PACER Intern
Pennsylvania Clearinghouse for Education Research (PACER) & Allegheny County Education Research (ACER) Policy Intern
About the Organization
Research for Action (RFA) seeks to use research as the basis for the improvement of educational opportunities and outcomes for traditionally underserved students. Our work is designed to strengthen public schools and postsecondary institutions; provide research-based recommendations to policymakers, practitioners, and the public at the local, state and national levels; and enrich the civic and community dialogue about public education.
Internship Location
RFA’s main office, located at 100 S. Broad St., Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19110, is currently closed due to the COVID19 pandemic. Despite this recent event, RFA is continuing to provide challenging, high-quality, and meaningful internship experiences for our students. Should our main office reopen following state and local public health guidance during your Fall 2021 internship, you may be asked to complete the remainder of your internship by working in RFA’s office.
To be considered for remote internships at RFA, interns must meet tech requirements described in Tech Requirements section below and reside in the PA/NJ area throughout the entire duration of the internship. At this moment RFA cannot offer internships to candidates outside of these two states.
Project Description
The Fall 2021 P/ACER Policy intern will support RFA’s policy-oriented projects grounded in Pennsylvania and Allegheny County. This is a remote position with potential monthly in person meetings with supervisor and stakeholders in the Philadelphia or Pittsburgh area. The Pennsylvania Clearinghouse for Education Research–or PACER–is designed to inform state education policy discussions through rigorous, objective research; regular policy briefs; and research-based commentaries in leading media outlets statewide. The Allegheny County Education Research (ACER) project provides robust, timely, and actionable independent research and analysis to inform educational policy and practice in Allegheny County public schools.
Intern Role
Support project staff to conduct research activities in support of upcoming PACER and ACER policy briefs. The P/ACER intern will conduct literature reviews, scan policies, and draft analytic memos on pressing educational policy issues that relate to the state of Pennsylvania and Allegheny County. Research topics may include school finance, enrollment patterns, educational opportunities, teacher workforce and other topics related to educational equity. The P/ACER intern will also contribute to descriptive data analysis on timely policy related research. There will be opportunities to assist in dissemination of research and strategic event planning.
Intern Tasks
· Conducting Literature Review 30%
· Policy Scans – 30%
· Cleaning Data – 20%
· Descriptive Data Analysis - 20%
Required Skill Sets and Experience
Experience conducting literature and policy scans. Familiar with Microsoft Excel.
Preferred Skill Sets and Experience
Quantitative analysis using STATA and Excel, data cleaning, and research writing. Interest in qualitative and/or quantitative research. Experience working with administrative or publicly available data. Understanding of education policy issues in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and/or Allegheny County.
Time Commitment
maximum of 15-20h per week
Tech Requirements
If working remotely, we require that you have access to a personal computer with an up-to-date Mac or Windows operating system, up-to-date antivirus software, a functional webcam and microphone, and a stable internet connection at your residence. If hired, RFA will require a technology check of your remote system to ensure your working environment is compatible with ours.
Other Information
· Summer internships run from September through December.
· Target Start Date: 09/13/2021; Target End Date: 12/22/2021. The exact dates are based on the needs of the project and the availability of the intern. For this position, interns not receiving work-study will be paid $8.00/hr.
· Only complete applications including Resume & Cover letter will be taken into consideration for the internship hiring.
· Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until all positions have been filled.
· At the time of application, must be actively enrolled in an accredited college or university, as a sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student in good standing. Students might be eligible for continuation of their internship after graduation.
· Research for Action qualifies for work-study and PHEAA. Interns may also be eligible for course credit.
· If hired, a Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, must be completed at the start of employment (reference page 3 of the I-9 Form for acceptable forms of ID).
Research for Action is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer that is committed to building a culturally diverse staff. We strongly encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.