Data Internship

Friends of Choice in Urban Schools (FOCUS) is now the DC Charter School Alliance!

Please visit www.dccharters.org to learn about our new organization and to see the latest news and information related to DC charter schools.

The FOCUS DC website is online to see historic information, but is not actively updated.

FOCUS seeks data interns to work at public charter schools in Washington, D.C. Our data intern program places trained interns in DC schools for 10-15 hours a week during the school year to help with data projects. Some representative projects include: training and supporting teachers in using Excel to conduct classroom-level analyses on their own or collaboratively with other teachers; supporting data managers in preparation and cleaning of data in order to integrate them with the main data system; and designing, or helping school staff to design, student dashboards for use by staff, including in parent-teacher conferences. 

Interested in becoming a school data intern?

Charter schools rely heavily on data collection, data management, reporting and advocacy.  Interns will be placed with a local public charter school for the school year depending on their interests. Through their work in public charter schools, interns will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with school operations, advocacy, building large datasets, data cleaning, and creating reports. Interns will gain extensive knowledge of the DC’s public education system, the charter school sector, and nonprofit management. Data Interns spend either one semester or two semesters at their school site.

Please use the link below to apply. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Interns will work on a variety of projects with their assigned school’s staff. Interns will be assigned to schools based on interests and strengths. Sample projects include:

  • Perform classroom analysis on student reading scores
  • Design reports displaying school attendance trends
  • Help implement new report card systems
  • Compile, clean, and enter data from existing sources into new databases
  • Work with teachers and school staff to create reporting and analysis that will help improve student outcomes
  • Create presentations for staff professional development days and charter school boards

Data Internship Position Description

Interested in hosting an intern at your school?

The 2019-2020 School Year will be the 7th year of FOCUS’s Data Internship Program. We have placed over 80 FOCUS Data Interns in 29 different public charter schools throughout Washington, D.C. Interns are placed in public charter schools, and work with the school’s data staff and teachers to increase the school’s capacity to use data effectively. We match interns with schools based on interests and strengths. 

If you are interested in hosting a Data Intern at your school or LEA please review the documents below.  Currently, we are not accepting any applications. Please email dataintern@focusdc.org with any questions.

School Application for Hosting a Data Intern

Sample Partner Agreement

 

 

Hear from Previous Interns

I loved the community at my school and how flexible the schedule could be around classes and my other job. I developed a lot of skills (ex. Excel) and feel that these skills will help me in grad school.
If someone is interested in data work particularly in the education field, I think this internship is a great start.
I would recommend this internship to other students because it is a great way to further develop [your] analysis skills in an environment that is very comforting. This program wants you to succeed and I think that is extremely important.

What are schools saying about data interns?

She is hard-working, respectful, willing to accept feedback, and eager to grow. Couldn't ask for a better person for this position!
Our intern created a system for analyzing and reviewing our small group data which had been a desire for a long time, but no one had the capacity to complete the task. She had the time and opportunity to complete the task.
Our intern is self-directed, asks questions, and turns out quality products. I feel confident having her around, and she helps with a lot of the day-to-day grind.