Appointment brings key education and policy expertise to nonprofit performance-based assessment provider
NEW YORK, October 25, 2022 | Source: GlobeNewswire
The Council for Aid to Education, Inc. (CAE), a nonprofit developer of assessments that measure students’ essential academic and career skills, today announced the appointment of V. Darleen Opfer, vice president and director of RAND Education and Labor, to its board of directors. Opfer leads a staff of more than 200 research experts who are focused on using evidence to improve schools for low-income and minority students.
“Bringing a mix of educational expertise combined with a passion to improve student outcomes, Darleen will be an asset in continuing to innovate and drive CAE forward,” said Dennis Brown, CAE’s newly appointed board chairman. “We are honored to have Darleen on our team and I look forward to her valuable contributions.”
In addition to her role with RAND Education and Labor, Opfer holds the Distinguished Chair in Education Policy at RAND Corporation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization that helps improve policy and decision making through research and analysis.
“The focus of my career has always been on understanding the relationship between teaching and student achievement,” said Opfer. “I am excited to work with my fellow board members at CAE, as they share my deep commitment to ensuring students learn the skills they need for success in their academic pursuits and in the workforce.”
Also on the CAE board are Bob Yayac, president and CEO, CAE; Judith S. Eaton, Ph.D., president emeritus of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA); Diane Ferguson, managing director – head of financial institutions, Mizuho America; Michael J. Feuer, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development, professor of education policy at George Washington University and immediate past president of the National Academy of Education; and Eduardo J. Marti, Ph.D., president emeritus, Queensborough Community College and vice chancellor emeritus for community colleges of the City University of New York.
“Our board has never been better equipped to guide CAE in our mission to improve student outcomes,” said Yayac. “As we enter the next phase of our growth, including new and expanded partnerships and enhanced critical thinking instruction, I’m confident CAE and our clients will benefit immensely from their collective expertise and diverse perspectives.”
About CAE
Since 2002, CAE has developed performance-based and custom assessments that authentically measure students’ essential academic and career skills. Our Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+) and Success Skills Assessment (SSA+) for higher education and College and Career Readiness Assessment (CCRA+) for secondary education evaluate the skills that are predictive of positive college and career outcomes and in demand by employers: critical thinking, problem solving and effective written communication. Over 825,000 students at more than 1,300 secondary and higher education institutions globally have completed CAE’s essential skills assessments.
As a nonprofit whose mission is to improve student outcomes, CAE also offers critical thinking skills curriculum, professional development, and designs custom, innovative performance assessments across all subject areas and grades. To learn more, please visit www.cae.org and follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter.