Curricular Analyst, AP Instructional Design at TheCollegeBoard in Chicago, Illinois

Job Description:

Curricular Analyst, AP Instructional Design




College Board - AP&I




Location: This is a fully remote role. Candidates who live near CB offices have the option of being fully remote or hybrid (Tuesday and Wednesday in office).




Type: This is a full-time position




About the Team



The College Board's Advanced Placement and Instruction division (260 staff) develops and administers coursework taken by more than 3 million students worldwide each school year, and the related subject-matter exams utilized by more than 4,000 colleges and universities for course placement and awarding of college credit. These include credit and placement examination programs like CLEP and ACCUplacer; Advanced Placement (AP) and Pre-AP courses in 40+ disciplines; and associated teacher professional learning programs.


The Advanced Placement Program is the largest offering in the division's portfolio, and has six departments: Curriculum and Assessment, which develops the course frameworks, designs the exams, and guides the grading and scoring process; Delivery, which manages the annual cycle of transactions with schools - from student registration to exam administration, scoring, and score reporting; Access, which focuses on expanding availability of AP and Pre-AP courses, participation among traditionally underserved students, and supporting teachers; Strategy, which measures and evaluates the program's components, identifies and evaluates program opportunities and threats, and leads the development and implementation of strategic initiatives; Digital, which leads product development of the Bluebook digital assessment platform, manages the implementation of digital testing for AP Exams, and provides instructional resources via AP Classroom; and Instructional Design, a new department charged with developing and implementing a curricular research and instructional design phase to proceed all major content development projects, including: any possible new AP course; any significant revision to existing AP courses; major changes to student assessments, such as replacing part of the summative exam with through-course tasks or projects; and new teacher resources.



About the Opportunity



This Curricular Analyst will support the curricular research and design phases for a portfolio of projects within the department. To this end, the Curricular Analyst will work closely with senior leaders, cross-functional teams, and subject matter experts to ensure that the analysis is comprehensive and informs the development of precise project requirements and product roadmaps.


As a Curricular Analyst within the AP Instructional Design department, you will play a vital role in the curricular research phase of new content development, ensuring that instructional design decisions are grounded in comprehensive, high-quality analysis. Your work will focus on evaluating content, pedagogy, and instructional strategies to inform the development of new AP courses, revisions to existing courses, and new instructional products.


In this role, you will:

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  Support the Curricular Analysis Phase by collaborating with the VP, Strategy, and VP, Instructional Design to identify and answer key curricular research questions that guide content development. Your analysis will address critical factors such as alignment with college syllabi, pedagogical effectiveness, fulfillment of high school standards, and the potential for career relevance.
  
  


• 
  Conduct Comprehensive Analysis of higher education content, state standards, and instructional models, providing detailed reports that outline options and trade-offs for curriculum development.
  
  


• 
  Communicate Findings effectively across departments, ensuring that your analysis informs the design and development process and supports the strategic goals of the AP Program.
  
  


• 
  Contribute to Operational Viability by assisting in the analysis of market size, reach, and financial implications of proposed curriculum options, ensuring that new content is not only educationally sound but also operationally viable.
  
  

Specific Responsibilities




Analysis and Synthesis (60%)

• Collaborate with the VP, Instructional Design, the VP, Strategy, and Executive Director, Instructional Design to identify curricular research questions that will guide the development of new AP courses, revisions to existing courses, or new instructional products.
  
  


• Evaluate higher education content scope, standards, state education standards, and other relevant criteria. This includes analyzing potential trade-offs in course content, instructional models, and assessment options in relation to objectives such as alignment with college syllabi, engaging pedagogy, fulfillment of high school standards, and career relevance.
  
  


• Synthesize curricular research findings into detailed reports and summaries that provide clear options and trade-offs for curriculum development, with an emphasis on how these choices impact student engagement, learning outcomes, and alignment with educational standards.
  
  


• Develop reports to inform the development of prototypes for new AP courses or instructional resources, offering research-based insights that inform the instructional design and testing phases. This includes exploring project-based learning, task design, and assessment models that enhance instructional value while maintaining assessment validity.
  
  

Collaboration and Communication (20%)

• Work closely with senior leaders, instructional designers, and subject matter experts to ensure that research findings are effectively communicated and integrated into the design and development process. The Analyst will coordinate with other departments such as Curriculum and Assessment, Access, Learning Engineering, and Strategy to align analysis efforts with organizational goals.
  
  


• Support the identification and engagement of stakeholders, including educators, policymakers, and administrators, to gather insights and ensure that analysis is relevant and actionable across various educational contexts.
  
  

Supporting Operational Viability (20%)

• Collaborate with the Strategy department to assess the operational viability of proposed curriculum options. This includes analyzing market size, reach, and financial implications of new content development, as well as the feasibility of digital delivery and scoring methods.
  
