Illuminations and Insights
We shine a light on our partners, the work we've done across the country, and insights from our team members.
Building with Purpose: Best Practices for Implementing Ed-Fi and EdTech Solutions
Vice President of Implementation & Services Silvia Brunet-Jones has more than 25 years of experience in educational technology and data systems, with career-spanning roles as a software engineer, solutions architect, researcher, and executive leader. Her work has focused on designing scalable data infrastructures, advancing interoperability through Ed-Fi, and driving strategic implementation across state agencies, school districts, and nonprofit organizations. In this blog, Silvia outlines five essential elements that create the successful implementation of educational technology within school districts and broader education systems.
Key Takeaways from Ed-Fi Alliance’s 2025 Tech Congress
Every year the Ed-Fi Alliance hosts its Technical Congress to bring together members from across the EdTech community, including data scientists, chief architects, IT application developers, software engineers, educational technology developers, and more. The goal of the Ed-Fi Alliance’s Tech Congress is to host a discussion-based forum with the community to help the Ed-Fi Data Standard and technology suite grow more usable, practical, and sophisticated to reach our shared goal of making a positive impact to assist student and classroom outcomes. Staff from across Education Analytics (EA) attended the two-day event and connected with school districts, EdTech leaders, and current and potential partner organizations. In this blog, EA staff share their key takeaways from this year's Ed-Fi Tech Congress.
Day in the Life: Q&A with Principal Researcher Michael Christian
Get to know Principal Researcher Michael Christian in the latest installment of our Day in the Life blog series. In this blog, Mike discusses his role and responsibilities on the Research team, his contributions to various growth projects at EA, and the skills he utilizes in his everyday work.
Ed-Fi Accessibility: How Our Open-Source Deployment Empowers Education
EA created an open-source operational data store product, StartingBlocks, driven by an intent to foster openness and shared innovation within the education system. In this blog, VP of Interoperability Solutions Rosh Dhanawade and Cloud Engineer Manager Eshara Mondal describe the development and implementation process involved in creating StartingBlocks, the challenges and successes they encountered along the way, and the conversations that led to StartingBlocks becoming open source.
Five Phrases That Defined My 2025 SXSW EDU Experience
EA's Chief Operating Officer Libby Pier alongside CEO Andrew Rice, attended and presented at SXSW EDU 2025. During the conference, Libby had the opportunity to participate in engaging hands-on workshops, build community with other people within the education technology field, and facilitate a mentoring session about the intersection of EdTech and education research. In this blog, Libby reflections on the five phrases that defined her SXSW EDU experience: Unsexy Tech, Compost Memo, Mentorship, Multidimensional Infrastructure, and Community.
Day in the Life: Q&A with Business Development Coordinator Kate Marquez-Sweeney
Meet Kate Marquez-Sweeney, Education Analytics’ Business Development Coordinator, in the latest installment of our Day in the Life series. In this blog, Kate shares insights into her role on the Business Strategy team, her journey from educator to Business Development Coordinator, and her key contributions—like ensuring that EA stays proactive in our partnerships and business development efforts.