Barbara Brauner Berns has been the director and deputy director of EDC's Center for Science Education (CSE). She currently co-leads the Learning and Teaching Division's strategic STEM investment group. During her tenure at EDC, she has been the project director of CSE’s K–12 Science Curriculum Dissemination Center and co-principal investigator of several projects. These projects include the development of policy briefs on STEM statewide issues; a study of the engagement of rural school districts in science reform; the development and implementation of a model middle-grades science mentoring program; and the development of a collaboratively written monograph on curriculum as the leading edge of science reform. Barbara led analytic and support services for the Teacher Professional Continuum program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and oversaw the development of preK-12 science curriculum guides for DoDEA schools. In addition, Barbara managed and co-authored a practitioners’ guide on middle school science curricula and oversaw the writing of a facilitator’s guide on science mentoring. For four years, Barbara was senior associate in the Center for Urban Science Education Reform (CUSER), where she provided technical assistance to several school districts. As a member of the CUSER team, she participated in capacity building efforts to promote district-wide leadership for science reform, and she developed professional development activities focused on systemic change. Prior to joining CSE, Barbara served as project co-director of a multi-year national evaluation of urban middle school reform for The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation with sites in Mississippi, California, Tennessee, and Texas. She also worked on education reform initiatives at the state and local levels. As director of planning, research, and evaluation for the Massachusetts Department of Education, she developed proactive approaches for providing technical assistance to school districts and designed user-friendly policy and data-based reports. She also spearheaded collaborative planning efforts, served as liaison with government agencies, professional organizations, and research projects, and advanced the state’s use of non-traditional student assessment programs. Barbara has school system experience, having served in the central office of the Brookline, Mass. Public Schools and as a University of Rhode Island partner with the Providence, Rhode Island Public Schools. As a private consultant, she has conducted planning, policy, and resource development activities for urban and rural school districts, all designed to promote high-quality instruction. Barbara served as senior policy fellow at Northeastern University’s Center for Innovation in Urban Education. Her B.A. and M.A. degrees are from Boston University.