information and creating opportunities for
collaboration and idea exchange in the form of data/information
• Collaborates and builds strong working relationships with other DCPS
senior managers to develop and implement cross-Office strategies supporting
the Chancellor’s long-term vision of reform
• Attends relevant external meetings and conferences to stay informed
about latest research and trends; represents the perspective and vision of
DCPS and presents specific findings and project results
• Supports and carries out the Chancellor’s mission to transform DC
Public Schools and close the achievement gap
• Direct and oversee all state and district testing operations
• Lead the development of a proposal for additional assessment coverage
across additional grades and subjects
• Direct and oversee all formative testing operations
• Insure security of all state and district testing programs
• Prepare district and school level report analyses for all state and
district tests
• Serve as key liaison to other agencies, including the Office of the
State Superintendent for Education, for all achievement data
• Direct and oversee all state and district testing operations
• Performs other related duties as assigned by the Chief of Data and
Accountability
2. Major Accountabilities for the Deputy, Assessment and Accountability
Lead and provide strategic direction on the following key activities:
A. Performance Reporting and Analysis
• District level achievement scorecard for all schools
• Access to formative assessment data including item-analysis or other
instructional tools
• Support for data driven activities proceeding at the school level
• Serve as an analytic hub for DCPS by providing high quality achievement
data and analysis to a variety of stakeholders
B. Assessment
• Data analysis
• Test administration – state and district
• State reporting of achievement data
C. Research and Evaluation
• Complete internal and support external research requests for data
• Complete program evaluation for key instructional district initiatives
• Provide support for all external research requests (IRB etc.)
• Facilitate relationships and support work with external researchers
aligned to DCPS priorities target researchers who are interested in our work
D. Professional Development
• Provide analytic support to schools to ensure data is informing
instruction
Key responsibilities for these activities include:
• Drive strategic priorities within each of the core areas outlined above
• Organize staff and resources to support critical activities
• Manage and support all day to day activities across all domains listed
above
• Provide strong process leadership to ensure workflow of core operations
• Provide ongoing strategic guidance to the Chief of Data and
Accountability including possible opportunities for city/district-wide
performance reporting
• Continuous adherence to legal / procurement requirements
• Effective flow of information through well-defined communication plan
and processes
• Conduct status meetings within team
• Provide regular status updates to senior leadership
Key performance indicators
Hard:
• Implementation of initiatives against district goals
• Meeting stated timelines on all initiatives
• Quality of service measurement to district and school stakeholders
Soft:
• Quality of communication with field, team, district leadership
• Quality of team leadership
• Quality of vendor relationships
4. Key Capabilities, Competencies and Qualifications
Overall:
• Knowledge of statistical methods and related understanding testing
criteria
• Ability to develop strategic and operational components of a
performance management system
• Ability to lead organizational change efforts
• Ability to communicate effectively with the educational community
• Ability to manage financial resources
• Bachelor’s Degree; Graduate Degree
Strategic leadership and project management:
• Ability to develop, plan, and implement short- and long-range goals
• Knowledge of project management principles, best practices, techniques,
and tools
• Analyze complex problems, interpret operational needs, and develop
integrated, creative solutions
• Establish priorities
• Organize resources
• Ability to develop overall departmental as well as project budgets and
projections throughout an implementation process/cycle.
• Ability to communicate effectively:
o In English, both written and orally
o In a credible and confident manner at all levels in the organization
o Especially on technical issues to an education audience
• Ability to provide inspirational leadership, and effectively resolve
process blocks & conflicts
5. Personal Qualities of Top Candidates
• Commitment to Equity: Passionate about closing the achievement gap and
ensuring that every child, regardless of background or circumstance,
receives an excellent education.
• Leadership: Coaches, mentors, and challenges others to excel despite
obstacles and challenging situations.
• Focus on Data-Driven Results: Relentlessly pursues the improvement of
central office performance and school leadership, instruction, and
operations, and is driven by a desire to produce quantifiable student
achievement gains.
• Innovative Problem-Solving: Approaches work with a sense of possibility
and sees challenges as opportunities for creative problem solving; takes
initiative to explore issues and find potential innovative solutions.
• Adaptability: Excels in constantly changing environments and adapts
flexibly in shifting projects or priorities to meet the needs of a dynamic
transformation effort; comfortable with ambiguity and non-routine
situations.
• Teamwork: Increases the effectiveness of surrounding teams through
collaboration, constant learning and supporting others; sensitive to
diversity in all its forms; respects and is committed to learning from
others
• Dependability: Does whatever it takes to consistently deliver with high
quality under tight deadlines; successfully manages own projects through
strong organization, detailed workplans, and balancing of multiple
priorities.
• Communication and Customer Service Skills: Communicates clearly and
compellingly with diverse stakeholders in both oral and written forms;
anticipates and responds to customer needs in a high-quality and courteous
manner.
To Apply
Please email a current resume and cover letter citing vacancy announcement
to DCPSEmployment@dc.gov. For additional vacancies, visit the DCPS homepage
at www.dcps.dc.gov
Questions
If you have any questions, please email DCPSEmployment@dc.gov.
