Special education analyst

OFFICE: Office of Data & Accountability

REPORTS TO: Director of Analytics

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Boston Public Schools is seeking to fill the position of Special Education Analyst in the Office of Data and Accountability. The Special Education Analyst will focus specifically on performing data analyses that allow the Office of Data and Accountability (ODA) and Office of Specialized Services (OSS) to identify areas for systems improvement that will facilitate closing opportunity and achievement gaps for BPS students with disabilities. The Special Education Analyst will play a key role in supporting this work with an in-depth knowledge of the district’s student information system and IEP (Individual Education Plan) information systems and by performing strategic analyses that track progress towards the achievement of district goals. In order to be successful, the Analyst will need to build strong relationships across department lines and have the ability to manage multiple projects across diverse workstreams. As a member of a highly collaborative group, and given the time-sensitive nature of many of these analyses, the Special Education Analyst can expect to rely on the experience of other analysts within the Office of Data and Accountability, and will be expected in turn to support the work of colleagues on related projects.

Responsibilities

Data Stewardship and Reporting Operations

• Ensure existing data reports and dashboards are up-to-date and provide timely information for use in districtwide continuous improvement processes
• Develop new standard reports and dashboards that advance the strategic and operational work of OSS and the Boston Public Schools
• Work with team members from ODA, OSS, and Technology to gain an in-depth understanding of BPS’ current student information systems, as well as recent shifts in IEP information systems.
• Work with members from Specialized Services and Technology to identify and communicate system improvement needs with a focus on automated reports generated by the district’s IEP information system.
• Document key data governance processes identifying the data governance roles of data owner, data steward, data custodian, and data entry administrator; specifying business rules and key definitions of data elements within the data domain.
• Support student privacy regulations as mandated by FERPA, HIPAA, IDEA, MA DESE, City of Boston, and BPS; facilitate the execution of data sharing agreements where applicable.
  
  

Analysis and Strategic Data Use

• Work with the ODA Director of Analytics and the OSS Chief and Deputy Chiefs to identify key areas related to the operational and instructional services provided to students with disabilities, which need to be analyzed on a regular basis.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to special education identification, placement, and compliance, as well as student academic growth and performance.
• Regularly perform key analyses on student-level, school-level, and district-level data, highlighting opportunity and achievement gaps for students with disabilities, drilling into possible root causes, and providing relevant policy recommendations based on analytic findings and evidence.
• Generate reports and dashboards for both technical and non-technical audiences based on results of analyses.
• Provide technical assistance to central office and school-based staff regarding the interpretation of analyses specific to students with disabilities.
• Facilitate regular data reviews and provide professional coaching within key stakeholder groups to strengthen data literacy skills and build capacity for data-driven, equity-focused decision making
• Fulfill data requests from internal and external members of the BPS community by extracting data from internal databases, including ad-hoc and recurring requests.
• Perform other relevant duties in the Office of Data and Accountability and Office of Specialized Services as needed.
  
  

Qualifications - Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Minimum of 2 years of data analysis experience, preferably in K – 12 education.
• Strong analytic and data systems management skills, as well as extremely strong attention to detail.
• Proficiency and/or expertise with statistical analysis software and programming languages such as STATA, R, SPSS, SQL, etc.
• Enthusiasm for working on technical projects with diverse team to completion.
• Excellent time management skills, experience balancing competing priorities, and prioritizing resources.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Strong customer service focus.
• Strong problem solving skills.
• The ability to explain complex analytical concepts to lay persons in clear and concise easy to understand terms.
• The ability to react to requests with both flexibility and firmness (and the ability to distinguish when to use which skill).
• Ability to communicate with diverse audiences and experience with Boston, its neighborhoods and schools.
  
  

Qualifications - Preferred:

• Master’s Degree in a related field
• Experience in special education in an urban school district
• Experience collaborating across departmental lines
• Knowledge of the Ed-Fi data standard
  
  

Terms: Managerial, C42

The Boston Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, criminal record, physical or mental disability, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, homelessness, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetics, natural or protective hairstyle, military status, immigration status, English language proficiency, or any other factor prohibited by law in its programs and activities. BPS does not tolerate any form of retaliation, or bias-based intimidation, threat or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to work or learn. If you require an accommodation pursuant to the ADA for the application process, please contact the Accommodations Unit at [email protected].