Who We Are: Lauren Decker-Woodrow, PhD

“Every child should have access to every educational opportunity possible. At the Comprehensive Center, we have an opportunity to support those who strive to make that equitable access a reality.”

About Lauren Decker-Woodrow

(She/Her/Hers)

As the Deputy Director of the Region 14 Comprehensive Center, Lauren cultivates each team member's unique potential by supporting their strengths and helping them think about things in a different way to facilitate problem solving.

With 15 years of program evaluation, research, and technical assistance experience, Lauren clearly connects the dots of complex projects and thoughtfully evaluates challenges. She helps build a strong foundation for our team and state education agency clients to thrive in the present and grow into the future.

Career Highlights

• A Principal Research Associate at Westat, Lauren is currently serving as Deputy Director of Region 14 Comprehensive Center, assisting state education agencies in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.

• Lauren has conducted multiple cost studies on educational interventions including cost-effectiveness and benefit-cost studies to inform decision making for students ranging from early childhood through high school.

• As Principal Investigator of a randomized controlled trial evaluation of Communities In Schools, funded by the National Institute of Justice, Lauren’s team explored the effectiveness of an adapted delivery model for middle school students.

• Lauren was the Co-Principal Investigator of a randomized controlled trial evaluation, funded by Institute of Education Sciences (IES), of mathematics technologies designed to improve seventh-grade students' understanding and performance in algebra. 

  As the Principal Investigator of the longitudinal evaluation of the City of San Antonio's (SA) Pre-K 4 SA initiative, Lauren’s team explored the effectiveness of the initiative for students through third grade.