Student Assessment Advisor

School-to-School International (STS) is a non-governmental organization based in the United States. STS is recruiting a Student Assessment Advisor to oversee the implementation of assessment activities within the USAID-funded Sindh Reading Program (SRP).

The Student Assessment Advisor will coordinate and collaborate with the Government of Sindh and other partners on the design and operationalization of all assessment activities, including support to the Education and Literacy Department, district education officials and the Provincial Education Assessment Centre (PEACE) in Sindh for the development and the implementation of Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA)  and other reading and mathematics learning assessments at the primary school level.

Assessment activities will focus on a representative sample of schools targeted by the SRP in 7 intervention districts of Sindh plus 5 Karachi Towns.

The Student Assessment Advisor will work on a full-time basis with the project. He/She will organize and coordinate training, support and advice on the management and implementation of all project–level assessment efforts as well as collaborate with other project components, such as teacher training and materials development.

Responsibilities:

• Work with the Education and Literacy Department of Sindh to design EGRA and EGMA and other assessment tools at the primary grade level
• Conduct workshops with the Education and Literacy Department to develop item banks for EGRA, EGMA and other assessments
• Lead the implementation and analysis of the baseline, midline and end-line implementation of EGRA, EGMA and other learning assessments
• Design and lead workshops to train enumerators and other assessment specialists
• Ensure that assessment tools conform with education policy, systems, and standards
• Ensure that all assessment activities and systems are technically sound and effective in reaching program targets
• Organize workshops with provincial and district education officers to identify and address system weaknesses, outline action plans, and set goals
• Establish yearly work plans and targets for all assessment activities
• Monitor all assessment-related data collection activities

 Requirements:

• Master’s degree from an accredited university in international education, research methods, evaluation, education research or other related field
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in education and educational research and assessments
• Prior working experience with PEACE, NEAS or another recognized examinations board in Pakistan, required
• Demonstrated experience in monitoring and evaluating of education programs and projects, preferably involving large-scale student learning assessment in Pakistan
• Knowledge of and experience in employing best practices in assessment of student learning
• Knowledge of and experience in implementing large-scale student assessments in Pakistan and in Sindh province, preferred
• Demonstrated exemplary diplomatic management and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated success in capacity-building of staff and government counterparts
• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to develop relations with government counterparts, donors, and other stakeholders
• Experience with USAID indicators and meeting reporting requirements, preferred.
• Solid understanding of the education sector in Pakistan, with previous experience in Sindh, preferred
• Excellent language, writing, and presentation skills in English; strong knowledge of data and data processing.