Dr. Terris Ross is a research analyst in the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development (OPEPD) at the U.S. Department of Education. There, she conducts educational research activities such as providing technical leadership and guidance to program staff and contractors in the areas of school accountability and student assessment, data analysis and reporting, and the use of data for policy decisions. Prior to joining OPEPD, Dr. Ross was a statistician at the National Center for Education Statistics where she led the study of gaps in access to and persistence in college for males of underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.