About Basis

David is a co-founder and Managing Partner at Basis Policy Research, where he provides strategic counsel to policymakers and partners nationwide on education policy, applied statistics, and measurement — translating rigorous evidence into decisions that move systems forward.

At Basis, David drives the firm’s organizational excellence — building the people, processes, and capacity that enable Basis to deliver on its mission and grow its impact.

David leads some of Basis’s most innovative solution development work, including the Our Community Index — a comprehensive framework that links community indicators to real investments, giving foundations and agencies the real-time intelligence they need to track progress and strengthen accountability — and the Opportunity Index Early Warning System, which helps educators and counselors identify students at risk before they fall behind and target resources where they’re needed most.

Before founding Basis, David worked as a researcher with the Education Commission of the States and as Director of Business Intelligence for a leading education management organization — experience that took him from a Denver classroom to the national policy stage. He has held fellowships from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

David’s research has been published in academic journals and featured in major outlets including the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Politico, and the Christian Science Monitor.

He holds a PhD in Leadership and Policy Studies from Vanderbilt University, a master’s degree from the University of Colorado, and a bachelor’s degree from Hope College.

When he’s not planning Basis’s next chapter, David can be found in an Eames chair — convinced that the best solutions sit at the intersection of functional form and design.

Jeff is a co-founder and Managing Partner at Basis Policy Research, where he guides the firm’s technological and analytical practices across data management, statistical programming, performance evaluation, and education finance — driven by the conviction that Basis’s greatest impact is in helping partners realize their own.

At Basis, Jeff architects the firm’s financial and operational foundation — ensuring the infrastructure, systems, and resources are in place for Basis and its partners to perform at the highest level.

Jeff leads some of Basis’s most analytically demanding work, including REIL Scoring — an evidence-based human capital management system developed in partnership with the Office of Maricopa County School Superintendent that integrates student growth, educator practice, and school climate into a single, comprehensive performance framework, improving outcomes for hundreds of thousands of Arizona students and educators. He also leads Basis’s return-on-investment analyses and detailed financial modeling, helping school districts, mayoral offices, foundations, and state education agencies understand the true costs and returns of their program and policy investments — turning complex financial data into clear, actionable guidance for leaders making high-stakes decisions.

Jeff brings a passion for innovation and analytics to every partnership, believing that rigorous data infrastructure is the foundation of meaningful reform. His work spans the full educational arc — from early childhood through postsecondary enrollment and into workforce and community development. He has also worked with the College Advising Corps to understand and strengthen its impact on high school students across sixteen states.

Before founding Basis, Jeff built a career in venture capital, strategic consulting, buy-side asset management, and investment banking — bringing a rigorous analytical lens and private-sector discipline to the firm’s research and operations.

He holds an MBA in Leadership, Innovation, and Organizations from Vanderbilt University and a BA in Politics from Princeton University.

Jeff fishes (a lot) with his son but is not very good at it; agrees that there isn’t yet sufficient evidence to disprove the existence of sasquatch; hopes the statistical randomness of Major League Baseball eventually breaks AI; and likes semi-colons.

Matt is a co-founder and Managing Partner at Basis Policy Research, with over two decades of experience leading large-scale research, evaluation, and technical assistance projects in education policy — advising governments, shaping policy, and moving leaders and the field forward at every level.

At Basis, Matt leads the firm’s strategic vision and external relationships — partnering with government leaders, foundations, and policymakers to shape the research and evaluation agenda that drives the firm’s work and lasting change in the communities it serves.

Matt advises public leaders and government agencies at the highest levels, including the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). His international work has taken him to federal governments in China, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. His research is widely published in education and policy journals and has been featured in major news outlets, including The New York Times, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, and ABC World News Tonight.

Before rejoining Basis in 2024, Matt held the prestigious Robena and Walter E. Hussman Jr. Distinguished Professorship at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (2018–2024) and served as a tenured professor of public policy and education at Vanderbilt University (2006–2018). Early in his career, he was a high school teacher and administrator in upstate New York — a foundation that continues to shape his approach to research, policy, and practice.

Matt serves on the Board of Directors of the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness and on the editorial boards of the American Educational Research Journal and Educational Researcher.

He holds a PhD in Education Finance and Policy from Vanderbilt University and a BA in Psychology and Education from Denison University, with honors.

When he finally steps away from work, Matt can be found in the Blue Ridge Mountains or out on the water — the only two places his mind (and his phone) go quiet.

Alyx is an Analyst at Basis, specializing in mixed-methods research and program evaluation, focusing on gathering, processing, and analyzing data to produce actionable insights that strengthen systems and improve communities.

