Blaine is a psychometrician supporting NWEA’s state contracts. His research interests include test score linking and equating, growth modeling, multi-level modeling, and computer-adaptive testing.

Chalie Patarapichayatham serves as lead psychometrician on several state assessment contracts at NWEA.

Haiyan Lin serves as lead psychometrician on the Nebraska State Assessment and Nebraska Alternate Assessment.

Michael Nering’s work focuses on improving measurement techniques in educational, psychological, and social sciences. His psychometric research covers adaptive testing, person fit, and scaling and equating, and he is a prominent contributor in his field through his editorial work on the Handbook of Polytomous Item Response Theory Models.

Tae Yeon Kwon is a psychometrician working on NWEA state assessment programs. Her research interests center around computer-adaptive testing and diagnostic classification models.

Wei He provides psychometric expertise and support to NWEA assessment products and is currently leading psychometric efforts for state assessment in Alaska[JF1] .

Wonsuk Kim works on psychometric issues related to the Maine Through Year Assessment program. He has extensive experience with the application of item response theory, construction of fixed and adaptive test forms, standard setting, and test score linking and equating.

Yan Zhou is a passionate and self-driven psychometrician with extensive experience in educational assessment, statistical modeling, and data-driven decision-making.

Yanming Jiang serves as lead psychometrician for the New York programs in ELA, mathematics, and science.

Gustave Robinson’s current research focuses on the distribution of K–12 curricular opportunities. He received a BA in quantitative economics and international relations from Tufts University.

Jazmin Isaacs’s research interests include quantitative and qualitative examination of the continued impact of COVID-19 on early learners, as well as the effectiveness of various recovery efforts. She received an MS in education from the University of Oxford.

Sofia Postell supports a variety of projects focused on academic recovery, measurement of trends in student achievement, and the effects of school resources and policy changes. She received a BS in computer science and sociology from Northeastern University.

With more than 30 years of experience as a research scientist and educator, Daniel Long conducts policy research and MAP Growth data analysis for NWEA’s partner states and districts.

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 students’ 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 K–12 students. 

Ayesha Hashim studies policies that shape educational opportunity and achievement, including the integration of technology with instruction, school choice and accountability, teacher professional development, and COVID recovery.

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.

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 bachelor’s degree in psychology and a MEd in educational psychology.

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.

Susan Kowalski’s work focuses on the intersection of educational policy and science instruction in the United States. Her research employs quantitative and descriptive methods to explore the impact of state and district decisions on science education, including curriculum development and professional learning experiences.

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

Karyn Lewis leads a team dedicated to generating actionable, policy-relevant research that directly addresses critical challenges in K–12 education.

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, large language models, test validity, cross-cultural assessment, and test score linking and equating.

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.

Patrick Meyer manages a team of psychometricians, data analysts, and technical writers responsible for large-scale assessments at NWEA.

Fang Peng is passionate about making assessments smarter and more effective for all learners. She leads psychometric operations and research for MAP Reading Fluency and supports state summative assessments.

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.

Beth Tarasawa oversees HMH’s Efficacy Research, Psychometrics & Analytics, and Research & Policy Partnerships teams. Her teams pursue advancements in assessment and growth measurement, answer fundamental questions to inform policy and practice, and produce research that drives educational innovation.