Tom Snyder served as Project Director for an AIR Equity Initiative grant on Promoting Equity Funding for Schools Facing Adverse Health Circumstances and Project Director for the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Analytical and Technical Support Services IDIQ. Snyder served as an internal AIR consultant on topics related to the appropriate use and availability of data on all education levels, with specialized expertise in the use of historical data, racial/ethnic data, and statistical programming. Snyder also directed or assisted on dozens of AIR contract and grant proposals. Previously, Snyder served as Director of the Annual Reports and Information Staff at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). He has decades of NCES experience in analyzing data directing analyses and reviewing reports, studies, data sets, and survey documents. Snyder has been an author or project director for about 100 reports and papers and conducted briefings and made presentations in a wide variety of formats. Snyder is an internationally recognized expert on education indicators.

Dr. Kavemuii Murangi is a seasoned education leader with more than 20 years of experience managing large-scale assessment, data collection, professional development, and organizational effectiveness. At Westat, he directed the NAEP High School Transcript Study, co-led the NAEP Support and Service Center, and served as Training and Quality Assurance Director—overseeing stakeholder engagement and national data efforts in collection, analysis, reporting, and dissemination.

As HSTS Project Director, Dr. Murangi led recruitment, data collection, transcript coding and analysis, web-based reporting, and the development of technical documentation. As Co-Project Director of the NAEP Support and Service Center, he oversaw a national infrastructure designed to train and support NAEP coordinators in state and district agencies—guiding more than 80 coordinators through technical assistance, professional learning, and program oversight to ensure successful implementation of NAEP across the country. In his role as Training and Quality Assurance Manager, he spearheaded the development of learning management systems and professional development programs that strengthened assessment literacy and operational performance nationwide.

Dr. Murangi’s expertise includes risk mitigation, accountability, and interdisciplinary collaboration, with a proven ability to guide teams and manage complex projects with precision and purpose. His earlier roles at the Arizona Department of Education and Windhoek College of Education reflect a deep commitment to equity, reform, and data-informed decision-making.

At the Arizona Department of Education, Dr. Murangi served as an Education Program Specialist and Interim State Assessment Director, supporting key initiatives in standards development, performance benchmarking, and assessment administration—including scoring, reporting, and outreach. He also oversaw Arizona’s administration of NAEP, strengthening federal-state collaboration and large-scale logistics. He holds a Doctor of Education in Curriculum & Teaching from Columbia University and is certified to teach Social Studies and Political Science in Maryland.

Kristen King is an education data, research, and technical assistance leader with 15 years of experience supporting federal, state, and territorial education agencies. She spent more than a decade with the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences and National Center for Education Statistics, where she served as a federal program officer, project director, and research lead for the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) Grant Program. Her work has supported more than 25 state education agencies and their partners across K–12, early childhood, postsecondary education, and workforce systems.

King originated and led the SLDS Capacity Survey, the program’s first standardized national measure of state longitudinal data system capacity, taking the initiative from concept and metric development through OMB clearance, national fielding, analysis, and publication. A through line of her work is translating complex data, research, and policy into clear, compelling stories and actionable guidance for diverse audiences, from researchers and technical teams to practitioners, agency leaders, and policymakers. She brings extensive experience helping states use evidence to understand where they are, communicate what their data reveal, and turn those insights into practical strategies for improving systems and outcomes.

Her experience spans federal program administration, contractor-delivered technical assistance, and direct state and territorial implementation, including leadership of the Virgin Islands Department of Education’s Office of Federal Grants and her current work supervising federal grants management and review for a multi-agency engagement with the Texas Office of the Governor. She holds an M.S. in Government Analytics and Data Science from Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. in Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Lisa Kessler is an experienced Education Research Analyst with a strong track record in school recruitment for large-scale national studies. She excels at building relationships with states, districts and schools, navigating complex approval processes, and meeting ambitious participation goals. With a Master of Education and a data-driven mindset, she translates recruitment outcomes into actionable insights to inform project strategies. Lisa is passionate about using research to elevate student outcomes and ensure diverse voices are represented in education studies.

Dr. Rebecca Hinze-Pifer is an education researcher and former classroom teacher whose work closes the gap between rigorous evidence and actionable insight for education leaders. Over more than a decade of district-partnered research, she has led multi-year evaluations of major reforms in Chicago Public Schools including the removal of police officers from schools, alternative high school transfer policy, and the effects of community violence on student outcomes, briefing district leadership and reaching public audiences through the Chicago Tribune, Chalkbeat, and WBEZ. She has directed randomized controlled trials of school-based social-emotional interventions in the United States and internationally, including a 30-school RCT in El Salvador presented to the World Bank and USAID. Her methodological toolkit spans causal inference, longitudinal and geospatial data integration, and mixed-methods design, with particular interests in school discipline and safety, teacher retention, and K–12 administrative data. She has served on the faculty of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she taught doctoral quantitative methods, and holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Chicago — having started out, improbably, in astrophysics.

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.

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.

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.

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.