  


• Contribute to the creation of deliverables that outline various content options, prioritizing objectives with associated student reach, financial estimates, and initial impact analyses.
  
  

About You



You are an analytical thinker with a genuine passion for diving deep into curricular research and exploring new educational frontiers. You thrive on the challenge of sifting through complex data and making connections that others might miss, always with an eye toward how these insights can inform better curriculum design. You're detail-oriented but also capable of seeing the broader implications of your work, making you an invaluable resource to your team. Your curiosity drives you to push past conventional boundaries, always seeking to expand the scope and quality of your research. You're comfortable with both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and can translate your findings into actionable insights that guide instructional design decisions. Your ability to conduct in-depth analysis and synthesize complex information into actionable insights makes you a critical asset to the team.



You have:

• 
  5+ years of experience in educational research, curriculum development, or instructional design, with a strong focus on content analysis and standards alignment.
  
  


• 
  A strong background in analysis, both qualitative and quantitative, with the ability to produce robust agendas that drive meaningful insights.
  
  


• 
  A curious and inquisitive nature, with a desire to explore new content areas and push the boundaries of traditional educational research.
  
  


• 
  Exceptional critical thinking skills, enabling you to produce and document comprehensive research that informs high-stakes instructional design decisions.
  
  


• 
  Domain knowledge in state standards, course certification requirements, and other educational structures, with the ability to apply this knowledge to a wide range of disciplines.
  
  


• 
  Experience working on cross-functional teams, coordinating with various departments to ensure research aligns with broader organizational objectives.
  
  


• 
  Excellent communication skills, capable of presenting complex research findings in a clear and actionable manner to stakeholders at all levels.
  
  


• 
  A collaborative mindset, working effectively with senior leaders, instructional designers, and other team members to integrate research into the instructional design process.
  
  


• 
  Attention to detail and a commitment to quality, ensuring that all research outputs are thorough, accurate, and aligned with project goals.
  
  


• 
  The ability to manage multiple research projects simultaneously in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
  
  


• Ability to travel (up to 10%)
  
  


• Authorized to work in the United States
  
  

About Our Process

• Application review will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled
  
  


• While the hiring process may vary, it generally includes: resume and application submission, recruiter phone/video screen, hiring manager interview, performance exercise such as live coding, a panel interview, a conversation with leadership and reference checks.
  
  

About Our Benefits and Compensation



College Board offers a competitive benefits and compensation program that attracts top talent looking to make a difference in education. As a self-sustaining non-profit, we believe in compensating employees equitably in relation to each other, their qualifications, their impact, and the relevant market.



The hiring range for a new employee in this position is $80,000 to $135,000. College Board differentiates salaries by location so where you live will narrow the portion of this range in which you can expect a salary.


Your salary will be carefully determined based on your location, relevant experience, the external labor market, and the pay of College Board employees in similar roles. College Board strives to provide our best offer up front based on this criteria.


Your salary is only one part of all that College Board offers, including but not limited to:

• A comprehensive package designed to support the well-being of employees and their families and promote education. Our robust benefits package includes health, dental, and vision insurance, generous paid time off, paid parental leave, fertility benefits, pet insurance, tuition assistance, retirement benefits, and more.
  
  


• Recognition of exceptional performance through annual bonuses, salary growth over time through market increases, and opportunities for merit raises and promotions based on increased scope of responsibility.
  
  


• A job that matters, a team that cares, and a place to learn, innovate and thrive.
  
  

You can expect to have transparent conversations about benefits and compensation with our recruiters throughout your application process.



About Our Culture



Our community matters, and we strive to practice and improve our culture daily. Here are some headlines:

• We are motivated to positively impact the educational and career trajectories of millions of students a year
  
  


• We prioritize building a diverse and inclusive team where every employee can thrive, and every voice is heard
  
  


• We are a dynamic hybrid team, giving staff members the choice to either be fully remote or hybrid if they live close to a College Board office. Hybrid employees go into offices every Tuesday and Wednesday
  
  


• We welcome staff to join any or all six of our affinity groups: ARISE (Alliance for Asian Retention, Inclusion, Success, and Engagement; DIASPORA (Alliance for Pan-African Success and Achievement); Pride (alliance for LGBTQ+ staff and allies); Resilience (alliance for Native staff and advocates); SALSA (Staff Alliance for Latinx Success and Achievement); and WIN (Women's Impact Network)
  
  


• We value learning and growth; we offer formal and informal ways to lead through your superpowers, sharpen your strengths, and meet your development goals
  
  


• We know that our impact is strongest together. Our College Board Cares program offers all staff up to $1,000 annual match against partner non-profit organizations
  
  


• We offer a transparent approach to promotions and merit raises, annual performance-based bonuses, and how to grow your career here over time
  
  

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