Here at OEP, we have lots of news to share today!
First…
OEP is hosting a webinar for district and school administrators about the phone-free schools pilot program study. You do not need to be participating in the pilot to attend, but you must register. Sign up at at this link or tinyurl.com/phonefreear.
Tuesday, September 24, 9-10 am.
We will send Zoom links prior to the meeting to the emails provided.
Next…
SAVE THE DATE for the 2024 OEP Conference.
December 11th from 11am – 3:30pm at The Chenal Event Venue in Little Rock, AR
We will discuss research on education in Arkansas including teacher pipeline, phone-free schools, school calendars, and school finance. More information coming soon!
and Finally…
We are so excited to introduce additions to the OEP team! We have added three experts to our staff: Denise Airola, Hannah Denker and Ashley Daniel. Together we will continue to provide state lawmakers, educators, administrators, and other leaders with current national, state, and regional research in education to support them in thoughtful decision-making concerning K-12 education in the State of Arkansas.
Denise will serve as the associate director of OEP and extend support to policy makers and education leaders in encouraging evidence-based decision-making. Hannah will lead OEP’s Early Childhood research, leveraging her experience researching early childhood in Virginia. Ashley’s 20 years of district-level analysis and research are invaluable as OEP continues to provide research that supports educators in schools throughout the state.
Denise, Hannah, and Ashley all have exceptional experience and expertise, which will allow OEP to create new partnerships and continue to incorporate high quality data into education conversations. All three have a deep understanding of education and can effectively communicate that knowledge to others.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Office for Education Policy as associate director,” Airola said. “This is a unique opportunity to impact Arkansas education from more of a policy lens. My experience with Arkansas education data and my knowledge of other state and national contexts, particularly for assessment and accountability, make this a great fit.”
Airola received her Ph.D. in educational statistics and research methods from the U of A and previously led the Office of Innovation for Education. Denker received her Ph.D. in research and evaluation methodology from the University of Colorado Boulder and was previously a postdoctoral research associate in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia. Daniel received her M.S. in education research and policy studies from the UofA and previously served as the director of data analysis and accountability for Rogers Public Schools.