Katie Drummond

Katie Drummond serves as director of REL Northwest. Dr. Drummond brings over 25 years of experience conducting evaluations, research-based technical assistance, and practitioner partnerships designed to improve learner outcomes, especially for underserved populations and in the areas of literacy and early childhood education.

She has led large-scale randomized controlled trials for IES and designed initiatives that involve collaboration with partners at the local, state, and federal levels.

Dr. Drummond earned her BS from Northwestern University and her PhD in educational psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Jodi Davenport

Jodi Davenport serves as deputy director of REL Northwest. Dr. Davenport leads efforts to find meaningful ways to connect research and practice in authentic educational settings and brings substantial experience leading large-scale research projects focused on improving student outcomes.

Previously, she directed the IES-funded National Research and Development Center on Cognition and Mathematics Instruction.

Dr. Davenport earned a BS in cognitive science from the University of California, Los Angeles and a PhD in cognitive science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Rebecca Bates

Rebecca Bates leads communication and dissemination (Task 6) for REL Northwest. Bates has over 25 years of experience in K–12 education. Her projects involve collaborating with multiple teams and partners at the local, state, and federal levels.

She has experience designing and leading professional development, developing guidance and resources, engaging diverse stakeholders, and translating research into practice.

Bates earned her BA in English from Oregon State University and an MEd from the University of Alaska Southeast.

Trudy Cherasaro

Trudy Cherasaro leads the Portland High School Graduation Partnership and the Lower Kuskokwim Teacher Recruitment and Retention Partnership for REL Northwest. Dr. Cherasaro has over 20 years of experience conducting large-scale randomized controlled trials, technical assistance projects, and program evaluations for teacher preparation, literacy programs, early childhood education, and education leadership.

She is a What Works Clearinghouse–certified reviewer for single-case and group-design standards and an author on seven IES-published REL reports.

Cherasaro earned a PhD in educational psychology from the University of Virginia.

Ann Edwards

Ann Edwards co-leads the Using Technology to Support Postsecondary Student Learning Toolkit project for REL Northwest. Dr. Edwards’s experience includes secondary and collegiate mathematics teaching and research, curriculum development, teacher education, and professional development spanning elementary to adult education.

She is the director of Mathematics at WestEd and brings a commitment to addressing issues of equity that shape mathematics teaching and learning.

Dr. Edwards earned a BA in applied mathematics from Harvard University and a PhD in education in mathematics, science, and technology from the University of California, Berkeley.

Matt Eide

Matt Eide leads training, coaching, and technical support (Task 4) for REL Northwest. Dr. Eide has over two decades of experience in K–12 education as a teacher, district and school administrator, youth development specialist, and technical support provider.

He has worked in the Northwest region for 15 years, developing and leading a variety of technical assistance projects focused on school improvement, American Indian/Alaska Native children, rural education, and alternative education.

Eide earned an EdD in educational leadership from the University of Oregon.

Jennifer Folsom

Jennifer Folsom leads the REL Northwest professional learning development for the Using Technology to Support Postsecondary Student Learning Toolkit. Folsom also co-facilitates the REL Northwest Governing Board convenings and co-leads the REL Northwest Cross-REL workgroup focused on technology use.

Her expertise is in the translation of research into professional learning and resources that support teachers, leaders, and communities leveraging evidence in their work.

Folsom earned her BA in biology from Truman State University.

Katie Grogan

Katie Grogan co-leads the Alaska Literacy Strategic Plan Partnership and supports the Oregon Department of Education Literacy Initiative Partnership for REL Northwest.

Dr. Grogan designs and directs research and evaluation projects with a focus on early literacy and helping state education agencies, local education agencies, and other partners inform policy and implementation.

Grogan earned her BA in psychology and history from the University of the South and a PhD in developmental psychology from Georgia State University.

Elise Guest

Elise Guest leads the Oregon Department of Education Literacy Initiative Partnership and the Washington Literacy Partnership for REL Northwest. Dr. Guest works to deepen the use of evidence-based teaching and learning to improve student outcomes and promote increased opportunities and access to educational excellence for all.

She has over 28 years of preK–12 experience as a US Peace Corps and Special Education teacher, a school administrator, and a district curriculum director from Africa and Oregon to Singapore and Montana.

Guest earned an EdD in education methodology, policy, and leadership from the University of Oregon.

Noman Khanani

Noman Khanani leads the Tacoma Math Pathways Study for REL Northwest. Dr. Khanani specializes in quantitative research design and evaluation of educational programs and policies.

