The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Division of Early Learning (DEL) provides leadership and coordination for the District of Columbia’s (District) early care and education system to ensure all District children, from birth to kindergarten entrance, have access to high-quality early child development and education programs and are well prepared for school. The Policy, Planning, and Research Unit (PPR) a division of the DEL, provided leadership for the development and implementation of the policy, planning, and research and evaluation functions of DEL. The education program specialist will have primary oversight of the Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Program (PKEEP), which provides publicly funded, high-quality pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and supports ongoing improvement in PKEEP and participating programs.

Duties and Responsibilities: 

The incumbent is responsible for overseeing the Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Program (PKEEP), including: developing and implementing professional development training for pre-K managers; supporting the fiscal oversight of the PKEEP grant (in coordination with DEL’s Operations and Management team); reviewing and updating PKEEP policies and regulations; tracking and monitoring compliance with the PKEEP high-quality standards; collecting and analyzing data related to PKEEP programs and providing overall coordination and support for the PKEEP. The incumbent will also develop  and implement strategies to support ongoing continuous improvement of the PKEEP program as a whole and to support community-based organizations (CBOs) participating in PKEEP to achieve, maintain and continuously improve high-quality. The incumbent will serve as the subject matter expert on the PKEEP, responding to internal and external requests for information and providing general technical assistance, advice and guidance on pre-K and will work closely with  (1) other OSSE departments to identify needs for further training and support for with PKEEP CBOs managers and staff; and (2) with sister agencies of the DC government to assist PKEEP CBOs in accessing District resources and facilitate implementation of District-wide initiatives in PKEEP CBOs.  

Additional responsibilities include compiling/arranging data in standard formats for projects or reports; analyzing data to identify successes, trends, and suggest recommendations for improvement and  providing reports on a regular basis to the PPR supervising manager and DEL leadership. The incumbent will conduct research to develop new or modify current policies and procedures, including policy clarification, guidance, and regulations to increase the capacity of early care and education providers,  

and developing recommendations to enhance the quality of pre-K education services in the District. The incumbent will represent the PKEEP program through meetings and presentations with internal and external constituents and partners, and will work with DEL’s community relations specialist and leadership to design and support community engagement activities to build understanding and awareness of the PKEEP program.  

Key qualifications for the role include: 

Bachelor’s Degree: that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours in a field related to the work of the position to be filled, of which at least 9 semester hours must have been in education courses. Or, 

Combination of education and experience -- at least 24 semester hours in a field related to the work of the position to be filled, of which at least 9 semester hours must have been in education courses, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The experience must reflect the level and kind described in C below. Or, 

Four years of experience that demonstrated a thorough understanding of the principles and practices underlying the work of this series. This experience must have been of such character and diversity to demonstrate that the applicant possesses an understanding of the field comparable to that normally acquired through successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university. Or, 

At least 1 full academic year of professional teaching experience. This experience is defined as full and primary responsibility, under general supervision, for instruction of assigned students in an accredited school or institution. This includes responsibility for preparing and presenting lessons and for evaluating students' progress, including a determination of the students' success or failure according to established criteria. Serving in an assistant capacity to a professor without the authority to determine the students' success or failure to meet course requirements does not meet this criterion

Preferred Experience:  Experience in early care and education, preferably pre-K and project management is highly desired. 

Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to [email protected]