The Research & Evaluation Associate will lead Quest Forward Learning‘s case study evaluation program, conduct literature reviews on critical problems and topics in education, and provide recommendations to schools, teachers, product designers, and trainers in order to improve Quest Forward’s measurements of student growth.

About Quest Forward Learning

Quest Forward Learning is a non-profit organization that aims to activate lifelong curiosity in each student, cultivating the mindset, essential habits, and skills to succeed in life and work. Opportunity Education’s Quest Forward Learning  is a learning ecosystem that supports students, teachers and curriculum designers worldwide. It’s built on three core components: a methodology for active learning, ready-to-use curriculum materials, and mobile and web apps that power learning, mentoring, and content development. Curricular materials and learning experiences are called “quests” and they’re designed to empower and inspire young people to become engaged observers and active agents in the world.

Overview

Quest Forward Learning is seeking a full-time Research & Evaluation Associate to join the team. As a qualified candidate, you will lead the case study evaluation program, conduct literature reviews on critical problems and topics in education, and provide recommendations to schools, teachers, product designers, and trainers in order to improve Quest Forward’s measurements of student growth.

Responsibilities

Skills and Assessments
You will seek out and summarize existing research and programs related to 21st century skills and innovative assessment tools. These tools may include portfolios, performance-tasks, rubrics, digital badges, etc. You’ll provide recommendations to our team on how to improve the methodology, products, implementation, curriculum, and trainings as it relates to skills and assessments.

Evaluation
You will collaboratively carry out a mixed methods evaluation program for Quest Forward to collect feedback to improve the work we’re doing and products and schools we’re creating, and thus student experiences and learning. You’ll lead our team’s case study evaluation program, which includes visiting schools, interviewing students and mentors, and tracking case study learners’ growth over time.

Communicate Findings
An important part of your role will be to communicate research and evaluation findings and to make recommendations that inform our work. You’ll summarize findings in literature reviews and evaluation reports, occasionally blog about your work, and present at team meetings, workshops and conferences.

Communication

Our team is distributed across the US. Frequent, pro-active, and clear communication is essential to this role. You’ll communicate with your colleagues daily via Slack and Google Hangouts, and will have several virtual meetings per week set aside for collaboration and catching up on progress. You’ll use other tools such as Trello to collaborate on projects and track tasks. You’ll regularly provide feedback on projects other team members are working on and collaborate with our team to continuously improve our processes.

Travel

You must be able to meet with the Quest Forward Learning team in person every three months for a two- to three-day meeting, typically in the Washington, D.C. area. These meetings are an important time to connect with colleagues, brainstorm customer challenges, and get motivated and inspired about our work. The Research and Evaluation team also meets separately when feasible, and the timing and locations of those meetings will be determined after hiring is complete. You will not responsible for travel costs.

Personal Characteristics

• High standard of quality and ability to evaluate your own work critically.
• Intense curiosity about learning and motivation.
• Willing to take risks and experiment in order to solve complex problems.
• Ability to work very efficiently on your own, and know when to reach out and collaborate.
• Eagerness to develop and share new ideas.
• Excel at giving and receiving thoughtful and respectful feedback and critiques.
• Have strong beliefs, loosely held, about what is best for our products and end users.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.

Qualifications

• M.A. or M.S. in education, learning sciences, or research methodology.
• 2-3 years of experience with assessment, evaluation, educational research or educational measurement with a strong background in research methodology.
• Experience designing and using innovative and authentic assessment tools, such as portfolios, performance-tasks, rubrics, and digital badges.
• You must be comfortable with and committed to working in a non-academic or -university setting.

We would prefer you to be located in Pittsburgh, PA, Omaha, NE or the San Francisco/Bay Area.

How to Apply

Please send a cover letter and your resume to jobs@opportunityeducation.org.