Drawing on her training as a sociologist, Jenna uses mixed-methods evaluation and capacity-building frameworks in her work, including improvement and implementation science. She is a subject matter expert on issues related to educator quality, college readiness and access, school improvement, human capital management systems, collective impact, and strategic planning.

She has significant experience working with state, regional, and local education agencies across the United States, in urban, suburban, and rural settings. Presently, she collaborates with Missouri and South Dakota on strategic priorities to improve education processes and outcomes. In addition, Jenna is evaluating the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future using a system change framework. Previously, Jenna worked closely with Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas on strategic initiatives related to educator quality and human capital management. She also worked closely with many school districts on improving their human capital management systems. This work included strategic collaborations with rural regional education agencies and school districts, specifically around recruiting, retaining, and providing professional supports to educators.

Prior to NORC, Jenna served as the education account lead at Abt Global. In this role, she collaborated with a diverse range of clients, including the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, state education agencies, local education agencies, nonprofits, and foundations. Jenna joined Abt from Westat where, for more than 10 years, she managed evaluation and technical assistance projects for the U.S. Department of Education and state education agencies. Before joining Westat, she worked to assess the effectiveness of federal programs at the U.S. Government Accountability Office. She began her career as a classroom social studies teacher.