BEST is a dynamic group of teachers and leaders in four New Hampshire school districts (Laconia, Rochester, Sanborn, and Souhegan), the New Hampshire Learning Initiative (NHLI), the Center for Innovation in Education (CIE), the New Hampshire Department of Education, and Knowledge Works powered by JFF with funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Task Development Teams
Task development teams work to create and pilot performance assessment tasks with embedded essential skills in classrooms feeding vital information and insights back to the project.
SAU 8 – Concord
SAU 16 – Exeter, Brentwood, Kensington, East Kingston, Newfields, and Stratham
SAU 17 – Sanborn*
SAU 23 – Woodsville, Haverhill
SAU 24 – Henniker
SAU 29- Chesterfield, Harrisville, Keene, Marlborough, Marlow, Nelson and Westmoreland
SAU 39 – Souhegan*
SAU 43 – Newport
SAU 30- Laconia*
SAU 54 – Rochester*
* WSP Study School Districts
Practice Experts
Practice experts are part of the on-the-ground implementation and research efforts. They ensure that task work is being coordinated in their schools and act as key promoters and facilitators for data collection. They are also critical to ensuring face validity of our work products.
Catherine Baylus, Laconia
Angel Burke, Laconia
Kathleen Cotton, Rochester
Elizabeth Gouzoules-Walton, Rochester
Anthony Doucet, Souhegan
Kelly Gray, Rochester
Donna Harvey-Moseley, Sanborn
Patricia Haynes, Sanborn
Brittany Lombardo, Sanborn
Chris Longo, Laconia
Jessica Wallace Tremblay, Souhegan
Nicole Woulfe, Sanborn
Research Experts
Bringing deep knowledge and skills in assessment, our educational research experts have been critical to ensuring that the project’s work products maintain strong construct validity.
Karin Hess, Ed.D., Educational Research in Action
Wendy Surr, M.A., Wendy Surr Consulting
Consultants / Thought Partners
The leadership team is not too proud to ask for help when it is clear that additional expertise is needed to support the practice change, communication, and research needs of the project. These folks have been lifesavers.
Ann Hadwen, Social Studies Content Expert
Eric Toshalis, KnowledgeWorks
BEST Steering Committee
Organizational partnerships are nothing without actual people making the work happen. These folks make sure that the rubber hits the road and goes.
Dristi Adhikari (JFF)
Mariane Gfroerer (NHLI)
Ellen Hume-Howard (NHLI)
Paul Leather (CIE)
Lisa Soricone (JFF)
Felicia Sullivan (JFF)
Kathy White (Souhegan HS & NHLI)
Jonathan Vander Els (NHLI)