Alyx brings cross-sector experience from public health, nonprofit, and coalition work to her research at Basis, with a track record of turning complex data and community voice into meaningful change.

Prior to joining Basis, Alyx worked at Arbor Circle, where she supported grant strategy execution, managed training logistics, and developed evaluation tools to measure program impact. She also worked at the Nashville Metro Public Health Department, where she managed Center for Disease Control and Department of Justice-funded initiatives, led data collection and analysis, created multilingual educational campaigns, and developed stakeholder reports grounded in rigorous evidence.

Alyx holds an MEd in Community Development and Action from Vanderbilt University and a BS in Psychology from Brigham Young University–Hawaii.

When she isn’t working, Alyx can be found getting lost in a fantasy novel, out on a trail, or at home with her husband, three cats, and baby on the way.

Anna is a Principal Researcher at Basis Policy Research, where she leads multi-year studies examining how programs and policies shape educational opportunities and outcomes — turning good evidence into real reform.

Anna specializes in evaluation and strategic development across three areas: accelerating student learning, changing school governance structures, and strengthening the educator workforce. Her mixed-methods approach brings both rigor and nuance to complex policy questions. Over her twelve years at Basis, she has led successful partnerships with the U.S. Department of Education’s Charter School Program, Teacher and School Leader Incentive grants, Education Innovation and Research grants, and Regional Education Laboratory research studies. She is currently leading the evaluation of a statewide teacher residency program in New Mexico, focused on improving educator preparedness and building sustainable funding models, and serves as the data analysis and reporting lead for the national Charter Schools Program Support for Performance Management project funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

Before joining Basis, Anna served as Senior Director of Research at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, where she developed the Public Charter School Dashboard. She also completed a pre-doctoral research fellowship with the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences at Vanderbilt University.

She holds a PhD in Education Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University and a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Chicago.

When she’s not deep in data, Anna can be found following her favorite band around the world — from Red Rocks to Nashville to London.

Annabeth is pursuing a BA in Communication Studies and Psychology at Northwestern University, where she is a member of the university’s nationally recognized debate team and has earned multiple honors, including the Milton S. Florsheim Prize for excellence in debate and the John Kirk Award and Mary Peterson Gilbert Prize for public speaking. Alongside her academic and competitive pursuits, she has worked in political communications consulting, contributing to national and international campaigns — including the presidential campaign of Luis Abinader in the Dominican Republic and numerous U.S. senate, gubernatorial, and other races. Through her academic work in communication and the social sciences — combined with debate, lab, and consulting experience — she sharpens the analytical and rhetorical skills that underpin her work at Basis and develops a nuanced understanding of how people process information to craft messages that are both accurate and memorable.

Jakob is a Senior Analyst at Basis Policy Research specializing in data management, program evaluation, and school initiative analysis — distilling complex data into clear, actionable recommendations that help partners make confident decisions.

Jakob is a Senior Analyst at Basis Policy Research specializing in data management, program evaluation, and school initiative analysis — distilling complex data into clear, actionable recommendations that help partners make confident decisions.

Jakob brings a rare combination of analytical precision and applied research experience to every project. His current work includes co-leading a mixed-methods study on MTSS practices across Grand Valley State University-authorized charter schools — among the first investigations of MTSS implementation across a large group of charter schools — and evaluating the Indiana Learns and Summer Learning Labs program for The Mind Trust. Jakob also serves as the lead analyst on the evaluation of Kent County’s Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage, tracking the implementation and impact of one of the region’s most significant early childhood investments. Earlier project work includes a school feasibility study for an underserved community in Grand Rapids, a campus health assessment and school leader placement initiative for Harmony Public Schools, and a competency-based education survey study with Michigan State University’s Education Policy Innovation Collaborative.

Before joining Basis full-time, Jakob interned at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of the Secretary in Washington, D.C. He also served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at Michigan State University, where he taught courses on the policies and practices of educating diverse learners, and has presented research on inclusive assessment at annual meetings of the National Association of School Psychologists and the National Council on Measurement in Education.

He holds an MA in School Psychology with a focus on quantitative methods from Michigan State University and a BA in Psychology and Spanish from Calvin University.

Jakob looks forward to teaching his toddler how to code — but she’ll have to learn the alphabet first.

Jeff is a Data Systems and Solutions Lead at Basis Policy Research, where he designs and delivers complex data systems, dashboards, and technology solutions that help education leaders translate data into clear, actionable insight.