He serves as a principal investigator for multiple REL research studies and has previously co-authored REL reports on teacher hiring, retention, and professional development.

Dr. Khanani received a BA in economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a PhD in educational measurement and evaluation from Boston College.

Natalie Lacireno-Paquet

Natalie Lacireno-Paquet leads applied research (Task 5) for REL Northwest. Dr. Lacireno-Paquet supports partnership teams to conduct high-leverage, rigorous research to inform important decisions at the local and state levels.

She also conducts studies of education policies and practices and currently leads a multi-state randomized controlled trial of a reading comprehension program.

Lacireno-Paquet received an MA in public policy and women’s studies and a PhD in public policy from George Washington University.

Claire Morgan

Claire Morgan is a senior researcher serving Idaho. She brings over 15 years of experience designing initiatives, providing research-based technical assistance, and facilitating practitioner partnerships with state and local agencies for jurisdictions within REL Northeast & Islands, REL Central, and REL Northwest.

Morgan earned a BA in humanities and secondary education from Brigham Young University and an MA in international education administration and policy analysis from Stanford University.

Sharon Nelson-Barber

Sharon Nelson-Barber is a senior advisor for REL Northwest. A sociolinguist, Dr. Nelson-Barber explores how students’ sociocultural contexts influence the ways they make sense of schooling. She works in partnership with other Indigenous researchers, educators, and policymakers in the Northwest region.

Her past REL leadership experience includes overseeing REL Pacific while CEO of Pacific Resources for Education and Learning.

Nelson-Barber earned a PhD in human development from Harvard University and completed postdoctoral work at Stanford University as a Spencer Fellow.

Danette Parsley

Danette Parsley is a senior advisor and leads the Alaska Trauma-Engaged Schools Partnership for REL Northwest. Previously, she was an advisor for REL Northwest at Education Northwest and the Northwest Comprehensive Center and designed and implemented the Northwest Rural Innovation and Student Engagement (RISE) Network, the Lower Kuskokwim RISE, and a rural counselor network in Washington.

She served on the expert panel that developed the IES Structuring Out-of-School Time to Improve Academic Achievement practice guide.

Dr. Parsley earned an EdD in organization change from Pepperdine University.

Caitlin Scott

Caitlin Scott leads the Montana Evidence-Based Literacy Practices Partnership and co-leads the Alaska Literacy Strategic Plan Partnership for REL Northwest.

Previously, Dr. Scott was the research director for the Learning Policy Institute, focused on principal leadership and publications using the Civil Rights Data Collection to examine equitable access to highly qualified teachers and advanced coursework.

She has authored five REL reports. Scott earned a PhD in teaching and learning from Cleveland State University.

Mike Siebersma

Mike Siebersma leads partnership development and maintenance (Task 3) for REL Northwest. Previously, Siebersma was director of the Northwest Comprehensive Center, working with state education agencies to provide technical assistance.

He also led projects for REL Central, including training in Nebraska using What Works Clearinghouse evidence-based strategies for reading instruction and technical support to identify implications of research on teacher retention and mobility.

Siebersma earned an MEd in leadership in schools at the University of Sioux Falls.

Shannon Stackhouse

Shannon Stackhouse leads the Oregon Student Success Plan Measurement and Monitoring Partnership. Dr. Stackhouse has worked in education for over 20 years, starting as a teacher, and then moving into research, policy, and data analysis, with a strong focus on equity, particularly around exposing opportunity gaps.

She works to make data usable to diverse partners in state government, educational technology, and school and district settings.

Dr. Stackhouse earned her MEd from the University of Notre Dame and a PhD in education policy from the University of Texas at Austin.

Sola Takahashi

Sola Takahashi leads the Seattle Public Schools Math Equity in the Middle Grades Partnership for REL Northwest. For over a decade, Dr. Takahashi has led large-scale efforts to develop and use measurement to improve educational systems through a continuous improvement approach.

Currently, she leads a multi-year project to gather, develop, and support the use of "practical measurement" to advance equity in middle grades math instruction.

Dr. Takahashi earned her EdD from Harvard University.

Steven Tedeschi

Steven Tedeschi leads the Washington Rural Alliance for Blended Learning Partnership for REL Northwest. Tedeschi has five years of experience supporting data collection, management, and analysis for studies focused on school improvement, especially ones focused on improving opportunities and outcomes for American Indian students.

A Teach for America alum, he has eight years of experience in education in tribal, traditional public, and charter schools.

Tedeschi is a US Air Force veteran and earned an MA in urban education policy from Brown University.