Research Specialist, Civic Education Research Lab; CERL University

Georgetown University comprises two unique campuses in the nation’s capital. With the Hilltop Campus located in the heart of the historic Georgetown neighborhood, and the Capitol Campus, just minutes from the U.S. Capitol and U.S. Supreme Court, Georgetown University offers rigorous academic programs, a global perspective, and unparalleled opportunities to engage with Washington, D.C. Our community is a close-knit group of remarkable individuals driven by intellectual inquiry, a commitment to social justice, and a shared dedication to making a difference in the world.

The position is for a Research Specialist, Civic Education Research Lab (CERL)/Georgetown University who will work on research tasks associated with grant-related activities of the Literacy for We the People (LWTP) and Documents of Democracy (DOD) projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education being conducted by Dr. Diana Owen of the Communication, Culture, and Technology (CCT) program at Georgetown University.

The Research Specialist (a three-year renewable term position) has the ability to conduct research at the highest level of professional competence, including manipulating, computing, and critically analyzing quantitative data and evaluating qualitative data to assess students’ reading and writing literacy. The position will collaborate with Dr. Owen and CERL staff on complex research projects. The position will work with the CERL team to develop instruments to measure students’ civic literacy, political knowledge, and civic competencies.

The position will produce charts/graphs/tables and slide decks of results, conduct and transcribing recorded student and teacher interviews, and produce reports based on the research. The position has specialized skills in performing advanced statistical analysis using SPSS. The LTWP grant supports collection of data and analysis to determine the effectiveness of professional development programs (PD) on civics/social studies/American government teachers and the influence of the We the People:
The Citizen and the Constitution (WTP) curriculum intervention on their students civic and literacy competencies. The DOD grant supports collection of data and analysis to determine students’ acquisition of advanced history and civics knowledge in conjunction with America’s 250th Anniversary and beyond. The teacher professional development programs and curricula are designed and implemented by the Center for Civic Education (CCE), a non-profit, non-partisan education organization located in Calabasas, CA.

This position will work closely Dr. Owen on designing research, conducting the studies, disseminating research results, and organizing related events and symposia.

The position supports the administrative, research, and evaluation functions of the LWTP and DOD. The position reports directly to Dr. Diana Owen, Professor in the CCT program, who is the Director of CERL and principal investigator for the LWTP and DOD research programs. The position will have supervisory responsibilities, including supervising undergraduate and graduate CERL research assistants. The position is central to carrying out the research required by the LWTP and DOD grants.

It is integral to the research function of Georgetown University and to the goals of supporting large, grant-funded projects.

• Performing tasks related to research design, data collection, data cleaning, and conducing basic and advanced statistical analysis of survey data using SPSS at the highest level of competence
• Producing charts/graphs/tables/slide decks of research protocols and results
• Producing reports based on the research that are disseminated to…