Aliya Pilchen participates in a range of projects on K–16 education reform, teacher preparation and professional development, and college and career pathways. Her responsibilities include project management, collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, and contributing to written reports for clients.

Pilchen serves as the deputy director for the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Appalachia, one of 10 RELs funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. In this role, she manages a team of researchers and technical assistance providers working in partnership with school districts, state departments of education, and others to use data and research to improve academic outcomes for students in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Pilchen is also the survey task lead for the evaluation of the Barr Foundation’s Engage New England Initiative, which funds grantees to design and implement innovative high school models for students who are off track for graduation.

Before joining SRI, Pilchen was a graduate research intern at Goodman Research Group Inc. where she analyzed quantitative and qualitative survey and interview data to explore early factors that contribute to student interest in STEM careers. Pilchen also spent 2 years teaching middle school as part of Citizen Schools’ expanded learning time program in Boston, Massachusetts.

Pilchen holds an EdM in education policy and management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She earned a BA in public policy studies with minors in education and psychology from Duke University.

Key Projects

1. Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Appalachia
2. Barr Foundation Engage New England Initiative
3. Evaluation of the New Teacher Center i3 Scale-Up Grant
4. Postsecondary Outcomes of IB Diploma Programme Graduates in the United States
5. Implementation Study of ESEA Title I – Part C Migrant Education Program Serving Children of Agricultural Workers and Fishers