Over the last 25 years, Dr. Lilla Dale McManis has served as a teacher, teacher educator, evaluator, and researcher. She has degrees in child development, education, and psychology. She held positions at the Massachusetts Departments of Education and Public Health as Evaluator and then Co-Director of the Office of Statistics and Evaluation. She joined the University of Texas faculty in 2001 and oversaw several large projects related to school readiness, most notably the state School Readiness Certification System. Joining Hatch Early Childhood in 2008, Dr. McManis is the Research Director where she works to both inform and carry out research on educational technology for early learners. Over the years Dr. McManis has been extensively involved in the assessment and progress monitoring of young children.