Associate Director for Policy and Communications

SUMMARY OF ORGANIZATION/UNIT The UCLA Center for Community Schooling advances democracy, justice, and public education by helping schools become vibrant, community-centered places where young people learn and thrive. Bringing research, policy, and practice into close conversation, the Center partners with students, families, educators, and public agencies to support meaningful and lasting school transformation.

This work is grounded in long-term research–practice partnerships with the two UCLA Community Schools in LAUSD, where democratic values and community voice shape everyday learning. At the state level, the Center co-leads California’s $4 billion Community School Partnership Program, supporting more than 2,000 public schools and reaching over one million students and families.

Through applied research and implementation support, the Center demonstrates how universities can be powerful partners in advancing equitable, community-driven change. UCLA has established and maintained an active program of engaged scholarship and research at the UCLA Community School since 2009, when the school opened.

Given the success of the UCLA Community School and the establishment of the Mann UCLA Community School in 2016, the UCLA Center for Community Schooling was established to study and share research and practice at both sites—supported by a Regional Training Center grant from the University of Pennsylvania to expand university-assisted community schools on the West Coast.

Since that time, the UCLA Center for Community Schooling has become a nationally recognized leader in community school transformation. Its work synthesizes emerging research, rigorous documentation of practice, and strategies for continuous improvement to generate insights and tools that support educators and communities.

DESCRIPTION OF POSITION The Associate Director for Policy and Communications will work closely with the Co-Directors for the UCLA Center for Community Schooling to provide advanced academic program leadership that strengthens the Center’s capacity to connect educational research, policy, and practice. Through independent coordination of complex academic initiatives, scholarly publications, research translation, and institutional partnerships, the position will contribute to the Center's statewide and national impact while advancing UCLA's mission of research, public service, and community engagement.

The Associate Director will play a critical role in translating the Center's research and evaluation findings into actionable policy recommendations, scholarly publications, and resources that inform educational practice and systems change. Working collaboratively with faculty directors, principal investigators, researchers, policymakers, and community partners, the incumbent will lead academic initiatives that strengthen the Center's influence on community school policy, implementation, and institutional development.

The position requires substantial expertise in educational policy, research translation, community school systems, and research–practice partnerships. The incumbent will exercise a high degree of independent academic judgment in developing and coordinating complex initiatives, representing the Center in academic and policy settings, and advancing the dissemination and application of research findings.

The Associate Director will also provide intellectual and programmatic leadership for the Center's scholarly communications, including serving as Associate Editor of the Center's journal, developing policy briefs and research publications, and coordinating the dissemination of findings to diverse audiences. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES A.

Academic Policy Leadership and Research Translation Provide advanced academic leadership in translating research and evaluation findings into policy recommendations and resources that inform community school implementation and educational systems change. Lead the development of research-informed policy briefs, reports, legislative testimony, and scholarly publications for local, state, and national audiences.

Collaborate with faculty directors, principal investigators, and research teams to analyze and synthesize complex research findings, including statewide CCSPP implementation and evaluation data, to inform educational policy and practice. Identify emerging educational policy issues and opportunities to apply the Center's research to state and national policy discussions.

Serve as a subject matter expert and provide research-based consultation to policymakers, educational organizations, philanthropic partners, and public agencies. B. Scholarly Communications and Publications Provide academic leadership for the Center's scholarly communications and research dissemination initiatives to expand the reach and impact of its scholarship.

Serve as Associate Editor of the Center's journal, establishing editorial priorities and coordinating the development, review, and publication of scholarly articles and research-based resources. Develop and implement research dissemination strategies that effectively communicate complex findings to researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and institutional partners.

Collaborate with faculty and research teams to identify publication opportunities and ensure scholarly materials maintain academic quality and accurately reflect research findings. Coordinate academic convenings, presentations, and other dissemination activities that elevate the Center's research and contributions to the field.

C. State and National Academic and Policy Partnerships Lead academic and policy engagement initiatives that strengthen the Center's role as a state and national resource for community school research and implementation. Represent the Center's research and academic initiatives on statewide and national committees, professional associations, policy forums, and educational networks.

Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with universities, school districts, public agencies, research organizations, and other institutional partners. Monitor emerging research, policy developments, and implementation trends in community schools and related fields, including health, social services, and workforce development.

Identify opportunities for collaborative research, policy engagement, and academic initiatives that advance the application of research to educational policy and practice. D. Academic Partnership and Program Development Provide advanced academic coordination and program development expertise to strengthen research–practice partnerships and expand university-assisted community school models.

Collaborate with faculty leadership, university administrators, school districts, and community partners to develop and sustain research–practice partnerships. Provide subject matter expertise in developing memoranda of understanding, institutional partnership frameworks, and implementation resources that support university–school district collaboration.

Lead the coordination of academic and programmatic planning for university-assisted community school partnerships, identifying opportunities and strategies for sustainable institutional engagement. Contribute to the development of professional learning opportunities, academic convenings, and technical assistance initiatives that support community school implementation.

E. Strategic Academic Program Coordination and Evaluation Provide high-level academic coordination and oversight of initiatives that advance the Center's research, policy, and dissemination objectives. Collaborate with Center leadership to establish academic priorities, strategic objectives, and implementation plans for policy engagement and scholarly communications.

Independently coordinate complex academic initiatives involving faculty, researchers, academic staff, and external institutional partners. Develop evaluation measures, assess program outcomes, and prepare substantive reports and recommendations to inform academic planning and continuous improvement. Contribute to the development of proposals and funding opportunities that support the Center's research, policy, and academic initiatives.