WestEd Position Announcement

Position Title:	Social Studies Item Writer (Work from Home)
Program:	Assessment & Standards Development Services
Hourly Rate:	$20.00 per item
Location:	Home Office
Position No:	2620
End Date:	09/07/2009

WestEd, a nonprofit research, development, and service agency, works with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults. While WestEd serves the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah as one of the nation's Regional Educational Laboratories, our agency's work extends throughout the United States and abroad. WestEd has 17 offices nationwide, from Washington and Boston to Arizona, Southern California, and its headquarters in San Francisco.

Position Description

Based in WestEd's headquarters, the Assessment Standards and Development Services (ASDS) program is involved extensively at the local, state and national level in planning, developing, researching, implementing, and evaluating standards and assessment methods and systems. Our work addresses assessment and accountability needs from the elementary school level into the world of work. ASDS projects span a range of domains, from traditional academic areas (e.g., language arts, mathematics, science) to other fields, such as career-technical education. Projects also examine methods for addressing the needs of English language learners and students with disabilities.

Scope of Work:
The Assessment and Standards Development Services (ASDS) division of WestEd is looking for educators to write social studies test items to be used in statewide assessment programs. The writing of social studies test items for current project work will begin in September 2008 and continue through May 2009. We are looking for both part-time and full-time item writers. Item writers will work off-site and submit their completed work through an online system.

Key Responsibilities:
Writers will write high quality multiple-choice and open-response social studies items for state assessment projects. Writers will utilize their social studies content knowledge and skills to develop multiple-choice and open-response assessment items for grades 4-12. Item writers will be paid for each item submitted and approved.

Item writers will write high quality multiple-choice and open-response items that assess state-specific social studies content standards and that meet WestEd item writing guidelines. For each open-response item, item writers will write an accompanying scoring guide/rubric.

Qualifications

·Bachelor’s degree or higher in history, geography, economics, political science, a or related social studies field
·Strong social studies content knowledge
·Experience teaching one ore more social studies subjects (upper elementary through high school grade levels)
·Experience developing social studies assessment and/or curriculum materials (elementary through high school grade levels)
·Strong analytical/thinking skills
·Strong writing skills
·Detail oriented
·Ability to follow detailed instructions and guidelines
·Ability to fact-check and document content for original social studies test items
·Ability to maintain confidentiality and security of all testing materials
·Ability to communicate via email and Internet access (please see the technical specifications section)
·Open to feedback and review

Technical Qualifications:
Item writers will need to have consistent high-speed Internet access to email and our online development system. Operating system requirements include Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Mac OS X. Compatible Internet browsers include Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or above, Mozilla Firefox 1.3 or above, and Netscape 7.1 or above.

In your letter of interest, please indicate your preference for writing Technical Qualifications:
Item writers will need to have consistent high-speed Internet access to email and our online development system. Operating system requirements include Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Mac OS X. Compatible Internet browsers include Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or above, Mozilla Firefox 1.3 or above, and Netscape 7.1 or above

Application Process

We invite you to Apply for this Position.

Human Resources
WestEd
730 Harrison Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
http://www.WestEd.org

WestEd is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Positions are open until filled.