About KIPP Baltimore

KIPP Public Schools is a non-profit network of college-preparatory, public charter schools serving elementary, middle and high school students.  Our schools are part of the free public school system and enrollment is open to all students in Baltimore City.  KIPP Baltimore was founded in 2002 with the opening of KIPP Ujima Village Academy middle school.  In 2009, KIPP Harmony Academy was launched, and they now collectively serve more than 1,500 kindergarten through eighth grade students each day.  Both schools are operated by KIPP Baltimore, whose mission is together with families and communities, to create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose —college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. 

In addition to the high-quality academic opportunities that students receive while attending KIPP Harmony Academy and KIPP Ujima Village Academy, KIPP Baltimore also makes a long-term investment in our students both while they are at KIPP schools and beyond through the KIPP Forward program.  KIPP Forward supports and guides students to gain admission to college-preparatory high schools and supports them on pathways to post-secondary success.  KIPP Baltimore is part of a non-profit network of 255 college-preparatory, public charter schools educating early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school students.

ROLE OVERVIEW:

The Director of Data & Innovation, reporting to the Executive Director, is responsible for setting and leading the vision for the use of data and technology in support of KIPP Baltimore’s mission.  This position requires exceptional communication and leadership skills.  Candidates should possess a  combination of experience in leading strong data-driven practices in schools, implementing instructional technology and blended learning, and a general understanding of technology and IT management.  

This position works closely with KIPP Baltimore school leaders and regional staff, the KIPP Foundation Research & Evaluation team, and with the central office at Baltimore City Public Schools.  

The primary role for the Director of Data & Innovation is in leading and supporting the use of data systems for the collection, reporting, and use of data to inform instructional practices and decision making at KIPP Baltimore.  The Director of Data & Innovation builds and maintains the data architectures;  coordinates high-quality data practices across the organization; develops the rigorous analytical reports and tools that will successfully mine student and teacher data and drive decision-making and instructional practices; and communicates such findings to key stakeholders both internal and external to KIPP Baltimore.  Critical platforms to support include Tableau; Amazon Web Services (AWS); Illuminate, Infinite Campus, and Deanslist.  

Additionally, the Director of Data & Innovation is responsible for leading Information Technology functions across the organization, including infrastructure planning and management, device selection, procurement and management, budgeting, support services and vendor management.  KIPP Baltimore currently partners with an external vendor to provide general IT infrastructure management and technology support services for most IT functions.  A key role of the Director of Data & Innovation is to hold this partner accountable to delivering excellent service in support of KIPP Baltimore. Critical platforms to support include Google Workspace.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic planning and accountability

• Lead the implementation of the regional data vision and strategy that is aligned to KIPP Baltimore’s commitment to academic excellence and data driven instructional practices.

• Lead data governance and security strategy to develop organizational resilience to data exposure incidents.  Interpret and implement compliance strategies for data privacy laws such as FERPA, HIPAA, etc.

• Collaborate with academic leaders to inform decision making, implementation planning and ongoing support around instructional technology initiatives and products  These include blended and hybrid learning models, student assessment platforms, learning management systems and a broad set of instructional technology tools such as Clever, Deanslist, GoGuardian. Google Classroom, ClassDojo, etc.

• Build deep relationships with our new regional academic leader and each of our school leaders, investing significant time to understand each school’s priorities, challenges, systems and structures

Data and Accountability Leadership

The Director of Data & Innovation will directly manage the Manager of Data, and have ownership over the following:

• Ensure the effective implementation of KIPP Baltimore’s student information systems (Illuminate, Infinite Campus).

• Direct the crafting of high quality analyses and tools allowing KIPP Baltimore to draw implications from student, teacher and organizational data related to student assessments, teacher evaluations, and other information that will be used to inform instructional practices and strategic decisions for regional and school leaders

• Design, implement, and monitor the use of real-time data dashboards and platforms to support strategic decisions at the regional and school levels

• Manage and ensure the quality of KIPP Baltimore’s data.  Critically evaluate both quantitative and qualitative data collection, verification and storage methods across KIPP Baltimore

• Manage and ensure the safety and security and KIPP Baltimore’s data. 

