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By Lindsay Templeton
Last, but not least, here are the final four FOCUS interns for the 2013-14 school year. FOCUS created the Student Data Intern Program, a paid internship designed to help charter schools develop and manage their data systems. FOCUS received 19 applications from schools and was able to provide 12 schools with interns for the school year.
Alex Caple- Two Rivers PCS
Alex is interning at Two Rivers PCS in northeast DC and pursuing his Master in Public Policy with a focus in Education at Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy. Before becoming a FOCUS data intern, Alex completed internships with the U.S. Department of Education, District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Urban Education Leaders, and the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). He was also a fourth grade teacher in San Antonio, TX.
At Two Rivers, Alex is building individualized data dashboards for each teacher. He enjoys working with the Two Rivers’ extremely efficient data team and believes they demonstrate the value organized data have when creating academic solutions for students. Alex is looking forward to learning how a successful school administration functions and then applying this knowledge to future jobs.
After graduation Alex plans to work for a local school district in Missouri. In his free time he enjoys running, writing, and exploring D.C. with his friends.
Etai Mizrav- Cesar Chavez, Parkside
Etai is interning at Cesar Chavez PCS’s Parkside campus in Northeast DC while pursuing his Master of Public Policy at Georgetown University. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
He is currently working on analyses of Cesar Chavez’s DC CAS performance data and student assessments to identify strengths and weaknesses in the school’s teaching methodologies. Etai is excited to help the teachers and administrators: 1) use data to personalize instruction, 2) use instruction time more efficiently, and 3) use data to predict data related issues before they arise. He is enjoying learning about the autonomy given to charter schools that encourages innovation and the use of best practices to increase student achievement.
Before joining the FOCUS data intern program, Etai completed internships with Higher Education Insight and the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA): The Global Standard for Public Service Education in Washington, D.C. He also spent two years managing Israel’s largest progressive advocacy NGO called Peace Now, and served in the Israeli military. After graduation Etai plans to find a job that focuses on school improvement and teacher quality.
Jiehan Zhu- Center City PCS, Central Office
Jiehan is an intern at Center City PCS. She is currently pursuing her MS in Statistics at George Washington University where she is also a Data Analysis Teaching Assistant. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Information and Computing Science from China University of Mining and Technology in Beijing, China where she was the first undergraduate student to have her dissertation published in a North American journal (Journal of Mathematics Research).
At Center City, Jiehan is using student assessment results to generate bi-weekly watch lists and dashboards for teachers. She is looking forward to using data to capture academic performance trends occurring at each campus and within the charter sector as a whole. She appreciates the friendly working environment at Center City, and is surprised by how difficult it is to predict student assessment scores.
Before joining the FOCUS data internship program, Jiehan worked as a data analyst at Beijing ABC Educational Group in Beijing, China, and as a financial intern at People’s Insurance Company of China. After graduation Jiehan will pursue a job involving student data analysis here in the United States.
David Meni- Sela PCS
David interns at Sela PCS, a new charter school in northeast DC. He is pursuing his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science with a Public Policy concentration and a minor in Music and Creative Writing.
David is enjoying the unique experience of being a data intern at a school in its first year of operation. He is helping to develop efficient tracking systems and school dashboards, successfully implement the school’s student information system, and generate student report cards. He is also facilitating the establishment of effective data systems that will hopefully support academic success in Sela’s inaugural year.
Before joining the FOCUS data intern team, David was a financial services intern at Campaign Finance Consultants in Washington, DC. He has also completed a Campaign Office Internship with Congressman Rush D. Hold in West Windsor, NJ. After graduation David will pursue a job in education policy here in D.C.