Job Banding → IT Systems Specialists → Frequently Asked Questions
Job Banding for IT Systems Specialists: Frequently Asked Questions
What is job banding?
Job banding is a position classification strategy that combines several related positions into one “job band” with established criteria for how employees can move from one level to the next. The result is job classifications that provide the employees in specific job bands with improved opportunities for career advancement.
Levels:
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Intern
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Primary
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Intermediate
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Advanced
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Is my job in the IT systems specialist job band?
Within the information technology (IT) job family, MCPS has three related job classifications that are referred to as IT Systems Support. The job levels that are included in the job band are the IT systems specialist intern, I, II, and III.
IT Systems Support Job Family
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IT Systems Engineer
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IT Systems Specialist Intern
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IT Systems Specialist I
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IT Systems Specialist II
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IT Systems Specialist III
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IT Systems Technician
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Staff within the job band may advance from one level to the next once they fulfill the criteria for advancement. The IT systems technician and the IT systems engineer are related jobs; but these positions are not in this job band. IT systems technician can apply for promotion into the job band and IT systems specialists can apply for promotion into a job as an IT systems engineer.
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How do I get started on the process for career advancement?
Employees in the IT system specialist job family notify their supervisor of their intent to initiate the career advancement process and complete the Job Banding Career Advancement form (PDF).
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What do I have to do to advance?
To be advanced (receive a non-competitive promotion) IT systems specialists must fulfill the Criteria for Advancement. These criteria outline the performance, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities that are needed to advance. Achievement of these criteria is measured as follows.
- One year of experience at the current job level; 6 months, for interns (required)
- Satisfactory job performance (required) – employees in the Peer Assistance and Review process or under special evaluation for unsatisfactory performance are not eligible to participate in job banding career advancement
- Passing score on the Job Skills Assessments (required)
- Two additional measures selected from the following list:
- Portfolio with artifacts demonstrating achievement of needed skills
- Industry certification(s) related to IT systems specialist responsibilities
- MCPS certification that the Coaching program has been completed
- Passing grade in qualified course(s) related to IT systems specialist responsibilities
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How do I prove I have completed the criteria and earn my non-competitive promotion?
When an ITSS has met some or all of their advancement criteria, the employee gathers the documentation needed and meets with their supervisor to complete the Job Banding Career Advancement form. Once all criteria have been met and the employee and supervisor has signed off that this has been documented, the supervisor will complete the section to request the advanced salary. Once the supervisory and division direction have signed the form, it is sent to the Department of Recruitment and Staffing, Office of Human Resources where the non-competitive promotion is approved. The effective date of the non-competitive promotion is the date the form is signed by the supervisor.
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Will a non-competitive promotion change my annual date?
Yes. Your annual date will change to the date the non-competitive promotion takes effect (the date the form is signed by your supervisor).
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Can I schedule classes or coaching during the work day? Do I have pay for my classes?
Courses, workshops, certification preparation/testing, and Coaching experiences that are related to career advancement are to be paid for by employees and are to be completed outside regular work hours. These classes and skill development experiences are being done to obtain a higher level position; they are not needed for the employee’s current position. The costs may, however, be submitted for tuition reimbursement.
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What are the rules around industry certification?
Industry certifications must be related to products used by MCPS (for example, Microsoft, Cisco, PEMBOK project management); related to IT systems specialist responsibilities (for example, Cisco networking); and must be the most current version of the test. Any costs related to industry certifications must be paid for by the employee. Certification training, study, and testing must be completed outside of normal work hours. Leave may be used to take the certification tests, as appropriate.
Either 40 hours of certification training OR the certification itself may be used to meet the criteria for advancement. Stated another way, an employee may not meet two criteria by taking the 40 hours of training, then passing the certification test(s).
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If I advance from an ITSS I to and ITSS II, am I still eligible for overtime?
No. An IT systems specialist II (grade 23) is no longer eligible for overtime pay.
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If I advance, can I be reassigned?
Yes. Employees approved for advancement are subject to reassignment to a position where these skills can be fully utilized. For school-based employees (e.g., those advancing from a grade 20 to a grade 23) this could mean reassignment to a vacant central office position. There may also be situations where a school-based employee at a grade 23 is assigned to a school with an educational program that requires extensive support of multiple software applications and integration of multiple types of innovative technology equipment. Advancement to an IT systems specialist III (grade 25), however, does means taking a central office assignment.
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If I advance but stay in the same unit, will my duties change totally?
Employees approved for advancement are expected to perform the duties and responsibilities related to the grade level to which they have advanced. For example, employees advancing from an IT systems specialist I (grade 20) to an IT systems specialist II (grade 23) will be expected to resolve complex technology problems involving multiple software problems independently and they will be expected to be able integrate multiple types of innovative technology equipment without oversight.
Employees advancing to an IT systems specialist III (grade 25) will be expected to take lead responsibility for school/office support related to the rollout of a project, such as the county-wide support for Pinnacle Grade Book, Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test, or laptops for principals.
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What are the required Job Skills Assessments being used by MCPS?
The required Job Skills Assessments are web-based, online tests called Brainbench. Brainbench tests are hosted and scored by an outside vendor, PreVisor. PreVisor is an experienced provider of web-based job skill assessments and has provided documentation of the Brainbench product’s test validity. The vendor has also shown that they have qualified staff and the organizational capacity to keep these tests up-to-date with industry standards.
ITSS employees will be given access to the assessments required for advancement, as well as the full list of assessments offered by Brainbench. You do not need to participate in job banding to take advantage of the professional development features of Brainbench. After each test taken, the employee will get feedback on their skills and on areas where they need to develop their knowledge and skills. When employees achieve a satisfactory level of knowledge and skills, Brainbench will issue a learning certificate to the employee.
ITSS’s may take any assessment offered as many times as desired. Because the questions vary each time the test is taken, the assessment questions will never be the same from one test session to the next. These practice tests are not included in the count when calculating the number of times you have taken a test. The scores and feedback you receive are meant to assist you in areas where improvement is needed.
When the “official,” required assessments are taken for advancement, they will be proctored. That is, employees will take the test under supervision in an isolated location. The proctor will sign you onto the testing site and provide secure access to the required tests. Each assessment takes approximately one hour to complete. Scores for proctored tests will be provided to the employee’s supervisor and the Office of Human Resources.
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Will I receive a raise if I complete the job banding criteria?
Employees approved for advancement will receive non-competitive promotion, which carries with it a one-step increase in pay. As a comparison, a reclassification would place an employee at the new grade level with no immediate pay increase (or a minimal increase if the same hourly pay is not included at that grade level) and a competitive promotion would provide an employee with a two-step increase in pay. Any time an employee is moved to a higher grade level, their long term earning potential increases. For example, currently a grade 23 employee’s earning potential is about $1,500 higher at the top of the pay range than the earning potential of a grade 20 employee.
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