MA Contracted Equity and Research Specialist
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Opportunity Posted On:
01.30.2025
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Company / Organization:
MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Education-to-Career Research and Data Hub
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Location:
Everett, MA
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View Job:
View Job Opportunity
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Opportunity Description
Massachusetts is building a unified, easy-to-use Education-to-Career (E2C) Research and Data Hub to serve educators, policymakers, and researchers by enhancing the scope and quality of existing data as well as improving the ways in which data and research are shared and utilized. This work builds on a strong foundation of existing integrated data systems across early childhood, K-12, higher education, and labor and workforce.
Reporting to the E2C Hub Executive Director and collaborating closely with the research teams at EEC, DESE and DHE, the Equity and Research Specialist is a role for someone who is passionate about education research as a tool for improving equity, keeps up to date on the latest research, knows the research base well, and has a strong understanding of how to translate research into practice and policy. While prior experience with quantitative research is preferred, the Specialist’s role is focused on facilitating and improving research processes rather than conducting research directly.
The Specialist’s primary responsibility will be improvement of research processes and systems at the three agencies. This will include direct facilitation of the research process at DESE, contributing to the development of the annual research agenda and coordinating the flow of research proposals, from initial submission, through legal approval, to providing data. The Specialist will facilitate two advisory committees, the Student and Family Voice Committee and the Researcher Advisory Committee, with a focus on equitable access to data and using data to address inequities in education.
The Specialist will work closely with the Outreach and Engagement Specialist on communications with parents/caregivers/students, including newsletters, web page copy, webinars, and in-person meetings with community groups. The Specialist will collaborate with team members to help apply an equity lens on projects and ensure that research and analysis include an equity perspective.
Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
1. Support improvements to research systems and processes
• Work closely with agency research teams to update published research agendas annually, with a focus on equity-oriented topics.
• Support the development and implementation of new systems for all stages of the research process: intake of proposals, review and feedback on proposals, establishing data sharing agreements, and fulfilling data requests.
• Maintain a tracking system for research projects and work with researchers at key junctures: reviewing and refining proposals, updating on progress toward a written agreement, providing datasets, reviewing completed research.
• Coordinate and lead internal research meetings to gather input on research proposals, collaborating with the Chief Strategy and Research Officer and others to determine which proposals can be “green-lit” for final review.
• Coordinate and facilitate internal review board meetings, preparing final data-sharing agreements for review and sign off from the Chief Data Officer and legal counsel.
• Work with each agency (DESE, EEC and DHE) on implementation of new systems and research processes.
2. Engage outside voices to help shape priorities of the E2C Hub
• Manage all aspects of our two advisory committees, the Student and Family Voice Committee and the Research Advisory Committee, including: preparation for meetings 3x/year, facilitation of meetings, communication with members, recruitment and onboarding processes to replace members as terms expire, coordination of stipends, collaboration with internal research teams.
• Develop relationships with equity-focused groups and community groups, fostering two-way communication.
• Collaborate with external researchers and stakeholders to gather feedback and ensure transparency in research priorities.
3. Increase access and usage of education research
• Keep up to date with national and state education research, especially research findings related to agency priority areas.
• Collaborate with team to incorporate key points from relevant research into policy-focused reports, newsletter updates or other communications.
• Develop and implement a strategy to organize research using user-friendly digital platforms to make findings more accessible and understandable.
• Write “equity exemplar” research briefs that summarize the most important findings from research on a topic alongside a narrative account of how real schools implemented the research-backed practices and achieved results.
• Partner with offices in each agency to disseminate equity exemplars, data stories, or research briefs to relevant schools, districts, colleges, and other education programs and gather feedback on their usefulness and relevance
The successful candidate will demonstrate most of the following qualifications. Candidates not meeting all qualifications are still encouraged to apply.
• Familiarity with the state and national landscape of education research, including key publications and research entities.
• Ability to speak knowledgeably with academic researchers about aspects of their work, e.g. analyzing large datasets, choosing appropriate research methods, conducting literature reviews, presenting findings.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to explain research findings for general audiences and for educators.
• Experience on projects that involved translating research into practice effectively.
• Experience working with an explicit equity-based lens.
• Demonstrated experience in culturally responsive communication with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience creating or contributing to publications about educational research or practices.
• Familiarity with research related to achievement gaps and common strategies used by schools to address gaps.
• Familiarity with Massachusetts education policy
Travel will be required for this position.
Questions regarding this position or the application process should be directed to Dawn.E.DeRoche@mass.gov.