Los Angeles, Oct. 23, 2018 – Dr. Marc Hernandez, Senior Research Scientist in the Academic Research Centers at NORC at the University of Chicago, has been appointed to Age of Learning’s Curriculum Board. The board is made up of nationally recognized educators and experts in language development and early learning best practices who help with the development of the company’s educational programs and content.
Dr. Hernandez is a nationally prominent developmental psychologist and the Director of the Early Childhood Research and Practice Collaborative at NORC, where he also serves as principal research scientist. His research focuses on how children develop literacy, mathematics, and science skills, and how best to develop and evaluate programs that improve educational outcomes for early learners. Dr. Hernandez oversees large-scale projects including experimental and quasi-experimental studies, mixed-methods research, psychometric analyses for assessment and survey development, and program evaluation.
“I’m excited to bring my expertise in program evaluation, assessment, and early childhood cognitive and social-emotional development to Age of Learning,” said Hernandez. “I’m particularly looking forward to supporting Age of Learning’s strong commitment to utilizing the latest learning science and conducting rigorous, objective research and evaluation in developing and continuously improving its products.”
Curriculum Board members collaborate with Age of Learning’s in-house team of curriculum developers, assessment managers, and researchers to help guide the development of engaging and effective educational experiences. Board members also advise on the design and oversight of research studies that evaluate the efficacy and impact of ABCmouse and other Age of Learning programs and products.
Dr. Hernandez joins several other Age of Learning Curriculum Board members, including Kimberly Oliver Burnim, the 2006 National Teacher of the Year; Dr. Rebecca Palacios, an inductee into the National Teachers Hall of Fame and co-founder of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; and Kim Berglund, previously Director of Development and Research in Early Math Education at the Stanford Graduate School and Content and Curriculum Director at PBS Kids.
“We are very pleased to have Marc Hernandez join our curriculum board,” said Doug Dohring, founder and CEO of Age of Learning. “As an expert in early childhood education, efficacy, and assessment, Marc will be a valuable asset to the Age of Learning team as we continue our work to significantly improve learning outcomes for children.”
About Age of Learning, Inc.
Age of Learning is a leading education technology innovator, creating engaging and effective learning resources to help children build a strong foundation for academic success. Founded in 2007 and based in Los Angeles, the company blends educational expertise, innovative technology, and insightful creativity to bring learning to life. Age of Learning’s flagship product in the U.S., ABCmouse Early Learning Academy, is a research-validated, comprehensive curriculum for preschool through 2nd grade, available on all major digital platforms and used by millions of children in their homes, more than 100,000 classrooms, and thousands of public libraries. Age of Learning’s 600-person team is hard at work building a groundbreaking Personalized Mastery Learning System that leverages machine learning to support students’ individualized needs at scale.
About NORC at the University of Chicago
NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, NORC has conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with NORC to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.