Article: R14CC Quick Chats with Dr. Lauren Decker-Woodrow
Uncover the personalities behind Region 14 Comprehensive Center! Join us for bite-sized glimpses into our experts' lives—from their passions to professional insights. Meet the diverse minds shaping education in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, and see what fuels their drive for positive change.
Meet Dr. Lauren Decker-Woodrow
With 15 years of program evaluation, research, and technical assistance experience, Lauren clearly connects the dots of complex projects and thoughtfully evaluates challenges. As the Deputy Director of the Region 14 Comprehensive Center, she helps build a strong foundation for our team and state education agency clients to thrive in the present and grow into the future.
Lauren sharing her computer screen with an Advisory Board member during a 2023 Advisory Board meeting in Houston, Texas.
What book has made the biggest impact on you?
While many books have impacted me differently, the Chronicles of Narnia lately. Currently, my daughter and I (she is in second grade) are reading it together. While I know all the stories (it is one actual book with all of the tales...no tablets in this story), this is her first time going through them.
We take turns reading, which has created such interesting discussions along the way, both in terms of the stories themselves and the larger connections she makes between the stories and other things she learns, sees, and experiences. It has become one of my favorite times we spend together, and I continue to be amazed by her thinking and the connections she makes. Even though she has been reading independently for almost two years, I hope to get to read to her in addition to her reading to me for many years to come.
What is the most interesting way you have used research and data to inform and progress education?
I am so fortunate to have had many exciting examples throughout my career, and a few specific instances come to mind.
We recently completed a study of middle school algebra technological tools during the pandemic. Aside from the exciting impact findings, the most interesting outcome was the teacher toolkit we created from the findings. I had the opportunity to collaborate with a former algebra teacher and a district math coordinator. Together, we met with current algebra teachers to ensure the usefulness of the tool.
Finally, as part of serving as an advisor to the EPIC dashboard, I have been excited to see how engaged teachers, leaders, and community members in Louisiana are in exploring the state's progress to indicators and system ESSER spend. It has also been exciting to explore AI with machine learning to create algorithms that categorize spending descriptions into categories for straightforward interpretation.
Left: Lauren volunteering at the Central Texas Food Bank during one of R14CC's annual volunteer events. Right: Lauren and colleague Laura Jurgensen enjoying beignets during a client visit in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The Biden-Harris administration has recently launched the campaign “Being Bilingual is a Superpower” to emphasize the power of multilingualism in education. Do you speak any languages other than English? If yes, which one(s) and why? If not, which would you like to learn and why?
So, I am in between. I am not fluent by any means, but I could navigate my way to being understood in Spanish. Fun fact: I have been using a language learning app to improve my Spanish speaking for the last year. Knowing what I know about the cognitive research on the positive relationships with multilingualism, this is a superpower that I hold in high regard!
What is something you want everyone to know about the work done at R14CC?
We often point to research and evaluation studies and results without understanding the companion work and results of technical assistance. I am a quantitative researcher by training. I have seen the power of combining technical assistance, continuous improvement, systems improvement, and implementation fidelity to create the most significant improvements for individuals. I want everyone to know that the behind-the-scenes work of technical assistance and support, like that done at the R14CC and all technical assistance centers, is a silent but critical piece of effectiveness for many initiatives, programs, offices, and systems.
What is one app or tool you cannot live without in your work?
Depending on what I am working on, statistical software is a must (SAS mostly). However, more generally speaking, I find myself in spreadsheets like Excel and Smartsheet most often. Spreadsheets are so versatile and can be used for calculations, tables, figures, matrices, and so much more!
Learn more about Lauren's professional background and connect with her on LinkedIn!