Jennifer Presley has more than 25 years experience in education policy research, most recently as the founding director of the Illinois Education Research Council. Prior to joining the IERC, she was Associate Provost for Planning and Senior Research Scholar at the University of Maryland, and a consultant/evaluator in Washington, DC. She has also led offices of policy research with the Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education, the University of Wisconsin System, and U/Mass Boston. In August 2007, she stepped down as Director of the IERC, but continues as Senior Advisor and Research Professor on a part-time basis during the transition to a new director. She recently returned to the Washington DC area where she plans to continue her work on teacher quality, the achievement gap and student readiness for college and work.