About the Role
Job Summary:
The Vander Weele Group is currently seeking a Prevention Initiative (PI) Assessor with experience in Early Childhood program rules, compliance, and assessment tools. The Prevention Initiative program, through the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), provides child development and family support services to help prepare children for later school success. As a PI Assessor, you will conduct reviews of programmatic compliance, collect grantee data, and coordinate with Early Childhood (EC) stakeholders to ensure program goals are achieved in compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and best practices. Assessors will be trained on and use the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS), Home Visit Rating Scales (HOVRS), and Prevention Initiative Compliance Checklist (PICC) tools. Training on these tools will be continuous to ensure fidelity, accuracy, and reliability. This position mandates meticulous attention to detail, precision, and accuracy in written work.
Fluency in English and Spanish is highly preferred.
This position is contingent upon contract award.
Travel throughout the state of Illinois is required.
Job Duties:
Schedule, coordinate, and plan monitoring activities in cooperation with PI grantees.
Collect PI grantee data and evaluate compliance with state-specific requirements.
Observe, interview, and score PI grantees, and create reports using the ITERS tool.
Complete observations of digitally recorded home visits using the HOVRS tool.
Assess PI grantees for compliance with ISBE policies, procedures, and best practices by evaluating data, documents, and program information.
Prepare and proofread detailed grantee reports containing narrative and data sections from completed monitoring reviews while maintaining accuracy and high-quality writing standards.
Respond to grantee inquiries regarding the monitoring process.
Participate in trainings, meetings, and professional development seminars, as needed.
Meet with the team regularly to review findings and participate in inter-rater reliability activities.
Participate in grantee report peer reviews to promote collaboration and ensure reliability and accuracy.
Engage in process development, improvement, and innovation within the scope of the proposal at all levels.
Travel within the State of Illinois to conduct monitoring. The job requires overnight stays.
Requirements
Qualifications:
Education: Minimum B.A. or B.S. in Early Childhood, Early Childhood Education, or social service administration-related fields such as Developmental Psychology, Education, Pediatric Science, Social Work, or other degrees relevant to the service of vulnerable populations.
At least two years of experience in Early Childhood education, programs, or initiatives.
Solid understanding of Early Childhood program rules, assessment tools, and compliance.
Meticulous attention to detail and ability to match field conditions with relevant laws, policies, and best practices. Applicants will be required to undergo intensive training on applicable legal authorities.
Proven ability to analyze and organize information following multistep instructions.
Experience in data collection and/or research methods.
Strong verbal communication skills.
Strong writing, proofreading, and problem-solving skills, along with the ability to communicate clearly in writing without clerical, spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Applicants may be required to undergo one or more writing tests prior to being engaged or hired.
Extreme sensitivity to appropriate recording and transmitting of confidential or Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
Highly conscientious attitude, committed work ethic, and a palpable sense of self-efficacy.
Strong technical ability and flexibility for using multiple computer programs and cloud-based applications simultaneously. Applicants may be required to undergo one or more technical aptitude tests prior to being engaged or hired.
Ability to respond positively to constructive feedback.
Preferred Skills and Experience
Certification or experience with HOVRS, ITERS, and PICC (certification highly preferred).
Experience with Prevention Initiative programs.
Programmatic monitoring experience.
Experience with the Illinois Head Start or Early Head Start Programs.
Experience with web-based compliance software.
Experience with monitoring Early Childhood program design.
Experience as an Early Childhood program supervisor.
Bilingual in Spanish/English.