Pearson Hiring for Senior Accessibility Content Developer – Science at Little Rock, Arkansas Full Time

As the Senior Accessibility Content Specialist for Science, you will have knowledge of the instructional and assessment supports provided to students with disabilities and experience working with students in a range of socio-economic populations. You will guide your Pearson colleagues in developing resources for building high-quality equitable science assessments for students with disabilities that align with classroom-based teaching methods. You will also have knowledge of regulations for accommodations related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehab Act and be familiar with assistive technologies used to support students with disabilities in science.

Some of your key responsibilities will be to:

• conduct professional development that supports best practices in content design for students with disabilities, including concepts related to Universal Design, Universal Design for Learning and Inclusive Design.

• research and evaluate new developments in accessibility, inclusive design, and universal design for learning (UDL) and assist Content teams in their implementation of these principles and guidelines.

• coordinate effective bias and sensitivity reviews of science content to ensure fair and equitable assessments for students with disabilities.

• partner with Pearson multimedia team members to build images within assessment items used to investigate complex phenomena.

• provide guidance to content authors on approaches for simplifying images within assessment content to support more successful use by students with disabilities.

• participate in efforts to research design of accessible science simulations.

• collaborate with members of the Accessibility Team for Assessments to develop guidelines and resources for content authors in designing inclusive and accessible science content for students with disabilities.

• serve as a resource for product owners in the design of platform capabilities that can support the needs of students with disabilities.

• serve as an escalation point for accessibility guidance during all phases of content development.

• review test items and stimuli, including multiple-choice, technology-enhanced, extended response, cluster sets, and performance-based tasks across multiple grade levels with attention to accessibility concerns for large-scale assessment.

• review visual description language for images and recommend ways to address the description of complex science models, diagrams and illustrations.

• support customer meetings as needed to provide content and accessibility expertise.

• work closely with the Accessibility Team for Assessments, test development managers, other content developers, psychometricians, and other Pearson groups.

• some travel required.

The successful candidate will also possess:

• evidence of success in the implementation of effective instructional practices in teaching science to students with disabilities based on student achievement data.

• ability to coach content developers on the effective implementation of accessibility and accommodation features that enable students with disabilities to achieve successful learning outcomes in science.

• familiarity with speech rules for the voicing of science content.

• understanding of the instructional and assessment supports used by students with disabilities.

• experience working directly with students with disabilities.

• excellent planning and organizational skills.

• ability and mental flexibility to take on various tasks as needed to work as part of a team managing multiple products at various stages of development.

• effective communication skills with teams via email, chat, video conferencing, and comfort communicating product-specific details to customers in collaboration with customer support staff.

• ability to identify issues in a project beyond the scope of initial assignments, communicate issues to the team, plan additional work to be done, and take the initiative to follow through

• critical thinking skill to recognize assumptions, evaluate arguments, and draw conclusions that are clear, consistent, sound, and fair and communicate these ideas in constructive and actionable ways.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in content area, education, or equivalent degree required

• Demonstrated experience working with a diverse group of internal stakeholders

• Experience with accessibility, accommodations, special education programs or services

• Successful experience developing, monitoring, and continuously improving high-quality assessments

• Skill in evaluating and providing input on project schedules and process documents required

• Broad knowledge of common software programs, strong technology skills, and the confidence necessary to work with unfamiliar programs required

Preferred Qualifications

As required by the Colorado Equal Pay Transparency Act, Pearson provides a reasonable range of minimum compensation for roles that may be hired in Colorado. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific office location. For the state of Colorado only, the range of starting pay for this role is $80 – 95k. This position is eligible to participate in an annual incentive program, and information on benefits offered is here: https://pearsonbenefitsus.com/new-employees/

Learning is the most powerful force for change in the world. More than 20,000 Pearson employees deliver our products and services in nearly 200 countries, all working towards a common purpose – to help everyone achieve their potential through learning. We do that by providing high quality, digital content and learning experiences, as well as assessments and qualifications that help people build their skills and grow with the world around them. We are the world’s leading learning company. Learn more at pearsonplc.com.

Pearson believes that wherever learning flourishes, so do people. We are committed to being an anti-racist company in everything we do. We value the power of an inclusive culture and a strong sense of belonging. We promote a culture where differences are embraced, opportunities are accessible, consideration and respect are the norm, and all individuals are supported in reaching their full potential. Through our talent, we believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion make us a more innovative and vibrant place to work. People are at the center, and we are committed to a sustainable environment and workplace where talent can learn, grow, and thrive.  

To learn more about Pearson’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce, please click here:  http://www.pearson.com/careers/diversity-and-inclusion.html 

Pearson is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other group protected by law.

Job: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Organization: Assessment & Qualifications

Schedule: FULL_TIME

Req ID: 4129