There are two positions located in the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences in Washington, DC. The Assessment Development Expert and the Assessment Administration Expert are responsible for providing technical direction and overseeing the NAEP Assessment Content Development contract, in support of National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
Minimum Qualification Requirements You may meet the minimum qualifications for the GS-14, if you possess the specialize experience below. Specialized Experience for the GS-14 One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-13 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments: 1. Experience leading teams responsible for the development or administration of student assessments, such as National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) or statewide assessment programs. 2. Experience supporting the acquisition of education research services that support the administration or the design and implementation of national or state-wide student assessment programs. 3. Experience communicating about operational plans for, or about findings arising from, national or state-wide student assessment programs for both technical and non-technical audiences. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) - Assessment Development Expert GS-1730-14 The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement). 1. Ability to design content appropriate to a national assessment of students' academic knowledge. 2. Knowledge of monitoring contracts that have been issued to procure work in the education sciences. 3. Ability to analyze and synthesize data arising from the implementation of national assessment of student knowledge for the purpose of program improvement. 4. Knowledge of industry-standard procedures for content development and quality assurance. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) - Assessment Administration Expert GS-1730-14 The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement). 1. Knowledge of planning and executing education research studies conducted at scale. 2. Skill on the design and conduct of assessments of students' academic knowledge. 3. Ability to develop solutions that advance strategic priorities for major national data collection and authoritative source of technical input on assessment administration operations. 4. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to formally present results. 5. Knowledge of monitoring procurement contracts in the education sciences.
APPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement is limited to the first 150 applications received and will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the day that we receive the 150th application, or at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, whichever occurs first. We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application. As an Education Research Analyst (Assessment Development Expert) GS-1730-14, you will be responsible for: • Leveraging expertise in assessment of student knowledge to define objectives related to assessment content. • Serving as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) on one or more contracts. In conjunction with program leadership, developing project technical specifications, preparing procurement requests, and assisting the Contracting Officer in proposal review, source selection, and other aspects of the procurement process. Post-award, monitoring contractor's technical, managerial, and financial performance through on-site inspections, document reviews, and meetings with key personnel. • Providing data-informed recommendations to leadership identifying opportunities for increased efficiency, enhanced impact, and continuous improvement in alignment with long-term strategic vision. • Developing a rigorous approach to meet content development needs and oversees implementation and quality assurance activities for assessment content. As an Education Research Analyst (Assessment Administration Expert) GS-1730-14, you will be responsible for: • Leading aspects of the operational administration of large-scale student assessments, including data collection, scoring, training, and support to schools and districts • Engaging in strategic long-term planning for one or more IES studies or programs of work to ensure continued methodological rigor and objectivity while identifying opportunities for increased efficiency, enhanced impact, and continuous improvement in alignment with long-term strategic vision. • Applying advanced professional knowledge to assess and address problems of critical importance, where solutions frequently require original thinking and creative approaches – including the development of education research plans, novel methodologies, or the extension of existing theoretical frameworks to new complex applications. • Providing technical consultation and expert guidance to IES leadership and other stakeholders on all facets of the program of work, including study design, data analysis, interpretation of findings, and the application of advanced methods and techniques. • Serving as Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) on one or more contracts. In conjunction with program leadership, developing project technical specifications, preparing procurement requests, and assisting the Contracting Officer in proposal review, source selection, and other aspects of the procurement process. Post-award, monitoring contractor's technical, managerial, and financial performance through on-site inspections, document reviews, and meetings with key personnel.