Susan Bowles Therriault is a principal researcher at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and leads the organization’s College and Career Readiness efforts. For over 18 years, she has led and conducted research that focuses on state and federal education efforts to build the capacity of high- needs districts and schools. As a researcher, Dr. Therriault’s expertise is examining the state and district role in supporting and turning around low performing schools. She emphasizes the design and implementation of research plans that answer critical policy research questions, in order to improve policy, implementation and outcomes. She is currently the principal investigator and project director on several research projects that focus on improving educational outcomes for students through state, districts and school processes and systems. Examples of these projects include: a U.S. Department of Education project developing Title 1, 1003(g) School Improvement Grant profiles of state, district and school turnaround practices, an i3 grant evaluation of an extended learning time model in two low-performing middle schools, state early warning systems pilot and implementation evaluation, and several research studies through the Northeast and Island Regional Educational Laboratory. In the past, Dr. Therriault’s research focused on school turnaround and the development and use of early warning systems. Some examples of her past school turnaround research include: the U.S. Department of Education’s Study of School Turnaround (a study which is documenting the change process in the persistently low achieving SIG Tier I and Tier II schools in 6 states, and 24 districts; a state funded evaluation of the Michigan Statewide System of Support for High Priority Schools; a Bill and Melinda Gate’s funded study of support in six states for the lowest performing high schools; and a U.S. Department of Education funded study on the state implementation of Title I. Examples of her early warning system research and technical assistance include: The validation of College Readiness early warning indicators for high school students in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the validation and development of the Massachusetts Early Warning Indicator System Model, which identifies students who are at risk of missing key educational benchmarks from kindergarten through high school (e.g., reading by the end of third grade, middle school ready, high school ready and high school graduation). She co-developed the center’s free early warning system tool for high school and middle grades; the tool was downloaded more than 20,000 times by state, district, and school administrators from every state in the nation. She is the lead author of the Early Warning System Implementation Guide for high schools and for middle schools and has presented at national, state, and district conferences throughout the United States on the topic of early warning systems implementation, college readiness, and dropout prevention. Dr. Therriault holds a master of education and a doctor of education in education policy and leadership from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She served for six years as a member-at-large of the Massachusetts School and District Accountability and Support Advisory Board and is currently the vice- chairperson of her local school board.

Dr. Loujeania Williams Bost holds a Ph.D.in Special Education from Pennsylvania State University. She has an extensive background in working with students with disabilities. Loujeania was the chief of statewide compliance, monitoring, and technical assistance for the Pennsylvania Department of Education. She has been a public school teacher, a program administrator for agencies serving adults and adolescents with mental retardation, and a researcher.