Manager Content Test and Preparation

Who We Are:

National Louis is a 135+ year old university that has been grounded in the values of innovation, access, excellence, and equity from its inception. As an institution, we believe in providing access to educational opportunity and that education is our greatest lever for social and economic mobility. We are a student-focused community that is committed to continuous improvement and superior student service.  We believe that through education we are able to empower change and build healthy communities. Our hard-working community is based on collaboration and respect for all team members and students.

What You Will Do:

The manager of Content Test Success and Preparation provides leadership and oversight for all content test support initiatives across Early Childhood Education (ECE), Elementary Education (ELE), Secondary Education (SEC), Special Education (SPE), and Bilingual endorsement pathways. The Manager’s primary responsibility is to increase content test passage rates for students in Undergraduate Educator Preparation programs that lead to licensure and subsequent endorsements.

This position leads the design, coordination, and evaluation of both on-ground supports and events for UGC Pathways, as well as online workshops and events for Transfer Online students, ensuring that all initiatives are aligned with state licensure test frameworks and university curriculum. The manager oversees a comprehensive model of student support, including the management and coordination of study tables for on-ground students, workshops, tutoring, and embedded course supports. The manager also supervises staff or specialists as needed to execute these initiatives.

The manager collaborates closely with the National College of Education and Undergraduate College to track student engagement, test participation, and passage data, using insights to continuously improve the content test success model. They collaboratively work across departments to ensure coordinated student preparation and a smooth transition into practicum and student teaching.

This role serves as a strategic partner to program directors, chairs, and faculty across the university, providing leadership on equitable and data-informed approaches to test preparation and licensure success. This position is a grant funded position through October 12, 2028 or other date as determined by the funder and/or University Leadership. 

Leadership and Oversight:

• Lead and manage all aspects of content test support programming for ECE, ELE, SEC, SPE, and Bilingual licensure areas. Supervise specialists or assistants who facilitate workshops, tutoring, and course-based supports. Oversee both on-ground supports—including the on-campus study tables at the Chicago and Wheeling locations—and events for UGC Pathways students, as well as online workshops and events for Transfer Online students. Establish annual goals, timelines, and success metrics aligned to institutional and state standards. Facilitate regular team meetings to review progress, share data insights, and align upcoming initiatives across licensure areas.

• Supervise Content Test Specialists and Professional Adjunct Lecturers (PALS) and Student Workers who are dedicated content success specialists; ensure continuity of exceptional quality across student centered tutoring and workshops; facilitate team meetings; assign students for 1-1 supports; share resources; collaborate on supports; provide support as needed.

Curriculum Alignment and Faculty Collaboration:

• Collaborate with program Chairs and course managers to embed test-aligned content and strategies into courses. Provide guidance on aligning curriculum to licensure assessments and maintain shared resources for faculty integration. Offer faculty development sessions and serve as a resource for incorporating test preparation into coursework.

Data Strategy, Tracking, and Continuous Improvement:

• Partner with NCE and UGC teams to collect and analyze engagement data, test participation, and passage rates. Use data insights to refine programming and make evidence-based recommendations for curriculum and support improvements. Prepare regular reports on outcomes and lead quarterly data review meetings with program Chairs and departmental teams to report on progress, trends, and key metrics, and to identify opportunities for continuous improvement. Use data insights to inform a completion coaching list to track students that need additional support.

Student Success and Coaching Oversight:

• Oversee the design and delivery of student-facing supports, including group workshops, individual tutoring, asynchronous modules, and test readiness resources in the LMS. Ensure supports address not only content knowledge but also test-taking strategies, executive functioning, and confidence-building approaches. Serve as a resource to staff and faculty during SSC meetings in Content Test breakout room; provide professional development and resources to faculty designed to support the academic writing of multilingual students; collate and distribute resources widely.

Cross-Department and University Collaboration:

• Work collaboratively across departments align test preparation with academic milestones and support students’ successful transition into practicum and student teaching. Partner with NCE and UGC to track student engagement, licensure progress, and content test passage rates, ensuring accurate and timely data sharing across departments. Serve as a liaison among advisors, coaches, field coaches, and field specialists to coordinate student support and communication. Collaborate with faculty and staff across the university to share best practices and strengthen university-wide approaches to content test preparation and licensure success.

Marketing and Outreach:

• Lead communication and outreach efforts promoting content test supports through presentations, workshops, digital marketing, and student success events. Develop materials and campaigns to increase student engagement in both on-ground and online environments.

Professional Development:

• Provide professional learning opportunities and resources for faculty and staff focused on culturally responsive test support strategies and academic writing for multilingual students. Facilitate discussions and resource sharing across departments.

Additional Duties as assigned by the Directors of ECE and ELE.

• Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Middle Grades, Secondary, Special Education, or ESL/Bilingual Education. Endorsed to teach in one or more of the areas of concentration (demonstrating successful passage of applicable content test (s).
• Five plus (5+) years demonstrated ability to support large groups, small groups and individual students in the passage of standardized tests. Experience must include demonstrated success with test taking strategies, academic writing, reading comprehension, and the development of executive functioning skills.
• Five plus (5+) years ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, especially related to developing new projects and managing continuing projects and employing thoughtful continuous improvement systems/processes.
• Five plus (5+) years Worked as a classroom teacher in an ECE, ELE, MGE, SEC, SPE and/or ESL/Bilingual classroom setting.
• Five plus (5+) years demonstrated experience in navigating complex situations requiring collaborative, relationship-focused, proactive, student-centered decision-making.
• Three plus (3+) years demonstrated organizational skills in using various technologies, applications, and programs to accomplish work tasks.
• Three plus (3+) years ability to collect and analyze data and use a data-decision making framework when guiding programmatic decisions, innovations and/or continuous improvements.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred.

Work Environment/Physical Demands/Travel Requirements:

Regular travel to Chicago/Wheeling Campus.  Work onsite three days a week.

NLU Inclusion Statement:

National Louis University is deeply committed to serving its community, advancing access and equity, and ensuring that all individuals are welcomed and valued.  We are dedicated to fostering a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion remain at the core of who we are. These are more than just words to us: they are truly a way of life for the NLU community. We recognize that differences in abilities, age, ethnicity, gender (identity and expression), race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and background bring richness to our work environment. We affirm diverse perspectives, innovative contributions, and authentic presentations of self from every member within the NLU community. We believe inclusion is grounded in the actions we intentionally take each day. Our goal is to inspire and empower NLU employees and community members to cultivate an environment where we collectively focus on uplifting and advancing our institutional culture.

At National Louis University, we offer our employees an innovative environment to work together and inspire the ideas that will make an impact. As our external environment changes, our employees are provided the opportunities and tools needed to grow both personally and professionally to remain successful. NLU employees and dependents are offered a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to, Health Insurance benefits, Retirement benefits, Paid Time Off and Educational Opportunities. Additional information regarding full-time staff benefits can be found here.

The salary range of the grade for this position is $58,202.00 to $84,393.00 annually.  Compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.  Offers are based on multiple factors permitted by law, including but not limited to: budgetary considerations, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, market considerations, tenure and standing with the university (applicable to current employees), and internal equity. 

Please Include the following along with your application:

• Resume (Required)
• Cover Letter (Optional)
• Current NLU employees please also submit an Internal Posting Form