Madison, Wisconsin, Oct. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Education Analytics, a mission-driven non-profit that uses data and analytics to improve outcomes for students and the education system, is excited to announce that effective November 1, 2021, Andrew Rice has been appointed as the company’s Chief Executive Officer. Robert Meyer, who has served as President and CEO since EA was founded in 2012, will step into the role of Founder & Chief Research Officer and will remain President of the Board. Sean McLaughlin, previously the Vice President of Products and Services, is now serving as Chief Operating Officer.
Rice has emerged as one of education’s leading thinkers whose innovative tools to help schools measure a range of outcomes have improved results for students in school systems across the nation. Rice co-founded Education Analytics in 2012 as the Vice President of Research and Operations, and he then became COO in 2016. During his tenure, he developed and executed the strategy to grow Education Analytics’ size and breadth of offerings. In particular, he pioneered the organization’s expansion into cutting-edge educational technology, by developing the capacity to build more cost-effective, user-friendly systems for districts and states to store and access their data.
“As Education Analytics grows and matures, we recognize the value of articulating a clear leadership succession strategy,” said David Steele, the Board Vice President. “The Board strongly believes that this transition will enable Education Analytics to have the biggest impact possible on the education field by leveraging the unique and valuable skillsets that Rob, Andrew, and Sean each bring to the table.”
The Board made the appointment as part of their dedication to Education Analytics’ continued expansion into new, dynamic areas related to data use in education. With this evolution of the executive team, the Board believes the organization is as well positioned as ever to continue to scale and maximize its impact on education systems across the country, while building upon the past successes and strengths of the executive team.
“Andrew and I have worked together for more than a decade,” said Meyer. “Early on, I realized that he had that rare combination of talent, breadth of interests, and energy to make him a formidable force in the definition and growth of Education Analytics. I look forward to supporting Andrew, the leadership, and the staff as we embark on the leadership transition.”
The appointment of Meyer to Founder and Chief Research Officer signals the Board’s and the organization’s continued emphasis on conducting rigorous, practical, academic-grade research for educational leaders and teachers. Research remains a core part of the organization’s identity, and Meyer’s continued leadership will ensure this tradition is sustained and strengthened as Education Analytics grows.
“It seems to me that leadership transitions should be made in times of strength, and I believe we are lucky to have such a great team that has put us in such a strong position coming out of COVID,” said Rice. “I am excited to be able to continue my personal goal of pushing the education research and analytics field further into the future, but I am just as excited that Rob has decided to stay on and continue to lead and grow our research team.”
Accompanying Rice’s appointment to CEO, the Board named Sean McLaughlin as the COO. McLaughlin has been a leader at Education Analytics since its founding in 2012, first as Director of Operations and Communications and most recently as Vice President of Products and Services. McLaughlin’s achievements include pioneering Education Analytics’ approach to product development, establishing innovative processes for quality assurance, and cultivating the organization’s ability to build user-friendly data displays that educators, administrators, and parents can all use to understand student and school outcomes.
“I am honored to be part of the Executive Team, and in my role as COO I will do my best to lead our teams through the organizational growth, challenges, and opportunities that are bound to come our way,” said McLaughlin. “While I've enjoyed working to create cross-team processes in my Products and Services role, I'm looking forward to supporting the operations functions of our organization.”
About Education Analytics
Since its founding as a non-profit in 2012, Education Analytics has partnered with more than 300 districts and more than 25 states to conduct research and develop rigorous analytics that support actionable solutions and drive continuous improvement in American education. Education Analytics works with the largest education systems in the country, small districts brought together by regional offices of education and collaboratives, state departments of education, leading research institutions and universities, charter management organizations, and fellow non-profit organizations. At any given time, Education Analytics supports more than 20 projects across the country.
