FLORIDA CONTRACT ROLE - SEEKING FL CANDIDATES ONLY FIELD RESEARCH SPECIALIST

Learning Ally Labs

BACKGROUND

Learning Ally is a leading nonprofit education solutions organization that transforms the lives of struggling learners by delivering proven solutions that help students reach their potential. Since our founding 65 years ago, Learning Ally has represented the critical difference between isolation and integration, between frustration and pride, and between struggle and success for millions of people.

Today we transform education by delivering Solutions that enable greater learning outcomes as a result of enabling greater understanding of how students learn and equipping their educators to improve their instructional practice as a result. To achieve this goal, we bring together experts in the research, K-12 practitioner, and philanthropic communities to align on our most urgent educational problems, discover what works to solve them, and ensure effect by bridging the gap between research and classroom practice.

ABOUT FIELD RESEARCH SPECIALISTS

We seek ethical and passionate individuals to become FIELD RESEARCH SPECIALISTS who will advance research focused on engaging Kindergarten through Third grade students. Your role will be to be part of a team visiting classrooms and working directly with students in Grades K-3 to complete research activities focused on language and literacy.

By successfully engaging these students in these research activities over the course of a school year, you will help advance important research on understanding the early literacy needs of students in early elementary education.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

Each proctor will be trained to individually administer a series of measures which evaluate student language and reading skills. The data collected will be used to validate the assessment. Once the assessment is validated, teachers will receive training on how to support students who need reading intervention.

Specifically you will:

• Successfully complete training in the language and literacy activities, which consists of a series of tablet-based subtests and demonstrate proficiency in administration of each subtest.

• Complete human subjects training provided virtually in order to ensure ethical research practice.

• Deliver the language and literacy activities described above directly to students in either or both English and Spanish, in Grades K-3 which require you to have strong verbal communication and listening skills, in order to adequately assess the student.

• Ensure high quality research findings by

  • Quickly building rapport with individual K and 1 students assigned to take the assessment.
  • Diligently logging accurate results into a tablet-based app.
  • Maintaining student data privacy and security.

• You will be able to commit to one week of online training immediately following hiring:

  • October - June to administer language and literacy research activities to students
  • Excluding school holidays

• In total, Field Research Specialists will be asked to provide about 70-100 days in the windows described above

• You are able to travel to locations within Florida in at least some of the following counties conveniently:

  • Escambia, Hillsborough, Manatee, Hernando, Brevard, Broward and Collier counties

WHY YOU WILL LOVE IT:

• The opportunity matches your flexible schedule and you are able to learn new skills quickly in an online format
• You appreciate the opportunity to contribute to meaningful research that can lead to equitable literacy outcomes for the students of Florida.
• You have an ability to connect with students and make learning fun!

WHY WE WILL LOVE YOU:

• You have or are in the process of obtaining a BA
• You are passionate about the equity of reading instruction and have demonstrated experience in working directly with students in an instructional setting such as a classroom, tutoring, etc.
• You are fluent in either English and/or Spanish
• You have exceptional verbal skills and clearly enunciate directions to students in Grades K-3 as well as distinguish clear verbal responses from these students.
• You are able to pass stringent background checks which include fingerprinting delivered by the   Florida  Department of Justice, provide certification of COVID vaccines, and evidence of a negative tuberculosis test.
• You have demonstrated success in developing rapport with K-3 students.
• You agree on the utility of assessments in understanding the unique instructional needs of a student.
• You are organized and can manage timelines.
• You have technical acumen and facility with using technology, specifically an app on an iPad, and the ability to troubleshoot basic technology issues such as wifi disruption, recording and saving data accurately.
• You understand the importance of presenting a professional demeanor at all times which is especially important given that field activities occur in a school setting.

COMPENSATION:

$28/ hour depending on experience

Temporary Contract between 70-100 days in total and with required availability during each of the following time periods:

• January - March 2023
• April - June 2023

Exact days offered will vary depending on individual schedules and number of proctors hired. Days worked will not count towards benefits. Learning Ally is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.