Open Postdoctoral position, faculty mentor Susanna Loeb

Open Postdoctoral position, faculty mentor Susanna Loeb
SCALE Postdoctoral Fellow: NSSA Project, Professor Susanna Loeb

The National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA) is a program of the SCALE Initiative (Systems Change for Advancing Learning and Equity) at Stanford University. Research shows that tutoring delivered three or more times a week by consistent, trained tutors using quality materials and data to inform instruction is one of the most effective academic interventions. Tutoring has long been available to well-resourced students. But low income students and students of color have rarely had access to the kind of intensive tutoring that could improve their learning trajectories. NSSA is devoted to learning about how to provide this relationship-based, personalized instruction across contexts and to translating research into promising action on the ground through research-backed tools and engagement. Our vision is that every K-12 student in need will have access to an effective tutor that champions and ensures their learning and success.

The NSSA research team partners with school districts and tutoring providers across the country to learn about the effectiveness of new and innovative programs, to learn about features of programs that drive effective, to better understand the challenges to implementation and how to overcome those challenges, and to utilize the unique data provided by tutoring to better understand teaching and learning. The postdoctoral fellow will contribute to this work through the design and implementation of randomized controlled trials, the analysis of administrative data, potentially the analysis of video and audio data, studies of implementation through interviews, and the building and maintaining of trusting relationships with partners.
 
Mentorship structure
The postdoc will work largely in GSE facilities and be a part of the GSE community which hosts social events, professional development experiences, and guest speakers. They will report to and meet regularly with the PI who will provide professional mentorship and guidance for managing the NSSA project. They will interact with members of the NSSA team and build relationships including with school districts across the country. A key goal is to ensure that the postdoc is able to establish some projects for subsequent publication or creation of a new research program.
 
SCALE is committed to creating a diverse community of scholars who are engaged in contributing to the understanding and advancement of more equitable and effective educational opportunities for students. All members of the team are expected to participate in professional development, cohort-building, and other programmatic activities organized by SCALE.

Evaluation criteria

• Interest in educational equity and improvement
• Experience managing and analyzing large-scale administrative data using econometric techniques (quantitative methodologies).
• Experience designing and implementing randomized controlled trials.
• Demonstrated ability to partner with educators, including clear verbal communication skills with the ability to energize and excite
• Ability to identify, motivate and design studies of educational importance.
• Prior record of written research products such as journal articles and research reports.
• Attentive to issues of equity and inclusion and multiple forms of diversity

Timeline
Application Deadline: Review will begin April 1, 2024 (Applicants advancing in the review process may be asked to submit additional materials, including letters of recommendation, and may be invited to interview.)
This is a 1-year appointment starting Summer 2024, with the potential for renew