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Education Specialist (School Improvement)

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Indian Education
Associate Deputy Director - Bureau Operated Schools / Education Resource Center - Phoenix

Summary

This position is part of the BOS Phoenix Educ Resource Center, Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), Department of the Interior (DOI). As a Education Specialist (School Improvement) you will be responsible for working on a team at an Education Resource Center (ERC) to improve outcomes for Indian students in the region through targeted, data-driven, results-oriented professional development and technical assistance to school leaders, teachers and other educators.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/16/2026 to 04/29/2026
Salary
$111,338 - $144,741 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Phoenix, AZ
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
BIE-12937462-26-JL
Control number
865365300

Duties

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As a Education Specialist (School Improvement), GS-1701-13, your typical work assignments will include the following under supervision:

  • Support school leaders and school-based leadership teams in the effective use of a research-based school improvement Model with a proven record of meeting and exceeding proficiency standards.
  • Provide professional development and technical assistance, including coaching and specific tools, to school leaders on a range of topics.
  • Assist school leaders, teachers and other educators in developing and implementing a school curriculum, instruction and assessment, teaching methods, staff professional development aligned to Common Core State Standards and applicable state standards.
  • Identify and coordinate other external resources, including experts from other Education Resource Centers (ERCs), Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and other agencies and organizations to support the successful development and implementation of school improvement plans.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Be sure to read the 'How to Apply' and 'Required Documents' Sections.
  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • A background security investigation will be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • As a condition of employment, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial or 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.
  • If you are a male applicant born after 12-31-1959, you are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act and the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 (https://www.sss.gov), in order to be eligible for appointment to this agency.
  • Driving Requirement (Required only at time of appointment): Incumbent may be required, as an incidental duty, to operate a government-owned or leased motor vehicle, in the performance of duties, therefore, a valid driver's license is required.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet the qualification requirements contained in the OPM Standards. For this position, they are listed below.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

Degree: that included or was supplemental by major study in education or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position.

-OR-

Combination of education and experience - courses equivalent to a major in education or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position, plus appropriate experience or additional course work that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study described above.

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirement, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications requirements below.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

GS-13: Applicant must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped me with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. This experience is related to the work of the position and equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service that include: serving as an analyst and advisor in the implementation and management of School Improvement Program strategies to meet the goals and objectives to improve student achievement; establishing goals, measuring results, report progress in programs in compliance with the Government Performance Results Act (GPRA); evaluates policies and practices concerning the academic improvement; provides guidance of regulations to ensure individuals with disabilities an equality to improve educational results.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year (52 weeks) of service at the next lower grade level. Learn more about what is time-in grade.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

EDUCATION: Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, credit hours, major, and grade-point average or class ranking, degree and date awarded. All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE).

Applicants are responsible for providing documentation that the educational requirements have been met. To qualify based on education you must submit a legible copy of your transcripts. Official transcripts are required upon selection if you qualified based on education. Education must have been obtained from an accredited or pre-accredited institution recognized by the U.S. DOE (click here) in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the U.S. (click here).

Additional information

Initial appointments to the competitive or excepted service: The probationary or trial period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:

  • Your performance and conduct;
  • The needs and interests of the agency;
  • Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Documentation: The CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance (click here for more details, here for DOI's policy) to permanent Federal civilian employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming eligibility must submit a 1) copy of their most recent performance appraisal, 2) proof of eligibility, 3) most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Status Candidates: Consideration will be given to Non-Indian applicants (Status or Reinstatement eligibles) in the absence of a qualified Indian preference eligible. Applicants not entitled to Indian Preference or Veteran's Preference must be Federal civilian employees with competitive status or former Federal civilian employees with reinstatement eligibility and must submit latest Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50, as proof.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): Preference eligibles may apply for permanent positions (career or career-conditional appointments) under merit promotion procedures for VEOA appointments; however, veteran's preference is not a factor in these appointments. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be a preference eligible OR veteran separated after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions. Applicants must submit a copy of their DD-214 (Member Copy 4) for verification of eligibility. For more information about this program and to determine whether you are eligible, click here.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the announcement has closed, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. To determine if you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your application to determine your level of experience.

Please follow all instructions carefully, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, which may include a medical examination, drug test, physical readiness test, written examination, and structured interview. These assessments measure the critical competencies required to successfully perform the job.

This position requires successful completion of the following assessment: SME Review. This assessment measures the critical competencies that are required to successfully perform the job in the following areas:

Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, Planning and Evaluating, Policies and Procedures, and School Improvement

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration. Errors or omissions may affect your qualification. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action. To preview the assessment questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12937462

Bureau of Indian Education

The BIE's mission is to provide quality education opportunities from early childhood through life in accordance with the tribes' needs for cultural and economic well-being and in keeping with the wide diversity of American Indian tribes and Native Alaska villages as distinct cultural and governmental entities (25 CFR ยง 32.3).

Agency contact information

Jennifer Lauters
Phone
703-381-2009
Email
jennifer.lauters@bie.edu
Address
BOS Phoenix Educ Resource Center
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Bureau of Indian Education, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.bie.edu/

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