At Basis, Jeff leads the development of scalable data infrastructure and user-centered tools and solutions — from statewide accountability dashboards to decision-support systems — ensuring that complex data is accessible, reliable, and aligned to real-world decision-making. His work spans UI/UX design, data visualization, and integrating multiple data sources into streamlined performance frameworks. He brings deep expertise in both the technical and human dimensions of system design, incorporating user feedback, qualitative research, and cost analysis to build solutions that are both functional and sustainable.

Jeff has more than two decades of experience delivering education technology solutions for state agencies, universities, and school systems nationwide. His work includes leading large-scale projects with the Arizona Department of Education, Nebraska Department of Education, the Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Miami, and other multi-agency public school networks. Prior to joining Basis, he led software development projects at the Arizona Department of Education and is currently CEO of Hourglass Education Technology Solutions, a boutique EdTech company.

He holds an MBA from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and is A.B.D. in the Organizational Change and Leadership EdD program at the University of Southern California.

When he isn’t advancing Basis’s technology-driven solutions, Jeff can be found playing the drums, shuttling his children between sporting events, and embracing his signature tank tops.

Kari is a Senior Researcher at Basis Policy Research, specializing in teacher preparation and evaluation, educator workforce development, and early literacy. She brings 15 years of classroom, curriculum, and leadership experience to her research and technical assistance work, giving her a practitioner’s perspective that shapes her approach to every project.

Her recent work spans some of the most pressing questions in educator policy: evaluating the implementation and impact of teacher residency and apprenticeship programs in South Carolina and New Mexico; assessing the validity and reliability of classroom observation frameworks for a national charter school network; and analyzing educator selection and evaluation tools to inform career advancement pathways in North Carolina. She has also examined educator retention and workforce development strategies through Regional Educational Laboratory–supported research and studied how college advising interventions affect students’ application and completion rates. Kari has led and supported major federally funded research initiatives, including an Education Innovation and Research grant, Regional Educational Laboratory studies on teacher and principal retention, and a U.S. Department of Education Teacher Quality Partnership grant.

Before joining Basis, Kari served as Director of Curriculum and Instruction at the Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC), where she led teacher residency programs across Colorado. She designed and taught graduate-level coursework for teacher residents, coached novice educators, and built partnerships with Colorado institutions of higher education to align residency pathways with state credentialing requirements. Earlier in her career, she taught in public and private K–3 classrooms and worked as a professional learning consultant supporting instructional technology integration.

Kari holds a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Denver, a master’s degree from the University of San Diego, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of San Diego.

When she’s not helping clients translate research into practice, Kari is happiest outdoors with the Colorado sunshine on her face—hiking mountains, running trails, sleeping under the stars, or cheering on her three boys from the sidelines.

Karin is an Associate Researcher at Basis Policy Research, specializing in quantitative and mixed-methods research on the implementation and outcomes of education policies and programs. Her work sits at the intersection of rigorous evidence and real-world impact, translating complex findings into actionable insights that help schools, districts, and states make informed decisions and drive meaningful change.

Karin is an Associate Researcher at Basis Policy Research, specializing in quantitative and mixed-methods research on the implementation and outcomes of education policies and programs. Her work sits at the intersection of rigorous evidence and real-world impact, translating complex findings into actionable insights that help schools, districts, and states make informed decisions and drive meaningful change.

Her expertise spans teacher development and retention, postsecondary access, and workforce pathways – and she brings a practitioner’s perspective to every project, shaped by her own experience as a classroom teacher and district leader. She has designed and managed complex, multi-year studies for the U.S. Department of Education, national foundations, and large school districts. Her current projects include a study of Michigan Reconnect, a statewide last-dollar scholarship for adult learners, and an evaluation of a teacher residency initiative in South Carolina.

Prior to joining Basis, Karin worked at Research for Action, where she led and contributed to federally and foundation-funded studies on topics ranging from developmental education reform and college access to restorative practices in schools. She has also served in district central office at Gwinnett County Public Schools and, earlier in her career, as a teacher in New York City.

She holds a PhD in Education Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University, an MAT from Relay Graduate School of Education, and a BA in International Affairs from New York University.

When she isn’t writing code or articles, Karin is a runner, a reader, and an unrepentant reality tv enthusiast, sometimes all before 8:30am.

Kiel is a Principal at Basis Policy Research, specializing in mixed-methods evaluations of educational programs and interventions — with a particular focus on the professional learning initiatives that keep great teachers in classrooms where they’re needed most.

