Aida Ali Akreyi is a research and data strategy expert with over a decade of experience in federal data collection, institutional research, and education policy. Most recently, she served as Statistician and IPEDS Operations Lead at the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, where she directed national postsecondary data collection, compliance, and reporting initiatives, ensuring data integrity, accessibility, and usability. Aida brings deep expertise in leading large-scale research projects, developing performance metrics, and translating complex data into actionable insights for policymakers, institutional leaders, and the public. She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and Policy from the University of California, Riverside, and is passionate about using data to inform systems change and expand opportunity.

Dr. Ali is a seasoned education evaluation and research leader. As a research analyst and branch chief for the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, she designed and led large-scale mixed-methods implementation and impact studies. These included studies of educator preparation and development programs, educator performance evaluation systems, postsecondary access strategies, and career pathways programming for youth and adults.

Dr. Alka Arora is a researcher and psychometrician with more than 25 years of experience in K–12 STEM assessment, measurement, and data analysis across the major national and international studies, including the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and TIMSS Advanced, and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Her work centers on the content and framework side of large-scale assessment — assessment design, framework and standards-alignment studies, item and scoring-guide review, and the cross-assessment comparisons that allow NCES to interpret and report U.S. results in an international context. She brings particular depth in mathematics and science content, constructed-response scoring, and standard-setting.
Most recently, Dr. Arora spent more than a decade as a Senior Researcher at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), supporting the NAEP assessment development program through development plans, assessment design, item and framework review, and small-scale investigations to support assessment quality, alongside reviews of NAEP results, snapshots, and state and TUDA reporting. She conducted multiple framework and item comparisons among TIMSS, NAEP, and PISA to identify how the assessments’ constructs align and differ, and served as lead mathematics content expert for the 2023 Maryland College and Career Readiness Empirical Study. Earlier, over nearly a decade at Boston College’s TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center — as Researcher, TIMSS Advanced Project Coordinator, and Assistant Research Director — she coordinated the development of TIMSS, TIMSS Advanced, and TIMSS Numeracy frameworks, achievement tests, background questionnaires, and scoring rubrics, and served as a liaison among study directors, participating countries, and the international research community.
Dr. Arora holds a Ph.D. in Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation from Boston College and began her career as a secondary STEM teacher. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and a certified reviewer under the What Works Clearinghouse 5.0 group-design standards, and is a member of AERA, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the Comparative and International Education Society. Her published scholarship includes work on student misconceptions in physics and mathematics drawn from TIMSS data and a comparison of the Next Generation Science Standards with the NAEP frameworks.

Laura is a social policy scholar with wide-ranging interests in U.S. domestic policy and particular interests in sometimes hard-to-identify populations (immigrant communities, LGBTQ+ individuals). She has training in causal inference and demography, as well as extensive expertise working with large-scale administrative data. She also has a long-time interest in collaborating with state agencies and non-profits. She has a B.A. in History and English from Rice University, a MPA from Indiana University-Bloomington, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Duke University.

Experienced leader in large-scale assessment and psychometrics with over 25 years specializing in educational measurement, statistical analysis, and data-driven reporting. Recognized for managing complex national and international assessment programs and coordinating cross-functional teams through all phases of test development, validation, administration, and analysis. Adept at translating sophisticated data into actionable insights and effectively communicating results to all.

Experienced mathematical statistician with a wide range of research and analytic skills. In-depth experience with all aspects of survey research, including conceptual development, survey design management, and quantitative data analysis using appropriate statistical methodology. Specific expertise in data confidentiality and statistical disclosure limitation procedures. Effective written and oral communication skills.

I’m an Education Researcher fueled by a passion for improving the lives of young children and their families through thoughtful, data-driven change. I believe that when research is done well—and shared wisely—it can elevate entire systems of early childhood education and care. My work centers on uncovering what works, for whom, and why, using rigorous program evaluation and applied research to guide practice and policy.

Across federal, state, and local departments of education, foundations, and nonprofit organizations, I’ve collaborated with diverse teams to design evaluations, develop assessments, and build evidence that informs strategy. Whether managing a national study, advising on state policy, or crafting insights for practitioners, I strive to make complex information useful and actionable for those shaping the field.

My approach blends strategic thinking with creativity, problem-solving, and a deep commitment to equity. I led project and staff management for the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS), ensuring high-quality results and timely deliverables. I’ve provided technical assistance to Chicago Public Schools, supported content alignment for Oklahoma’s Early Learning Inventory, and helped refine training and assessment protocols across multiple states. My work with the Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa enhanced data quality through improved protocols.

