Erica Champagne

Erica Champagne supports state education agencies in the design and implementation of school improvement policies aimed at strengthening district and school capacity and advancing student outcomes. She brings more than 20 years of state-level experience in policy implementation, research and evaluation, and grant administration, with a focus on district and school improvement and leadership development. 

At AIR, Champagne advises on SEA support projects focused on school and district improvement, leveraging her recent state experience to inform practical, context-responsive strategies. She co-leads a project with the Arizona Department of Education to develop and implement a school-based progress monitoring system. Champagne also leads work with California as the state refines its accountability criteria to better align support capacity with the needs of districts requiring the greatest assistance. In addition, she leads an AIR team supporting the Michigan Department of Education in redesigning part of its statewide system of support to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Champagne also collaborates with AIR colleagues to help SEA leaders leverage critical analyses of school efficiency and funding.

Previously, Champagne served as director of the Office of Effective Practices at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, where she led the development and implementation of a statewide progress monitoring system that leveraged school site visit data to assess impact and inform adjustments to state-level school improvement supports.