Council Honors Washoe County School District with Research Team Award
WASHINGTON, July 10 – Washoe County School District (WCSD) in Reno, Nevada, was recently awarded the “Informing Progress in Urban Education” award at the Council of the Great City Schools’ Curriculum, Research, and Instructional Leaders Meeting in Detroit. Sponsored by NWEA, this prestigious recognition honors WCSD for developing Insight, a groundbreaking early warning system driven by a fully homegrown, research-based predictive algorithm.
Insight uses machine learning and advanced data science techniques to assess students’ graduation risks with precision, achieving 96% predictive accuracy as early as 9th grade. Now implemented district-wide across high schools, Insight far outperforms traditional risk assessment methods and provides school leaders with actionable, student-centered data. WCSD is actively working to expand the system to elementary and middle schools to support early intervention. A key aspect of WCSD’s approach is its deep commitment to collaborating with school staff to create proactive, tailored reports that respond directly to student needs, ensuring the system is both effective and widely used.
The award was presented to members of the WCSD research team:
- Dr. JT Stark, Data Analytics Coordinator
- Dr. Laura Davidson, Director of Research and Evaluation
- Brandon Barela, Business Intelligence Analyst
- Irene Ngo, Business Intelligence Analyst
“Congratulations to the Washoe County research team for their innovative work to identify and support students at risk of academic failure,” said Dr. Akisha Osei Sarfo, the Council’s Director of Research, who presented the award. “Systems like Insight raise the bar on how data can be used to drive systemic change and serve as a model for other urban districts.”
The Informing Progress in Urban Education Research Team Award is presented to a Council district demonstrating outstanding work in research and evaluation. The award also comes with the expectation of continued leadership and contribution to the Council’s broader efforts to improve research practices across urban school systems.“This CGCS recognition is an incredible honor and a reflection of the transformative, student-centered work happening across WCSD,” said Dr. JT Stark. “I’m proud of our research team and the ways we’re advancing analytics to make meaningful change for students and schools.”
Dr. JT Stark has served WCSD since 2014 and currently leads data analytics. He is a fellow in Harvard University’s Strategic Data Project and holds a doctorate from the University of Nevada, Reno. Brandon Barela and Irene Ngo have both been with WCSD for over 10 years and are Business Intelligence Analysts. They both hold a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from the University of Nevada, Reno. Dr. Laura Davidson has led the district’s research and evaluation work since 2011 and holds a doctorate in social psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno.
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About the Council of the Great City Schools
The Council of the Great City Schools is the only national organization exclusively representing the needs of urban public schools. Composed of 81 large city school districts, its mission is to promote the cause of urban schools and to advocate for inner-city students through legislation, research, and media relations. For more information, visit www.cgcs.org
