Location
About WestEd
As a community of over 800 researchers, practitioners, consultants, and administrative professionals from all backgrounds and life experiences, we are committed to making a qualitative difference in the lives of youth, children, and adults. We conduct and apply research, develop evidence-based solutions, and provide consulting services across the country in both rural and urban communities to improve equitable outcomes for individuals from infancy through adulthood. Serving as trusted partners in the areas of education, health, and justice, our teams enhance capacity within communities and school districts to prioritize impact — asking the right questions, customizing methodologies, developing relevant tools, and implementing best practices specific to a diverse range of stakeholder needs.
Furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion is core to who we are and how we work. We are committed to working with our clients to illuminate and address disparities, value and elevate diverse voices, and ensure equitable access to our resources and services. Please review our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
SPECIAL NOTICE REGARDING THE WORK LOCATION OF THIS POSITION—Although a remote option may have been listed as one of the location options for this position, the default location for all WestEd positions is in one of WestEd’s offices. However, candidates may submit a request to work from home.
All WestEd staff are required to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination. Proof of full vaccination is required before beginning employment. If you want to be considered for a medical or religious exemption, you will have an opportunity to provide appropriate documentation.
Content Area Profile
English Learner and Migrant Education Services (ELMES) at WestEd, which includes the Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) initiative, is looking for a team of equity-focused educators committed to improving the quality of educational opportunities for all students, with a particular focus on English and Multilingual Learners. ELMES provides professional learning, strategic systems support, curriculum, and standards development, and conducts research to enhance the quality of education for English Learners, Multilingual Learners, and Migratory Students. Our team partners with state and local education agencies (SEAs and LEAs) to build educator capacity to implement necessary educational shifts. This position will expand our ability to continue to develop and implement services that change outcomes for traditionally underserved students.
Who We Are
We are a highly motivated team with a deep, sociocultural foundation and an equity focus. We believe equity cannot be achieved without an upmost commitment to ensuring a quality education for all students. We are committed to building educator capacity at all levels of the system to ensure quality curriculum, design and facilitate quality teaching, and develop coherent systems. We believe that by focusing in these areas, we can create the necessary conditions to implement powerful learning experiences that lead to long-term impact for students. Our team values experience and expertise, and consists of former teachers, site, district, and state administrators, researchers, and scholars. We rely on our diverse teammates to navigate the dynamic and ever-changing contexts our school, LEA, and SEA partners face while staying true to our theoretical foundations. We are passionate and hard-working, and we value professional growth, intellectual rigor, and a collaborative culture.
The Opportunity
Please note that we are seeking a candidate with deep content knowledge and teaching experience in secondary mathematics.
This Research Associate position is an opportunity for experienced practitioners to join a committed team and contribute to a diverse portfolio of services that builds educator expertise to ensure quality learning opportunities for all students, with a focus on English and Multilingual Learners. As a Research Associate in Mathematics you will develop, test, and refine educative curriculum materials to advance educator expertise to better serve English Learners in secondary mathematics. Applicants should be self-starters who thrive in fast-paced working conditions, enjoy problematizing complex situations and seeking solutions, are intellectually curious, independently able to successfully manage a variety of project work, communicate clearly, continually pursue opportunities to learn and grow, seek feedback, build strong relationships, and advocate for others.
Serving as a critical member of the English Learners and Migrant Education Services team, the Research Associate in Mathematics will advance WestEd’s commitment to equity through four key areas of responsibility: curriculum development, professional learning, impact and implementation evaluation, and dissemination and outreach.
Curriculum Development (35%)
- Develop curricular materials in secondary mathematics with a focus on English Learners.
- Critically review curriculum to assess the degree to which it meets the needs of English Learners and develop augmentations to better serve English Learners
- Develop educative curriculum for mathematics teacher professional learning.
Professional Learning (40%)
- Design professional learning experiences for secondary mathematics teachers of English Learners
- Create materials and activities that advance educator knowledge, reflection, and practice
- Coach mathematics teachers in individual and collaborative formats to advance their teaching practice
Impact and Implementation evaluation (15%)
- Evaluate the implementation of professional learning initiatives
- Evaluate the implementation of curriculum, including collecting measures of fidelity of implementation
- Contribute to research and evaluation studies
Dissemination and Outreach (10%)
- Reach a wide variety of educational partners—including educators, curriculum designers, administrators, researchers, and policymakers—with lively and engaging content
- Develop products that offer theory-grounded and practical suggestions to advance policy and practice (e.g. practice briefs, tools, blog posts, podcasts, etc.)
What We’re Looking For
- experience contributing to mixed methods research studies relevant to English Learners and secondary mathematics
- at least five years of classroom teaching experience with English Learners at the secondary level
- experience and expertise in developing curriculum for secondary mathematics and English Learners
- bachelor’s degree or higher in mathematics
Salary
Salary for this role is competitive and at WestEd grade Level G. WestEd offers a very generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage, as well as Life, AD&D and Disability insurance. We also offer various retirement plan options and Flexible Spending Accounts for medical, childcare, and commuter expenses. WestEd offers generous paid holidays and paid time off (PTO), among other benefits.
Perks and Benefits
In addition to WestEd’s comprehensive benefits, our team values flexibility and offers flexible work hours. WestEd aims to provide you with a safe and comfortable work environment and offers ergonomic evaluations to make your work environment the best for you! Committed to the diversity of race, ethnicities, perspectives, and opportunities, WestEd offers a variety of ways to build community, including Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), affinity groups (e.g., WestEd Parents), and professional learning communities (PLCs) for Data Intelligence, Insights, Innovation, and Women in Tech, just to name a few. We hope you’ll consider joining us to build better schools, communities, learning pathways, and more! #LI-Remote #LI-Hybrid
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)