Juan D’Brot, Ph.D. is a Senior Associate at the Center for Assessment. His work focuses on assisting clients solving intricate problems in assessment and accountability design and implementation where policy, technical, and practical issues intersect. The Center's mission is to contribute to improved student achievement and equitable educational outcomes through enhanced policies and practices in educational assessment and accountability.

Provided thought leadership, oversight, and support for research solutions, programs, and projects. Was responsible for designing, computing, and evaluating all traditional and IRT statistical analyses, including defining, managing, and monitoring all psychometric analyses. Responsibilities also included producing project documentation and statistical reports; conducting standard setting; enhancing test development processes and systems; working with research associates, statistical analysts, and state departments of education throughout the item and test development processes; and supporting strategic and business development efforts.

Provided thought leadership and informed the assessment vision for CTB in terms of research, solutions, programs, products and other services that focus on student achievement and performance. Utilized first-hand knowledge of customer needs and best practices to direct research, technology, and other solutions as well as product/service/development and innovation. Served as a liaison between CTB Research and Sales to develop strategic and technology-based solutions closely aligned with our state and local educational agency assessment staff. Also oversaw the Sample Acquisitions and Standard Setting teams in conducting national and regional field studies for CTB’s published tests and custom contracts.

Served as special assignment to the state superintendent. Responsible for developing and overseeing assessment unit’s projects, studies and budgets, managing the day-to-day work of the unit’s activities, and managing the assessment development, implementation, and training. In addition to day-to-day duties, responsible for working closely with vendors who are contracted by WVDE, preparing and responding to requests for proposals, requests for quotes, and other publications, and developing and delivering local, state and national presentations. Responsibilities also included working with psychometricians to determine appropriate statistical analysis relevant to assessments and research, costing all projects, maintaining budgets, and working with a variety of offices within the department to drive the division’s and department’s initiatives. Position also required proficiency in data analysis, report preparation, and dissemination of findings to appropriate audiences. Oversaw development and revisions to federal accountability system to meet the requirements of Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Also responsible for the strategic and direct oversight of the WVDE’s Office of Research, which provides grant-based evaluation services and provides independent research and evaluation services for department programs and initiatives before (design), during (consultation), and after (impact) implementation. Served on the Superintendent's Cabinet for WVDE and the Executive Committee for Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. Was responsible for West Virginia's implementation of the Smarter Balanced assessment as state lead.

Responsible for developing and overseeing assessment unit’s projects, studies and budgets, managing the day-to-day work of the unit’s activities, and managing the assessment development, implementation, and trainings. In addition to day-to-day duties, responsible for working closely with vendors who are contracted by WVDE, preparing and responding to requests for proposals, requests for quotes, and other publications, and developing and delivering local, state and national presentations. Responsibilities also include working with psychometricians to determine appropriate statistical analysis relevant to assessments and research, costing all projects, maintaining budgets, and working with a variety of offices within the department to drive the division’s and department’s initiatives. Position also requires proficiency in data analysis, report preparation, and dissemination of findings to appropriate audiences.

Responsible for coordinating activities for various research and evaluation contracts, developing proposals, and assisting with the design and implementation of research and evaluation plans. In addition to designing, implementing, and reporting on research studies in various contexts, responsible for assisting in the development of applications for various federal grant. Responsibilities also include the streamlining of the Office of Assessment, Accountability, and Research’s overall project management. Position requires proficiency in research and evaluation techniques, including a diverse set of quantitative and qualitative approaches to data analysis, familiarity and understanding of psychometric principles in large-scale assessment, and the ability to present findings to stakeholder groups of varying levels of expertise (i.e., general population to technical audiences).

Responsible for coordinating day-to-day evaluation activities for multiple evaluation projects, developing proposals, and assisting with the design and implementation of research and evaluation plans. Responsibilities included designing the appropriate instrumentation (e.g., surveys, interview and observation protocols, and student assessment measures) for responding to research and evaluation questions and developing databases for data collection activities. Position required proficiency in both quantitative and qualitative designs, methodologies, and analytic techniques. Work also included conducting qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis (site visits, interviews, focus groups, observations, surveys, achievement tests). Additionally, was responsible for supervising individual contract staff and direct reports to ensure project tasks were completed appropriately and efficiently as well promoting employee growth and intrinsic motivation. Assisted with internal strategic development efforts and enhancing staff and client capacity with program development and planning.

Instructor for: Ethics and Moral Philosophy, Introduction to Psychology, and Introduction to Sociology

Responsible for the daily management of 600+ students, logistics, and testing in an undergraduate communication studies course. Instructed half of the communication classes assigned and assisted in a federally funded study affiliated with the Center for Organ Research and Education, which sought to increase the signing of organ donor cards through scientific studies. Managed and led research teams in various research projects concerning interpersonal conflict, organizational communication and behavior, interpersonal attraction, and racially-related communication, thought, and behavior. Involved in designing and administering survey questionnaires to a variety of target populations, conducting structured interviews, planning data analyses, managing a large data base, conducting data analyses using statistical packages (i.e., SPSS, SAS), writing 8-12 evaluation reports per year, and presenting research reports and describing implications to instructors, supervisors, and peers.

Responsible for the daily management of administrative, scheduling, and sales responsibilities while brokering communication between direct reports, coworkers, and supervisor. Structured the floor layout to generate revenue and increase sales through applying physical structuring research. Persuaded West Virginia University Creative Arts Center to replace instruments with a new line of pianos through presentations. Applied knowledge of products with clientele to create a sense of credibility and expertise while establishing rapport with clientele to create a feeling of trust to generate repeated and loyal customers. Taught and retained 40 students for guitar and music theory lessons.