Research Analyst, REACH Network

$83,800 - $179,400/Yr

Unclassified - Los Angeles, CA

Part-time - Mid Level

Los Angeles, CA

About the position

The Research Analyst will play a significant role in developing, managing, and executing the project for the duration of the grant. Reporting to the Project Director of REACH Network, Executive Director, and Co-Faculty Directors, the Research Analyst will assist in carrying out research projects and tasks (including planning, organizing, and administrative tasks) related to the REACH Network project. The Research Analyst will focus on facilitating effective implementation strategies which seek to end out-of-school suspensions for willful defiance for transitional kindergarten through 12th grade. Specifically, the Research Analyst will be deeply involved in the design, organization, management, and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data to examine patterns of disparities in education, discipline, and access to educational supports or resources along a broad set of demographic and economic quantitative data sources. The incumbent will participate in collaborative research, report writing, and dissemination, including public presentations of research findings and assistance with strategy development for policy change work in California among all the CTS research projects. This position will be based at the Center for the Transformation of Schools at UCLA. Some travel to conduct fieldwork and to attend conferences/meetings will be required. The Research Analyst will work closely with the Project Director of REACH Network, Executive Director, and Co-Faculty Directors to support deliverables for University of California, Office of the President and key statewide partners research portfolio. This includes establishing the research agenda and study design and analysis, identifying related research projects, scholarly networks, project development efforts, and supporting school, district, university, county, and state practices tied to the grant's goals. The incumbent may be asked to assist with other CTS projects as needed. The Research Analyst will also be responsible for managing meetings for REACH Network research teams at CTS, meetings with center staff, supporting the project and period reporting to partners. The Research Analyst will co-develop a timeline, evaluation metrics, and project management benchmarks in Monday.com with CTS staff and leadership, including external partners when appropriate and generate tools for measuring progress for the studies.

Responsibilities

• Develop, manage, and execute the REACH Network project for the duration of the grant.
• Assist in carrying out research projects and tasks related to the REACH Network project.
• Facilitate effective implementation strategies to end out-of-school suspensions for willful defiance for transitional kindergarten through 12th grade.
• Design, organize, manage, and analyze quantitative and qualitative data to examine disparities in education and discipline.
• Participate in collaborative research, report writing, and dissemination of research findings.
• Assist with strategy development for policy change work in California.
• Support deliverables for University of California, Office of the President and key statewide partners research portfolio.
• Establish the research agenda and study design and analysis.
• Identify related research projects and scholarly networks.
• Support school, district, university, county, and state practices tied to the grant's goals.
• Manage meetings for REACH Network research teams and center staff.
• Co-develop a timeline, evaluation metrics, and project management benchmarks in Monday.com.

Requirements

• 3-5 years experience in training local advocates to use data in presentations and related problem-solving activities with school boards, administrators, teachers' unions, and community members.
• 3-5 years experience in K-12 policy, at the state and federal levels specifically pertaining to school discipline and issues of inequality in education.
• Strong knowledge of and background in quantitative research methods and analysis, education research, evaluation, and data collection design for quantitative methodologies.
• Demonstrated ability to efficiently operate computers and utilize quantitative statistical software (e.g. SPSS, Stata).
• Demonstrated ability to extract data, merge different data sets, read and review syntax for coding of large data sets, and perform statistical analyses of large national education databases (e.g. CCD, NAEP, CRDC, etc.).
• Familiarity with programs such as DBMSCopy or GIS; experience translating data findings into web tools and data visualizations.
• Ground and experience in writing or contributing to the writing of education research summaries and policy reports, proposals, and/or other related documents.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, organize, implement and successfully complete research projects with excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent skills in oral and written English communication including, as appropriate, skill in writing sections of reports, proposals, and other documents with fluency and precision.
• Ability and willingness to work directly and collaboratively with multilingual, multiethnic, and/or multiracial education and non-education professionals and laypersons.
• Ability to accept delegated work, validate expectations, problem-solve obstacles, and follow-up to completion and/or report status of delegated tasks.
• Ability and willingness to work as an effective, collegial, contributing member of the project team and work independently to successfully accomplish assigned tasks.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in training local advocates to use data in presentations and in related problem-solving activities with school boards, administrators, teachers' unions, and community members.
• Master's Degree in education, sociology, urban planning, public policy, statistics, law, economics, an allied field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• PhD in education, sociology, urban planning, public policy, statistics, law, economics, an allied field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Benefits

• Full pay range based on budget, prior experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business considerations.
• Benefits that start on day one.