Kiel leads a broad portfolio of rigorous evaluations spanning teacher retention, school working conditions, charter school effectiveness, and early childhood programs. His current work includes leading studies on teacher retention and working conditions in Michigan charter schools for the Grand Valley State University Charter School Office, evaluating the implementation and impact of Kent County’s Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage, and co-investigating a study on MTSS practices and impacts across charter schools. He recently completed evaluations of Teacher and School Leader Incentive grants in New Orleans and San Antonio, and a school-based mental health services program for San Antonio ISD. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the American Educational Research Journal and the Journal of Teacher Education. His doctoral dissertation examined the impact of coaching interventions on new teachers’ observation ratings through an experimental study design — research that continues to inform his approach to evaluation at Basis.

Before joining Basis, Kiel served as a Research and Evaluation Consultant for Oakland Schools and as a Data Analyst at the University of Michigan. Earlier in his career, he served as Director of Teacher Leadership Development for Teach For America Rhode Island and as a classroom teacher at Roosevelt Elementary School in Phoenix — experience that grounds his research in the day-to-day realities of schools and the educators who work in them. He was accepted into the Association of Teacher Educator’s Emerging Scholars program in 2018.

He holds a PhD in Educational Studies from the University of Michigan, an MEd in Secondary Education from Arizona State University, and a BA in Government and Legal Studies from Bowdoin College.

When he isn’t cleaning data, Kiel can be found reading the newspaper cover-to-cover, daydreaming about camping in Alaska with his wife and three children, or watching Michigan football, basketball, and hockey. He lives by Churchill’s words: “It does not seem to be much use being anything else” than an optimist.

Matthew is a Senior Researcher at Basis Policy Research who designs large-scale data systems, surveys, and program evaluations that help education leaders understand what works in schools and why.

Matthew currently leads a project supporting the design, development, and deployment of the North Carolina Longitudinal Data Service – a statewide cross-sector data platform that links student, education, health, and workforce records across agencies to help policymakers and researchers answer the state’s most pressing questions about education and economic outcomes. He also helps design and administer the annual Tennessee Educator Survey, a statewide effort conducted with the Tennessee Department of Education and the Tennessee Education Research Alliance at Vanderbilt University. The survey reaches all 85,000 certified educators and provides actionable data on school climate, instructional leadership, evaluation, and educator retention. Matthew has also served as the external evaluator on four Teacher and School Leader Incentive grants and one Supporting Effective Educator Development grant, bringing careful measurement to some of the most innovative reforms in educator compensation and performance across districts in Detroit, Toledo, San Antonio, and St. Louis.

Before joining Basis, Matthew served as Director of Research at the Tennessee Department of Education and spent seven years leading research and data quality initiatives at Metro Nashville Public Schools, where he designed and managed a comprehensive district data warehouse and served as the district lead for Vanderbilt University’s National Center for Performance Incentives’ POINT project – a landmark randomized teacher pay-for-performance experiment. Prior to that, he spent four years leading consulting projects with school districts and state education agencies across the country.

He holds an EdD in K–12 Education Leadership and Policy and a master’s degree in economics, both from Vanderbilt University, and dual bachelor’s degrees in economics and mathematics from the University of Tulsa.

A proud Minnesotan, Matthew lives by the seasons – tapping his backyard maple tree in spring, “scamping” in summer, biking in fall, and cross-country skiing through winter.

Sarah is an Associate Researcher at Basis Policy Research, specializing in program evaluation and data analysis at the intersection of education and child welfare — building the research-practice-policy partnerships that strengthen support systems for the children and families who need them most.

Sarah brings a rare cross-sector background to her work at Basis, combining deep expertise in program evaluation, causal inference, and mixed-methods research with hands-on experience across child welfare, education, and workforce systems. She currently leads SPARK-FC (Shaping Practice Through Actionable Research and Knowledge in Foster Care), working across research, practice, and policy to grow the support network for children in foster care. She also leads an experimental evaluation of Creating a Family’s Kinship Interactive Training Support Curriculum.

Before joining Basis, Sarah served as an Evaluation Scientist in the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, leading child welfare evaluations for the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services and a prenatal substance exposure training program for social work professionals. She has also worked with the National Center for Rural Education Research Networks at Harvard University and spent nearly a decade as a researcher and instructor at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Her earlier career experience spans education, child welfare, and workforce systems, and includes the 2009 North Carolina Governor’s Award for Excellence.

She holds a PhD in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis from North Carolina State University — where her dissertation was awarded Outstanding Dissertation of the Year — and a BS in Psychology from Methodist University.

When she’s not working, Sarah can be found volunteering in her local schools, rereading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and remembering not to panic.