Michelle Barrett

Dr. Michelle D. Barrett is Vice President of Research and Learning Engineering for Edmentum, a company committed to making it easier for educators to individualize learning.  In her current role, Dr. Barrett guides Edmentum’s research policies and agenda, and leads the design and instrumentation of technologies that improve learner outcomes.

Following an early career as a mechanical engineer, Dr. Barrett started her career in education in the classroom teaching middle and high school mathematics. She then served as a policy analyst for the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, a senior consultant within the Colorado Department of Education, and in research, technical, and leadership roles at CTB/McGraw-Hill, Pacific Metrics, and ACT.  For the past 15 years, her primary career focus has been the research and development of software, algorithms, and analytics for assessment and learning solutions.

Dr. Barrett is published in the Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, the Journal of Educational Measurement, and Psychometrika, and has contributed to book chapters on the topics of measurement and learning engineering. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the IEEE ISTO Adaptive Instructional System Consortium and on the Board of Directors for We Can Learn, a non-profit committed to creating equitable and innovative learning opportunities.  Dr. Barrett chaired the IEEE Industry Consortium on Learning Engineering SIG on AI and Adaptive Technology in 2018-2019, served on the program board for the 2020 and 2021 HCII Adaptive Instructional Systems Conferences, and was a program committee member for AIED 2021 industry track.

Dr. Barrett earned her Bachelor of Science from Stanford University, her Master of Education from Harvard University, a graduate certificate in large-scale assessment from the University of Maryland, and her Doctorate of Philosophy in research methodology, data analysis, and measurement from the University of Twente, Netherlands. In addition, Dr. Barrett holds certifications in Scaled Agile, Lean Six Sigma, and Pragmatic Marketing.