NWEA® is a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt that supports students and educators through research, assessment solutions, policy and advocacy services, professional learning and school improvement services that fight for equity, drive classroom impact and push for systemic change in our educational communities. For nearly 50 years, NWEA has developed innovative pre-K–12 assessments, including their flagship interim assessment, MAP® Growth™ and their reading fluency and comprehension assessment, MAP® Reading Fluency™. For more information, visit NWEA.org to learn more.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a learning technology company committed to delivering connected solutions that engage learners, empower educators and improve student outcomes. As a leading provider of K–12 core curriculum, supplemental and intervention solutions, and professional learning services, HMH partners with educators and school districts to uncover solutions that unlock students’ potential and extend teachers’ capabilities. HMH serves more than 50 million students and 4 million educators in 150 countries. For more information, visit www.hmhco.com

Position summary

This is a professional-level position responsible for guidance and leadership to move forward NWEA’s ELA initiatives by managing workflow, representing the content area in cross-organizational meetings, and removing barriers to success for the ELA team.

The Senior Content Specialist is responsible for managing the team in prioritizing and delivering work activities related to the content validity and development of items and tests work in ELA. These activities include measuring and improving the team’s success, writing items, aligning items to NWEA’s content structure and aligning NWEA’s content structure with those of states and instructional providers. This alignment determines the design of NWEA’s assessments as well as associated reports and products.

Responsibilities

• Provide thought leadership on current standards and practices in ELA (i.e. Common Core State Standards), especially as it relates to linking classroom instruction to assessment for formative and summative interpretations.

• Drive change in assessment approaches to better inform instruction.

• Liaise with internal groups in NWEA to inform product development and assessment solutions.

• Monitor contemporary issues, trends, and research in education and assessment in ELA to support NWEA’s internal product life-cycle planning.

• Guide existing content and assessment staff on instructional practices to enhance assessment approaches.

• Evaluate all phases of test development in ELA including item writing, editing, content and data review sessions and test building; providing feedback for continual improvement of test development.

• Represent NWEA and present at conferences

• Consult with and provide professional development to NWEA staff and others

• Develop test designs and propose solutions to customer requests

• Evaluate and propose new processes to achieve content development objectives

• Provide strategic solutions and innovative tactical approaches to a variety of challenges

• Guide item development and conduct item-writer training

• Consult with customers as required, including participation in planning, status, and other meetings

• Work closely with Test & Item Development Managers, Content Developers, Psychometricians, and others within NWEA.

• Perform other duties as assigned to ensure success of our partners, the team, and NWEA

• Some travel required based on project and NWEA needs.

Skills and abilities

• Exceptional understanding of ELA pedagogy and ELA assessment

• Ability to plan ahead to prevent future problems, keep close track of, and meet all commitments and timelines

• Proven leadership skills in a team setting

• Excellent problem-solving skills

• Strong presentation skills; ability to conduct training sessions

• Ability to communicate and collaborate with team members and with others throughout NWEA

• Ability to balance ensuring quality output with the business needs of the organization

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products

Competencies

• Action oriented: take on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.

• Ensure accountability: hold self and others accountable to meet commitments.

• Communicate effectively: develop and deliver multi-mode communications that convey a clear

  understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.

• Manage ambiguity: operate effectively, even when things are not certain, or the way forward is not

  clear.

• Collaborate: build partnerships and work collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.

• Manage complexity: make sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information

  to effectively solve problems.

• Decision quality: make good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.

• Drive results: consistently achieve results, even under tough circumstances.

• Self-development: actively seek new ways to grow and be challenged using both formal and informal

  development channels.

• Optimize work processes: know the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a

  focus on continuous improvement.

Education and experience

• Master’s degree in English or ELA education Preferred. 

• At least 10 years of classroom teaching and/or assessment experience in English/Language Arts, or related experience in ELA education or instructional design required.

• Proven leadership at a national or state level related to English/Language Arts, education and/or assessment.

• Deep knowledge of current English/Language Arts, standards (i.e., English/Language Arts, Common Core State Standards) and implications for instruction and assessment.

• Strong knowledge of best practices in assessing standards, instruction and professional development.

• Experience in educational assessment such as writing and editing test items (questions) strongly

  preferred. General knowledge of large scale assessment practices required.

• Must have strong verbal and written communication skills. Must be able to provide solutions to audiences with a wide variety of assessment expertise. Experience leading meetings or providing professional development is required.

• Excellent planning and organizational skills required, including the ability to adapt to unforeseen requests or changes in priorities.

• Strong computer skills including familiarity with Microsoft Office products.

• Ability to work collaboratively and as a sole contributor; including the ability to provide unique solutions to simple, complex, and nuanced problems.

• Experience in providing professional development activities for educators and/or other professionals, such as interpretation of assessment results, development of assessments for a variety of purposes, and instructional or curricular relationships to assessment.

Benefits and Salary Range 

• Salary Range - $81,000-$90,500
• Benefits - See Career Page - Careers at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company (hmhco.com) 

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) is fully committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to attracting, retaining, developing and promoting the most qualified employees without regard to race, gender, color, religion, sexual orientation, family status, marital status, pregnancy, gender identity, ethnic/national origin, ancestry, age, disability, military status, genetic predisposition, citizenship status, status as a disabled veteran, recently separated veteran, Armed Forces service medal veteran, other covered veteran, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. We are dedicated to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment, and where employees are treated with respect and dignity. We actively participate in E-Verify.