Dr. Tessie Rose Bailey is the PROGRESS Center project director. In addition to this role, she serves as a national expert in special education, transition, and MTSS/RTI for states and districts through the National Center on Intensive Intervention and the National Center for Systemic Improvement as well as several state contracts. Prior to her current work, she served as a university faculty member, education consultant, and classroom special education teacher. Dr. Bailey has conducted hundreds of professional learning workshops and presentations on effective instruction and assessment practices for struggling students and students with disabilities, MTSS/RTI, special education law and policy, and transition services. She has developed tools and conducted national webinars related to academic IEP goal setting, the Endrew decision, and intensive intervention. She completed her PhD at the University of Utah in special education and did postdoctoral work in MTSS/RTI and secondary transition at Lehigh University’s Center for Promoting Research to Practice.

Sara Evans serves as a technical assistance provider for the PROGRESS Center. In this role, she provides district, state, and national level coaching and professional development in the areas of special education services and policy, transition services, future planning, MTSS, and systems coaching. Before joining AIR, Sara worked in the field of special education for over 23 years as a K-12 special education teacher, Program Specialist, and Director of Student Services. In addition, she has led the implementation of district, regional, and statewide MTSS implementations. Sara earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary (K-8) and Special Education (PreK-12) from Northern Arizona University and her master’s in Educational Leadership from Montana State University.