Job Opportunity for Project Lead, Private Schools at Central Square Foundation in Delhi

About the team

Private schools form an important part of the Indian education landscape – approximately a third of all children study in private unaided schools, and over 16 states have more than 50% of students enrolled in private schools. The majority of these are ‘budget or affordable private schools, charging anywhere between ₹150-1,500 per child, per month. However, student achievement in these schools leaves much to be desired as the learning outcomes of students in private schools are only marginally better than those enrolled in government schools. 

Central Square Foundation is working to address key challenges in this heterogeneous sector through system-based levers and piloting evidence-based solutions. Our work includes promoting the use of learning data to shape parent demand, changing the narrative around private schools to a constructive one, and building knowledge and awareness around pragmatic regulations focusing on learning outcomes improvement for private schools. Private schools are a severely under-researched sector, so we are also engaging with academia and experts to undertake research projects that will help us better understand how the private school system can be improved. 

Key stage assessments

The National Education Policy (2020) recommends transforming the assessment system to promote development of students and suggests a shift from rote memorization to competency-based learning. To map progress throughout school years, the NEP 2020 proposes an annual school assessment for all students in Grades 3, 5, and 8. Similar census school based assessments in a few milestone grades across schooling years, hereafter referred to as Key stage assessments, are conducted around the world: Chile, Peru, Mexico, Australia, and the United Kingdom have adopted a census based approach to learning assessments for a few grades across a child’s schooling journey as a key pillar in their education reforms. Key stage assessments proposed for all schools will establish a formal protocol to collect valid and reliable data to chart students’ performance on competencies at and below the grade level and monitor progress. School-level reports on key competencies and proficiency levels can be used to measure effectiveness of a system through systematic monitoring and reporting of learning levels. 80% of the role will involve delivery of key stage assessments. 

The Project Lead, Private Schools position is a dynamic opportunity that involves managing critical projects (key stage assessments and information provision), developing and managing relationships with key stakeholders, conducting and managing research on relevant issues, and building and managing initiatives relevant to improving the quality of education in private schools. This position provides a unique opportunity to develop deep insights and pragmatic solutions to affect education at a local and national level while managing a small team. The role reports to the Director, Private Schools.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to

• Conceptualize  and co-design assessment pilots to implement a key stage assessment in States 
• Collaborate with internal teams (State, Assessments, etc.) and partner organizations (assessment vendors, experts, etc.) to deliver a high-quality key stage assessment
• Conceptualize  and implement pilots to provide school quality information to parents to reduce information asymmetry on learning levels
• Manage regular engagement with key stakeholders for assessments and/or regulatory work
• Track key policy developments on private schools  and trends at national and state level and support other team members providing consultative advice to Governments 
• Coordinate and/ or prepare policy briefs, fact sheets, background papers/ presentations and other targeted materials for meetings and conferences with key stakeholders
• Manage various work streams in the Private Schools team, including team management and ensuring quality deliverables 

Required Qualifications, Skills and Abilities

• 6 to 10 years of work experience with managerial responsibilities, demonstrating superb project delivery and team leadership 
• Experience in growing and managing team members
• Excellent research skills and the ability to analyze complex qualitative and quantitative data, craft possible solutions, and recommend actions
• Ability to build and maintain positive and collaborative relationships both within and outside the organization, including with colleagues, schools, regulators, foundations, researchers, grantees, and education product/service providers
• Ability to lead meetings, deliver presentations, and represent CSF to external audiences
• Ability to work independently and proactively, without support staff and with little supervision
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, strong presentation skills
• Strong execution, planning and organizational skills, and an ability to be able to set priorities, plan timelines and meet deadlines
• Optional: Masters’s degree or equivalent in relevant fields: including education, management, economics, social sciences and public policy preferred

Desired Qualities

• Entrepreneurial spirit and ‘can-do’ attitude
• Operating style suited to working in a small-organization setting, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued
• Excellent leadership skills, including ability to manage multiple projects at a time

Compensation

Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy pay scales and will depend upon the candidate’s experience levels.