The questions facing education today rarely come with simple answers. How do we measure learning in the age of AI? How do we close opportunity gaps that have persisted for generations? How do we ensure every learner can demonstrate what they know and can do in the way that is best for them? These issues are too complex to be addressed by any single expert or institution alone. To help meet that need, the ETS Research Institute established the Research Advisory Council (RAC).

For nearly 80 years, ETS has advanced the science of measurement to generate powerful insights that inform educational policy and practice, helping governments around the world build stronger, more equitable education systems. The ETS Research Institute builds on that legacy by leading research on some of the most critical issues in teaching, learning, assessment and policy – simultaneously addressing stakeholder needs of today and laying the foundation for the future of measurement science. The formation of the RAC is a commitment to upholding research rigor, excellence, and impact.

External review panels provide a deep and multidisciplinary lens to consider the scientific, technical, and societal impact of learning in today’s AI era. In a rapidly evolving assessment and measurement landscape, this external perspective is essential. RAC members assess research merit, strategic coherence, and potential impact of the Institute’s agenda, providing independent guidance and recommendations to the Institute’s leadership, research teams, and the ETS Board of Trustees directly.

The RAC brings together scholars whose work and expertise span a diverse range of areas including assessment design, AI, learning analytics, cognitive science, psychometrics, and education policy.

• Michael Feuer serves as chair of the RAC and is immediate Past Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development and Professor of Education Policy at George Washington University. His research has focused on the economics of education, international comparative assessments, teacher preparation, inequality and academic opportunity, science policy and the use of research to inform policy.
• Fred Oswald serves as vice chair of the RAC and is Professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine. His research examines the key factors that contribute to educational and workplace success, including how to understand, define and measure skills, motivation, interest, and other individual differences.
• Ying “Alison” Cheng directs the Learning Analytics and Measurement in Behavioral Sciences lab at University of Notre Dame. Her research focuses on psychological and educational measurement, including item response theory and computerized adaptive testing as well as learning analytics using large-scale, multimodal learning data. 
• Kenneth Koedinger is a professor of human-computer interaction and psychology at Carnegie Mellon University. His research focuses on understanding human learning and creating educational technologies that increase student achievement.
• James W. Pellegrino is Liberal Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Psychology and Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Illinois Chicago. His research and development interests focus on children’s and adults’ thinking and learning, as well as the implications of cognitive research and theory for assessment and instructional practice.
• sean reardon is Professor of Poverty and Inequality in Education and Professor at Stanford University. His research focuses on the causes, patterns, trends and consequences of social and educational inequality in America, as well as the effects of educational policy on educational and social inequality.
• Victoria Yaneva is Director of Data Science and AI at the National Board of Medical Examiners, where she leads a team of AI scientists conducting research at the intersection of AI and educational measurement. She has published widely on natural language processing, educational measurement, medical education, and accessibility.
• Olga Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia is a professor and Chair of Business and Economics Education at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz since 2006. She has published widely on empirical educational research in vocational and higher education and has coordinated the national research program “Modeling and Measuring Competencies in Higher Education” since 2011.

The work ahead is complex and urgently needed. New technologies are reshaping how learning happens, how knowledge and skills are demonstrated, and what skills employers demand. In this context, longstanding inequities continue to challenge education systems worldwide. Meeting this moment will require not just better tools, but new evidence, stronger collaboration, and a willingness to rethink long-held assumptions.

With the RAC in place, the ETS Research Institute continues in its deep commitment to its core mission: advancing the science of measurement to power human progress. By combining ETS's deep research expertise with the independent external perspective of the RAC, ETS is at the forefront of measurement science that matters in practice, further ensuring that all learners can demonstrate what they know and ultimately achieve greater fulfillment in their academic and career paths.