Leadership in Data or Assessment Award

Leadership in Data and/or Assessment Award

CERA will be honoring a leader from either preschool-12 or higher education who have demonstrated a strong ability to collect, analyze, and/or utilize to enhance decision-making processes and drive improvement in student outcomes.

Nomination Information

Nominees who have successfully demonstrated any of the following will receive special consideration:
Presentation of assessment results or key data metrics that increased public awareness or influenced decision-makers (e.g., district leadership, school board, legislature)
Facilitation of conversations with diverse stakeholders building awareness, consensus
Leading coalition of change-makers to implement improvement efforts
Documented evidence of how data and assessment initiatives have led to tangible improvements in performance, outcomes, or decision-making processes within the organization.

2025 Winners

Tiffany Katanyoutanant

WestEd

Dr. Katanyoutanant spearheaded a sophisticated mixed-methods research approach that set new standards for statewide educational assessment. Her methodology included statewide surveys of all California Local Education Agencies and County Offices of Education, in-depth interviews with educators and administrators, comprehensive policy analysis across all 50 states, and systematic review of existing HGE curricula.

Most notably, she incorporated cross-regional comparison data that revealed previously hidden patterns in educational delivery—an innovative approach that distinguished this study from typical statewide assessments. As Research Lead, she was responsible for leading all data collection, analysis, and visualization activities, achieving a robust 29% response rate from California LEAs and successfully integrating quantitative and qualitative findings. Her analysis revealed that only 26% of California school districts have systematic HGE in place, providing clear, actionable insights for policymakers.

The research received the highest level of state recognition when Governor Newsom's office released the findings on International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2025. Governor Newsom stated: "I was proud to establish the Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education and grateful for their work on this comprehensive report. I look forward to reviewing the Council's recommendations and ensuring that California continues to be a beacon for tolerance, empathy, and education."

Dr. Katanyoutanant's work successfully brought together diverse educational, political, and community stakeholders around shared data-driven insights. Her research provided a comprehensive roadmap for systematic improvement through 10 detailed recommendations, addressing curriculum standards, professional development, and resource allocation. The Governor's Council is actively developing action plans based on these data-driven recommendations.

The study's impact extends beyond policy influence to documented improvements in understanding and decision-making. The research findings elevated public understanding of HGE gaps, provided school districts with clear benchmarks for evaluating their programs, and directly informed how state and local resources should be allocated for maximum impact. Educational leaders gained clear direction on implementation gaps, while policymakers received actionable data to inform legislation.

Dr. Tiffany Katanyoutanant's leadership of the California Holocaust and Genocide Education study represents the highest standard of data and assessment excellence. Her innovative methodology, rigorous analysis, and strategic communication created a model for how educational research can drive meaningful policy change and systematic improvement.
The fact that her research directly influenced state legislation within months of publication demonstrates exceptional quality and relevance. Her ability to facilitate meaningful dialogue with high-level stakeholders while maintaining scientific rigor exemplifies the data leadership that CERA seeks to recognize. Dr. Katanyoutanant's contribution represents data and assessment leadership at its finest—research that informs, influences, and ultimately improves educational outcomes for students across California.

I strongly recommend Dr. Tiffany Katanyoutanant for the CERA Leadership in Data and/or Assessment Award.

Tiki Ghosh

Sacramento County Office of Education

Tiki observed that assessment coordinators have ready access to data through the TOMS system but lacked the time and the technical knowledge to take that data and wield it in ways that help drive improvement. Tiki took the lead on creating an easy-to-use Excel tool: assessment coordinators upload their TOMS files and, with the push of a button, view clean, easy-to-read visualizations to help them analyze their CAASPP and ELPAC data.

The first TOMS dashboard was launched for the 2022-23 assessment, and each year, Tiki has responded to input from the field to help make the tool more and more useful. In 2024-25, the tool even allowed assessment coordinators to define custom columns to group students by local programs and analyze their scores with a narrower focus.

This tool was originally developed for districts and charters in the Sacramento region through the Capital Region Assessment Network (CRAN) but is now being used by assessment coordinators across the state. We often hear from the field how useful the tool has been in communicating results and participation as it becomes available (no need to wait for public release!). Tiki's thoughtful preparation of the tool and comprehensive training materials have allowed educators with a wide range of technical skills to take advantage of this tool. We are so proud of this project and the leadership Tiki has displayed in recognizing and addressing this need.

2024 Winner

Ramón Peña Llaños

Tehama County Department of Education

Ramon has demonstrated leadership by facilitating meetings with diverse groups of educators and stakeholders to address issues regarding chronic absenteeism. He has been able to bring to their attention how there has been a significant increase post COVID-19. He has helped implement change by giving tools and resources to superintendents, principals, and school improvement teams. He demonstrates how to reduce chronically absent students, take preventative measures, complete data analysis, and find ways to provide resources to students so they are able to consistently attend school and decrease chronic absenteeism. Furthermore, his facilitation and skills have led decision makers to look into school policy and consider changing the way absences are reported and calculated. An excellent example is in the documented results of his work with Bidwell Elementary. As a result of his work with this school, their reported numbers showed a chronic absenteeism decrease from 54.3% to 29.9%, a 24.4 percentage decrease after helping decision makers implement practices. Also, their CAASPP Scores (All Grades): Math increased 4.31 percentage points and English increased 9.66 percentage points. Ramon has created a Word Document titled, "Simple Way to Attack Chronic Absenteeism" that shows readers the steps and processes used in the Chronic Absenteeism coalition group. It is available to anyone that would want to use or view it.