Assessment Manager (Immediate Opening)

About the role

The Assessment Manager plays a mission-critical role by managing the preparation and implementation of assigned national, state, and district student assessments, data collection and reporting through systems and dashboards, and ensuring 100% of students have optimal testing environments across the organization. Stakeholders will correctly follow state and national testing guidelines with 100% fidelity and integrity across the district, and will have accurate and efficient access to student assessment data to make data-driven instructional decisions for 100% of students.

Supervisory Responsibilities

No direct reports; must be able to lead and influence others where no direct reporting exists. Provide guidance and mentorship to assigned campus testing coordinators and testing coordinator leaders.

Location

Full-time, year-round position based in Texas with preference given to candidates who live in Austin, El Paso, Houston, Permian Basin (Midland/Odessa), Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, or Tarrant County (Fort Worth), or who are willing to relocate to one of those regions.

Travel Expectations

• Travel to regional offices or headquarters to attend quarterly in-person departmental meetings is required.
• Occasional travel within Texas to attend professional development opportunities directly related to the role.
• Travel to assigned Texas IDEA schools at least once a month, which may include travel to Texas regions outside applicant’s hometown/region.

Essential Duties

• 95% of assigned testing program & system deadlines are met on time, based on respective annual operating plans.
• Develop, update, and implement annual operating plans for testing programs and systems assigned by the Managing Director of Assessment.
• Support the preparation and administration of norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessments for district, state, and national assessments programs in assigned regions.
• Support the Assessment Administrator with the implementation of testing systems associated with assigned testing programs.
• Develop strong business partnerships with vendor account representatives to ensure the district meets the goal of 100% of students tested with the appropriate test and within the designated deadlines.
• Develop strong business partnerships with applicable district teams to help develop plans and obtain necessary data and information, including the Software Development Team, Student Information Systems Team, State Reporting Team, Research & Analysis Team, College Success Team, Special Programs Team, Individualized Learning Team, and other departments within the organization.
• Develop and deliver high-quality trainings, materials and testing resources/tools to be used districtwide to prepare campuses to administer specific tests.
• Coach and develop assigned testing coordinators to meet the goal of 100% of eligible students complete testing for all appropriate tests within the designated deadlines.
• Follow the district’s paper test material process to ensure proper steps are followed by all stakeholders.
• Support the rest of the Assessment Team in the ordering, handling, processing and shipping of paper materials for applicable testing programs.
• Track student test participation progress towards goals using district-shared tracking systems.
• Less than .1% irregularities/incidents districtwide for state & national exams (multi-state management).
• Manage the test materials ordering process for designated tests to ensure 100% of schools have the correct materials on time and in the correct quantities.
• Actively collaborate with district special programs staff to ensure proper accommodations are being implemented for appropriate students.
• Coach and develop testing coordinators to meet the goal of 100% of students participate in the appropriate test administration.
• Conduct investigations aligned to state requirements when testing irregularities or incidents occur, as directed by the Managing Director of Assessment.
• Track and report 100% of reported testing irregularities in team’s internal trackers, and if confirmed by TEA or District Testing Coordinator as an irregularity, report it to the Texas Education Agency.
• Design and deliver high quality training sessions for testing coordinators so they are prepared to execute on the essential functions of their role.
• Facilitate weekly TC check-ins with groups of testing coordinators by region or state.
• Offer testing-related office hours throughout the year to increase support opportunities for testing coordinators.
• Coach and support testing coordinators in person or virtually on testing procedures.
• Develop testing-related training videos and resources and cascade them via Roadmap, the Testing Coordinator TEAMS group, and weekly TC Newsletter, and Superintendent Newsletter to reinforce the knowledge learned at trainings.
• Develop and cascade the TC Playbook as a resource for TC managers.

Knowledge and Skills

• Make Strategic Decisions: Use data, feedback, and insights to inform thoughtful decision-making, considering the impact on direct reports and team; communicate decisions with clear rationale and connect choices to broader team objectives.
• Manage Work and Teams: Ensure direct reports have clear, measurable goals with defined benchmarks and success criteria; actively monitor progress and intervene as needed while balancing leadership responsibilities with individual contributions.
• Grow Self and Others: Use data to assess development needs and design learning opportunities aligned with team goals and individual career growth; model a growth mindset and ensure personal and team-led learning initiatives are impactful and aligned with organizational priorities.
• Build a Culture of Trust: Proactively build strong personal and professional relationships with stakeholders and regularly seek feedback; create a supportive environment where others feel safe to take risks and learn from mistakes.
• Communicate Deliberately: Communicate thoughtfully by anticipating misunderstandings and providing necessary context; leverage structured communication channels to address challenges, ask meaningful questions, and guide conversations toward solutions while actively listening to concerns.
• Knowledge in the administration of state assessments, college admission standardized assessments, and/or testing systems.
• Proficiency in Word, PowerPoint, Excel required.
• Provide excellent and timely customer service, and manage through influence.
• Ability to work independently and manage time effectively.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to problem-solve, take initiative, and develop and maintain relationships with various stakeholders across multiple teams.
• Strong communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills.

Required Education And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree.
• At least 3 years of experience as a campus testing coordinator with a proven record of success.
• Experience designing and delivering training presentations, virtually and in-person.

Preferred Education And Experience

• Experience indirectly managing others through influence.

Physical Requirements

• Regularly required to sit for prolonged periods of time; also stand, walk, talk or listen.
• Occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required: close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salaries for people entering this role typically fall between $68,800 and $79,900, commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications and in alignment with internal equity.
• Eligible for performance pay based on organizational performance and goal attainment.
• Medical, dental, and vision plans; disability and life insurance; parenting benefits; flexible spending account options; generous vacation time; referral bonuses; professional development; 403(b) plan.
• May offer a relocation stipend to defray the cost of moving for this role, if applicable.