National Evaluation Institute 2005

Keynote Speakers

Michael Fullan

Dr. Michael Fullan--accomplished author, speaker, advisor, and leader in education--is perhaps best known for his prodigious body of work that examines how change occurs in educational settings. He is the author of The New Meaning of Educational Change (1991), Change Forces (1993), and Leading in a Culture of Change (2002), which was awarded the Book of the Year award by the National Staff Development Council. In addition to numerous other books and articles, Dr. Fullan's work includes The Moral Imperative of School Leadership (2003) and his most recent book, Leadership and Sustainability: System Thinkers in Action (2004). A testament to his influence on education, his books have been translated into eight languages. Dr. Fullan is the former Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, and he continues to be involved in training, consulting, and evaluating change projects around the world. He led the evaluation team, which conducted a four-year assessment of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy in England from 1998-2003. In April 2004, Dr. Fullan was appointed Special Advisor to the Minister of Education in Ontario. Dr. Fullan holds bachelor's, master's & doctoral degrees in sociology from the University of Toronto.

Tom Guskey

Dr. Tom Guskey is Professor of Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation at the University of Kentucky, where he has been a faculty member since 1978. A recognized expert in student evaluation and professional development, Dr. Guskey is the author of more than 100 articles and 12 books, including How's My Kid Doing? A Parents' Guide to Grades, Marks, and Report Cards (Jossey Bass, 2002), Developing Grading and Reporting Systems for Student Learning (Corwin, 2001), and Evaluating Professional Development (Corwin, 2000). He has the distinction of being the only individual to have won twice the National Staff Development Council's "Book of the Year" and three times the "Article of the Year Award." Dr. Guskey has served as a consultant to educators in every state, as well as in Europe and Asia. His expertise is complemented by his varied educational experience, including that of middle school teacher, Director of Research and Development for the Chicago Public Schools, and Director of the Center for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning, a national educational research center. A graduate of the University of Chicago's renowned Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistical Analysis (MESA) program, Dr. Guskey holds a Ph.D from the University of Chicago, a M.Ed. in Educational Psychology from Boston College, and a B.A. in Physics from Thiel College.

Carol Johnson

Dr. Carol Johnson is Superintendent of Memphis City Schools, a position she has held since 2003. Dr. Johnson began her career as an educator 35 years ago as a teacher in Washington, DC, schools and subsequently served as an assistant principal, principal, state-level project director, and program coordinator for the U.S. Department of Education. Before joining Memphis City Schools, Johnson was superintendent of the most diverse school district in Minnesota, Minneapolis Public Schools. Some of Johnson's many accolades include the Minnesota Alliance of Black School Educators Leadership Award, Minnesota Superintendent of the Year, Society for Child Development Achievement Award, and Bush Leadership Recipient. Dr. Johnson's educational leadership focuses on building relationships, emphasizing literacy, and accounting for student learning. Since her appointment as the superintendent of Memphis City Schools, she has taken the lead on addressing problems at schools on the state's No Child Left Behind high priority list by "Fresh Starting" five schools. A measure of Dr. Johnson's successful leadership is the removal of 83 Memphis City Schools from the state's No Child Left Behind high priority list, a 56% reduction from the 148 schools on last year's list.

Doris Redfield

Dr. Doris Redfield is President and CEO of AEL (formally Appalachia Educational Laboratory), a position to which she was named in July 2004. As a nationally known authority on research and assessment, Dr. Redfield has authored nearly 200 published articles, reports, presentations, and books, including Scientifically Based Research: A Guide for Educational Publishers & Developers, and the parallel guide for educators, An Educator's Guide to Scientifically Based Research (SBR). She began her career in education 35 years ago as an elementary and middle school teacher in Barstow, California, and she has also been a school psychologist; a faculty member at Western Kentucky University and a faculty affiliate with the Universities of Tennessee and Virginia; visiting scholar and project director for the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST); senior associate at the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI); and deputy superintendent of the Virginia Department of Education. Dr. Redfield holds a Ph.D. in educational psychology and a M.Ed. in school psychology from the University of Arizona, as well as a B.A. in music from California State University.