• Collaborate with regional and school leadership teams to develop annual performance plans as well as accountability mechanisms (eg, metrics, targets, reports) to measure progress against performance goals

• Provide reporting to enable the ED and Board to track progress against organizational goals and priorities.  Help ensure key metrics aligned to regional goals are shared regularly with the Board and used by the Board to hold itself accountable as well as to evaluate performance of the ED and organization

• Serve as the primary contact for all internal and external data requests

• Collaborate with School Leaders to create and implement a tiered professional development roadmap (the right training for the right people). Design and deliver professional development to all stakeholders on using data to improve planning and drive student achievement.

• Serve as regional test coordinator for standardized assessments, STEP, MAP, PARCC, etc.  Conduct training for school-based staff on test compliance, conduct walkthroughs to assess compliance with test environment requirements, and where necessary, create protocols to ensure appropriate common test administration practices are followed. 

• Act as the region’s state assessment expert, being constantly aware of new updates and communicating these updates to the appropriate parties.  

• Build and maintain relationships with BCPSS and the KIPP Foundation to ensure all data relating to KIPP Baltimore is accurate and aligned across sources.  Facilitate and coordinate all logistical aspects of statistical reporting needs for regulatory agencies, the KIPP Foundation, and KIPP Baltimore funders and donor network.

Information Technology (IT) Leadership

The Director of Data & Innovation will directly manage the Manager of Technology, and will have ownership of the following:

• Lead strategic vision setting for technology infrastructure and projects

• Develop IT processes and procedures for procurement, provisioning, account management, etc.

• Develop IT policies (e.g. Acceptable Use Policies, Data Retention Policies, etc.)

• Lead technology budgeting, including management of the USAC/E-rate funding process

• Managing external technology partner in delivering high-quality technology support services to the KIPP Baltimore Team and Family

Innovation Leadership

• In collaboration with academic leadership, defines and supports KIPP Baltimore’s instructional technology initiatives, including blended and personalized learning models, hybrid learning, classroom technology tools and applications, etc.

• Oversees best practices involving instructional technology integration and tools into daily classroom use.

• Collaborates and coordinates in the design, planning and delivery of staff training and professional development related to both instructional and operational technology.

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:

• A passion for the mission of KIPP Baltimore. 

• A Bachelor’s degree (required).

• Proven leadership in setting and implementing a vision for how data is used in a school setting

• Systems-level thinking with the ability to solve problems and build scalable solutions

• At least five years’ experience in quantitative data collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting with strong focus on data quality and continuous improvement processes. Experience with Tableau and Illuminate strongly preferred.

• Customer-service orientation, with an interest in assisting schools and end-users as they seek to provide and access and understand data.

• Significant database or SIS management experience at the school and regional level.

• Knowledge of the education field, including familiarity with current blended learning and student assessment platforms.  Experience with Illuminate, SMS, PARCC and NWEA MAP a plus 

• Ability to make data appear clear and accessible to a wide variety of audiences. Tableau experience is preferred.

• Experience with database management and integration. Experience with Amazon Web Services, SQL, and Python strongly preferred.

• Expertise in using spreadsheet tools (e.g. Excel, Sheets) to collect, manipulate, and report data.

• Outstanding organizational skills and high attention to detail; outstanding written and oral communication skills. 

• Ability to manage the ambiguity and multiple priorities inherent in an entrepreneurial environment.

• Excellent problem solving skills, with an ability to understand impact of short-term and long-term solutions

• A healthy measure of the character traits we value: zest, grit, hope, love, social intelligence, gratitude and a sense of humor.

Compensation and benefits are competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

TO APPLY: Please submit an online application at our website at http://www.kippbaltimore.org/content/apply/.

KIPP Baltimore staff members are required to be fully vaccinated for the Covid virus or have a valid medical or religious accommodation where approval is determined by an interactive process with KIPP Baltimore.

Statement of Non-Discrimination:  KIPP Baltimore is committed to the ideal of diversity in its student body and in its faculty and staff.  KIPP Baltimore does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, or ethnicity. We are strongly committed to hiring a diverse and multicultural staff and encourage applications from traditionally under-represented backgrounds.