Research & expertise
Our team brings diversity and a breadth of skills, experiences, and perspectives to NWEA research.

Senior Research Scientist
Dr. Daniel Long is a Senior Research Scientist at NWEA, a division of HMH, conducting policy research and MAP Growth data analysis for partner states and districts.

Senior Research Scientist
Broadly, Michael Gaddis’s work provides evidence of inequality in the US related to race/ethnicity, social class, and education. He studies educational inequality across five dimensions: (1) the effects of educational credentials on important life outcomes, including employment and health; (2) when and how educational credentials attenuate or exacerbate racial/ethnic discrimination; (3) intergenerational mobility as it relates to the direct and indirect effects of educational attainment across generations; (4) differences in studentsā mental health and campus-level stigma across college and universities and the subsequent impact on academic achievement and attainment; and (5) racial/ethnic and SES inequalities in cultural capital and social capital and their effects on academic achievement and attainment among Kā12 students.Ā
NWEA Research

Senior Research Scientist
Ayesha K. Hashim uses interdisciplinary and mixed-methods research designs to study the impacts of district-level school policies on student learning, and the leadership, organizational, and implementation conditions that can explain observed results.
NWEA Research
Topics: Equity, COVID-19 & schools, Student growth & accountability policies

(1963 - 2020)
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.
NWEA Research
Topics: Empowering educators, High-growth schools & practices

Director of Psychometrics and Analytics
Ann Hu works mainly on MAP Growth assessments. Her research interests include linking studies between formative and summative assessments, item bank development and maintenance, adaptive testing engines, test security, and norms studies. She has extensive experience in conducting psychometric analyses and research based on Rasch models and IRT, constructing fixed forms and CATs, and designing and conducting standard settings. Prior to joining NWEA in 2017, Dr. Hu worked at Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) on multiple large-scale achievement testing programs for Pennsylvania, Michigan, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, and Minnesota. Dr. Hu holds a doctorate in measurement, evaluation, and cognition from the University of Alberta. She also holds a bachelorās degree in psychology and a MEd in educational psychology.
Measurement & Psychometrics
Topics: Measurement & scaling, Test design

Affiliated Research Scientist
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 Kā12 students throughout the United States and in a wide variety of international schools.
NWEA Research
Topics: Measurement & scaling, Innovations in reporting & assessment

Senior Research Scientist
Dr. Susan M. Kowalski is a Lead Research Scientist at NWEA, focusing on the intersection of educational policy and science instruction in the United States.
NWEA Research
Topics: Innovations in reporting & assessment, Empowering educators, Math & STEM

Director of Growth Modeling and Data Analytics
Megan Kuhfeld seeks to understand studentsā trajectories of academic and social-emotional learning and the school and neighborhood influences that promote optimal growth.
NWEA Research
Topics: Measurement & scaling, Growth modeling, Seasonal learning patterns & summer loss

Vice President of Research and Policy Partnerships
Karyn Lewis is Vice President of Research and Policy Partnerships at NWEA, where she leads a team dedicated to generating actionable, policy-relevant research that directly addresses critical challenges in Kā12 education.
NWEA Research
Topics: School & test engagement, Social-emotional learning, Student growth & accountability policies

Lead Psychometrician
Xueming (Sylvia) Li specializes in psychometric operations and research for MAP Growth and state summative assessments, with a focus on computer-based testing, item response theory (IRT), large language models (LLMs), test validity, cross-cultural assessment, and test score linking and equating.
Measurement & Psychometrics
Topics: Measurement & scaling, Accessibility, Assessments in Spanish, Computer adaptive testing, Growth, Item response theory, Reading & language arts

Vice President of Learning Sciences Engineering
Tyler Matta is motived to improve the tools used for educational decision making to support the building of equitable educational systems. His work spans computational psychometrics, learning theory, and education policy.
NWEA Research
Topics: Measurement & scaling, Growth modeling, Innovations in reporting & assessment

Vice President of Psychometrics and Analytics
Patrick Meyer manages a team of psychometricians, data analysts, and technical writers responsible for large-scale assessments at NWEA.
Measurement & Psychometrics
Topics: Measurement & scaling, Assessments in Spanish, Computer adaptive testing, Guidance, Item response theory, Test design

Director of Research Consulting Partnerships
Scott J. Peters specializes in educational assessment and data use, gifted and talented student identification, equity within advanced educational opportunities, and effectiveness of educational policy.
NWEA Research
Topics: Equity, Empowering educators, Student growth & accountability policies

Senior Vice President of Learning Sciences
Senior Vice President Beth Tarasawa is an industry leader in Learning Sciences and oversees HMHās Efficacy Research, Psychometrics & Analytics, and Research & Policy Partnerships teams.
NWEA Research
Topics: Equity, Empowering educators, Student growth & accountability policies