Room to Read seeks
to transform the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing
on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with
local communities, partner organizations and governments, we develop literacy
skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls
to complete sec
ondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school
and beyond.
We are
non-governmental, non-religious and work with many local NGOs and community
based organizations to implement our programs. We currently work in Bangladesh,
Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Vietnam, and
Zambia – countries with a desperate lack of resources to educate their
children. Since our inception, Room to Read’s worldwide team has impacted over
8 million children by constructing more than 1,700 schools, establishing over
16,000 libraries, publishing 882 new children’s book titles in 27 local
languages, and reaching over 25,000 girls through our Girls’ Education program.
Organization
Profile:
Room to Read seeks
to transform the lives of millions of children in developing countries by
focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration
with local communities, partner organizations and governments, we develop
literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and
support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to
succeed in school and beyond.
We are
non-governmental, non-religious and work with many local NGOs and community
based organizations to implement our programs. We currently work in Bangladesh,
Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Vietnam, and
Zambia – countries with a desperate lack of resources to educate their
children. Since our inception, Room to Read’s worldwide team has impacted over
8 million children by constructing more than 1,700 schools, establishing over
16,000 libraries, publishing 882 new children’s book titles in 27 local languages,
and reaching over 25,000 girls through our Girls’ Education program.
Position Overview:
Soma Umenye is a USAID funded project
that will work to improve reading outcomes in Kinyarwanda for at least 1
million children in public and government-aided schools in Rwanda by the end of
Grade 3. Specifically, Soma
Umenye will target all children in Grades 1-3 attending public
and government-aided schools nationwide and ensure that at least 70 percent of
students are able to read grade-level text with fluency and comprehension by
the end of Grade 3.This position is part of the Soma Umenye team. The
Assessment Specialist is responsible for supporting the Rwanda Education Board
(REB) to develop an assessment guide to help teachers better conduct classroom
assessments of early grade reading as well as tools that they can use in
conducting assessments.. The position will report directly to the System
Strengthening Advisor.
Duties &
Responsibilities:
- Support
the Rwanda Education Board (REB) to develop an assessment guide to help
teachers better conduct classroom assessments of early grade reading as
well as tools (assessment forms, recording forms tracking boys and girls
separately, etc.) that they can use in conducting assessments. - Support
REB, University of Rwanda College of Education (URCE), and teacher
training college (TTC) staff to develop literacy/writing assessment items
for classroom assessment. Support REB to create guidelines for writing and
validating appropriate early grade reading items. - Support
REB to develop P1 fluency standards and review draft P2-P3 standards,
using past literacy assessments and literacy benchmark assessments to
identify needed Kinyarwanda fluency for children’s reading comprehension. - Support
REB to develop and implement a plan for national assessment of early grade
reading that will continue after the end of the Soma Umenye Activity.
Support the training of enumerators needed to conduct a national
assessment of early grade reading. - Work
with MINEDUC, URCE, and the TTCs to promote equity in literacy outcomes
among boys, girls, and children with special needs. - Leverage
M&E data collected (likely on an ongoing basis) to inform adjustments
in the project’s approach and ensure continued improvement in student reading
outcomes.
Qualifications:
- Master’s
degree and 6 years of experience or Bachelor’s degree and 10 years of
experience in the education sector; familiarity with scientifically based
reading research preferred. - Able to
measure basic foundational skills for literacy in the early grades. - Demonstrated
expertise in assessing/identifying ability to read and comprehend. - Experience
promoting equity in learning outcomes among boys, girls, and children with
special needs preferred. - Prior
success working closely and building relationships with diverse groups of
people - Ability
and desire to travel frequently internationally - Effectiveness
in working or volunteering in a non-profit organization that is focused on
maintaining high quality work and low overhead - Prior
experience in a fast-paced, growth-oriented global or regional
organization - Proven
track record of achieving results - Excellent
verbal and written communication skills in English - Ability
to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously and take initiative - Legally
eligible to work in the Rwanda; no sponsorship provided
To be successful as
a member of the Room to Read team, you will also:
- Have a
passion for our mission and a strong desire to impact a dynamic nonprofit
organization - Be an
innovative and creative thinker; you’re not afraid to try something new
and inspire others to do so - Have a
very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness - Have a
strong work ethic and require minimal direction - Work
well independently as well as part of a team - Thrive
in a fast-paced and fun environment