Andrew McEachin will lead the NWEA’s Collaborative for Student Growth
Portland, Ore. – April 1, 2021 – Dr. Andrew McEachin joins NWEA today as the new Director of the Collaborative for Student Growth – one of the main research centers for the not-for-profit organization. He brings with him an extensive background in educational research that has helped policy makers and educators make informed decisions about the design and implementation of educational policies and programs.
“We are thrilled that Dr. McEachin is joining NWEA. He is an incredible scholar who will extend the reach of our research that improves the measurement of student learning, informs teaching and learning practices, and advocates for policies that benefit students and teachers,” said Dr. Beth Tarasawa, EVP of Research for NWEA.
Prior to joining NWEA, McEachin was a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, as well as a professor of Policy Analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, co-editor of Educational Researcher and a member of the Board of Directors for the Association for Education Finance and Policy. His research has focused on better understanding determinants of persistent educational inequities and inequalities, as well as evaluating policies and programs aimed at mitigating these inequities and inequalities. Current examples of these include school choice initiatives, student discipline policies, and curricular intensification.
Beyond RAND, his past experiences include assistant professor of Educational Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Adult and Higher Education at North Carolina State University, and an IES Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education. McEachin holds a Ph.D. in Education Policy and an M.A. in Economics from the University of Southern California and an A.B. in History from Cornell University.
As the new Director of the Collaborative for Student Growth, McEachin will lead a diverse team of researchers whose work spans a range of educational measurement and policy issues including achievement gaps, assessment engagement, social-emotional learning, and innovations in how we measure student learning. The Collaborative is also one of the leading centers examining the impact of COVID-19 school disruptions on student learning, and McEachin’s leadership will provide guidance in this endeavor.
About NWEA
NWEA® (formerly known as Northwest Evaluation Association) is a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators worldwide by creating assessment solutions that precisely measure growth and proficiency—and provide insights to help tailor instruction. Educators in more than 10,000 schools, districts, and education agencies in 146 countries rely on our flagship interim assessment, MAP® Growth™; our reading fluency and comprehension assessment, MAP® Reading Fluency™ ; our personalized learning tool powered by Khan Academy, MAP® Accelerator™; and our state solutions that combine growth and proficiency measurement. Visit NWEA.org to find out how NWEA can partner with you to help all kids learn.
Contact: Simona Beattie, Sr. Manager, Public Relations, simona.beattie@nwea.org or 971.361.9526