Move comes after 12 years at the helm of the nationally respected education advocacy organization
WASHINGTON (April 4, 2017) – Aimee Rogstad Guidera today announced that she will step down later this year as the founding President and CEO of the Data Quality Campaign. DQC is a national, nonprofit policy and advocacy organization leading the effort to empower educators, students, parents, and policymakers with the information they need to make the best decisions to improve student outcomes.
Guidera founded the organization in 2005 as a time-limited campaign, managed by 10 national founding partner organizations, to encourage states to increase the quality, availability, and use of education data to inform and improve decisions, actions, and student outcomes. The Data Quality Campaign became an independent nonprofit organization in 2011 that now works with countless partners committed to changing the conversation and culture around education data use from one of compliance to one of continuous improvement.
Over the past decade, every state has built a longitudinal education data system, and most are now taking steps to ensure that data is used to improve student achievement and system performance. During that period, DQC has grown to support states in this important work, from four part-time, remote staffers at its launch to a strong Washington-based organization of nearly two dozen.
The education and policy fields have come to rely on DQC’s research and landscape analyses as the leading source of information about the “state of the states” on effective data use. State and federal policymakers have relied on DQC’s roadmaps and surveys on the 10 Essential Elements of Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems and the 10 State Actions to Ensure Effective Data Use to guide their efforts to build and use a robust data infrastructure. With the release of the Four Policy Priorities to Make Data Work for Students in April 2016, DQC continues to advocate for better access to and use of data so that educators, parents and policymakers will have the insights they need to inform better decisions to support student achievement.
“Our nation’s students are better off today because of Aimee Guidera’s tireless work,” said Rob McKenna, chair of DQC’s board. “Because of her advocacy, educators use more evidence than ever before to help students excel. We are thankful for her leadership, and we will seek a new leader for DQC who builds upon the solid foundation she has created.”
Guidera said: “Families, educators, and taxpayers deserve clear, timely and useful data about how their schools and students are doing. It has been an honor and a joy to lead DQC in pursuit of ensuring that students aren’t just counted but that each and every student counts. With exceptional partners, a strong board, talented staff, and firm financial footing, DQC is well-positioned to continue making a tremendous impact on the education field. DQC’s best days are yet ahead, and I look forward to cheering on this team as they continue to change the role of data in education from hammer to flashlight.”
Guidera has focused not only on improving the effectiveness of the education sector, but on growing a thriving organization that has become a destination employer for those interested in education policy and advocacy. DQC recently was named to Washingtonian magazine’s biennial list of 50 Great Places to Work in the Washington, DC, area.
“Aimee Guidera’s work has shined the spotlight on ensuring we use data to create equitable outcomes for all of our children,” said Kati Haycock, founder of the Education Trust and a founding member of the DQC board. “DQC’s role is more important than ever as states use their newfound flexibility to create systems of accountability and learning.”
“I am grateful to Aimee for the leadership and support she has provided to our members and the broader field,” said Chris Minnich, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers and a DQC board member. “I am confident DQC will continue to be a critical resource to states as they focus on the role of data in implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act and work to increase student achievement.”
The DQC Board of Directors will conduct an open national search with a committee composed of board members John Bailey, Paul Bell, Nuala O’Connor, and Governor Bev Perdue.
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Contact: Dakarai I. Aarons, daarons@dataqualitycampaign.org, 202-393-7192
About the Data Quality Campaign:
The Data Quality Campaign is a nonprofit policy and advocacy organization leading the effort to bring every part of the education community together to empower educators, families, and policymakers with quality information to make decisions that ensure students excel. For more information, go to dataqualitycampaign.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@EdDataCampaign).
