Connecting Research, Implementation, and Practice in MTSS

I am a school psychologist, researcher, and practitioner focused on improving how K-12 systems design, implement, and evaluate multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). My work centers on connecting educational research with the realities of daily school practice to help educators make informed decisions that improve student outcomes.

​

My work is guided by two fundamental questions: What should work? and Did it work?

​

These questions drive my focus on evidence-based practice selection, implementation quality, data-based decision making, and program evaluation. Through ConnectedMTSS, I explore how schools can bridge the gap between research and practice by translating evidence into meaningful, practical applications for educators and educational systems.

​

Throughout my career, I have supported schools in developing and refining MTSS frameworks across elementary, middle, and high school settings. My areas of focus include universal screening, intervention selection, progress monitoring, and quantitative program evaluation. I am particularly interested in how schools can make stronger decisions about interventions and instructional resources by considering evidence, student needs, implementation capacity, and local context.

​

Over my career in public education, I have served as a school psychologist, MTSS/RTI coordinator, and district consultant, supporting the systemic development, implementation, and continuous improvement of MTSS structures across diverse school communities.

​

Research & Professional Contributions
I earned a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) with a dissertation focused on universal screening cut-score development and evaluation. My research interests include psychometric evaluation, curriculum-based measurement, screening accuracy, and data-informed decision making, and I have co-authored peer-reviewed publications in these areas.

I have also contributed to the broader field of evidence-based educational practice through my service as a proposal reviewer for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and my participation in a What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) feedback group. Through these roles, I have contributed practitioner perspectives on how research evidence and intervention effectiveness translate into real-world school settings.

​

Committed to ongoing professional collaboration, I continue to share ideas, frameworks, and resources related to MTSS implementation, intervention selection, and program evaluation with educators and school leaders.