Data Analyst, Fresno Unified School District Save

The role of the Analyst at Fresno Unified School District is associated with the Strategic Data Project Fellowship at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. This search is being led by The Strategic Data Project and all inquires and applications must be submitted directly to the Strategic Data Project. You must apply on the SDP website in order to be considered as an applicant. Please follow the link to complete the online application: https://sdp.cepr.harvard.edu/become-fellow

The Strategic Data Project Fellowship

Join a powerful, growing community of over 500 forward-thinking data advocates and leaders across more than 38 states and 240+ education organizations. The Strategic Data Project (SDP) is an initiative of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. The SDP Fellowship program helps school system leaders use data and evidence in strategic decision-making to improve public education. By placing fellows in school systems and education organizations across the United States, SDP provides a unique entry point for passionate quantitative researchers and data strategists who want to make a difference.

The SDP Fellowship is a unique opportunity, combining full-time employment and two-years of intensive in-person and virtual professional development, training, and mentorship. SDP Fellows are placed in full-time roles at host agencies including school districts, charter management organizations, state education departments, institutions of higher education, postsecondary systems, foundations, and education nonprofits. As a fellow, you and your host agency will develop clear priorities and plans for using data and build organizational willingness to use data for decision-making. Over the course of two years, fellows participate in a series of tailored workshops, both virtual and in person, to develop their measurement, leadership, communication and education policy skills. Training is delivered by Harvard-affiliated researchers and practitioners and fellows are supported by faculty advisors, Fellowship alumni mentors, and their colleagues across the SDP network.

Learn more about past fellows’ work by visiting the SDP blog: https://sdp.cepr.harvard.edu/blog.

In the past, fellows have tackled strategic data projects in one of the following focus areas:

• program evaluation
• data visualization
• early warning indicator systems
• data management governance
• survey design and analysis
• data dashboards
• student pathways and postsecondary success
• teacher quality

Fellows are paid an annual salary of $75k-90k plus appropriate benefits by their placement agency. Salary is commensurate with experience and must be negotiated with host agency. The Fellowship lasts two years (Fall 2023 - Summer 2025) with the possibility for longer-term employment.

Fresno Unified School District

The SDP Fellow will be based in the IT department but will collaborate with partners from multiple departments, working most closely with internal IT teams overseeing information privacy and security, business analysis, project management, and solution development. FUSD hopes the fellow’s project will result in increased awareness of the importance of data governance across the institution, improved state and federal reporting efficiency as a result of improved data stewardship, establishment of data governance policy closely aligned with ongoing information privacy/security efforts, establishment of master data project patterns with initial master data sets for Human Resources data defined, developed (accessible views), and in use.

The SDP Fellow would supplement district staff already tasked with improving information privacy/security, data governance, and improved project management. The project will help the district shape its data governance program to prepare for future challenges by shifting the focus from traditional governance of individual data elements to governing the entire data pipeline, creating agile structures and mindsets prepared to match the ever-evolving nature of technology, establishing guardrails for the ethical use of data, and ultimately improving the level of trust (amongst students, families and staff) when using analytics for decision-making purposes.

The IT department is one of the largest departments in the district with approximately 120 staff and multiple teams specializing in various areas (help desk, systems administration, software development, STEAM student activities, data visualization and reporting, network and telephony, etc.). We take our role as a part of a learning institution seriously and take pride in helping staff develop new skills or hone existing skills. We celebrate staff who move on to bigger and better things within the district or beyond the district as a result of the growth opportunities they were afforded when members of our department. We emphasize soft skills as much if not more than technical skills and support the overall well-being of staff.

The SDP Fellow would have the opportunity to help stand up a sustainable data governance program for the third-largest public school district in California and, along the way, learn from experienced colleagues about data governance, information privacy and security, organizational change management, business process reengineering, drafting LEA policy, and agile software development life cycles. Depending on interest, the fellow would have the opportunity to acquire/strengthen their TSQL and/or data visualization and reporting skills.

Qualifications

• a strong background in applied quantitative analysis
• an advanced degree (Master’s level or higher) by summer 2023
• at least four years of relevant work experience by summer 2023 (waived for those with a PhD)
• a demonstrated passion for education reform
• a track record of collaboration, humility, and ability to guide change
• an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit
• flexibility, adaptability, and persistence
• ability to communicate complex information to various audiences
• experience with data management, data governance (preferred)
• familiarity with TSQL (preferred)

We are unable to provide visa sponsorship

Benefits of the SDP Fellowship

• Two-years of full-time employment with annual salary + benefits (with opportunity for continued employment)
• Mission-driven analytic work, tackling high-impact challenges
• Network of talented lifelong colleagues
• Ongoing professional development
• In-person and virtual workshops, learning modules, and conferences - travel + lodging included
• Network-wide slack channel
• Word class mentorship from faculty and alumni
• Global alumni network
• Pathways to leadership

Application Timeline

• Applications are due by June 12, 2023 at 9:00am ET
• Applications will be reviewed following the Round IV application deadline on June 12, 2023 at 9:00am ET
• Analytic Task: due June 20, 2023
• Virtual Screening Interviews: June 26-28, 2023
• Final Virtual Selection Day Interviews: July 12, 2023
• Placement interviews: Summer 2023

Following each application deadline, we will invite successful candidates to move through the selection process. This process includes a technical analytic assignment, a virtual screening interview, and a virtual interview day. Candidates who are selected from the virtual interview day will interview remotely or on-site at an SDP partner organization. After receiving and accepting an offer from a placement, fellows are welcomed to the fellowship.

How to Apply

The role of the Analyst at Fresno Unified School District is associated with the Strategic Data Project Fellowship at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. This search is being led by The Strategic Data Project and all inquires and applications must be submitted directly to the Strategic Data Project. You must apply on the SDP website in order to be considered as an applicant.

Please follow the link to complete the online application: https://sdp.cepr.harvard.edu/become-fellow

QUESTIONS? Reach out to [email protected]