Summary:

The Philadelphia Education Fund seeks a part-time (20 hours/week) Research Associate for a position beginning October 15, 2006 to work under the direction of the Senior Research Associate.  S/he will help inform continuing research and analysis of the Philadelphia Educational Longitudinal Study (PELS); ongoing middle grades dropout prevention research; and will assist in general research functions surrounding the improvement of educational achievement for middle grades, secondary, and post-secondary students.  This position requires a thorough understanding of statistics.

Major Responsibilities:

• Observation of confidentiality and privacy regulations around student data
• Monitoring of data for quality control purposes
• Running statistical models and analyzing results
• Contribution to research papers, reports and other related publications
• Serving as staff to the PELS Advisory Board, a research and policy group committed to supporting and improving high school and beyond

Qualifications:

• MS degree, or ABD, in Education, Statistics, Sociology or related field
• Demonstrated knowledge of social science research methods, qualitative and quantitative research
• Thorough knowledge of SPSS and/or Stata
• Experience working in higher education and/or within public education
• Knowledge of local community based organizations
• 2+ years experience with social science/education data management and analysis
• Experience with drafting social science/education research instruments, analyzing field data, writing literature reviews and case studies
• Ability to conduct site-specific field work
• Ability to work independently and with team leaders on project team management
• Strong analytic and writing skills
• Strong interpersonal skills

Reports to:
 
This position reports to the Ed Funds Senior Research Associate.
 

Application:

Please send cover letter, CV, and three professional references to:

Liza Herzog, Senior Research Associate
lherzog@philaedfund.org
(215) 864-5494 (fax)
 
 
The Philadelphia Education Fund is an independent nonprofit organization with a mission to improve educational achievement for underserved youth in the Philadelphia region.  As champions for quality public education, the Ed Fund seeks to create opportunities that give all children a rigorous and challenging academic experience, allowing them to reach their full potential.  Through its programs and initiatives, the Ed Fund supports systemic school reform and policy changes; addresses teacher quality issues through professional development for teachers and alternative certification programs; provides direct services to students and community members related to college access; conducts and disseminates research; and convenes business, community and university groups to advocate for quality public education.  The Philadelphia Education Fund is one of the largest of 86 local education funds affiliated nationally with the Public Education Network.