NWEA

Steven Wise has published extensively during the past three decades in applied measurement, with particular emphases in computer-based testing and the psychology of test taking.

Yeow Meng Thum focuses on methodological research on multivariate, multilevel models for behavioral and educational data, with a strong emphasis on methods for describing growth and change, as well as on topics in latent variable modeling, causal inference, and psychometrics.

Beth Tarasawa is relentlessly committed to using data-driven insights to transform education and eliminate structural barriers to achieve equitable outcomes for all students.

James Soland’s research focuses on assessment and evaluation policy and practice. Particular areas of emphasis include measuring social-emotional learning (SEL), test engagement, and estimating teacher and school effectiveness.

Erik Ruzek’s research focuses on how classroom and school processes shape student engagement, motivation, and learning. As an educational psychologist, his work emphasizes the measurement of students’ subjective experiences of their classrooms and school.  He combines student-reported experiential data with classroom observations, teacher reports, and direct assessments to identify the essential features of teacher-student and student-peer interactions that engage and motivate students. 

Karyn Lewis brings expertise in social psychology, quantitative methods, and data visualization to the research she leads and supports. Her research interests focus on the interplay between students’ academic growth and achievement, their social-emotional development and well-being, and how they experience their school’s climate. Prior to joining NWEA, she was a senior researcher at Education Northwest where she led a diverse portfolio of applied research, technical assistance, and evaluation projects centered around social and emotional learning.

Megan Kuhfeld seeks to understand students’ trajectories of academic and social-emotional learning and the school and neighborhood influences that promote optimal growth.

Gregory King uses quantitative methods to research college and career readiness, policies that impact higher education access and success, and the K–12 to higher education pipeline.

G. Gage Kingsbury provides advice and development work in the application of technology to practical assessment situations. He designed the first adaptive tests used in educational settings and helped design adaptive tests currently administered to K–12 students throughout the United States and in a wide variety of international schools.

Angela Johnson specializes in experimental, quasi-experimental, and mixed methods research designs. Her research focuses on identifying and reducing inequality.

Nate Jensen specializes in issues related to the use of student testing data in accountability systems and its application to myriad policy decisions.

Andrew Hegedus consulted with education system leaders around the world; prototyped, launched, and supported state-of-the-art reports; and managed research projects focused on understanding the drivers for growth in schools with differing levels of challenges.

Meg Guerreiro’s previous career as a teacher in the School District of Philadelphia is the foundation for her work to make assessments equitable and accessible for all students.

Michael Dahlin leads NWEA’s Reporting & Data Analytics team. He specializes in research and reporting on college readiness and school accountability policy. Before joining NWEA, he was a research analyst for the Oregon Department of Human Services. He holds a PhD in developmental psychology from Penn State.

John Cronin’s work focuses on helping teachers, administrators, and school board members improve their presentation and use of data in schools. He provides consultation related to testing issues and the use of data to the US Department of Education, Texas Association of School Administrators, New York State Council of School Superintendents, Confederation of Oregon School Administrators, and District Administration Leadership Institute.

Elizabeth Barker began her career in education as a middle school and elementary special education teacher, specifically of students with mild-to-moderate disabilities in Michigan and Colorado. She received her doctoral degree with an emphasis on growth trajectories for students with learning disabilities in mathematics and reading comprehension from the University of Oregon. Her current research focuses on how growth trajectories vary among students with visual impairments, deafness and hearing loss, and other disabilities.