About Us
ERBD focuses on the events, activities, and interactions that make your work a success.
Our results are based on real data that help develop real recommendations that can help improve the overall quality of your participants’ experiences and outcomes.
We acquire, measure, and analyze data points that will help your organization understand the implementation process as it affects outcomes, both desired and unwanted. Our final product is a comprehensive report that serves as a tool for implementing recommendations that leverage your organization’s ability in order to be self-sustaining in its efforts.
EDUCATION EXPERT
Dr. Paola Pilonieta is an Associate Professor and Program Director of the Reading Education Minor at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. She received her Doctorate and Master’s degrees in Reading from the University of Miami. Prior to her current position, she was a first-grade teacher. Dr. Pilonieta’s research agenda focuses on emergent and early literacy, diversity, and teacher education. She is particularly interested in exploring how young children construct meaning during read alouds and partner reading, and how comprehension strategies can be used to facilitate text-based conversations. In the area of teacher education, Dr. Pilonieta is currently exploring how preservice teachers implement High Leverage Practices through Practice Based Education. Dr. Pilonieta has authored over 30 publications and has delivered more than 35 conference presentations and workshops. Dr. Pilonieta serves as the education expert team member at ERBD with extensive knowledge and training in observation tool development, focus groups, and thematic analysis.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Lina Lopez Chiappone, Ph.D., is an educational consultant and professional copy editor. She earned her doctorate in TESOL and Reading at the University of Miami (FL), where she taught in the Department of Teaching and Learning and conducted literacy research in Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) as part of several federal grants. She was also project director for a research study of best practices with English language learners in urban settings. Prior to that, Dr. Chiappone was a teacher for 10 years in M-DCPS, working primarily with the dropout prevention program at the elementary level. Her research and writing interests include digital reading, new literacies, and vocabulary learning as they relate to students learning English as a new language. She also worked as a journalist, and copy editor and page designer for The Miami Herald. Dr. Lopez Chiappone’s expertise serves to support ERBD as the quality assurance team member.
PROGRAM EVALUATION
Dr. Adriana Medina has been working in the field of program evaluation since 2006. She has worked with numerous stakeholders that include varying public and private school entities. She has held the roles of project coordinator and director in various initiatives at the University of Miami. Additionally, she holds extensive expertise in the areas of focus groups, interviews, and survey analyses.
Project Facilitators
Rita Menendez, Ph.D.
Dr. Menendez’s work is centered within Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and how activity systems can be organized and analyzed based on the central tenets of this socio-cultural theory. Evaluation plans are anchored in how to best shape programmatic assessments and research designs in order to successfully interpret and report on grant outcomes. This process is conceptualized through the CHAT theoretical framework. She has served as both an external and internal evaluator working with varying public and private agencies over the past 19 years. Dr. Menendez, and conversely ERBD, has extensive experience working with federal grants as an external evaluator. She has served as the external evaluator for a number of Title V grants, and grants funded through the Fund for Improvement to Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE). When serving as the external evaluator, Dr. Menendez works from beginning to end with project stakeholders to develop, design, plan, and implement evaluation plans and activities.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
