This job has expired, please see additional jobs below
Associate Research Scientist
Pearson
Austin, TX, United States
Job Details - this job has expired, please see similar jobs below
Description
At Pearson, we’re committed to a world that’s always learning and to our talented team who makes it all possible. From bringing lectures vividly to life to turning textbooks into laptop lessons, we are always re-examining the way people learn best, whether it’s one child in our own backyard or an education community across the globe. We are bold thinkers and standout innovators who motivate each other to explore new frontiers in an environment that supports and inspires us to always be better. By pushing the boundaries of technology — and each other to surpass these boundaries — we create seeds of learning that become the catalyst for the world’s innovations, personal and global, large and small.
Overview
Pearson’s School Curriculum group is the leading preK-12 curriculum, testing, and software company in the US, reaching every student and teacher in that country with one or more of our products and services. We offer a wide range of solutions that integrate our instructional, assessment, and reporting capabilities. These instructional offerings include basal and supplemental programs, and technology-delivered adaptive learning solutions. Pearson provides industry-leading, digital instructional solutions for preK-12 (Pearson Digital Learning), as well as student information, assessment, reporting and business solutions (Pearson School Systems). In fact, nearly 50% of US schools use at least one of our student curriculum, instructional management and financial software packages. Additionally, we are the largest comprehensive provider of educational assessment services and solutions in the US (Assessment & Information), developing, scoring, and processing tens of millions of student tests every year. We lead in automated written answer scoring (Pearson Knowledge Technologies), and providing scanning and Optical Mark Reader software and hardware solutions, and psychological assessments for education, commercial and other markets (Pearson Assessments).
Our School Assessment Psychometric Services department has one or more job openings for Associate Research Scientist positions. Pearson research scientists provide the full range of psychometric support to large scale custom assessment programs, as well as develop innovative techniques and processes. We are looking for candidates with drive and ambition who are seeking to make an impact as a psychometric practitioner, serving State Departments of Education and large school districts.
General Duties and Responsibilities
• Fulfills psychometric analyses including scaling, equating, item and test analyses, test construction (including CAT item pool assembly and configuration).
• Produces technical reports that exceed target audience requirements for clarity and defensibility.
• Facilitates public review meetings such as item data reviews and standard settings.
• Collaborates with other measurement professionals in the delivery of large scale high-stakes assessment programs.
• Advises clients on sound measurement practice – is able to understand the impacts of public policy on assessment, and vice versa.
• Manages schedules and interacts with subject matter experts, technology staff, and program management staff to fulfill psychometric deliverables.
• Travels, as required, to fulfill these responsibilities. Travel is approximately 25%.
• Is self-driven, self-monitoring, and able to work independently following established procedures.
Qualifications
Education and Work Experience
• Doctoral degree in educational measurement or a related field from a nationally recognized institution of higher education.
• Doctoral candidates may be considered if evidence is provided that the candidate will graduate within a semester of hiring.
Familiarity with Psychometric Techniques
• Familiarity with applied psychometric techniques—including classical test theory, item response theory, test equating, scaling, linking, and standard setting
• Familiarity with modern assessment designs and practices such as computer adaptive testing, Bayesian inference networks, and multidimensional IRT a plus.
Familiarity with Software Packages and Programming Languages
• Familiarity with software packages and programming languages commonly used in psychometric work or measurement research (e.g., SAS, R, WINSTEPS, IRTPRO). Note that Pearson uses a SAS in a server environment as our primary analysis platform.
Knowledge of Educational Trends
• Familiarity with national and state trends in education
Communication Skills
• Is able to demonstrate communication skills (oral, written, and business) necessary to function effectively with internal project teams and external clients
• Must be able to effectively write and communicate orally to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Candidates selected for interview will be required to provide writing samples and to give a job talk.