Test Development Manager - ELA

Position Overview Accessible Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Systems (ATLAS), a research center at the University of Kansas (KU), is seeking an ELA Test Development Manager. The ELA Test Development Manager will coordinate with Test Development Program Leads (for the DLM program, potential DLM expansion programs and other grant-funded test development work) to ensure the delivery of annual scopes of work that include multiple overlapping phases of an end-to-end development cycle. The manager will contribute content area and curricular standards expertise to the creation and updating of test specifications, ECD-based task models, and item writing guidelines. They will also coach toward creating a high-performing, efficient team, oversee internal content development and validity-building steps, and ensure procedural consistency on external reviews of items, stimuli and item performance data. Additionally, this role is responsible for construction of forms, development of educator resources, and validity studies related to assessment content. The ELA Test Development Manager will communicate across the test development team and ATLAS more broadly to ensure the needs of state partners are met and that collaborative endeavors produce successful outcomes.

A successful candidate will have a deep understanding of the best practices in assessment design, development and validity evidence drawn from test content, be well-grounded in industry standards and Evidence-Centered Design literature and will show strong evidence of being able to successfully lead people and overlapping projects in a deadline-driven environment. The successful candidate will also have a deep and comprehensive knowledge of next generation curricular standards (such as the Common Core State Standards) in English Language Arts, with preference given to those who have significant familiarity with alternate academic content standards and assessment. The candidate will also adhere to a highly collaborative leadership/management philosophy and demonstrate eagerness to develop and maintain consistency of practice with peers in other content areas.

ATLAS promotes learning and improved outcomes for all students, with a focus on students with disabilities and struggling learners. ATLAS creates technology-based learning and assessment systems that are accessible and academically rigorous. Dynamic research on skill development, assessment design, and teacher professional development informs the centers map-based learning systems.

With a diverse portfolio of grant-funded research projects and operational alternate assessments, ATLAS is a leader in educational research and innovation. ATLAS drives progress through partnerships and collaborations with organizations that share its focus and commitment.
ATLAS is committed to creating policies and practices that foster a culture in which all employees feel they belong and can succeed.

Visit the ATLAS website to learn how the center improves the learning landscape for all students.

KU employees have great benefits!

• 176 hours of paid vacation per year
• 72 hours of sick leave per year
• 10 paid holidays
• Medical and dental insurance
• Retirement program
• Life and disability insurance
• Educational and professional development opportunities

Visit the KU benefits website for more information.

KUs excellence is a result of the rich tapestry of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds of our faculty, staff, students, and colleagues from across our nation and the globe. At KU we invest in continuous learning and growth by creating a climate where people engage in respectful dialogue and debate and support each others success. We foster a culture of care where each person is valued. When people feel a true sense of belonging, we believe they are better able to reach their full potential and achieve remarkable things.
Job Description 40% - Manage and develop a team of ELA content development professionals. Examples of the work performed may include:

• Coaching team members in the areas of validity evidence drawn from test content, psychometric concepts, and cyclical development processes.
• Coaching team members in relevant curricular standards and how they are reflected in standardized assessments to reveal student cognition.
• Estimating and documenting staffing needs and administrative procedures for test development projects.
• Working collaboratively with leadership, test development program leads, other test development managers, project coordinators, partner state liaisons and other stakeholders within ATLAS to ensure work progresses toward key milestones and deliverables.

35% - Lead test development efforts for multiple assessment programs with the primary focus on English Language Arts. Examples of job activities include:

• Leading the development of comprehensive, multi-layer blueprints, item specifications and construct definitions grounded in ECD principles.
• Leading content teams in developing assignments for item writers to ensure the construction of high quality, aligned test items.
• Contributing to plans for item pool development based on test blueprints.
• Ensuring that internal content reviews result in polished, accurate items that tightly align to close reading of curricular standards.
• Coaching content teams in the facilitation of external reviews of items and stimuli to elicit high quality feedback from educators that meaningfully contributes to the improvement of items.

15% - In coordination with Test Development Program Leads, develop allocation plans for internal resources to support assessment projects. Examples of work performed may include:

• Implementing the establishment of a work plan across assessment programs.
• Implementing the production and review of technical reports for multiple assessment programs.
• Collaborating with the assistant director of test development, the test development program leads, the implementation team and the psychometric team on identifying deliverables for a content area.

5% - Communicate with external audiences including researchers, state education agency staff, and professional organizations. Examples of job activities include:

• Contributing to presentations for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Providing consultation and collaboration on all aspects of test design, scope, development, and validity evidence drawn from test content to state education agency staff.
• Responding to client requests and coordinating communication with the partner state liaisons.
• Contributing to the development of responses to RFPs.
• Collaborating with center staff on proposals for externally funded research projects.

5% - Other duties as assigned. Position Requirements Due to complex state employment laws, the University of Kansas may be unable to hire fully remote workers for this position outside of Kansas. Specifically, we cannot currently offer employment to candidates residing in the following states: California and Delaware. We appreciate your understanding and invite interested individuals from eligible states to apply. Required Qualifications

1. Bachelors degree and seven (7) years of large-scale assessment development experience or masters degree and five (5) years of large-scale assessment development experience.
2. Two (2) years or more of experience applying a variety of theoretical approaches to validity and current research within a large-scale assessment context.
3. Two (2) years or more of experience, primary responsibility for a content area and/or multiple grade levels within a testing program.
4. Two (2) years or more of experience managing and/or mentoring content development professionals and contributing to their professional growth.
5. Two (2) years or more of experience leading projects focused on the next generation curricular standards (such as Common Core State Standards or the Next Generation Science Standards) in at least one content area, and familiarity with standards for multiple content areas.
6. Two (2) years or more of experience in project management, including on-time delivery of products.
7. One (1) year or more of experience developing and implementing work plans for assessment development that includes blueprints, test and content specifications, construct definitions, and item development, review, and quality control, and are reflective of an end-to-end development cycle.
8. One (1) year or more of experience developing technical reports for assessment programs and developing text for validity study reports, cognitive lab reports, or similar.
9. Excellent written communication skills as evidenced by application materials.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Two (2) years or more of experience applying Evidence Centered Design principles to enhance validity of a large-scale assessment.
2. Experience with assessments measuring curricular standards for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
3. Experience managing relationships across multiple teams within an organization as evidenced by application materials.
4. Experience with providing user input and collecting requirements for assessment software development.
5. Record of published research or dissemination on large-scale assessment.

Additional Candidate Instructions A complete application consists of:

1. The University of Kansas online application
2. A cover letter that describes how you meet the required and preferred qualifications
3. A Resume or CV
4. Contact information for three (3) professional references

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application review begins Monday, July 21, 2025 and will continue until a qualified applicant has been identified. Contact Information to Applicants ATLAS HR, ... Advertised Salary Range $90,000; commensurate dependent on qualifications Application Review Begins Monday July 21, 2025 Anticipated Start Date Monday September 29, 2025 Apply to Job