Debra Moore, PhD, is a quantitative research methodologist with extensive experience in psychometrics and measurement, program evaluation, research design, and data analysis. Currently, she serves as the Director of Program Evaluation and Quality Improvement for the Program Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU). In this role, she mentors a team of research and evaluation specialists and serves as primary investigator/key personnel for PERU’s community- and site-based public health initiatives focused on substance use disorder, opioid use disorder, suicide prevention, harm reduction, and community coalition building. The team develops, conducts, and monitors the research and evaluation plans as well as data collection and analytic plans for PERU’s evidence-based implementation programs. This work is done through collaborative relationships with a diverse set of partners including state and federal government agencies, health and human service agencies, drug and alcohol treatment organizations, mental health organizations, criminal justice entities, pharmacies, managed care organizations, healthcare systems, community coalitions, first responder agencies, and the Veterans Health Administration. Prior to joining PERU, Dr. Moore spearheaded the five-year redesign of the statewide assessment system for students with significant cognitive disabilities moving it to a digital platform, aligning it with the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, using Item Response Theory for the first time to score, scale, and equate the tests, and integrating the principals of universal design. The project culminated in earning the distinction of Substantially Meets federal peer review requirements based on innovations in design and evidence gathered from validity studies ensuring that federal health and human resource money would continue to flow to PA. The project engaged special education teachers across the state in the assessment process and provided teachers with a pathway for teaching subject area concepts in an intellectually authentic way to increase student access to the general education curriculum. Dr. Moore regularly provides expertise as a measurement specialist, program evaluator, statistical consultant, and psychometric consultant for special projects and educational interventions where her work has helped inform policy decisions at both the local and state level concerning STEM education. Additionally, she has assisted with departmental reviews and accreditation efforts, assessed faculty development programs and curricular initiatives, performed curricular alignment studies, and served as external evaluator for scholarship programs. A former National Board of Professional Teaching Standards certified music teacher, Dr. Moore has also taught college-level courses in quantitative research methodology, assessment for teachers, and applied statistics and developed online courses in those topics. She also supports students across the broader university by serving on dissertation and thesis committees as a methodologist and as a practicum preceptor.
- BMEd, MA, PhD
