Staff
Principal Investigator
Dr. Steven L. Kramer is Principal Investigator of ME-SBG at 21PSTEM. A former middle-school math teacher who implemented standards-based grading in Baltimore, he now leads the Department of Education funded study to make grading more learning-focused and teacher-friendly. He previously led NSF research and served on the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME) editorial board.
Assistant Project Director
Dr. John Baker is the Assistant Project Director and District Liaison for MESBG. In addition to collaborating with the various project teams and providing oversight, he manages contracts and maintains relationships with partner school districts. He is a former secondary math teacher whose research interests include student learning and mobilization of mathematics knowledge. When not at work, John enjoys the outdoors, running, and going on adventures with his wife and three children.
Professional Development Lead
Dr. Tyrone Dash II is the Professional Development Lead for MESBG. In this role, he designs and facilitates professional learning that empowers teachers to deliver high-quality, engaging, and equitable instruction. A former high school science teacher, Dr. Dash draws on his classroom experience and deep instructional expertise to support educators in building strong pedagogy and fostering inclusive learning environments. He is committed to advancing rigorous STEM education that opens doors of opportunity for all students
Library Team Lead
Dr. Willy Viviani is the Team Lead for the library of resources. As a former high school math teacher, university instructor, and postdoctoral fellow supporting schools through Improvement Science, Willy brings extensive experience working with educators at various levels and in diverse capacities. Notably, Willy has provided mathematical expertise in delivering workshops and presentations for both teachers and administrators, focusing on cognitively demanding tasks, strategies for fostering productive struggle, and technology-based assessment tools.
Mathematics Materials and Assessment Developer
Richard Tchen is the Mathematics Materials and Assessment Developer. Richard loves collaborating with teachers to design educational experiences that bring out the best in their students today, and that will empower them for tomorrow. He has a long background in such innovative online research projects as the Math Forum and Virtual Math Teams, as well as experience publishing for print and digital with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Amplify Desmos.
Lead Software Engineer
Tim Flood is the Lead Software Engineer for ME-SBG. In this role, he architects and develops the web-based platform that enables teachers to implement standards-based grading with their students, designing systems that handle LMS integration, standards management, and student performance tracking. A former project manager and scrum master turned software engineer, Tim collaborates with the ME-SBG team using Agile practices to deliver teacher-friendly tools. Outside of work, Tim’s interests range across weightlifting, long-distance swimming, reading, and drawing.
Logistics Coordinator and Administrative Assistant
Kylie Doyle is a Logistics Coordinator and Administrative Assistant on ME-SBG. She primarily works with travel, event coordination, and a multitude of other administrative duties to support the project. She has a background in visual arts, which she uses while managing the website and creating social media content along with other materials for ME-SBG. After work, Kylie enjoys writing, making art, and maintaining a growing collection of indoor and outdoor plants.
Standards-Based Grading Specialist
Vivian Loewenstern-Jaffe has the background and experience that make her ideally qualified to play a supportive role in the Mathematics Empowerment through Standards-Based Grading Program. After a distinguished career as a mathematics teacher, she was a central office administrator in two school districts where she had the responsibility of implementing standards-based grading district-wide. In addition, she was a lead in the development of the mathematics curriculum and collaborated with others on the mathematics assessment system for a USAID funded project to develop STEM high schools in Egypt. In this role, not only did she create country-wide math assessments, but she performed numerous country-wide presentations on standards-based grading for teachers, administrators, and supervisors.
Software Development Manager
Student Success Programs Supervisor for PPS
Chris Heckman is the Student Success Programs Supervisor for Portland Public Schools in Oregon, where he supports work in mathematics standards and assessments. He’s taught 6-12 grades math for twelve years in the Portland area and has loved his experiences in math education working with youth. Apart from work, Chris stays active through exercise, outdoor adventures, and the occasional home repair project, expresses creativity through cooking and music (guitar and piano), and finds inspiration through reading and mindfulness / meditation. Currently, his two favorite teachers are his seven-year-old child – who offers daily lessons in wonder (and patience) – and his incredible wife, who he’s still working hard to impress.
Consultant
Dr. Teomara (Teya) Rutherford is an Associate Professor of Learning Sciences in the University of Delaware School of Education. She received her PhD in Learning, Cognition, and Development from University of California, Irvine, her JD from Boston University School of Law, and her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Computers in the Classroom from Florida International University. Dr. Rutherford’s research focuses on learning and motivation, especially in STEM and in digital contexts. Currently, she works on a number of federally-funded projects on K-12 mathematics and cybersecurity education and on university computer science. In each, she uses design tools, such as logic models and theories of change, to connect researchers, developers, and practitioners in creating, implementing, and evaluating learning-focused tools and products.
Consultant
Dr. Jessica Shupik’s professional journey has been defined by a passion for designing transformative learning experiences and driving positive organizational change. Through her doctoral research, Dr. Shupik has cultivated expertise that bridges research and real-world application. Throughout her roles in public education, corporate training, and nonprofit consulting, she has consistently developed and implemented initiatives that translate complex goals into measurable improvements in performance and engagement. As a learning professional, Dr. Shupik has crafted solutions tailored to diverse learners, from piloting programs that boosted test scores to leading national conference presentations on tech-infused education. She is recognized for her engaging public speaking, collaborative approach, and the ability to bridge communication across departments to achieve lasting, meaningful results.
Consultant
Ms. Tice is a specialist in mathematics coaching, curriculum and instruction at 21PSTEM with over 40 years of experience in education as a public-school teacher in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Ohio. She has worked in the Colonial School District, Plymouth Meeting, PA as both an embedded math instructional coach at the high school and as a classroom mathematics teacher. As instructional coach for Colonial School District, she assisted in creating standards-aligned district exams for grades 6-12 and provided professional development for the implementation of the newly adopted integrated mathematics curriculum. For the Bristol Township School District in Levittown, PA, she taught mathematics in grades 7 through 12 and was instrumental in implementing a new integrated math curriculum at the high school. As part of her final project for her M.S. in educational administration, she created a comprehensive plan to address the achievement gap among underserved groups of high school math students. At 21PSTEM she has provided professional development for teachers in multiple states for integrated mathematics programs and assisted in professional development for the ESSA (formerly ECASE) project math teachers in Egypt. Ms. Tice is excited to be part of the Standards-Based Grading research project at 21PSTEM.
In addition, she is a part-time professor of mathematics for prospective teachers at Bucks County Community College.
M.S. Gwynedd-Mercy University, Educational Administration
Certificate of Secondary Mathematics Education, The College of New Jersey B.A. Heidelberg University (Ohio), Elementary Education with Departmental Honors.
To register for the event, please do so through Lincoln IU’s PowerSchool page. If you already have an account, login and search for course 11352.
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https://lincolnu12.pl.powerschool.com/ia/empari/login/guest.
Click on “Sign Up” to create an account. Once you do, then sign up for course 11352.
If you have any difficulty, please reach out to info@21pstem.org.