Globally, I’ve represented U.S. perspectives in shaping the International Early Learning Study (IELS), overseeing a national pilot and facilitating key conversations with NAEYC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Throughout, I’ve remained focused on making data meaningful—refining instruments, translating findings for broad audiences, and building bridges between research and practice.

At the heart of my work is a belief: that data, when centered on real people and real needs, can be a powerful tool for advancing opportunity and equity. I’m here to help organizations take the next best step for the children and families they serve.

Jared Coopersmith (PhD) is a statistician with 19 years of experience focusing on survey research, statistical sample designs and weighting, report writing, and evaluation design. His most recent role was Chief Statistician for the Ipsos KnowledgePanel, leading a team of statisticians to develop complex sampling and weighting designs to meet specific client needs. Outside of his KnowledgePanel work, he also participated in developing proposals and led sampling and weighting for large-scale projects. This included the nonresponse bias analysis and weighting for the US Department of Transportation 2022 National Household Transportation Survey.
Prior to his work at Ipsos he was a Senior Statistician at Mathematica, where he led the sample design and implementation for multiple large scale survey e􀆯orts for the US Department of Education, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and non-profit clients like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Much of this work involved extensive sample frame construction, and utilized complex, multi-stage sample selection to achieve precision targets and supporting analytic goals.
Dr Coopersmith also had extensive experience with evaluation design at Mathematica and co-led an evaluation of prior authorization for non-emergent ambulatory transportation for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, which identified significant cost savings with little impact on beneficiary health. Along with other colleagues he also co-authored several papers examining the ability of non-experimental methods to replicate experimental findings. Before joining Mathematica in 2012, Dr Coopersmith was an associate research scientist at the National Center for Education Statistics, overseeing two rapid turnaround survey systems.

As a proficient wrangler of both middle school students and administrative data, Richelle brings a wealth of education knowledge to bear on her work. As the former Branch Chief for the Elementary and Secondary Branch at the National Center of Education Statistics, Richelle’s team oversaw the collection of federal K-12 education data within the EDFacts system. Richelle is an expert in the collection, reporting, and use of high-quality federal administrative education data, particularly special education data. Richelle’s super power, though, is her ability to explain complex data and policy concepts in a manner that non-data folks find accessible and easy to understand.

Kristi is a sociologist with expertise in research design, data analysis, and stakeholder communications. At NCES, she led the Digest of Education Statistics, which is a core statistical reference that covers education topics from early childhood to K-12, post-secondary, and adult outcomes, all across several equity dimensions. Her prior experience includes working with state and local education organizations, including the city of Newark, NJ, and Saint Louis Public Schools, on community-driven research projects. Kristi has more than 10 years of experience with quantitative data analysis and writing for technical and non-technical audiences.

Senior project leader with over 20 years of experience managing federal statistics projects and tasks in both federal and contract settings. Subject matter expertise in high school transcript study analysis and knowledge of various education and health datasets. Expertise in program coordination, statistical analysis, technical writing and editing, and dissemination planning. Experience working in state and local education organizations on K-12 education accountability and performance measures.

Most recently at NCES, Linda served as project leader responsible for leading the U.S. data collection of 2023 International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) as well as the 2019 and 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) High School Transcript Studies (HSTS). She presented key findings from the ICILS 2023 U.S. Highlights Report to staff from the Secretary of Education, White House, and Congressional offices and the 2019 NAEP HSTS Results at several National Assessment Governing Board meetings. In addition, she oversaw the development of various presentations, briefing books and press releases, and led in preparing for the NCES Commissioner’s media briefing, resulting in useful and policy-relevant national media coverage. She managed the restart of the NAEP HSTS and established policies and procedures for a new middle school transcript data collection. Early in her career, she conducted statistical analysis using SAS, SUDAAN, and Wesvar for a variety of private organizations looking at national health metrics and developed database applications for collecting data.

Linda also has considerable federal acquisition and contract experience working with program leaders and contract officers to manage the First International Consolidated National Contract for three international studies, and Education Statistics Service Institute Network (ESSIN) and Procurement of Research Evaluation and Statistics (PRESTO) task orders. She led in developing solicitations for and rewarding several of these task orders, reviewed contract proposals, monitored contract performance and budgets, and prepared contract modifications.