The Disability Policy and Systems Change Team facilitates meaningful change through collaborative partnerships with states, school districts, and the communities they serve.
Our team applies an implementation science approach to conduct, generate, and apply research foundations while balancing fidelity of evidence-based practices to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
We design and implement customized interventions that are effective in delivering instruction to vulnerable student populations. Our work focuses on landscape analyses, technical assistance, professional learning, and applied research techniques to build organizations’ capacity to promote inclusionary practices and maintain equity for all learners.
Meet the Team
Andrea Harkins-Brown
Program Director, Assistant Research Scientist
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Andrea Harkins-Brown leads applied research studies and funded projects related to special education, systems change, and technology integration. With two decades of experience in special education, higher education, and applied research, she specializes in using data-driven strategies to enhance educational outcomes for students with disabilities.
Her research focuses on the intersection of AI-driven education, inclusive practices, and special education compliance, with an emphasis on improving the quality of Individualized Education Programs.
Jeannie Chipps
Project Administrator
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Jeannie Chipps is a postdoctoral researcher working on the Engineering 4 Us All project. She helps with facilitating professional development and coordinating a summative student assessment within the project.
Nicholas Gillon
Assistant Research Scientist
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Nicholas Gillon, Assistant Research Scientist, conducts applied research in early childhood education, special education, educator preparation, and global public health. With experience as a classroom teacher, school leader, and state education policy officer, he contributes to scholarship that impacts education and human service policy and practice in local communities. He also collaborates with colleagues from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to understand and address learning challenges affecting international healthcare workforce development.
Jennifer Kouo
Assistant Research Scientist
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Jennifer Kouo, Assistant Research Scientist, is engaged in multiple research projects that involve transdisciplinary collaborations in the fields of engineering, medicine, and technology, as well as research on teacher preparation and the conducting of evidence-based practices in multiple contexts. Jennifer’s areas of expertise include Universal Design for Learning, technology integration, assistive technologies, and serving students with a range of disabilities, particularly autism spectrum disorder.
Andrea Schanbacher
Project Administrator
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Andrea Schanbacher, Project Administrator, facilitates school improvement across a school system in Maryland, and improves outcomes for students with disabilities in Delaware. She co-developed and co-facilitated a team-based continuous improvement process to promote systems change nationally and internationally. She began her career as a special educator, serving students with disabilities in both the general education and non-public settings for 15 years.