About Us

Dr. Carla Evans is a Senior Associate at the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment (Center for Assessment). She is actively engaged with projects that attempt to bridge the gap between classroom assessment and large-scale assessment. Carla supports states in designing and implementing innovative assessment and accountability reforms, especially those that rely on performance assessments. She is also working in multiple states to support the design and implementation of balanced assessment systems with a particular focus on scaling and sustaining assessment literacy initiatives with K-12 teachers and school/district leaders.

Carla’s research focuses on the impacts and implementation of assessment and accountability policies on teaching and learning. Carla is interested in policy research related to innovative assessment and accountability systems, culturally responsive assessment, competency-based education, performance-based assessments, and assessment literacy. She is also an advisor to CCSSO's student-centered learning collaborative.

Carla has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and regularly presents her research at the American Educational Research Association (AERA), National Council for Measurement in Education (NCME), and the National Conference on Student Assessment (NCSA). Carla is also a frequent blogger on the Center's website (www.nciea.org/blog) and has created a set of open source Classroom Assessment Literacy modules (www.nciea.org/classroom-assessment-learning-modules).

Carla received a Ph.D. from the University of New Hampshire with a concentration in Assessment, Evaluation, and Policy. She was awarded numerous honors, including: AERA Division H’s Outstanding Dissertation Award, UNH Dissertation Year Fellowship, UNH Graduate Research Assistantships, and UNH Education Department Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Award. Carla was awarded AERA's 2021 Classroom Assessment SIGs Emerging Scholar in Classroom Assessment Award. Carla began her career as an elementary classroom teacher for almost a decade.

Contact information: cevans@nciea.org

Dr. Jeri Thompson joined the Center in March 2011 and combines her knowledge of educational systems with assessments, curriculum, and instruction to offer states and districts guidance and support for both assessment and accountability purposes. She provides leadership in designing effective performance assessments and rubrics, facilitating deep understanding of cognitive rigor, scoring and analyzing student work, and deepening understanding of assessment and data literacy. This work has played an integral role in the development of performance assessments for the New Hampshire Performance Assessment of Competency Education (PACE) project. She also works with states and districts on their educator evaluation systems. Jeri is actively studying and developing a variety of tools and instructional resources to support educators’ understanding of Text-Dependent Analysis.

Jeri publishes her work, presents at the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) national conference, and has presented for the Literacy Council.

Prior to joining the Center, Jeri spent 20 years in public education as a teacher, Reading Specialist, Principal, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and Director of Academics at school districts in Maryland and Rhode Island. These experiences have enabled her to understand the practical implications of her work while maintaining fidelity for guiding research and best practices.

Jeri received an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from NOVA Southeastern University. She holds two M.S. degrees for School Administration and Reading from McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College), and has completed a certification in Educational Measurement at University of Illinois-Chicago. She has been an adjunct undergraduate and graduate instructor at colleges in Maryland and Rhode Island for reading and educational assessment courses.

Contact information: jthompson@nciea.org