It starts with our why

For us, it's all about the why, and ours is this: We believe that schools can and should collect and use data strategically, to better understand and thus better serve their students. We believe that effective use of data can be a catalyst for student learning. And we believe that all students deserve educators who know how to effectively use data on their behalf.

We became educators to serve students. Our journey to learn more and to be more effective in our service has taken us places we'd never imagined when we began teaching. And we are passionate about using everything we've learned to help other educators use data to better serve their students.

If you feel the same, we'd love to work with you. Keep reading to learn more about who we are.

Our Leadership

We have extensive backgrounds in K-12 education, instructional technology, data analysis, instructional coaching, assessment, and strategic planning. We've served in every level of education: classroom, school, district, and state. We understand data analysis and statistical methods, and we know how to translate technical information to plain English. Our passion is in applying our core beliefs to partner with educational leaders in serving students.

Heather Peltier, Ph.D. - CEO

I have over 20 years of experience in K-12 education, in roles ranging from teacher, instructional coach, district administrator, and Chief Assessment Officer for the Tennessee Department of Education. My specialty is assessment data analysis, and in the course of my career, I have trained hundreds of school administrators and teachers on the interpretation and use of assessment data to drive student achievement. I currently serve as a peer reviewer of state assessments for the US Department of Education and consult with state agencies to evaluate their assessments. I received my Ph.D. in Instructional Technology, with a cognate in Educational Measurement, from the University of South Florida and my Ed.S. in Educational Leadership from Florida State University.

What makes me unique: I've been a psychometrician, AND I've also been a teacher and administrator. I am well-versed in statistical analysis of data, AND I also understand the implications for schools, teachers, and students.

Our Strategic Partners

To meet our clients’ needs, we have assembled a diverse partner team, all recognized and respected in the K-12 education field but with a variety of areas of expertise. This team fills a critical role for Education Foundations, allowing us to seamlessly expand capacity for projects that require additional bandwidth and subject matter expertise. While our leadership is involved at some level on every project, you may also interact with one of our strategic partners along the way – all of whom are equally committed to our WHY.

Laurie Casna, J.D.

With a rich history of serving diverse student populations in the state of Massachusetts, Ms. Casna holds a Master's Degree in Special Education, a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Educational Leadership from Bridgewater State College and a Juris Doctorate from Suffolk Law School. Her journey in education includes serving in roles of special education teacher, Director of Student Services, Director of Special Education, and Superintendent in diverse communities in urban, suburban, rural and charter schools.

Alicia Parker, Ed.D.

Dr. Parker has served in a variety of roles in education, including science teacher and school and district administrators. She has extensive leadership experience at the school and district level, with expertise in assessment, evaluation, and accountability, and she currently serves as a Product Manager for the Florida Virtual School. Her research encompasses a wide range of methodologies, including longitudinal studies, program evaluation, case studies, and efficacy studies. Dr. Parker has extensive experience working with and conducting research and evaluation on programs to support improved outcomes for diverse students..

Leah Torres, Ed.D.

Dr. Torres began her career in education as a teacher, and since then has served in district and school leadership positions, including science coach and Director of Research, Evaluation, and Accountability for the School District of Osceola County in Florida. She currently leads Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for her school district. She received her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Central Florida.

Chunhua Cao, Ph.D.

Dr. Cao is an Assistant Professor of Quantitative Educational Research at the University of Alabama, with a focus on structural equation modeling, longitudinal data analysis, multilevel modeling, and quantitative educational research. Prior to her higher education career, Dr. Cao served as a Senior Coordinator of Student Learning Evaluation, overseeing research and program evaluation for a large Florida school district. In this role, she leveraged her quantitative research skills to support equity in education, such as conducting a survival analysis to help district leadership identify and understand risks in access to education for vulnerable students. Her extensive experience in theory and practice positions her to leverage quantitative methodologies to understand complex educational phenomena.

Ora Tanner, M.S.

Ora Tanner is the CEO of Black Unicorn Education Group, offering technology education to individuals from diverse communities through unique learning programs, products, and community-based events. Her previous roles include co-founder and Chief Learning Officer for the nonprofit AI Education Project, where she designed and developed standards-aligned curricula to teach middle, high, and community college students from underserved communities about artificial intelligence, its impacts, and the future of work using a socio-technical approach. Ms. Tanner’s work in connecting underserved students with technology has been featured in Forbes Magazine (Farley, 2020). She currently serves as the Technology Committee Chair for the Hillsborough County Black Chamber of Commerce.

Driving Successful Outcomes

We are fortunate to work with an amazing group of educational organizations, including universities, state education agencies, districts, schools, and educational technology providers. Below is a sampling of the clients we have worked with.