GEAR UP Assistant Director for Research & Evaluation

Appalachian State University

United States, North Carolina, Boone

287 Rivers Street (Show on map)

Jan 24, 2025

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Position Title	GEAR UP Assistant Director for Research & Evaluation
Location	Boone, NC
Faculty Rank	No
Provide Rank
Position Number	094651
Department	College Access Partnerships - 240105

Position Summary Information

Minimum Qualifications	Master's degree in related field 3-5 years of experience in an evaluation leadership role including data collection, database management, conducting analyses of large data sets, and writing and sharing formal evaluation reports Proven leadership skills including the ability to quickly establish rapport and work collaboratively with a highly skilled evaluation team Superior organizational skills Demonstrated interpersonal skills including successes with internal and external communication Exceptional writing skills Strong collaboration skills and the ability to establish an accessible and supporting environment among team members.
License/Certification Required
Preferred Qualifications	Doctorate degree in Educational Psychology or related field Post-doc research experience Experience monitoring the evaluation plans for educational settings Knowledge of, or experience in, K-12 research practices Experience using Qualtrics Experience writing code for data analysis software (SAS, R, etc.)
Essential Duties and Responsibilities	Reporting to, and under the direction of the Project Director of GEAR UP, this position is responsible for managing the implementation of the research and evaluation components of two 7-year federal research grants awarded in September 2020 ($29 million) and 2024 ($35 million) by the U.S. Department of Education. The grant aims to study the effectiveness of a comprehensive college access system that offers a variety of academic and supportive services to 30,000 6th-12th graders in western North Carolina. Essential Duties and Responsibilities of the role include: LEADERSHIP Oversee the research and evaluation component of the GEAR UP project which serves 30,000 students, their parents, and all staff of 17 rural school districts in western North Carolina. Serve as the point of contact for and regularly collaborate with the external evaluator. In collaboration with the external evaluator, design a strategic and comprehensive evaluation and research plan to address all components of the GEAR UP project. Develop a regular reporting schedule to provide to GEAR UP staff ensuring they have the most up-to-date reports to drive data-informed decisions. Supervise a team of 3-4, providing a positive, inclusive, and supportive environment where all team members can thrive. Provide ongoing feedback and establish annual performance plans/reviews for all direct reports. Assist in the development of annual goals and a monitoring plan to assess outcomes. Collaborate with App State IT, other CAP program staff, and outside software development experts to ensure the database system is maintained and always functioning properly. Establish a team culture that upholds strong data security practices. Develop IRB in accordance to the project specifications. Update as needed throughout the project and ensure project personnel are following what has been approved in the IRB. Implement and regularly advocate for departmental mission, vision, and core values. TRAINING Provide regular and ongoing training and assistance to GEAR UP personnel for data collection, documentation, data entry, and analysis. Maintain a training manual for GEAR UP staff pertaining to grant evaluation components. Communicate with school district GEAR UP personnel and App State staff regularly to ensure timely and accurate data entry and reporting. REPORTING Regularly report progress towards meeting GEAR UP goals through consistent data reports for internal and external stakeholders. Lead the reporting required by the U.S. Department of Education for the GEAR UP annual report. As requested, conduct special analyses of GEAR UP data and provide formal reports as needed. Use evaluation results to encourage GEAR UP staff to implement recommendations, solutions, or other program improvements. DATA COLLECTION Strategically plan and implement longitudinal surveys for 3 audiences (students, teachers, and families). Includes survey development, logistics, administration, and analysis. Communicate with school district staff to receive regular data files required for measuring grant objectives. Ensure all data is imported and saved into the database properly and accurately. Ensure all data is stored meeting the institution, state and federal guidelines, maintaining strong data security to protect personally identifiable information (PII). OTHER Perform other duties as requested. May serve on advisory boards or attend state or national meetings.
Type of Position	Full Time Position
Staff/Non-Faculty	Staff/Non-Faculty
Appointment Type	1.0
Work Schedule/Hours	8:00am - 5:00pm Monday - Friday, with occasional weekend hours as needed (minimal).
Number of Hours Per Week	40
Number of Months Per Year	12
Mandatory Staff	No
Suggested Salary Range	$70,000-$80,000
Physical Demands of Position	To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Posting Details Information

Posting Date	01/24/2025
Closing Date	02/16/2025
Open Until Filled	No
Evaluation of Applications Begins	02/10/2025
Proposed Date of Hire	03/17/2025
Special Instructions to Applicants	Please provide a resume, cover letter, answers to supplemental questions, and a minimum of 3 professional references with contact information included in the application. This position is time-limited according to the funding provided by the U.S. Department of Education for GEAR UP, which is anticipated to expire in September 2031.
Search Chair Name	Corinne Smith
Search Chair Email	smithmc3@appstate.edu
Quick Link	https://appstate.peopleadmin.com/postings/49562
Posting Number	201501578P