Becky Smerdon is Vice President, Research & Evaluation at Teach For America, to which she brings 20 years of experience in program evaluation, applied research, and policy analysis and more than a decade of experience providing technical assistance to states, districts, and school personnel. Becky is a national expert in secondary education reform and has led numerous large-scale studies, as well as a federally funded technical assistance center, aimed at improving educational outcomes. In her previous position, she supported two state education agencies as they analyzed the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, gathered stakeholder feedback and developed their state plans. Becky ran her own small business for 6 years, providing research and technical analytic support to the Virginia Department of Education and more than 100 educators across the state. Becky is a well-respected researcher and evaluator who completed a prestigious Senior Urban Fellowship working with DC Public Schools to develop early warning indicators and was previously a First Focus Fellow providing policymakers and advocacy groups with research-based recommendations on policy briefs and draft legislation. Becky earned her PhD from the University of Michigan and resides in Virginia.