Education Assessment Specialist (Special Populations)

Overview

The Department of War Education Activity is hiring an Education Assessment Specialist focused on special populations in Alexandria, Virginia. This role is centered on improving accessibility, accommodations, and alternate assessment practices across a K-12 system-wide assessment program.

Key Responsibilities

• Guide the rollout of accessibility tools, assessment accommodations, and alternate assessment options.
• Act as the organization’s subject matter expert on assessment for special populations and review policy language regularly to ensure alignment with mission goals, compliance needs, and professional standards.
• Deliver training to assessment liaisons, specialists, and other leaders on effective online assessment implementation and assessment improvement efforts.
• Support the administration, creation, execution, and review of accessibility and accommodation practices for the K-12 assessment program.
• Serve as a Contracting Officer’s Representative and oversee assigned contracts for services and materials while maintaining fiscal accountability as delegated.

Conditions of Employment

• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete the Selective Service pre-employment certification.
• U.S. citizenship is mandatory.
• Pay is required to be deposited directly.
• A one-year probationary period may apply.
• The appointment is subject to a background investigation and suitability/fitness review.
• A one-year supervisory probationary period may also be required.
• This position requires a Tier 1 background investigation.
• You must file either OGE Form 278 or OGE Form 450 on entry and every year afterward.
• A transportation agreement may be required.

Qualifications

Applicants must be U.S. citizens and satisfy both the basic education requirement and the specialized experience requirement. Education may be used to meet the basic requirement, but not to replace the required specialized experience for this role.

Basic Education Requirement

You need a bachelor’s degree or higher in education, or in a subject area relevant to the position. Alternatively, you may qualify with a combination of education and experience that is equivalent to a major in education or a related subject field.

Specialized Experience

You must have at least one year of specialized experience at the GS-12 level or equivalent. This should include developing assessment policies or guidance for a PK-12 school system, evaluating accessibility and accommodation effectiveness in a PK-12 assessment program, creating research-based assessment materials aligned with educational best practices, and managing assessment contract requirements to ensure fiscal accountability.

Additional Information

• Selection may be limited by Department of War referral rules for displaced employees.
• Salary includes locality pay or a local market supplement.
• More than one position may be filled from this announcement.
• Most civilian relocation allowances became taxable under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act effective January 1, 2018; the Relocation Income Tax Allowance may reimburse certain taxes, but it does not apply to new government employees or employees returning from an overseas assignment for separation purposes.
• This role is not part of a bargaining unit.
• Information is provided for reemployed annuitants who retired from federal service and are seeking return to employment.
• The initial one-year probation period allows the agency to assess fitness, performance, conduct, and whether continued employment serves the public interest and supports organizational or government goals.

Assessment Accommodation

Applicants who need help completing the USA Hire competency-based assessments because of a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act may request a reasonable accommodation during the online application process. Supporting documentation must be submitted before beginning the assessments. Requests are reviewed individually. Eligible applicants will receive an email invitation to complete the assessments after their accommodation request is adjudicated. If the assessment link arrives after the announcement closes, all assessments must be completed within 48 hours.

Candidate Profile

Ideal candidates should be committed to improving federal government efficiency, supportive of the ideals of the American republic, and dedicated to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Education Note

If foreign education is being used to meet the qualification standard, the credential must be evaluated by a recognized private evaluation service or confirmed as equivalent through credit at an accredited U.S. institution.