Assessment & Research Specialist

Organization Summary    

RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition.  Our staff of nearly 6,000 works in more than 75 countries—tackling hundreds of projects each year to address complex social and scientific challenges on behalf of governments, businesses, foundations, universities, and other clients and partners. Through independent research and science-based programs, we are making positive impacts on people and communities around the world. Our diverse team embraces challenges in an inclusive atmosphere that values work-life balance and creates global opportunities for career development. If you’re looking for a dynamic workplace culture, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities to grow, join our team and discover the RTI Difference.

Division Summary 

IDG’s International Education Division supports education development around the world by strengthening education policy, management and practice in order to achieve measurable improvement in teaching and learning. From our well-established reputation in education system strengthening, to innovative work in early grade assessment and learning, RTI is improving education quality, relevance and efficiency through implementation of projects funded by USAID, The LEGO Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and other donors and clients.   

Project Summary 

USAID/Lebanon has recently awarded RTI a $97 million USD, five-year Cooperative Agreement to build on nearly a decade of investments in the education system under Quality Instruction Towards Access and Basic Education (QITABI) 1 and 2. The purpose of QITABI 3 is to further strengthen education service government systems to yield student learning improvements across all of Lebanon’s public schools (first and second shifts) and in select low cost private schools that are vulnerable and economically disadvantaged. The activity will target an estimated 350,000 girls and boys in over a thousand of Lebanon’s public schools and vulnerable, economically disadvantaged low-cost private schools and will support the education system’s overall capacity to plan, budget, deliver, monitor, evaluate and institutionalize quality educational services by providing in-depth technical assistance to the Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD) and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE).

Position Summary 

RTI is seeking an Assessment and Research Specialist in Lebanon. The Assessment and Research specialist will be responsible for the design of studies, setting up of the analysis plan and finalizing study reports in line with the QITABI 3 learning agenda. Additionally, the Assessment and Research Specialist will support stakeholders by building their capacity in research and assessments data analysis. The Assessment and Research Specialist will be working in close coordination with the data analyst and other MEL staff as well as technical specialists.

• Place of work: Beirut, Lebanon 
• Report to: MEL Director 

Primary Responsibilities

• Design and lead workshops for specialists in the Lebanese education sector on assessment methodologies, with a focus on the research and application of formative assessment.
• Conduct an in-depth review of diagnostic assessment tools created under QITABI and QITABI 2, cross-referencing with recent research and best practices on literacy and numeracy to provide input and to develop equivalent assessments for literacy and numeracy that would constitute a bank of assessments that can be used by teachers as needed for grades 1 to 8.
• Provide research-based guidance in interpreting assessment data, leveraging EGRA, and curriculum-based assessments.
• Provide supportive evidence for all recommendations with respect to teacher-led diagnostic assessments reading, numeracy, second language acquisition, young learners, and inclusive education.
• Contribute to developing guidelines for classroom formative assessments and summative assessments.
• Collaborate in piloting assessment procedures and in piloting digitized assessment procedures.
• Support development of QITABI 3 learning agenda in close collaboration with the technical team.
• Lead, in line with the learning agenda, the research design process, including the development of data collection tools, conducting data analysis, and preparing comprehensive report and presentations of findings to inform decision-making and program improvement.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Education, Early Childhood Education, Second Language Acquisition, or related field
• Deep knowledge of reading and numeracy development and pedagogy.
• Extensive experience designing and administering language assessments.
• Extensive experience in designing and conducting research.
• Excellent writing and communication skills in English
• Experience working in Lebanon or region highly desirable.
• Fluency in Arabic and/or French preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 

• Knowledge of study design, research and data collection best practices, data analysis guidelines and methods.   
• Adherence to highest standards of ethics and data integrity. 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. 

Professionally proficient and fluent in written and spoken English