Ryan Balch

Graduate Assistant,
National Center on Performance Incentives

Ryan Balch graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in psychology and finished a master’s degree in Science Education through Georgia State University’s TEEMS program. He taught biology (ESOL, regular, and honors), physics, as well as AP and IB psychology at Riverwood High School in Fulton County, Georgia for six years. He also served as the department chair for science for two years at Riverwood before leaving to teach AP/IB physics and 7th grade math at the American Overseas School in Rome, Italy. During the summers, Ryan has worked for Teach for America as a Curriculum Specialist instructing new teachers during pre-service training. Ryan’s research interests are in the field of performance incentives for teachers as a means to improve teacher quality.

Abby Dallett

Graduate Assistant,
National Center on Performance Incentives

Abby Dallett is a graduate assistant for the National Center on Performance Incentives and is currently an M.Ed. student in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organization at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. Before coming to NCPI, Abby worked in advertising for an agency in New York City. However, she had a long interest in higher education administration which led her to Peabody College and NCPI. Abby holds a B.S. in Communication Studies and Political Science from Northwestern University.

Mark C. Dunn

Graduate Assistant,
National Center on Performance Incentives

Mark Dunn is a graduate assistant for the National Center on Performance Incentives and is currently an M.P.P student in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organization at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. Before coming to NCPI, Mark worked as an undergraduate admissions officer at Yale University holding regional responsibilities for the Southeast. Mark is interested in the intersection of secondary and higher education policies, higher education access, and large scale reform efforts. Mark holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Psychology from Yale University.

Xiao (Art) Peng

Graduate Assistant,
National Center on Performance Incentives

Art Peng is a graduate assistant for the National Center on Performance Incentives and is currently a Ph.D candidate in the Department of Leadership, Policy and Organizations at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. Mr. Peng’s research interests include educational policy issues, with a particular focus on the impact of measurement issues on the estimates of value-added school, teacher, and program effects. The primary focus of his recent work has been on evaluations of performance-pay programs in Texas, New York, Colorado, and North Carolina; an examination of achievement tradeoffs and NCLB; and an analysis of volatility in school-level test scores and its implications for monitoring school performance over time. Mr. Peng received a bachelor’s degree in Economics through a special joint program operated by the University of Colorado at Denver and the China Agriculture University. He earned an M.A. in Economics and an M.A. in Statistics from the University of Missouri-Columbia where he was a graduate research assistant in the Economic and Policy Analysis Research Center.

Tony Pratt

Graduate Assistant,
National Center on Performance Incentives

Tony Pratt is a graduate assistant for the National Center on Performance Incentives and is currently an M.P.P student in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organization at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. Before coming to NCPI, Tony was a middle school teacher in New Orleans. He was a 2007 Teach for America Corps Member and most recently taught 5th grade at KIPP: Believe College Prep. Tony’s research interests include teacher policy, school choice, and the implementation of large scale school reforms. Tony holds a B.A. in Political Science from Macalester College.

Jeffrey A. Springer

Graduate Assistant,
National Center on Performance Incentives

Jeff Springer is a graduate assistant for the National Center on Performance Incentives and is currently a Ph.D. student in the Leadership, Policy and Organizations department at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. His research interests include performance-based compensation and Information Technology (IT) in both American and international K-12 public education. He currently serves as a research assistant to Dr. James W. Guthrie. Mr. Springer previously worked in early-stage IT venture capital, strategic consulting, buy-side asset management, and investment banking. He holds an MBA from Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management and a BA in Politics from Princeton University.