Group to help shape assessment provider’s value proposition in the marketplace
NEW YORK, Feb. 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Council for Aid to Education, Inc. (CAE), a nonprofit developer of performance-based and custom assessments that authentically measure students’ essential college and career skills, today announced the formation of an advisory board and appointment of inaugural members. The group comprises diverse individuals from the fields of education, assessment, human resources and educational technology who will offer guidance on innovation and real-world application of assessments in secondary and higher education. CAE’s chief academic officer, Doris Zahner, Ph.D. will chair the board.
Through its flagship assessments, CLA+, CWRA+ and SSA+, CAE is the only organization that authentically measures students’ essential college and career skills of problem-solving, critical thinking and written communication. Leveraging a performance-based assessment model, CAE evaluates the skills required for success in higher education and the workforce and provides valid and reliable insights into students’ preparedness for their next step.
“The formation of an advisory board is another step forward for CAE and will allow the organization to remain a leader in assessment in today’s dynamic educational landscape,” said Doris Zahner chief academic officer, CAE. “We’re excited to work with these trusted advisors whose combined professional backgrounds and perspectives will be an asset toward furthering our mission of improving student outcomes.”
Members of the CAE advisory board include (in alphabetical order):
Michele Balliet, Ed.D.
Michele Balliet, Ed.D., is the superintendent of schools for the Elizabethtown Area School District, Pennsylvania, where her strategic vision and leadership promote an environment that inspires a passion for learning. Balliet joined the school district in 2008 as an assistant superintendent for elementary education. She began her career in education with the East Penn School District in Emmaus as an elementary education teacher.
Enis Dogan, Ed.D.
Enis Dogan, Ed.D., is a senior research scientist at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Dogan serves as a lead psychometrician, working on the design, analysis, reporting and technical documentation of national assessments and surveys conducted by NCES, including the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Prior to joining NCES, Dogan served as the lead psychometrician and co-chair of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) Research and Psychometrics Committee, where he designed, managed and conducted research to inform the development of the PARCC assessments as valid and reliable tools for measuring the Common Core State Standards.
Brenda Gardner
Brenda Gardner is the director of human resources at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Boston, where she is responsible for all human resource functions, including talent acquisition and learning and development at the 2020 Forbes Travel Guide Five Star and AAA Five Diamond award-winning hotel and spa.
David Gastwirth
David Gastwirth is the director of online education at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, managing online program development, enrollment management, student affairs and academic operations. Additionally, he oversees the instructional technology strategy, training and support services for campus-based programs. Gastwirth previously served in a variety of roles at University of Southern California and Duke University. He is the former director of higher education programs, partnerships and strategic development at CAE.
Thomas E. Gluck
Thomas Gluck most recently served as the executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU), working to build the capacity of the state’s 29 intermediate units to deliver high-quality and cost-effective supports and services to students, educators and schools. Prior to joining PAIU, Gluck served as Pennsylvania’s secretary of education and as the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s executive deputy secretary, leading Governor Edward Rendell’s ambitious education agenda.
Matt Maguire
Matt Maguire serves as a marketing and technology expert specializing in the higher education market. Maguire is the vice president of client services and product development at Maguire Associates, a research-based consulting firm focusing exclusively on educational institutions. He manages a portfolio of client projects in quantitative research and predictive modeling, while also participating in the company’s leadership and management.
Su Pyun
Su Pyun is an accomplished technology sales leader with over 20 years of sales experience in networking services. Pyun is a senior account executive at Fastly, a cloud computing services provider, working with streaming media and digital publishing companies to deliver the best online experience to their audience and users. She’s also a member of Fastly’s diversity and inclusion council, as well as a certified professional coach and energy leadership index master practitioner of stress and anxiety.
Glenn Whitehouse, Ph.D.
Glenn Whitehouse, Ph.D., is the associate dean for student affairs in the College of Arts & Sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) and is an associate professor of philosophy and religion. Whitehouse is also the director of FGCU PAGES program, where he works with humanities and social sciences students on professional success initiatives, providing career exploration programming, networking opportunities and internship connections.
The announcement of the advisory board follows the news of two key appointments to CAE’s board of directors: Judith Eaton, Ph.D., who previously served as president of both the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and CAE, and Diane Ferguson, managing director, head of financial institutions, corporate and investment banking at Mizuho Americas.
About CAE
A mission-driven, nonprofit organization, CAE develops performance-based and custom assessments that authentically measure students’ essential skills and identify opportunities for growth. CAE’s flagship assessments – CLA+, CWRA+ and SSA+ – evaluate the college and career skills educational institutions and employers demand most: critical thinking, problem solving and written communication. Based on CAE’s research, these skills are predictive of positive college and career outcomes. CAE also partners with national, state and district clients to design innovative custom performance assessments that measure the constructs vital to students, educators, and institutions. Since 2002, more than 800,000 students at over 1,300 secondary and higher education institutions globally have completed these assessments. To learn more, please visit www.cae.org.