Nicholas Ortiz
Education Researcher and Technical Assistance Specialist, SRI Education
Nicholas Ortiz, MPA, brings 12 years of experience helping public and private organizations use data to improve outcomes for young children and their families. He has an extensive background in early childhood data analysis, reporting, governance, management, visualization, integration, quality assurance, and systems development. His other areas of focus include outcomes measurement for young children with disabilities, preschool and kindergarten assessment, and evaluation of state- and federally funded preschool.
Ortiz has provided training and technical assistance to numerous state and local education agencies.
Ortiz currently supports state early intervention (Part C) and preschool special education (619) data systems through the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center and the Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems. He leads the GOLD Learning Community, co-leads a state support team on the Local Child Outcomes Data Use cohort, co-leads the data analytics activity team, and serves as a dedicated liaison for several states. Much of this work revolves around helping states accurately report on outcomes for young children with disabilities. Other project work includes administrative data analysis for a study of facilitators and barriers to inclusion of children with disabilities in federally subsidized child care in California. Ortiz also led the development of a comprehensive data governance plan for the state of North Dakota’s early childhood integrated data system (ECIDS).
Ortiz previously served in state government for more than a decade. He oversaw data quality assurance, accountability reporting, and other data services within the Colorado Department of Education’s PreK-3rd Grade Office. He co-architected Results Matter, Colorado’s nationally recognized preschool assessment system, which served as a model for the state’s eventual kindergarten school readiness assessment. Ortiz championed several efforts to integrate the Department’s early childhood data with other intra- and inter-agency data warehouses. He pioneered Colorado’s first longitudinal evaluation of state-funded preschool using its statewide longitudinal data system. He was an active member of several state data governance bodies, including the Early Childhood Leadership Commission Data Subcommittee. Prior to public service, Ortiz was a research coordinator for several clinical studies at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
Ortiz has completed and provided training on multiple authentic preschool assessment tools, including GOLD, COR Advantage, and Work Sampling System. He is certified in online course design and has developed several assessment data use modules for the early childhood workforce. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northwestern University and master of public administration, with an emphasis in education policy, from the University of Colorado Denver.
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